Free shipping August12 Bank Holiday

We are offering free shipping on any order to mainland uk. Just enter the code. SHIP3 when you reach the basket!

Terms and exceptions apply

Up to 10% off Virbac products for pets

Up to 10% off  Virbac products for pets. This offer may be withdrawn at any time.

Products may be purchased at The Virbac pet page

Animal charities and VAT

Does your charity pay VAT ?

There is no VAT on dispensed human medicines but unfortunately 20% VAT has to be paid on those for animals whether prescribed or not.

However there is a valuable exemption for all purchases on behalf of registered charities

It is just necessary is to provide us with their registered number and a declaration that the purchases are for the charity then no VAT will be charged.

Do make sure your favourite animal charity knows about this- if any advice is needed we are just a phone call or email away-

Telephone 0844 7000 800 or email sales@hyperdrug.co.uk

www.hyperdrug.co.uk

E.Cuniculi in rabbits

Two million pet rabbits may have a fatal disease?

It is estimated that up to four million pet rabbits are kept in the UK and over half of these may have been
infected by E.Cuniculi
Q What is this ?
A E . Cuniculi is a tiny protozoan parasite which is spread from rabbit to rabbit by contaminated urine or
to unborn rabbits during pregnancy

Q Does it do any harm ?
A Yes- it can cause paralysis, tilted head, weakness of the back legs and eye disease

Q Does every infected rabbit get these symptoms ?
A No– and often the disease only shows up in later life.

Q Does the disease only affect rabbits ?
A–No– Cats, dogs and many other animals as well as humans can become infected

Q-How can I protect my children then ?
A Good hygiene is essential so using a good disinfectant when cleaning out the hutch is important and so is is washing hands thoroughly

Q Is there a vaccine for rabbits ?
A No– but there are several effective products to prevent or treat E.cuniculi and which are also effective wormers. Rabbits need a routine worming four times a year.

Q What are they ?
Two very effective products containing Fenbendazole are Lepufen and Panacur rabbit paste
Lepifen is tasteless and easy to give straight into the mouth

Q How are they used ?
A When buying a rabbit it should be treated at once. If this is the only rabbit in the household only one
treatment should be necessary unless it comes into contact with other animals.
If there are other rabbits in the household all should be treated.
If there are signs of disease then regular treatment perhaps combined with antibiotics may be necessary.

Dog Food Discount Offers

Dog food offers- only for August 2012 we have: Purina Pro Plan dog food with a saving of 25% discount on 12kg and 14kg bags Royal Canin Breed Health dog food buy 2 save £10 on 10kg and larger bags James Wellbeloved dog food buy 2 save £10.00 on bags of 10kg cereal free Purina Beta Dog Food save a discount of 25% on all bag sizes Bakers Complete Dog Food have 25% discount off all 6kg and 15kh bags James Wellbeloved are offering a free frisbee on any 7.6kg bag or larger cereal free Bakers Treats are on a 25% discount across the range Eukanuba are on 2 for £22.00 on the same 3kg adult senior or puppy dog food Iams have a saving of £15.00 when you buy 2 of the £15kg of dog food In our cat food range We have James Wellbeloved Cereal Free Cat Food if you buy 2 of the same 1.5kg bag save 33% Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition are offering a free scratch mat on cat food bags 4kg or larger Felix cat food have a discount of 25% across the whole range Go Cat Complete have a discount of 25% on 2kg and 10kg bags of cat food Royal Canin Feline Breed Nutrition have a free feed mat with any of their cat food Whiskas Temptations cat treats are reduced from £1.38 to £1.25

Pet Prescriptions

Q. Why are prescription medicines for animals so expensive?

A All medicines have to made to very high standards and tested to make sure they

are safe. Unfortunately there is no “NHS” for animals and as the market for animal medicines is much smaller than that for human ones it makes veterinary medicines more expensive to produce.

Q. I can get “human” prescriptions dispensed at any pharmacy so why can I only get pet prescriptions from the Vet ?

A. Whenever a vet prescribes he MUST offer clients a prescription which can be

dispensed elsewhere. Hyperdrug can supply any veterinary medicine available in the UK and a price list of popular ones is on their website.

Q. My Vet has never offered me a prescription.

A.Unfortunately this is not unusual despite the efforts of the Royal College of

Veterinary Surgeons to ensure Vets obey their legal & professional obligations

Your solution is to “remind” any vet who “forgets” to offer a prescription.

