Frequently Asked Questions

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We're Here to Help

Do you have a problem that needs to be solved? You may not be the only one. Here are the answers to some of the most common questions we get asked so you can find your solution quickly.

If you’re still having problems, please don’t hesitate to email our Customer Service Team at contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk, and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

Or, you may find the answers you need on our information pages below.

Your Order

If you have a question about an order you've already placed or about how to place and order with us, please see below.

Why Hasn't My Order Arrived?

Does your order contain prescription items?

For Prescription Orders:

  • Have you provided us with your vet’s prescription? We are unable to dispatch any prescription medications until we have received and checked a valid vet prescription. The details on how to do this will have been emailed to you following your order, or you can find out more on our Prescription Information page.
  • If you are looking for an update on your prescription order or there is a problem with the prescription you have provided, please get in touch with us, and we can update you on your order.


For Non-Prescription Orders:

  • Non-prescription items are dispatched promptly following the confirmation of your order, which will be emailed to you. You will also have received an email informing you when your order has been dispatched with a unique tracking number so you can track your order. You should also receive delivery updates from your chosen delivery provider.
  • If your order is marked delivered, please check with neighbours or any “safe places” where your order may have been left if you weren’t in at the time of delivery.


However, if you would like to check the progress of your order, please call us on 01761 250 850 or email contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk, and we’ll help in any way we can.

How Long Will it Take for my Order to Arrive?

The time it takes for your order to be delivered depends on the contents of your order (due to safety checks, prescription orders may take longer) and your chosen delivery method. All of our orders (inc. prediction orders) are dispatched Mon-Fri, and there are no postal pick-ups on weekends.

You can find out more about delivery times and all other information on how your order will be delivered on our Delivery Information page.

How do I Use a Discount Code?

Discount codes are applied on the Shopping Cart page beneath your order summary. Right-click the + beside Add Your Discount Code, and the drop-down will show the discount code box. Input your code here and click Apply. Your code will then be applied, and the offer will be discounted from your total.

An error message will be displayed if there is an issue with your discount code. Check you have input the code correctly and that the offer is still in date. If you are still having problems, please contact us, and we will help resolve the issue.

Can I Change or Cancel my Order?

In some cases, we may be able to amend or cancel your order, but you must be quick! There is a very limited window in which we can amend or cancel your order, as we aim to get your order dispatched as soon as possible.

If you want to change or cancel your order, please email contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk as soon as possible, and we will do all we can.

Please note we cannot amend or cancel orders that have already been dispatched, and in most cases, we cannot amend food orders, especially for products over 1.5kg, as these are not stored at our main warehouse due to space.

Can You Send my Order to a Different Address?

Yes. Just input your desired delivery address on the Delivery Options page at the checkout.

Please note we cannot send prescription medications outside of the UK, and the prescription needs to be from a vet in the country of origin.

Can I Come and Collect my Order from you Directly?

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer a collection service for any orders.

Can I Order Prescription Medication For Someone Else Using My Account?

Yes, but you will need to inform us that you are doing so. For safety reasons, in these circumstances, we may need to contact the prescribing vet or pet’s owner directly when checking the prescription.

Will You Contact Me if an Item I Order is Out of Stock

Our system is designed to prevent the sale of any out-of-stock products. However, in some instances, orders may still go through if the item is not stored at our warehouse. In the majority of these cases, the product is in stock the following day, and your order will be dispatched with only one day’s delay.

If a product is out of stock longer than expected, a member of our team will contact you directly. Depending on when the product is expected to be back in stock, a member of our team will either ask if you would like to wait for the item or offer a full refund.

Your Account

If you're having trouble accessing your acount or have a question regarding your account with Pet Drugs Online, please see below for some quick solutions.

I'm Having Technical Problems. Can You Help?

Technical difficulties can be due to a number of things, so we can’t guarantee we can solve your problem on the spot. However, please email us at contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk, and we’ll do whatever we can to help.

Please note some technical problems are out of our control(e.g. if PayPal is offline). In these instances, or if there are any major technical issues (e.g.country-wide power outages), we will post updates on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

I've Forgotten my Password

It happens to the best of us. If you forget your password, just click the Forgot Your Password link that can be found above where you type in your password on the Sign In box. Input your email, and we will start the password reset process by sending you an email with all the necessary details.

Please note password reset emails may be sent to your Junk Folder, so be sure to check your JunkSpam, or Clutter folder for this email.

Your passwords are vital to your data security, so make sure to use a strong password for your account to keep your information secure. You can find more information on creating a strong and secure password with Google Support.

How Do I Unsubscribe/Delete my Account?

