It's a trend that's popping up around the country and has now spread to Western New York. Professionals call it "vet shopping". It's when an owner takes their pet to several different veterinarians to try and get multiple prescriptions for painkillers and other drugs.
According to a veterinarian at McClelland Animal Hospital in Buffalo, vets across WNY have been alerted to this trend and were even warned about a woman who tried to take her arthritic dog to multiple veterinarians in the Southtowns for prescription painkillers.
While some people shop around with animals that are already sick, reports from other parts of the country show people are intentionally injuring their pets to get their hands on painkillers like Tramadol. One report shows a woman in Kentucky used a razor to injure her dog and was arrested in 2014.
McClelland Animal Hospital says most veterinarians in the region have been alerted to the trend and are on the lookout for people who go "vet shopping" to get their hands on prescription drugs.
