Bravecto time £££

[Daisymay]

They will be later this year. Not capped yet.

Expect those not charging that much to put their prices up.

And that's for the prescription, not the medicines. You still have to pay for them.

Yes your correct, to be capped.

 

[Brad93]

I've posted on here before about the seizures Bravecto I believe caused in our 6th Hungarian Vizsla so, after much research, discussion with numerous vets, I stopped using any tick "prevention" for my working dogs 5 years ago. Our 2 current HV rescues and our Teckel now don't receive any tick preventor "medicine" but are still regularly wormed (Drontal). Yes, it can be a pain removing ticks but frankly, there's not been that many over that time and I'm personally convinced that many were actually coming from our local walks and not from stalking. I'm also (thankfully) seeing less ticks on carcasses shot; roe are undoubtedly the worst followed by fallow (albeit much reduced) and virtually all muntjac are clean. I have been collecting ticks for the UKHSA tick surveillance trials for many years. Indeed, last year was the first for many years that I didn't find any embedded ticks on me!

Similarly, I've also stopped paying pet health insurance and have banked the premiums ever since, building up a sizeable 4-figure reserve which thankfully (so far) has not been needed.

In short, vet advice was that UK ticks are unlikely to cause dogs health issues (at present) so why are you buying expensive potential poisons for your dog?

This. I've just taken ours off Nexguard. Id heard of some side effects and my Lab was doing some stuff that isn't right. He has been on nexguard his whole life so who knows if he will come right after almost 4 years.

Only ever found two ticks on him so I think we will go to a normal wormer and flea treatment as needed.

 

[Buchan]

Are you aware of any more recent research beyond this 2018 paper please?

ACVIM consensus update on Lyme borreliosis in dogs and cats - PMC

An update of the 2006 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Small Animal Consensus Statement on Lyme Disease in Dogs: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention was presented at the 2016 ACVIM Forum in Denver, CO, followed by panel and ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

If it's the paper I'm aware of that the Lyme bacteria that affects dogs is very rare in Europe, then no. However, referral medic vets I know think Lyme is a issue, although very uncommon.

 

[Buchan]

This. I've just taken ours off Nexguard. Id heard of some side effects and my Lab was doing some stuff that isn't right. He has been on nexguard his whole life so who knows if he will come right after almost 4 years.

Only ever found two ticks on him so I think we will go to a normal wormer and flea treatment as needed.

The evidence for a direct link is weak, but as everything, it's a personal risk analysis

 

[Pard 007]

Why people buy bravecto etc from the vet and not via a prescription and buy online baffles me. Its literally half the pripriceVet

Vets still charge £30 for a prescription. Had a long discussion with my vet they say they can't match online yeah right. My springer had a lump removed last month asked vet cost £250/ 300 then came to pay £470 just a joke, loads in press ref vets costs gone up 68%. They should be forced to publish costs.

 

[Deerkeeper2]

Why people buy bravecto etc from the vet and not via a prescription and buy online baffles me. Its literally half the price.

I have to have lifelong medication for one of my dogs and it is bloody expensive. Going through the rigmarole of having a consultation every six months, getting prescriptions issued, going online and buying the drugs, running the gauntlet of useless (read thieving) couriers, getting refunds and replaced deliveries etc makes it only just worth doing. The Vets hate the fact that you’re buying online and they clearly make it as hard as possible.

 

[Buchan]

I have to have lifelong medication for one of my dogs and it is bloody expensive. Going through the rigmarole of having a consultation every six months, getting prescriptions issued, going online and buying the drugs, running the gauntlet of useless (read thieving) couriers, getting refunds and replaced deliveries etc makes it only just worth doing. The Vets hate the fact that you’re buying online and they clearly make it as hard as possible

Not really. Most of what you describe isn’t in our control. We could see your dog and write a prescription for free, but why should I work for nothing or not pay my staff. You either pay me and walk out with the drug, or go online for cheaper but have the hassle you describe.

 

[Deerkeeper2]

Not really. Most of what you describe isn’t in our control. We could see your dog and write a prescription for free, but why should I work for nothing or not pay my staff. You either pay me and walk out with the drug, or go online for cheaper but have the hassle you describe.

Fair play to you for defending your profession, I respect that in anyone.

It is a shame that Vets now have to constantly defend themselves due to pricing issues that may or may not be in their control depending on many factors. It was once a profession that was universally respected and held in the very highest regard especially in rural communities, I’m afraid, rightly or wrongly, that reputation is being damaged. Sorry but I’m just telling it like it is, I sincerely wish it wasn’t the case.

I have a number of friends and associates in the profession, as you would expect given my career path, and there is no doubt that the current pricing issues are a big elephant in the room.

Interestingly, I am also on lifelong medication, and, as a human, I don’t need a consultation every six months, in fact, I haven’t seen a Cardiologist since I left hospital four years ago? Before anyone makes comments about NHS funding etc, I’m not talking at all about cost here, just the requirement to be seen by a Healthcare professional every six months. Why does a dog need it but not a human?

 

[Buchan]

"It's the law" is why it's needed, and I share your bafflement, being on vasodilators. I get weighed and asked if I some once a year.

I have other agree though that the pricing is sometimes hard to defend and that's after running a practice and knowing exactly what the costs were. A big change for me is the change to out of hour practices rather than doing one's own emergency work. The staff there need paying and paying a premium rate or nights so it naturally costs more. I think if I was still in practice, I move the long term medicines closer to the internet prices. To make up the loss of revenue though, I'd have to charge a higher consultation fee. Which funnily enough is exactly what the CMA's predecessor the Competition Commission told us to do in 2002.

 

[sauer]

In some.cases.£50 consultation fee
Yourmi. Rhere less than 5 minutes..often just watches dog
..no thermometer no feel about ....just
" yeah seems.fime "
And out door ...drugs.cost on top of that ...how hell can that be justified as a consultation? And how.many per day?

Is should have paid more attention at school!

Paul

 

[rafael fach]

Here is a bill from my vet in france I took 4 dogs it's in french but you can work it out easily
Just for context 3 have eu passports
The 4th had to have rabies and ahc in the uk to go out which cost £80 for the rabies £180 for the ahc

 

[243 Stalker]

Reloader,

I get a prescription from my vets (was £25, going forward £21) and then went to pet drugs online and got four Bravecto chewable tablets for a medium sized dog which cost just over £80.

Hope this helps,
ATB 243 Stalker.