You can unsubscribe from our email newsletters by signing into My Account. Go to My Contact Preferences, where you’ll find a link that states Unsubscribe From Emails. Once you validate your email, you’ll be removed from our mailing list.

To delete your Pet Drugs Online account, please email contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk from the email associated with your account(this is how we are able to identify your account) and state clearly that you wish to delete your account, and we will do this for you.

If you’re a phone customer and do not have an email address, call us on 01761 250 850, and we will delete your account for you.

Prescriptions

Do you have a question about buying your pet’s prescription online from us? Check out our most common questions below, or for more help, head over to our Prescription Information page.

How Can I Send my Prescription?

We need a valid vet's prescription before we can dispatch any prescription medications. For the majority of our prescription products, this can be done by uploading a copy of your prescription online at the checkout. Detailed instructions on how to do so can be found on our Prescription Information page.

Controlled Medicines
For a small number of our prescription products (known as Scheduled or Controlled medications), we are required by law to obtain the original physical copy of your vet's prescription. You will be informed if this applies to your order either at checkout or over the phone. In this instance, you’ll need to send the original prescription written by your vet with your order number written on it (Post-Its or paperclips can easily get separated) to us at:

Pet Drugs Online
Unit 7B, Burnett Business Park,
Gypsy Lane,
Keynsham, Bristol,
BS31 2ED

There are time limits on these prescriptions, so make sure you send it as soon as possible after placing your order, or we won’t be able to fulfil it. For peace of mind, send your prescription to us via a Signed method, so you can check that it arrived.

Human Medicines
In some instances, your vet may prescribe a non-veterinary medicine for your pet (they will use the word “cascade”). You can still purchase these from us, but only by telephone order. Call our Customer Service team on 01761 250 850, and they will walk you through the process, including how to get your prescription to us for these particular products.

Can a Vet Insist I Post the Original Prescription to You? 

Yes. If the prescribing vet stipulates on the written prescription that the original must be presented (such as in some of the cases mentioned above), then we cannot accept any scans or photographs of the prescription. You will need to post your prescription to us at:

Pet Drugs Online
Unit 7B, Burnett Business Park,
Gypsy Lane,
Keynsham, Bristol,
BS31 2ED

Full details on how to post your prescription can be found on our Prescription Information page.

Can I Drop Off My Prescription? 

Absolutely! If you live locally and it’s easier for you to drop your pet’s prescription off in person, then that’s fine with us. Simply post the prescription through our letter box but make sure you include all the details we ask for with postage prescriptions as found on our Prescription Information page.

Please note, you cannot pick up your prescription from us.

Can I Change Any Information on my Pet's Prescription by Myself Without Going Back to the Vet?

The prescribing vet is the only one who can amend your pet’s actual prescription. However, you can alter some of your order details, such as your delivery address and the amount you order.

It is against the law to alter a veterinary prescription, and any instances of such will be promptly reported.

Is it Normal for a Vet to Charge for a Prescription? 

Yes. While your vet must write you a prescription for off-site fulfilment if requested, they are within their right to charge a reasonable fee for doing so. This is normally between £20-£25.

If you want to get your money's worth, you can ask your vet for a repeat prescription, which can be used multiple times.

How Long Does a Prescription Last?

The time a prescription remains valid varies. In most cases, the prescription is valid for 6 months from the date of issue. Certain prescriptions, however, are only valid for 28 days after the date of issue.

All prescriptions will specify to us the maximum amount of medication that can be purchased using it. Once the expiry date or maximum prescribed limit is reached, the prescription is deemed “exhausted” and cannot be used again. Full details on the prescriptions we can accept are covered on our Prescription Information page.

Refrigerated Items

Your pet's safety is at the heart of everything we do, so if you think there may be something wrong with your pet's refrigerated medication, then please let us know as soon as possible, or you may be able to find the answer to your question below.

What Happens if the Weather is Too Hot or Too Cold to Send Refrigerated Items?

Sometimes, the weather is too hot or cold for us to dispatch refrigerated items safely. In these instances, we will do all we can to inform customers their orders may be suspended until it is safe to dispatch them.

Any information relating to suspended shipments will be posted on our website, and we will inform customers with pending orders via email about any delays in dispatch. We are still able to take orders if the weather is too hot or cold to ship refrigerated items. However, these orders will be put on hold until it is safe for us to dispatch them.

How are Refrigerated Items Packaged?

All of our refrigerated items are packaged in Woolcool® packaging in order to keep them at their optimum temperature. More information on how Woolcool works can be found on their website.

What Happens if Refrigerated Items Arrive Warm?

