You love your dog or cat, but you don’t love dropping eighty bucks a month on the same antibiotic that costs a third of that at the human pharmacy down the street. Here is the secret that most vet clinics never tell you: many of those prescriptions are identical to the ones written for people, and you can use the same pharmacy discount cards that legitimately save you money on your own meds to save on your pet’s too. This is not a gray-market hack, not a couponing loophole, and not something that will get you banned from anywhere. It is simply a matter of understanding how drug pricing works and being willing to ask for a piece of paper.

When your veterinarian writes a prescription for, say, metronidazole or carprofen, they have two options. They can send it to their in-house pharmacy, where you will almost certainly pay full retail markup, sometimes double or triple what a national chain charges. Or they can give you a written script that you can take anywhere you like. Many vets do not volunteer this, not out of malice but because their clinic profits from dispensing meds. So you need to ask for the prescription. Under federal law, you have the right to request it, and the vet must honor that request. No shame, no fuss. Just say, “Could you write me a prescription for this so I can fill it at a human pharmacy?” Most will do it without a second thought.

Now comes the part that feels too good to be true. Walk into a CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, or even a grocery store pharmacy, hand over the script, and tell the pharmacist you want to use a discount card instead of paying cash. You do not need to be the pet’s owner on any insurance claim because these cards work like discount clubs, not insurance. The pharmacist will simply run the drug through their system with the card’s pricing processor, and you will likely see a price that is dramatically lower than the vet’s quote. This works because pharmacy discount cards negotiate bulk rates with drug manufacturers and passing those negotiated prices on to anyone who presents the card. They do not care if the patient has four legs.

Before you assume that all discount cards are created equal, understand that different cards have different negotiated rates for different drugs at different pharmacies. The card that gives you a rock-bottom price on amoxicillin at one store might be six bucks more expensive at the same store for cephalexin. This is why comparing at the counter really matters. Download two or three of the big names—there are several well-known ones that let you check prices online or on their apps before you even leave the house. Type in the drug name, your zip code, and you will see a list of nearby pharmacies with the exact price that card will give you. Do that for each card. Compare. Then pick the cheapest option and hand that specific card to the pharmacist.

Another angle often overlooked is combining a discount card with a one-time manufacturer coupon. Many brand-name pet drugs, especially heartworm and flea preventives, have manufacturer savings offers that you can access online. These are not stackable in the traditional coupon sense, but you can often use the manufacturer coupon instead of the discount card, whichever gives the lower final price. Check both. Sometimes the discount card wins; sometimes the coupon wins. The key is doing five minutes of homework before you stand at the counter feeling rushed.

What about pet insurance? If you have it, you are likely paying a premium and then getting reimbursed for the medications, which means the upfront price still matters. Using a discount card lowers your out-of-pocket cost, and since most pet insurance policies reimburse a percentage of that cost, you end up paying even less. If you do not have pet insurance, the discount card is pure cash savings. And if you have a chronic condition for your pet, such as diabetes or arthritis, those monthly savings add up to real money over a year—often enough to pay for a full wellness visit.

One caveat: not all medications prescribed for pets have human equivalents. Some are veterinary-specific, and no human pharmacy will stock them. In those cases, you are stuck with the vet or an online pet pharmacy. But for many of the most common prescriptions—antibiotics, antifungals, anti-inflammatory, thyroid medications, even some insulin—you have a legitimate choice. That choice is your right, and exercising it can save you hundreds of dollars a year without any downside other than a little legwork. So next time you leave the exam room with a diagnosis, do not walk to the front counter. Walk out with a paper script, pull out your phone, and let the cards do the bargaining. Your wallet will thank you, and honestly, so will your vet once they stop having to justify their markup.

Now go fill that prescription. Your pet deserves the same deal you would get for yourself.