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AIBU?

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Original poster

To make you aware you can get your pets medication much MUCH cheaper online

57 replies

TheoriginalLEM · 03/08/2015 10:00

perfectly legally.

Simply ask your vet to write you a prescription.

For example - Vetmedin 5mg (heart treatment) £60 for a months supply in the vet. £19 online. Metacam 180ml - months supply for large dog approx £80 in bet £23 online. These aren't exact prices but they are roughly what my mum pays out for her dogs meds.

Not all medicines will be cheaper online as there is a prescription cost of about £8 but many are. Your vets wont volunteer this information but will actually happily write you a prescription if you ask.

It isn't about your vets ripping you off, i work for a vets and they cannot buy the meds from the online suppliers, they pay more than the online price.

I don't know why that is but its ridiculous and surely has to stop because A, someone is ripping you off even if its not the vet and B, vets are going to struggle now people are getting wise to this and asking for prescriptions rather than buying the meds from their vet.

There are many companies that sell veterinary medicine online, your vet should be able to point you in the direction of a reputable company.

OP posts:
SideOrderofChips · 03/08/2015 14:23

Its true. I buy the flea treatment for the Cat from amazon.

Whatsforsupper · 03/08/2015 16:38

Any cat owners should be aware Matacalm has caused renal failure in many cats. It was originally for dogs not cats. Quite a few vets in the US won't prescribe it anymore.

Sorry, I know the thread was about the cost of medications I don't mean to derail.

RosePetels · 03/08/2015 17:02

I only knew this for flea, worming ect. Thanks for this thread.

lollilou · 03/08/2015 17:03

Is Advocate prescription only then?My poor little cat has been to the vets today as she has scabs around her ears and under her chin. The vet thinks it is a flea allergy so recommended Advocate. We used to use Frontline which stopped working so switched to Stronghold for her last dose which didn't work either. The Advocate cost around £30 (Not sure exactly because the bill included a steroid injection) Can I get it cheaper elsewhere? We have two cats to treat.

LikeTheShoes · 03/08/2015 17:32

we get ours from MrPets, I think they're based in the channel islands.

Zipedeedooda · 03/08/2015 17:37

What about special food? Like the Royal Canin stuff? Can that be found cheaper online? It's extortionate!

NaiceVillageOfTheDammed · 03/08/2015 18:35

Agree. My vet charges £7 for a 'script and I get the meds from Sainsburys (who are also the cheapest place I found for human private 'scripts as well).

NaiceDog is perm on...
Allopurinol - gout med for people.
Domperidone - anti heartburn & lactation med in people.

So it's not just specific animal drugs you can get cheaper.

I also source NaiceDog's other very expensive meds from Europe, as they are prohibitively expensive in uk but very cheap in Europe.

tabulahrasa · 03/08/2015 18:43

"Any cat owners should be aware Matacalm has caused renal failure in many cats. It was originally for dogs not cats. Quite a few vets in the US won't prescribe it anymore.

Sorry, I know the thread was about the cost of medications I don't mean to derail."

It can cause kidney failure in dogs too...really animals on it longterm shouk

tabulahrasa · 03/08/2015 18:45

Should be getting regular blood tests.

It also can cause huge stomach problems and should be given with other drugs as gastric protectants, but many vets don't give them routinely.

Original poster
TheoriginalLEM · 03/08/2015 19:18

Zipee - unless your pet has a very specific dietry need i would simply change your dog food, the royal canin food makes my face go Shock with the price. I bought a pack home from work the other day for mine and it was full of additives. Needless to say i went straight back to burns!

OP posts:
Adarajames · 03/08/2015 20:01

The so called prescription diets are mostly utter crap, stuffed full of fillers and an outrageous price! Raw feed or something decent like burns would be far better!

I usually buy meds online, even when outrageous vet used to charge £12 for script, still worked out loads cheaper (and pet scrips don't have any code on / need to be sent in, a scan of it is fine for most online shops, so one could, if very short of funds, use the same script with 2 or maybe even 3 online suppliers)

tabulahrasa · 03/08/2015 20:08

"The so called prescription diets are mostly utter crap, stuffed full of fillers and an outrageous price! Raw feed or something decent like burns would be far better!"

It depends what they're for...renal diets for instance, it's pretty important they have that - but yes you can get them online usually cheaper and there are other brands.

KatnissEverdene · 03/08/2015 20:21

My Mym has used animed for years (or rather I order for her), it is dead easy to upload the prescription and order, and saves her so much for 2 dogs with heart problems.

SunshineAndShadows · 03/08/2015 20:36

A tax payer subsidised NHS prescription costs over £8 so most private vet prescriptions are pretty cheap. However legally an animal has to be under veterinary care (including a clinical exam, and sometimes blood tests) for a prescription to be issued. All medications have side effects.if your vet doesn't see your ket, these can't be monitored.

