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The Dot-com Dog Boom, Online Services for You and Your Pet

The Dot-com Dog Boom, Online Services for You and Your Pet

These days, you can do just about anything online, from renting movies to ordering parts for your car. Of course, pet owners are not forgotten in the dot-com craze, and you can find plenty of online services for you and your pet. When you don't have time to run to the pet store and you can't find the latest edition of your local Yellow Pages, consider these online alternatives.

 

Medication & Maintenance

Most veterinary offices close around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., which happens to be just around the time you're getting off work. If you don't want to spend your lunch hour running errands, you can use online services for pet medication and maintenance needs, which cannot only save you time, but money as well.

 

For example, PetCareRX.com is a leading online pet pharmacy that carries everything from heartworm medication to pet tags to flea dips. They offer free shipping on orders more than $35 and even carry products for exotic pets, such as birds, fish and guinea pigs. You can also check out 1800PetMeds.com, which offers vaccines in addition to oral and topical medications.

 

 

Pet Sitting

When you have to go out of town on business or when you've finally planned that vacation to Disney World, you'll need a pet sitter for all of your pets. Fortunately, there are online services that help you locate reputable pet sitters in your area. PetSit.com, for example, has listings of pet sitters in the U.S. and abroad.

You might also like Pet-Sitters.biz, which is a similar Web site that allows you to search not only by geographical location, but also for specific services, such as sitters who are willing to walk, bathe or stay overnight with your pets.

 

 

Alternative Treatments

If you are interested in finding natural alternative treatments for your pet, you can bypass the more traditional medical Web sites and go with herbalist companies. These online pet services provide owners with natural herbs and solutions that can help your dog's arthritis, your cat's kidney disease or your horse's chronic laminitis.

AnimalHerbCompany.com, for instance, boasts a wide range of herbal remedies for both small and large animals. They provide descriptions of each product as well as dosage requirements, intended uses and articles about how to effectively use alternative medicine on your pets.

 

 

Vet Locaters

If you're new in town and want to secure premium care for all of your pets, it might be easier to use an online pet service than your telephone directory. Vet locaters provide you with names, addresses, educational backgrounds and facilities for veterinarians in your area.

 

You might want to check out VetWeb.net, which is a highly recommended vet locater that gives locations as well as links to the veterinarians' Web sites. HealthyPet.com is another good choice, and has an extensive listing of vets in most major cities. Most listings on HealthyPet.com are members of the American Animal Hospital Association.

 

 

Pet Classifieds

Have you been looking for the perfect four-legged companion to join your family? Pet classifieds are great online pet services for finding animals for sale or adoption in your area. If you're looking to adopt, check out PetFinder.com for locations of nearby shelters and their adoption fees.

 

If, however, you'd like to purchase a pure-bred dog from a breeder or pet shop, you might have to look a little deeper. Craigslist.org often has listings for animals for sale in your area, or you can check out PetClassifieds.us. PetSell.com is another free online pet service dedicated to finding homes for animals, and if you're looking for horses, you might prefer DreamHorse.com.

 

 

A Word About Safety

Online pet services are a great way to get the information, products and listings you need as quickly as possible, but there are a few risks. Before you deal with a company or individual online, make sure you can verify their legitimacy. If they don't list a valid contact number or have poor reviews on the Internet, your money and time will be better spent elsewhere.


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