vet and med costs help needed

elsien

Mutt has been put back on Zantac for various reasons. I know I need to keep going back to the vet to check on progress, but this is a problem that is likely to come and go.
The stuff they've given her is the over the counter human medication, but at a price rather higher than getting it from a chemist.
Are they/can they object if I keep going for check ups as and when needed, but if they say she needs more Zantac tell them I want to get it myself from elsewhere. I shouldn't need to pay for a prescription if I can get it from Boots or wherever, should I?
Can anyone see any problems with this?

(Board guides - this is not asking for medical advice but is a query about the cheapest way of getting the medication I need under vetinary supervision.)

bouncydog1

Will your insurers pay for it - if so submit a claim. Otherwise discuss it with your vet - however I would think that if you choose to buy this medication over the counter regardless of whether or not it is the same, in the event that your animal experiences contra indications you will not have any claim against your vet.

elsien

Could claim I suppose as it's an ongoing condition, but I have a high excess and 20%of the bill over and above so it would be easier and cheaper to get it myself. And she's had it before so contra-indications aren't likely I don't think.
Just wanted to know if the vet had any grounds for objection - always had my meds from them before, so not had to get into prescriptions and everything else.

spookylukey

You can get your meds from anywhere you choose, even moreso as Zantac is an over the counter medicine. The only problem with Zantac (Zantac 75 at least) is that it is a very strange shaped tablet so difficult to cut into the required dose. The vet supplied meds may already be at the correct dose, that's not always the case though, when my cat needed antibiotics the vet cut the tablets by hand - very badly!

Another option might be to buy the generic version (ranitidine), this might be better shaped for your needs.

Fire_Fox

Please check with your vet that the pet Zantac is IDENTICAL to the human Zantac, I don't mean the active ingredient but I mean all the fillers and binders that are used to make a tablet. There is a small chance there is something in the human version which is toxic to pets: the coatings may also be different as dogs stomach pH is not the same as ours. If you need to cut tablets you can buy tablet cutters from any pharmacy. If you need a pet version of Zantac then you can ask the vet for a prescription and purchase the product from a company such as Vet UK.

KVet

Nah it pretty much is the same stuff as it us Zantac we use too and its just a brand - no animal versions, just use the human one through the cascade.

VfM4meplse

Do be aware of 2 things: neither Zantac nor generic ranitidine purchasable OTC are licensed for use in dogs (this fact may make a difference if you try to buy from a pharmacy but no-one in a supermarket / garage will understand the complexities of medicines law or even give a damn if they did) and that the distribution of a drug within the dosage form may not be uniform, ie cutting a tablet in 2 may not guarantee a 37.5mg dose.

dannyjebb

How much do you pay your vet for the ranitidine? What strength and how many tablets do you get? Is it the zantac brand?

~Chameleon~

What dose is she on? Can be anything up to 2mg/kg for a dog.

The smallest tablet available is 75mg and quite small and tricky to cut without a proper pill cutter so worth buying one. I pay around £1.70 for Ranitidine 75mg x 12 packs from QD Stores. Don't think you can get much cheaper than that

elsien

It's definitely human zantac 75 mg - the dosage on the box is for adults and children! 1 tab 3 times daily. And it is the funny shaped ones which I had to halve last time, but I have a proper cutter and the vet said that it didn't matter if I didn't get it exactly right.
I've paid £43.59 plus vat for 4 boxes of 24 tablets, so guess it's time for a word with the vet and a bit of internet shopping!
Thanks all.

dannyjebb

OMG that is outrageous. Nearly £50 for 96 tablets I work in pharmacy and can buy P and GSL meds for cost price lets say its over 7 times cheaper than that for 60 150mg tablets. You would think vets made enough without charging you extra for the medicines. My dog was on Co-amoxiclav ( an antibiotic) and they charged me £24 for 7 days worth and the cost per box is about 25p. If your buying from one of the online pharmacies make sure you get the Zantac brand and make sure the tablets are as described in the information leaflet you will get. Have seen people come in hospital with medicines bought offline and they could be anything. I think you can buy 12 Zantac tablets from boots for £3 which saves you over £35