# Can you buy proper bute on the internet?



## Flame_ (18 February 2011)

I am sick of trying to buy bute from the vet and them wanting to visit. 

They get here and say, "What's the problem?" 

To which I answer "Nothing. She's got arthritis and is on long term bute." 

Vet "Ah, right, there you are then. Or do you want me to watch her trot up." 

Me "Not really."

Vet "OK, see you then."

F-ing waste of everyone's time and money. So can you get proper bute anywhere on the internet, where and how legal is it?


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## celfyddydau (18 February 2011)

Tell the vet to mark it on your notes and you won't pay any more unnecessary call out fees!


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## Vikki89 (18 February 2011)

I know someone who has their horse on long term medicine and she can just pick up the medicine or the prescription or have the prescription sent to her as she gets it cheaper elsewhere.
Can you not ask your vets if you can do this?


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## Flame_ (18 February 2011)

They want to see her at least every six months. She's no better or worse than she has been for well over 5 years. If she was better she's have come off bute. If she was worse she'd be pts. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by them seeing her!


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## Kenzo (18 February 2011)

Yes but you need a prescription if you don't wish to buy it direct from your own vet, but a vet obviously has to do a visit and do an examination of the animal before he can prescribe the treatment.

Although if it's for athritis, you wouldn't need them to come out all the time if that is what has been diagnosed, perhaps change your vet? or use a bute alternative which you can buy of the shelf which may help to ease any stiffness and discomfort.


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## Flame_ (18 February 2011)

So you need a prescription to buy it on the internet? Even from abroad?


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## TheresaW (18 February 2011)

Mac is on bute for his arthritis, and the vet insists on seeing him every 6 months as well.


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## Penny Less (18 February 2011)

You will need a prescription. I have been buying Danilon off the internet, with presc for a couple of years as it was a lot cheaper than off the vet.However vet now charging £9.50 for prescription so possibly not any cheaper now. Dont know how much vets are charging for Danilon, used to be at least £15 cheaper on the net. So if you are wanting it off the net for cheapness, it might not be. vet has it on my notes if on long term for something like arthritis so you could possibly just phone up.


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## Flame_ (18 February 2011)

Its more the principle than the price tbh. I don't need or want a vets visit, but some law means I have to have one or I can't keep my old pony on maintenance pain relief. Its like the BS about not being able to buy more than two packets of anadin at tescos, if you want four packets you've got to buy two then go back in to another till for another two. Surely there is a way round it.


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## Kenzo (18 February 2011)

I see your point but for many other reasons it's a good thing that vets have to do a visit to re-issue the same medication, they need to moniter how the horse is doing, perhaps alter the dose and keep a recored of what is going where (from a vets side fo things) helps to to some extent in preventing people abusing the system and medication getting into the wrong hands without horses being looked at first, although some vets do bend the rules (not mine by the way) but I know of one that does.


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## Slightly Foxed (18 February 2011)

The law requires your vet to see the animal every six months. You need a prescription to buy bute over the internet, bute's a class A drug, and to get a repeat description your vet will have to see the horse every six months. 

If you do find somewhere that will sell you bute without a prescription (Russia??), not only are you breaking the law but you don't actually know what's it is you've bought - it could be contaminated with anything.


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## MissMincePie&Brandy (18 February 2011)

Flame_ said:



			They want to see her at least every six months. She's no better or worse than she has been for well over 5 years. If she was better she's have come off bute. If she was worse she'd be pts. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by them seeing her!
		
Click to expand...

I went through similar with my ancient shire x.  I got one half of the years bute supply at the same time he had his annual jabs, so I only had to have one unnecessary call out per year.

As I didn't need to insist on having the older experienced vets for this, I'd often have one of the newly qualified vets come out to visit, and some of them were quite OTT with their 'recommendations'! One newly qualified vet suggested I ought to have feet and joint x-rays to see the extent of the arthritis!  Another suggested my horse might benefit from intra articular injections and tildren! (This was a 35 year old retired horse, who I'd owned for most of his life, and who was in remarkably healthy condition for his age, apart from moderate arthritis, which was relieved by the daily bute)
I told them they could do their x-rays, but only at entirely their expense for research purposes!  They declined on my offer


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