Obtaining a vet prescription

Leard91

Our dog has itchy skin. We've been to our vets several times about it and have basically gotten to the point where we think he'll need lifelong medication. Our vet has suggested apoquel. They gave us the name and we wanted to go away and do some research on price etc first. It looks like we can get it for about £28 a month online. I refuse to get it straight through our vet because they'll probably charge double the price. However, we need a prescription from a vet to get it online. Our vet charges a tenner per prescription, but also I know they'll charge us a £40 consultation fee as well probably.

Is there a way to obtain vet prescriptions for regular medication such as this without being mugged off by high street vets? Maybe an online vet service or something?

marcia_

 My vet will give prescription without a consultation for conditions they have seen the pet for in the last 12 months. I'd suggest ringing them to see if they do that 

sheramber

A vet can only issue a prescription for a dog under their care.

At £10  I would grab that. My vet charges £26 and my last vet charged £19.

Your vet will decide how often a consultation is needed, once  the condition is controlled and the treatment agrees with the dog.   
That could be every 3 months, six months , a year. The vet decides based on each case.

Lavendyr

I buy Apoquel (off-label, under dermatologist care) for my cat from Pet Drugs Online. However, to do so my vet needs to issue a written prescription which costs me £17.50 and needs to see my cat every 6 months for a check up. My cat also has to have blood tests every year to make sure he is OK on the medication as it's not licensed for cats. 

My vet would charge somewhere between 2-3x the price I can get the Apoquel for online and Pet Drugs Online has been the best price and most reliable service that I've found. 

You can't get prescription vet medicine without a vet prescription and you won't get that online, I'm afraid. Your pet does need to be seen on a regular basis when on long term medication to make sure they are doing OK, it wouldn't be responsible to do otherwise. However, even if you were buying the medication directly from your vet they would still require a regular checkup so the consultation fee is neither here nor there. The saving you can make is via a written prescription and online ordering. 

35har1old

Leard91 said:

Our dog has itchy skin. We've been to our vets several times about it and have basically gotten to the point where we think he'll need lifelong medication. Our vet has suggested apoquel. They gave us the name and we wanted to go away and do some research on price etc first. It looks like we can get it for about £28 a month online. I refuse to get it straight through our vet because they'll probably charge double the price. However, we need a prescription from a vet to get it online. Our vet charges a tenner per prescription, but also I know they'll charge us a £40 consultation fee as well probably.

Is there a way to obtain vet prescriptions for regular medication such as this without being mugged off by high street vets? Maybe an online vet service or something?

You should do more than research the price the possible harm it may cause its only good for 14 days and any further  beyond this  the dose has to be reduced usually guided by a vet and there is no guarantee that it will be effective The drug only blocks the signals so the dog doesn't scratch allowing healing of aera.
Bone marrow suppression needs to be monitored looks like trying to avoid the vet not a possibility.
.Have you ascertained the cause of the itch
Allergy 
Bacterial 
Yeast etc

HampshireH

Have you tried online stuff such as Stinky Stuff or other alternatives?

(You didn't mention so thought I'd ask as may be more cost effective)

Katiehound

My question is- do you know what is causing the itch? It might be something simple as food allergy / intolerance., dog shampoo, carpet shampoo, dog bedding washed in certain detergent.
How long has the itch been there? Have you changed any household products etc......

Two topical solutions that you might want to try as well as / before drugs are:
Camrosa ointment
Anicura
both of these were developed by the makers for their own animals

Lavendyr

35har1old said:

Leard91 said:

Our dog has itchy skin. We've been to our vets several times about it and have basically gotten to the point where we think he'll need lifelong medication. Our vet has suggested apoquel. They gave us the name and we wanted to go away and do some research on price etc first. It looks like we can get it for about £28 a month online. I refuse to get it straight through our vet because they'll probably charge double the price. However, we need a prescription from a vet to get it online. Our vet charges a tenner per prescription, but also I know they'll charge us a £40 consultation fee as well probably.

Is there a way to obtain vet prescriptions for regular medication such as this without being mugged off by high street vets? Maybe an online vet service or something?

You should do more than research the price the possible harm it may cause its only good for 14 days and any further  beyond this  the dose has to be reduced usually guided by a vet and there is no guarantee that it will be effective The drug only blocks the signals so the dog doesn't scratch allowing healing of aera.
Bone marrow suppression needs to be monitored looks like trying to avoid the vet not a possibility.
.Have you ascertained the cause of the itch
Allergy 
Bacterial 
Yeast etc

With appropriate veterinary oversight, Apoquel can be used long term to manage atopic dermatitis. You may be thinking of steroids which are not recommended for long-term use. As long as the animal is monitored regularly with blood tests and veterinary checks there is no reason why Apoquel canot be used in the long term at an appropriate dose. 

While it is possible to investigate the root cause of atopic dermatitis to some degree, it is not always possible to eliminate the cause, particularly if it is something like dust or pollen. My cat has been under specialist care at Cambridge University's veterinary hospital since 2019 and we have explored a number of avenues, but even on a strict elimination diet he still experienced allergic symptoms. He also suffers from pollen allergies which can be alleviated by keeping him inside during the summer, but not eliminated entirely. Apoquel is the best thing we have found to manage his symptoms and give him a good quality of life. We have tried prednisone but it is not appropriate for long-term use, and Atopica (cyclosporin) is even more aggressive on his immune system. Anicura and similar products had no effect whatsoever. 

I am speaking from personal experience and the information my cat's dermatologist has provided, which includes research studies on the use of Apoquel in cats. 

Sortingmyselfout2024

My dog is on it and it controls her itchy paws . 

I pay £10.50 for a prescription then buy from an online vet . 

The vet vet wants to see her after 3 months after that it will be every 6 months .