Also whilst many online pharmacies are reputable many especially european rather than British ones are not. The drugs may be cheaper but the quality control often isn't. Always select an online pharmacy that is regulated by the VMD (they'll have a VND logo on the homepage) otherwise you could be buying anything

littlefrenchonion · 03/08/2015 22:28

To put a couple of different viewpoints on this for what it's worth (I am a Veterinary Nurse):

A) Yes, it's often cheaper. But you do realise as online purchases continue to rise, Vets will need to charge more for other services (mainly surgery) to make their business profitable? Insurance rates will rise for the same reason. Seems almost counter-productive in the long run, but I can obviously see the attraction.

B) advising the general public to buy their drugs in this manner is risky - I'm sure at least one person reading this thread will purchase counterfeit drugs unwittingly, despite the advice on procuring a prescription throughout. I've seen some convincing fakes, and the nasty reactions they can produce, as I'm sure you have too if you work in practice.

YANBU, BUT - Be careful when giving out this advice. Particularly if you have an RCVS accredited qualification - is there potential to get yourself in trouble? It could be interpreted wrongly by the public and it does feed this most frustrating notion that vets are only in it for the money or are merrily ripping people off.

Madeyemoodysmum · 03/08/2015 22:35

I agree with little French onion. Buying drugs onlinecis a massive no! For me. Human or animal

springbabydays · 03/08/2015 22:37

If you're planning on making an insurance claim it's best to still buy the meds from the vets or you probably won't be able to claim it back.

Yes prescription food is cheaper online. Definitely worth shopping around (food is not usually covered by insurance).

ihatethecold · 04/08/2015 07:47

littlefrenchonion
So you're saying that the veterinary practices are making a good mark up on the drugs?
I think that's awful.
Many people want to do the best for their animal and are being guilted into spending inflated amounts to treat their pet.
My 2 year old rescue dog is currently at an orthopaedic vets having a Cat scan for elbow dysplasia.
She will likely be on Metacam for life.
That's a long time to pay inflated prices.

tabulahrasa · 04/08/2015 08:06

You expect vets to sell things at cost?

How are they supposed to make a living?

Wolfiefan · 04/08/2015 08:14

This is really interesting. Our old girl was costing us over £60 a month on meds. If I could get them much cheaper from a reputable online seller then I think I would have done. (As long as she had all her check ups at the vet.)
No tabula I don't expect vets to supply medicines at cost but neither do I expect a massive mark up. (Especially when we are also paying for regular appointments and bloods etc.)
Our vets do seem to milk every last bit of cash from us. Seriously considering changing. Some members of the practice are lovely though.

ihatethecold · 04/08/2015 08:24

No but when the mark up is 3 or 4 times the online price I think that's taking advantage.
My dogs ct scan on her elbow is costing me £1200 today.
I do wonder how it can cost quite so much!

tabulahrasa · 04/08/2015 08:29

I've never paid 3 or 4 times the online price...about an extra 20% is more like it.

The scans cost so much because the equipment is really expensive to buy and run, my neighbour was training as a doctor at the same time my dog was having elbow scans...she said if the cost were passed on to NHS patients it'd be at similar prices as that's just how much they cost to do.

Original poster
TheoriginalLEM · 04/08/2015 09:29

To be fair, the vets mark up actually isn't that much. They often pay more than the online price from a distrubitor. I have no idea why this is. Obviously it is important to make sure you are buying from a reputable company.

OP posts:
SunshineAndShadows · 04/08/2015 19:05

If you're buying drugs online that are 4 times cheaper than your vet, you need to be very careful of counterfeiting - are they from VMD approved sites?

Vets cannot buy drugs in the quantities that online pharmacies do. It's the same reason that the massive supermarkets can sell meat cheaper than your local butcher - economy of scale. If you want a local practice that runs a building, employs staff locally and buys drugs in smaller quantities then you have to pay for this. The alternative is the large corporate practices that are taking over particularly in the South East where business is the bottom line. It depends what matters to you most.

The reason most people think vets are expensive is because they're totally clueless about how much medical drugs, equipment and employing trained staff cost.

A CT scan costs around £500 for a person. For an animal it's generally more expensive as fewer procedures are done so each costs more (economy of scale again) You also need to factor in the cost of anaesthesia, and a trained nurse anaesthetist to monitor your pet, it's recovery and its post-procedure nursing care.

Private medical care is expensive - that's why vets recommend that you insure your pet. If you choose not to do so then it's hardly your vet's responsibility.

Most vets now spend £50-70,000 on their education. Their starting salary is around £20k a year and that won't rise much above £40k unless they can find the money to invest in their own business. They're hardly raking it in

ihatethecold · 04/08/2015 19:51

I haven't bought any drugs online before and fortunately for me this is the first time I've had to use drugs and have a procedure done for my dog.
Thank you for explaining why things are so costly.
My dog is insured but sadly not for the full amount of her op.
If I were to buy Metacam online I would use the advice on here about making sure it's legit.