Any refrigerated products are only suitable for use at the specified temperature on the product packaging. If the product is cool, this is fine, but the product is not suitable to use if it is warm.

If you have any concerns about a refrigerated product that has been delivered to you, please contact us immediately via email at contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk, and we will advise you on what to do next.

Returns

Certain orders can be returned to us. However, there are restrictions on the return of prescription & refrigerated products. For full details of our returns process and policy, please see our Returns page.

Can I Return Prescription Medications?

Our governing bodies, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Medicines Directorate, prohibit us from accepting returns on prescription products. For full details, please see our Returns page.

Can I Return Non-Prescripton Medications?

We are able to accept returns of non-prescription products within 14 days of receiving your purchase, so long as they are unused and in their original packaging.

Unfortunately, we cannot pay for the cost of returning an item unless the item itself is faulty or we’ve sent the wrong thing. We also cannot accept a return if a product has been opened or used. For full details, please see our Returns page.

Will I Receive a Refund if I Return Something?

If we made an error with your order (e.g. we sent the wrong product or the product was damaged in transit), then you will receive a full refund, including postage costs.

If the product is simply unwanted, then yes, you will receive a full refund for the product so long as the terms of our returns policy are met. However, we are unable to cover the cost of postage for returning unwanted items. For full details of our returns process and policy, please see our Returns page.

Other FAQs

If you have another question for us, we may have already answered it below. If not, please get in touch with us.

How Can I Make a Complaint?

We recognise that, despite everyone’s best efforts, mistakes can be made, and things can go wrong. We’re only human, after all.

If you wish to make a complaint about our services, you can email your complaint to contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk and clearly state in the subject line you would like to make a complaint. Please add as much information as possible about your experience (e.g. your order number, customer number, couriers etc.) and grievance, as this helps us analyse what went wrong, why, and how we can make things better.

You can also lodge a complaint via post by sending your complaint in a letter to:

Head of Operations
Pet Drugs Online
Unit 7B, Burnett Business Park,
Gypsy Lane,
Keynsham, Bristol,
BS31 2ED

If your complaint is about a veterinary medicine that you feel Pet Drugs Online has not resolved to your satisfaction, or to report an adverse effect a veterinary medicine has had on your pet, then you can find the contact details for the Veterinary Medicines Directorate on our Prescription Information Page.

Can You Give Advice Over the Phone?

Our Customer Care Team can only advise on certain matters relating to our products or services, such as flavours of food, formulations, how to calculate the number of worming tablets needed, etc. We cannot offer any veterinary advice.

Can I Speak to Your On-Site Vet?

No, and there are no exceptions to this. The RCVS requires, by law, that an animal be under a vet’s care or be presented to a vet in order for them to treat, diagnose, or advise on any medical matters.

We do not have any on-site facilities for animal examination or treatment and cannot offer any medical advice.

FAQ

Here are some of the common questions we get asked. If you can't find the answer you need, please email our Customer Service Team: contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk and one of our team will get back in contact with you.

Why hasn’t my order arrived?
First thing, did your order contain prescription items? If so, have you supplied a valid prescription? We are unable to process orders until we’ve received and checked a valid prescription. We will have emailed and (if we’ve got your phone number) sent a text about this. Please get in touch and we’ll update you.

If your order contained only non-prescription items then it should have been dispatched promptly. Check with neighbours and the postman’s standard ‘safe places’ to see if it is there. If the order was being delivered by courier then check your phone as they should have sent a text with delivery details.

Regardless, if you’d like to check the progress of an order call us on 01761 250 850 or email contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk and we’ll let you know what’s going on
How long does it take for my order to arrive?
It mostly depends on the delivery method. We dispatch orders (including prescription orders) Monday to Friday – there isn’t a postal pick up on the weekends.

The Royal Mail cite 1st Class Tracked post delivery times as being 1-3 days – it is usually 1 or 2, but their terms of service state up to 3 days.

2nd Class Tracked post is cited as being 3-5 days – again is it usually at the faster end, but can take up to 5 days

Courier items are next day services for orders placed before noon. So if you place a courier order at 11:30am on a Monday it will be delivered on a Tuesday. An order placed at 14:30 on a Monday will be dispatched Tuesday for a Wednesday delivery.

