Pet health! I'm saving a fortune

Edinburghlass_2

MJH wrote:

bunking_off: www.animalmedicines.co.uk also do the so called 'prescription' foods like Hills C/D and I find that for most things they're even cheaper than PetDrugsQuick and miles cheaper than the vet.

Also, IvanOpinion: AnimalMedicines do free delivery on all the lighter weight stuff such as Metacam so the total cost is less than your vet and it arrives within a couple of days by Royal Mail which I find very reliable.

It would be interesting to know what your connection is with this company that you can catagorically state that they "miles cheaper than the vet" when this is simply not true of all vets?

queensway_boy

don't find them any cheaper than my vets surgery:eek:

Curry_Queen

*Edit by board guide mini to remove quote in which medical advice was given*


You should NEVER give your dog (or cat) paracetamol/panadol or any human analgesics ... they are HIGHLY TOXIC!!!!
Please do not give out dangerous advice like this, especially as you aren't a medically trained person :mad:

saver_sam wrote:

I haven't tried them yet but you can get Frontline Plus from Oz. See http://pets-megastore.com.au/r2d2/d...D=13&ParentID=2 (approx £23.06 for six months worth plus £2.68 freight). Doesn't look like you need a prescription

Frontline is a POM (prescription only) so you would require a prescription to buy it legally in the UK.

DaisyNelson

Thanks for the tip about https://www.petdrugsquick.co.uk . I've just been on the site and ordered worming tablets for the cats. I reckon it's saved me around £20 compared to what I'd pay at my vets.

katy2

saver sam, I have used the aussie megastore sites. They are excellent, and I have had no problems with deliveries. Recommend.

IvanOpinion

Curry_Queen wrote:

You should NEVER give your dog (or cat) paracetamol/panadol or any human analgesics ... they are HIGHLY TOXIC!!!!
Please do not give out dangerous advice like this, especially as you aren't a medically trained person :mad:

Hi C-Q
A couple of points. Firstly the advice came either directly from my vet (who I believe is highly trained) or from veterinary Trade Magazines (that I would suspect to be pretty good sources). Secondly many drugs used for animals are just rebranded human equivalents with a high markup on them. Two of the items I mentioned are actually herbal remedies and have worked well for us (I will not repeat the names since I can understand and accept the reasons as to why they have been removed).

I see no sense in arguing about the pros and cons of paracetamol since you are correct it is toxic ... to humans as well - hence why you must always ensure the correct dosage (it can do a severe amount of damage to your liver).

One of the common drugs prescribed for animal arthritis is 'Metacalm' which, while it is very good at what it is meant to do, can be very harsh on the animal with some nasty side effects (affecting the liver, kidneys and heart). One of the biggest problems for animals is that 'caring owners' over feed them which puts far too much strain on their joints and if they develop arthritis causes them to suffer ... severely. If your dog is shaped like a barrel then it is grossly over weight and you will cause it more harm than good in the long run. Think 'whippet-like' and you should not be too far away.

As I said in my previous note, if you want to save money ask your vet if there is a human equivalent and if so what dosage should be used.


A little aside on toxicity. While we all like to feed our animals little treats are you aware that you should NOT feed a dog chocolate designed for human consumption since it is toxic to a dog (I was given the long speel as to why). Apparently as little as one of those big 1Kg bars of chocolate is enough to kill a labrador sized dog ... just be careful if you leave chocolate lying about.

Ivan

Glad

I agree
as a nurse I often query my pets medication with the vet and most are just a repackaged human equivalent,

with regards to human chocolate, I read this some years ago and have always been very careful when the children have chocolate to make sure they are not feeding titbits to the dog, in fact I try never to give our pets any processed 'human' foods due to the amounts of sugars etc which are not required by any animal.

Curry_Queen

I'm not disputing the fact that there may be cheaper alternatives for animal medication and I'm well aware that many drugs used are also used in humans, but at different strengths and dosages. Having spent 20+ years as a veterinary nurse I think I know a little about these things

What I was objecting to was your advice to give dogs paracetamol/aspirin without any disclaimer or advice to seek veterinary advice beforehand, and whilst most people are intelligent enough to do that, there's always those that would think it's a good idea to shove human pills down their dogs throat (having seen it on the internet so it must be true :rolleyes:) to save on a vets bill and end up killing there animal.

One of the common drugs prescribed for animal arthritis is 'Metacalm' which, while it is very good at what it is meant to do, can be very harsh on the animal with some nasty side effects (affecting the liver, kidneys and heart).

I think you may be confusing this with Rimadyl, which has been proven to have adverse effects in some animals, as Metacam (no l) is relatively safe if given in the proper dosage, but again you need to speak to your vet about it as some animals have pre-disposing conditions that would contraindicate the use of either or both.

In my experience most vets are willing to discuss alternative and cheaper treatments, especially for those that are prescribed long term medication, but obviously there are a few rogues (as in any profession) out there trying to make more money that give the rest a bad name

IvanOpinion

Curry_Queen wrote:

What I was objecting to was your advice to give dogs paracetamol/aspirin without any disclaimer or advice to seek veterinary advice beforehand, and whilst most people are intelligent enough to do that, there's always those that would think it's a good idea to shove human pills down their dogs throat (having seen it on the internet so it must be true :rolleyes:) to save on a vets bill and end up killing there animal.

I thought I had said to check with the vet, if not then you are, of course, 100% correct - ALWAYS check with your vet.

I think you may be confusing this with Rimadyl, which has been proven to have adverse effects in some animals, as Metacam (no l) is relatively safe if given in the proper dosage

It was definitiely Metacam that was giving the vet concern - probably because our dog was on it for several years. When she had her strokes though she had to come off the oral version in favour of an injectable form.

In my experience most vets are willing to discuss alternative and cheaper treatments, especially for those that are prescribed long term medication, but obviously there are a few rogues (as in any profession) out there trying to make more money that give the rest a bad name

Indeed, just make sure you ask

Ivan

Curry_Queen

IvanOpinion wrote:

It was definitiely Metacam that was giving the vet concern - probably because our dog was on it for several years. When she had her strokes though she had to come off the oral version in favour of an injectable form.Ivan

Oh, I'm sorry to hear your dog had such a bad time ... for obvious reasons I can't comment on her treatment/diagnosis but I hope she's doing much better now. I know how distressing it is to have an animal in such pain, not just from a professional pov, but one of my own dogs (rottie) had hip dysplasia and rheumatoid arthritis, but with good treatment he reached the grand old age of 11 before being finally PTS for an un-related illness.

Best of luck with your girl