Cheaper way to buy Baytril?

[Godmother]

I went to pick up some meds to deliver to SQ. My vet says that his colleague became aware that you can buy Baytril in big bottles. It's designed for use with horses, and it's twice the strength as the stuff most of us use. The bottle is huge, with a quantity equivalent to 10 bottles of the 5% injectable. They are going to check into the possibility of using it with rats. The taste would be twice as awful, but the price would be a lot better.

Sounds like a lot of Baytril! But, when you think of how fast you can go through it if you have a lot of oldies or if you nebulize (or if you are a three-story Rat Shack with a zillion rattikins), it would be a good investment.

Stay tuned.....

 

[user 78]

10% Injectable Baytril [100mg/ml] should be what they're talking about. It's commercially available with a prescription through various online pharmacies. If anyone plans on doing it, I'd definitely recommend speaking with their vet about diluting it down to a specified concentration with some flavoring or something. While the amount to give is minute, for smaller rats it can be a smidge difficult to get the dosage into the syringe.
eg: A 300g rat 5mg/kg-10mg/kg would only get 0.02cc-0.03cc

I'd actually have to wear my glasses to read that. It is a very good investment if you have alot of sickly ratties and can get a good price on it.

 

[jorats]

Would this require crushing the pills and adding water to make it taste better?

 

[Cityratt]

Would this require crushing the pills and adding water to make it taste better?

I think (or atleast the way i took it) was that it was a stronger dose of injectable....so it would already be liquid... but i may be wrong...

 

[jorats]

Oh ya...lol, there is absolutely no mention of pills. :doh:
I'm too tired when I come home from work.
Also, injectable baytril has a way longer shelf life. Mmmmm... if you find anything out, let me know!

 

[Godmother]

Yes, it's a liquid. I am very excited about this. If SQ and I split a bottle, we'd get a much better price on it. Even if we didn't split a bottle, the shelf life would probably be fine. When I think of how much Baytril I've gone through in the last year..... :shock:

 

[jorats]

Between my mom, Nic and I, we pay at least $100 a month for Baytril. So I would be very interested in this.

 

[lj]

How long would it take to expire though? Would it be longer because it's not in the pill format?

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I actually just bought a bottle of 10% injectable from a pigeon store (you do not have to have a prescription). The dose is .1ml per pound and I have no problem getting my girls to eat it. I also bought 40 100mg doxycycline capsules and some Terramyacin (sp?) eye drops and with shipping it cost me $60 and some change. Not sure if they ship to Canada but you could try here is the web site http://vitakingproducts.com/storefronta.htm.

 

[jorats]

When I get my injectable Baytril, the expiration date is a year later.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Yes the bottle I just got expires in 2010, but I also have one dog on Baytril from a URI so it is good for me to have around for them as well(especially since everytime I take Dazie to the lake she usually gets some kind of URI so I just do a round just in case) the vet bills on 5 dogs could be astronomical and my vet charged me $15 for 1 ml of Baytril so I figure even if I don't use it all by the expiration date I will have at least used half and saved a bunch of money.

 

[Cityratt]

When I get my injectable Baytril, the expiration date is a year later.

Jo do you just ask your vet for a bottle or? Is your relationship that good that they intrust you selfmedicate?

Im just not sure how to bring it up?

 

[user 78]

If you have a good relationship with your vet and they trust your judgment on things, then asking for something More and Stronger to last you longer isn't that big of a deal. Especially if you have numbers like Jo and her family do, it's more economical for them to go that route than to be constantly buying 5mls of flavored suspension.

If you can walk into your vet's office, tell him/her that you've had your rat on a week's worth of baytril, they'd improved, but you still want to get them checked out before continuing and they don't bat an eyelash, I call that a good relationship.

 

[Cityratt]

yea thanks Java, thats kinda what I was thinking... I just never know..you know?

I work at a few clinics and one that I dont work at anylonger but they treat me like family - and I think they would be more flexable with medications (my work is a little Anal, and i think even with staff there is no chance they would EVER allow non-specifically prescribed medication leave the hospital walls *sigh* Even if they KNEW I would check with them first).

Maybe if/when I take someone else into my regular clinic for resp issues I'll broach the topic with them....*ponders*

BTW how sketchy is that that you can buy medications online without perscriptions?! (not doubting the source of meds - just shocked at how leniant that is...)

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I agree could be a littel sketchy. But they only advertised for pigeons not other animals and it is also one of Debbie D' prefered sources for buying Baytril, Doxy and Amoxi and she has years of experience buying from them. But she did tell me that if I call in an order DO NOT say it is for anything other than pigeons because they will not sell it to you.

My vet will usually just give me the meds I need (but at $15 for 1ml, I would be broke in a month, 1ml is only 5 days worth of doses). But when it comes to Lasix or prednisone he is less lenient and I have to bring the sick one in for a look.

 

[Cityratt]

Oh yea Melissa i wasnt doubting your source - or that you would be responsible with it....

I was just thinking about some of the crazies out there that would have access to it...(again out there in a broad sense - not at the shack of course! *wink*) that it could be potentially dangerous....

They say that they cannot process international orders online and need to verbally speak with someone....i wonder why?...

 

[user 78]

There are no laws regulating certain medications for Other Animals, such as pigeons, pet birds, fish, etc.. It's against federal regulation to purchase with the intent to use medications for animals/people that the medication has not been approved and sold for. Which would be why the company will refuse sale if you mention that it's for anything other than your pet budgie.

That being said.. You can obtain 10% Baytril regulated for the use in Exotics, Small Animals, and Horses with a prescription from reputable online pharmacies dealing with animals, or through your vet's practice. It probably isn't *as* cheap, but is still less expensive than the suspensions generally sold in office.

If your vet has previously/currently prescribed the medication for your animal, but refuses to give you a written prescription so that you can obtain it somewhere else, that's against the law in most places.

There may be regulations for importing certain medications internationally for any number of reasons. Having to speak with someone may just be insurance against people buying things just to abuse it. Most times, the sort that would abuse it won't spend the time to call and answer questions.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

I know you did not mean it that way and I completely understand your concern about the crazies out there.

Probably has to do with getting it through customs?

 

[jorats]

It took some time before my vet became comfortable enough to let us just call in an order of Baytril and such. She's usually very strict when it comes to medication, which is reasonable, clinics in Canada must prove that a medicine is sold for a specific animal.
My vet has also told me to be very careful with online pharmacy. Some companies like Pfizer do not sell to these online pharmacies so their stock is not directly from them. So where do they get it?

 

[user 78]

I know that places like 1800PetMeds buys overstock products directly from the vet practices. Vet orders too much, or just wants to make a few dimes, they sell some of their on hand stuff.