We dispatch ‘standard courier’ orders on Fridays for Monday delivery. The exception is our specific Saturday delivery service.
How do I use a discount code?
Discount codes are applied on the "Shopping Cart" page. Look under the Summary box to find the text "ADD DISCOUNT CODE". Press on the right hand "+" symbol and it will expand to reveal a text box.
How to apply a discount code
Type your discount code into the text box where it says “Enter discount code” and then press the "APPLY" button. The relevant discount will then be applied. You will see the discount listed in the Summary box above it. If there is a problem with the discount code then an error message will be shown at the top of the screen.
I am having tech problems
Email contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk and we’ll see what we can do to help. Obviously ‘tech problems’ can be wide ranging and so we may not be able to solve every problem on the spot. We promise we’ll be as straightforward as possible, but some technical issues (eg if Paypal is offline) are beyond our control. In such cases we’ll let you know what we know. For major problems (eg county-wide power outages) we’ll also have updates on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Can I send my order to a different address?
Yes. Just put the address you want an order sent to in Delivery Address form at the start of the checkout process. You can have any number of different delivery addresses. The only real restriction is that we can only send prescription orders to same country as the one in which the prescription was written. You can have it sent to any address in that country – it just has to be the same country.
I’ve forgotten my password
Don’t fret. Click on the Sign In link at the top right of the site. This will cause the ‘Sign In” box to appear. Look below the Email box and above the Password box to find a Forgot Your Password link. Click this, fill in your email and we’ll start the password reset process.

Now we’ll send you an email with all the necessary details, but please note that some email systems can view such emails as ‘dodgy’ (with the words “drugs”, “password” and a link in them – we can see why) as a result password reset emails can get automatically filed. So if the email doesn’t turn up, check your Junk, Spam or Clutter folders.

And sorry to be a nag, but passwords are a vital component of data security, please make any password a strong one that mixes up capitals, lowercase, numbers and even special characters. And most certainly NOT one you’ve used elsewhere or Password1, which doesn’t count as secure.
Can I change my order? I’ve noticed a mistake.
Yes, but please be quick. Email us via contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk now! As we try to get orders on their way to you as soon as possible, there is a very limited window or opportunity before we hand it to the postman! If we can get to your order before it leave our hands we’ll happily help with a change of delivery address, change of product or change quantities – just be quick in letting us know.
The same applies if you need to cancel an order, as it makes life easier for everyone if we can avoid the returns process. So if you need to cancel, act immediately - we won’t mind!
How do I unsubscribe/cancel my account?
If you wish to unsubscribe from our email newsletters then sign in and select My Contact Preferences from the My Account area. Here you will see a link that states UNSUBSCRIBE FROM EMAILS. Click it, re-state your email address and we’ll cross you off the list.

To cancel your account please send an email to contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk that clearly states your desire to cancel your account and we’ll take the necessary actions. We use email addresses to identify customers as unique, so please be sure to send this email from the account associated with your Pet Drugs Online account.

If you’re a phone customer and do not have an email address, then please call us on 01761 250 850 to cancel your account.
How can I send my prescription?
You can send us a new prescription by uploading your prescription at checkout. For the vast majority of prescription products we can accept either a copy or the original version.

To send us a copy you can upload your prescription as part of the order process. This can be a photograph or scan – it just has to be legible.

If not added as part of your order, please email prescriptions to prescriptions@petdrugsonline.co.uk

Controlled medicines
For a small amount of prescription products we are required by law to obtain the physical original prescription. These are called Scheduled or Controlled medications. You’ll be alerted to this fact as you work through the checkout or by the person on the phone. So you’ll need to send the original prescription the vet wrote by post to:

Pet Drugs Online
Unit 7B, Burnett Business Park,
Gypsy Lane,
Keynsham, Bristol,
BS31 2ED

Again write the order number somewhere on the prescription. There are time limits on these prescriptions, so be sure to act quickly. For your own peace of mind you may also want to send the prescription in via a Signed for method, so you can check that it arrived.

Human mediciness
Sometimes your vet will prescribe a non-veterinary medicine for your pet (they’ll use the word “cascade”). We can sell these but only by telephone. The person who takes your order will be able to outline how you can send in the prescription for the products you have purchased.
Who is your courier?
We use DPD as our courier.
Do you have a returns service?
Yes, you can return orders. There are however certain legal restrictions on the return of prescription products. For full details of our returns process and policy please see our Returns page.
Can I return prescription medication?
Our governing bodies the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Medicines Directorate prohibit us from accepting returns on prescription products. For full details please see our Returns page.
Can I return non-prescription items?
Yes. The items will need to be unused and in their original packing and if the error wasn’t at our end you’d have to cover the postage costs. For full details please see our Returns page.
Will I receive a refund if I return something?
If we made the error – eg sent the wrong item or it was damaged in transit – yes. If the item is simply unwanted then yes, but you’ll need to cover the costs of returning it to us. Please see our Returns page for details.
Can I come and collect my order from you directly?
Sadly no. We cannot offer a collection service.
Can I drop off a prescription?
If you happen to be local (hi, neighbour!) yes you can pop post through our letter box. You can find our address on the Contact Us page. Please note that we cannot offer an order collection service.
How do I make a complaint?
We sincerely hope you never have to, but understand that sometimes, despite everyone’s best efforts, things can go wrong. If you wish to complain about our service then write an email and use the phrase Complaint (or something similar) in the subject line then send this to contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk. Please add in as much information as you can with the complaint (eg order number, customer number, couriers etc) as this will help us analyse what went wrong, work out why and to correct it. Alternatively you can lodge your complaint by post. In which case send it to the:

