My staffie was diagnosed with heart chronic valvular disease.
He been put on medication now for life which the insurance has been paying for.
Now that the insurance has lapsed I am being left with a high monthly vet bill which I simply can't afford. Now not sure what to do, has a single dad already being hit by the CSA I simply don't have that kind of money to cover him. It's heartbreaking because otherwise he is quite a healthy dog and is only 8 years old.

Only options I seem to have is either stop the meds and let things progress naturally has long as he ain't suffering or have him put to sleep.

BVA have a list of charities who may be able to help you scroll down this page http://www.bva.co.uk/You-and-your-vet/FAQs/ Terrible situation to be in and I do feel for you, before the critics arrive it could happen to anyone, so don't be too judgemental.

Thank you for the kind reply and the link. Hopefully there won't be any critics. I am all for don't get a pet if you can't afford him etc but I was with the ex at the time of getting him and he was always insured. But now as well as being hit by the CSA and cost of living and only have my wages coming in, money is tight and now a £160 per month bill is impossible to pay.

Would buying on-line be cheaper? You should be able to get a prescription - for a fee - from your vet & buy else where.

Still going to be pricey

Hope you find a solution.

Have you tried the PDSA (Peoples dispensary for sick animals) onTel: 0800 731 2502
they help people out on low incomes with sick animals.

Do give them a ring and see what advice they can give,that is what they are there for.

Find out if the drugs are drugs that are stocked in regular pharmacies Batman. I work in a pharmacy and we get people coming in with vet prescriptions. As long as it is a drug that is also used by humans you will be able to get it from any pharmacy if your vet issues a prescription.

Good luck.

The drugs he is on are

Vetmedin
Cardalis
Frustmide

Cheers

Have also thought about buying online at something like Petmeds. Not sure tho on the prices of asking a prescription from my vets

Explain you situation and they may give you a prescription free, ours does for hardship cases I believe.

To be honest, i've not heard of those so they may just be for animal consumption, in which case you wouldn't be able to get them from a pharmacy.

I'm going to work soon, I will find out for you.

http://www.petdrugsonline.co.uk/sear...FW3MtAodFUgAAQ
http://www.petdrugsonline.co.uk/sear...htext=Cardalis

This seems cheapest I can find, can't find Frustmide at all

Thank you very much appreciated


Thank you that helps. Found Frustmide from Petmeds at £1.20 for 30

Looking online now I can get all 3 for less than £60. Vets really take the biscuit at times and there prices. Fair enough they have costs but to add £100 on top is a rip off

It's not Frustmide, it's either Furosemide or Frusedale. Furosemide B.P (which is what you get at the vets) is for dogs and cats only so you won't be able to buy it at the pharmacy, same with Frusedale. Cardalis is only for dogs as is Vetmedin, so you won't get those off a pharmacy either.

OP, I would ask your get how much they charge for a written prescription so you can buy online. Although they can charge what they want, you might be pleasantly surprised, ours for instance only charge £6.50, and if it's a regular thing, you might find they are willing to do it cheaper for you. You could also enquire about setting up a payment plan where you pay X amount a month, but that tends to only work if it's for something one off, ie unexpected surgery that once paid is finished with, not something ongoing. You can also try the PDSA, although you usually have to be on certain benefits/requirements to get help off them.

When did you let the policy lapse ? mine ran out and I totally forgot but they renewed happily a month later

It's was a 12 month policy so after 12 months they will renew - the condition he has now. So he is still insured but I can't claim for his heart issue.

Unfortunately Vetmedin and Cardalis are animal only medications so you wouldn't be able to get them from a pharmacy i'm afraid.

The Frustmide? It's not Furosemide is it? If it is then you would be able to get that one from a pharmacy with a prescription from your vet.

Hope you are able to find a solution to your problem.

Sorry it's Frusemide that's the cheapest one 30 is only £1.20 from Petmeds

Thank you for the reply

You are welcome.

I'm glad you have managed to find a cheaper option and I hope it has eased your worry.

Goodnight.

If you get a prescription from your vet make sure they make it out for 6 mths. I've just done this for the first time, vet charges me £15 for the prescription but it covers the meds dispensed every month for 6 mths.
They were charging me £126 a month, same tablets from Animed Direct are £60! First delivery takes a few days as they have to set it up but now I've set it up for auto delivery so they'll automatically send the tablets out each month.

You can also try The Blue Cross
http://www.bluecross.org.uk/2076/vet...-services.html

I hope you find the help you need and he stays safe and well. My grandmother struggled to pay fees for her dog as it wasn't insured - fine when she was a little one - and we talked to the vet about paying in installments and using online medication. Any good vet will want to put your dog's health first and help you to do you best so speak to them as soon as you can.

Thank you. Looked on the Animed website and I can get all 3 for £53 delivered. When it's almost £160 per month from my Vets.

My Cavalier is on them too, they've worked wonders!

I get my vet to write out a prescription for 6 months worth - she charges about a tenner for that. Then I order the meds and send off the prescription to this place, I find them pretty reasonable and much cheaper than buy from the vet.

http://www.365vet.co.uk/

I would definitely consider getting a prescription my Cavalier before she passed just before christmas was one a mixture of
Vetmedin
Frusemide
Tempora
Fortekor
Caradlis
Royal Canin Cardiac

not all at the same time I was spending £120 a month had I known I could have got it online I would have done that as I went without eating hobbies buying new clothes etc. To keep my little girl alive

Last time my Sheena was at the vet's (arthritis) I said to the guy "look, I'm really skint, so whatever you tell me I need to do I'll probably take her to the Blue Cross anyway", and he was really cool about it- he showed me the supplements he WOULD have prescribed her, copied down all the ingredients and proportions of them for me, and told me I could almost certainly find it cheaper online. Would have been about twenty quid a month- found 'em online at about 12 quid for four months' worth.

This was available without prescription, but I'm sure the principle's the same.