CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Health => Topic started by: loulabell on February 05, 2009, 05:24:01 PM
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Charlie has been back and forth to the vets since Aug with suspected dry eye.
Well now he has been put on the optimmune. As anyone that knows this stuff is not cheap.
Even tho charlie is insured they say they are not going to pay out for this because in 2005
charlie had conjunctivas which caused red eye and this is a "pre-existing condition"
So does anyone know if there is places that does the optimmume cheaper that the vets???
i know there is somethings you can get like wormer cheaper. just wondered if there was
anywhere for this.
thanks
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You'll be able to get it from an online vet pharmacy but you will need to get your vet to write a prescription for this. They will charge for this so take that into account too when calculating your saving.
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Not sure what optimmune is, but my old dog millie uses viscotears for dry eye, may be you could ask your vets about this and see if its suitable for your dog. It costs under £5 a month for most chemist.
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Charlie has been back and forth to the vets since Aug with suspected dry eye.
Well now he has been put on the optimmune. As anyone that knows this stuff is not cheap.
Even tho charlie is insured they say they are not going to pay out for this because in 2005
charlie had conjunctivas which caused red eye and this is a "pre-existing condition"
So does anyone know if there is places that does the optimmume cheaper that the vets???
i know there is somethings you can get like wormer cheaper. just wondered if there was
anywhere for this.
thanks
Same medication as my girl. I always shop on line, so much cheaper and I've found them to be very quick and efficient. At the moment my vet doesn't charge for prescriptions but I'm sure it will come.
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Safroon gave me a site in Australia that does 'off prescription' meds and will send to the UK. I have just searched that site for optimmume and it was not found. Is that the full name of the med? :-*
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Not sure what optimmune is, but my old dog millie uses viscotears for dry eye, may be you could ask your vets about this and see if its suitable for your dog. It costs under £5 a month for most chemist.
optimmune has cyclosprin in it so is different from viscotears
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Safroon gave me a site in Australia that does 'off prescription' meds and will send to the UK. I have just searched that site for optimmume and it was not found. Is that the full name of the med? :-*
Its known as Optimmune in Oz but may go use some of its constituents
Optimmune cyclosporine eye/ophthalmic ointment (http://74.125.77.132/search?q=cache:GwqyGtgV9PgJ:www.apvma.gov.au/archive/0005downloads/gazette0005p15.pdf+Cyclosporine+Ophthalmic+Ointment+australia&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1)
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Safroon gave me a site in Australia that does 'off prescription' meds and will send to the UK. I have just searched that site for optimmume and it was not found. Is that the full name of the med? :-*
Its known as Optimmune in Oz but may go use some of its constituents
Optimmune cyclosporine eye/ophthalmic ointment (http://74.125.77.132/search?q=cache:GwqyGtgV9PgJ:www.apvma.gov.au/archive/0005downloads/gazette0005p15.pdf+Cyclosporine+Ophthalmic+Ointment+australia&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1)
Thanks Penny. I have searched again and not found it. It may be sold under another name out there. :-*
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We used to make a cyclosporin alternative using cyclosporin mixed into olive oil at my vets. It was much cheaper the only problem is they can nolonger make this up beacuse a couple of years ago a regulation was set up that if there is a animal treatment open on the veterinary market then vets CAN NOT prescribe an alternative 'human' drug for example Viscotears....you can go into a chemist and but this as long as you don't say its for an animal, but you can nolonger buy it from a vet as there is an animal version now on the market called Lubrithal.
Viscotears/Lubrithral only lubricates the eye so will help soothe between optimunne but will not help on its own sorry :embarassed:
I go through loads of it as Laney has dry eye too plus Sasha has it applied topically to her skin, one tube lasts 4 days max on her so i buy mine only ever online
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Not sure what optimmune is, but my old dog millie uses viscotears for dry eye, may be you could ask your vets about this and see if its suitable for your dog. It costs under £5 a month for most chemist.
Charlie had been on that but they feel that he needs to go on this now.
I cant see a diference in his eyes to tell the truth, they are still as red.
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Ellie has had optimmune in both eyes for nearly 3 years's now, her eyes can still be red at times, but i understand it is to help tear production, long amd short term, and was told by her eye specialist that there isnt anything else on to market to match it , i did ask him,last week
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I would check with your vet to see if Optimmune has produced an improvement in tear gland function. If not, there is little point in continuing with its use.
From what I have read, Optimmune is usually only effective in the early stages of keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Charley has "dry eye" but unfortunately it was not diagnosed until he was about six months old, and Optimmune was totally ineffective. If Optimmune has not produced an increase in tear production then treatment with Maxitrol and Viscotears is a better alternative.
I have been treating Charley with Fradexam, which is similar to Maxitrol but not available in the UK, Viscotears, and Fucithalmic when he has the occasional eye infection. His vet is an eye specialist, and she has commented on how well his eyes are considering his eye condition.
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Paddy has been on optimmune after being diagnosed with dry eye for about 6 months now - we are currently buying from Vet and claiming back on the insurance. I have to say it has been v.successful - he had a couple of bouts of 'conjunctivitis' treated with antibiotics before being diagnosed. His first tear test was abysmal - nought in one eye and only 5 in the other. Since being on Optimmune his eyes are clear and bright, much less sticky and when he had his check up last week his tear test results were 22 in one eye and 20 in the other which is fantastic. We have just put him down to once a day (from x3 initially then x2 per day optimmune) to see if he can maintain his tear function on a lower dose. He is due a check up in a month. We still use viscotears 2-3 times in between optimmune esp. if he has been out in windy weather etc. I would be tempted to take up the issue with your insurance co.again because unless he had a tear-test when he first went in with conjunctivitis nobody would have known it was 'dry eye' - would your vet back you on this?
We know Paddy will have to be on this treatment for life and that there is a risk that he may stop responding but from what I have read and from talking to vets it does appear that Optimmune can offer an effective treatment and from our experience this has been the case so far.
Good luck with finding an on-line supplier. Let us know how you get on with treatment.
Best wishes
Lynne
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