The recent Cushings&Pergolide posts...

[JGKJ]

It is through this forum that I was first helped alot with my ponys Cushings, and also the fact that the treatment for it (Pergolide) is availabe for a much much cheaper price from your chemist. Anyway, even though i have now sadly lost my old boy to liver failure, I am still trying to spread the word about cheap Pergolide to as many people as I can. I told my farrier a few months back and when he came recently he said he'd been spreading the word for me and told me this shocking story.

A pony he shoes has Cushings, the ponys owners are elderly and their vet told them that the treatment (Pergolide) was very costly and will be just over 400 pounds a box! Obviously the ponys owner couldnt afford this and told the vet that they would have to leave getting him the medication. The vet stood by and let this happen and didnt even tell them that they could get the same box for around 20 pounds locally. As a result, the pony has now been without any treatment for ages but now he can have the Pergolide.

I just think the more people who know about this, the better and can carry on telling as many people as they can and even if it only helps one person, it was worth it!

 

[mollymurphy]

That's awful! But i know exactly what you mean - despite us specifically asking our vet if we could get pergolide any cheaper, she still said no! We just had to pay the full price once the insurance stopped paying out. Unfortunately, the pergolide didnt work and murph was put to sleep

. It wasnt until later that i found out (on here) that our vet could have easily written us a prescription. Just shows what money-grabbers some people are!

Well done for passing the message on though.

x

 

[JGKJ]

It is shocking that vets can get away with it. Im not dissing vets, god knows they are worth their weight in gold in an emergency situation, but in something so long term and on going as Cushings, surely their aim should be to help horse and owner?

The daft thing is, the vet who didnt say anything to the elderly couple, by not telling them (and therefore the pony not getting the treatment) he is actually knowingly affecting that ponys quality of life and surely this is what vets are supposed ensure???

Just spread the word as much as you can to anyone who will listen!

 

[dozzie]

I must admit Im also grateful to HH forum for this info. Before I joined I knew there was a drug available but thought it was too expensive. Its good to know you can get it from the chemist.

Im going to ask my vet about it for one of my oldies. And I'll ask for a prescription for the chemist!!!!

 

[MurphysMinder]

I agree we need to spread the word about cheaper Pergolide. I have to say my vets were great and it was them who suggested it would be cheaper for me to buy it from a chemist with a prescription. It is interesting how the prices fluctuate even from chemists. It has certainly gone down in price over the last year or so, but I can't believe it was ever £400 a box !

 

[alisonpook]

To those who are struggling to find a cheap chemist my local chemist is happy to supply by post. Please feel free to pm for their details either now or in the future. As a guide x30 1 mg tablets usually cost around £10. Just out of interest pergolide has just been voluntarily withdrawn for human use by several major manufacturers in the Unites States because of a problem with heart valve side effects. There are therefore plans afoot to try and get it properly licenced for animal use in the USA to ensure a continuity of supply. Fortunately the UK supply market has NOT been affected by this.