Head of Operations
Pet Drugs Online
Unit 7B, Burnett Business Park,
Gypsy Lane,
Keynsham, Bristol,
BS31 2ED

If you have a complaint about a veterinary medicine that you do not feel that Pet Drugs Online has resolved satisfactorily or wish to report an adverse reaction to a veterinary medicine then please see our Prescription Information page for the necessary contact details for the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
Can I order prescription medication for someone else using my account?
Yes but you will need to tell us you are doing so. Please be aware in such circumstances we will need to check and so may contact the prescribing vet or pet’s owner directly.
What happens if the weather is too hot/cold to send refrigerated items?
If a period of hot weather is forecast we’ll do our best to warn customers who purchase refrigerated products that we may be required to suspend dispatch of these products.
If the predicted hot weather happens then we may be forced to suspend dispatch of refrigerated products. We will put information on our website indicating that we have suspended shipment and will send emails and SMS to any customers who have orders pending dispatch. We will still take orders, but hold all refrigerated orders until it is safe to send them.

The same applies for really cold weather or if we get snowed in. Again!
How do refrigerated items come packaged?
Refrigerated items are packed (in silver foil bags in the summer which are then packed ) with frozen gel packs that will keep the product at the optimum temperature during the delivery process.
What happens if refrigerated items arrive warm?
Cool is just fine. Warm is not. If you’re worried about the temperature of a refrigerated product that has been delivered to you, contact us immediately by email contact@petdrugsonline.co.uk and we’ll advise you on what to do next.
If an item I order is out of stock will I be contacted?
Our systems try to prevent to sale of out of stock products, but sometimes orders can get through for items not on our shelves – especially in such unusual times. For the vast majority of these the item will available the next and dispatched with one day’s delay. For all longer term out of stock products we will contact you directly. Where we reasonably expect that the product will come back in stock in the near future we will offer you the choice of waiting or a refund. Where a product is long term out of stock we contact you and offer a refund.
Is it normal for vets to charge for a prescription?
Yes, vets must write a prescription for off-site fulfillment if you request one. They are allowed charge a reasonable fee for doing so. This normally translates to approximately £20 to £25. To make sure you get your monies worth, ask if you can get a repeat prescription – which means you can use it multiple times.
Do you give advice over the phone?
No we cannot offer medical advice over the telephone or by email. Our customer care team can advise you on certain matters (eg flavours, formulations and how to calculate the number of worming tablets you need) but they cannot offer veterinary advice.
Can I speak to your on-site vet?
No. We have to be strict on this one. The RCVS require an animal to be under a vet’s care or to be presented to a vet in order for them to treat or advise on medical matters. We even asked about Skype-like services, but they are not permitted. Further to this we do not have on-site facilities for animal examination or treatment.
Can I change information myself on my prescription instead of going back to my vets?
You can change order details (such as delivery address) and the amount ordered but the prescription itself can only be amended by the prescribing veterinary surgeon. It is against the law to alter a veterinary prescription and any instances will be reported.
Can a vet insist that I have to post you the original prescription?
Yes. If the prescribing vet stipulates on the written prescription that the original must be presented, then we cannot accept scans, photos or fax versions. In such cases we, before we can dispense, we have to receive the original prescription by post.
If your vet tells you that they are going to apply such a condition, be sure to ask for a “repeat” so that you get the maximum bang for your buck!
As for where you send it. Pop it in the post to us here:
Pet Drugs Online
Unit 7B, Burnett Business Park,
Gypsy Lane,
Keynsham, Bristol,
BS31 2ED
How long does a prescription last for?
Date wise, it varies. Most prescriptions are valid for 6 months from the date of issue. While certain classes of prescriptions are only valid for 28 days. See our Prescription Information page for full details.

All prescriptions will specify a maximum amount of medication that can be purchased using it. When either expiry the date or maximum prescribed limit is reached then prescription is deemed to be ‘exhausted’ and cannot be used again.