Q. Can they charge for writing a prescription ?

A Yes-but this must be “reasonable” bearing in mind they charge  “consultation fees” anyway. Their own president told a government inquiry that “if any charge was made at all £2 would cover  cost of paper and ink”

However typical “clerical fees” range from nothing to around £10  but are

negotiable. Clients approaching a new practice may well be able to have any such fees waived.

Q. is it worthwhile getting a prescription then ?

A. Usually YES-  Hyperdrug may well charge half or even less than most Vets for the same drugs. Compare your last bill with the prices on the Hyperdrug web site or phone 0844 7000 800 for a quote

Remember also that prescriptions can be for regular treatments can be “repeatable”. eg  if a prescription says “Repeat three times” four supplies in total can be obtained whenever convenient.

Q. Can I fax or email you a prescription.

A A prescription is a legal document so we need the original

Ragwort and Horses

Ragwort- The killer hiding in verges and pasturesRAGWORT—AN UPDATE

Our article on Ragwort has produced much interest and comment and several misconceptions have been aired. The point has been made by horse owners that the plant should be exterminated and by naturalists that it should be encouraged as an important host for the cinnabar moth. 
Ragwort is one of the wild flowers planted in the Olympic Park.

1). It is not practical to eradicate ragwort nationally but it should be removed from any areas where 
animals graze. The most efficient method is to spray the “rosette” stage (eg) with Barrier H Ragwort Killer
The mature plant may need two applications to kill it and dead plants should be removed and burned.
If the plant is dug up (eg with a ragwort fork) all traces of root must be removed to prevent re-growth.
The plant should never be allowed to set seed as the thousands produced are spread by wind and remain viable for long periods.

2). Ragwort is poisonous to all animals but more rapidly lethal to horses deer and cattle than sheep or goats. There are a number of species of the plant which may vary in toxicity although in general plants growing in sunny conditions are likely to have higher levels of poisonous alkaloids.

3).Horses do not generally eat green flowering ragwort but some do particularly during droughts. Owners have reported that horses (and cattle) sometimes seem to develop a taste for ragwort and seek it out again once eaten. Sheep appear to need about 20 times more than horses or cattle to poison them but three quarters of sheep fed small amounts of ragwort for two weeks die in the next 6 months. 
In all species young growing animals are most susceptible.

4). The pyrrolizidine alkaloids in ragwort not only damage the liver but prevent it from regenerating. 
The effect is cumulative so there may be no symptoms from small amounts eaten over long periods until  animals may appear blind and paralysed after liver failure.

Q.- How many horses die each year from Ragwort poisoning ?
A-There are no reliable figures as often post-mortems are not carried out and a horse exposed to 
poisoning may change hands at least once before symptoms develop.
However ragwort poisoning of cattle is officially stated to cause greater economic losses than all other 
poisonous plants combined

Q– How much ragwort does is take to kill a horse ?
A– Again there is no reliable research -estimates vary widely and may be based on other animals with greater resistance.
It is safer to say that any amount of ragwort eaten however small will cause some  permanent liver damage. 
The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology states that “there appears to be little correlation between severity of symptoms and the amount or duration of ingestion”

Q– As Ragwort is officially an “injurious weed” is it illegal to let it grow ?
A– NO– However landowners are required to stop it spreading when served notice under the Weeds Act 1959 
Ragwort is the only weed covered by these regulations which is dangerous to livestock

New Equine Supplement

We have a new addition to the Hyperdrug Equine Pharmacy Range

We have added a new equine supplement SF-50 Equine to our exclusive range of products for horses.

It contains
· 12 Vitamins including A,B1,B2,B6 B12, D,E,K
· 11 Trace Element minerals
· Brewers Yeast
· Limestone Flour for a rich supply of  natural Calcium.

SF-50 Equine provides a correctly balanced supply of essential nutrients for a healthy coat.
and top condition.

SF-50 Equine is economical in use with a daily ration of two tablespoonfuls for horses and
half this for foals mixed with feed.

Trial size SF50 Equine Supplement 500g costs just £9.99
Economy SF50 Equine Supplement 2kg size costs  £29.99

Solving Flea Problems

What Flea Treatments are Available
The most popular flea treatment products are insecticidal drops for application to the skin of the animal.

These are medicines fully licensed with various governments throughout the world and proven to work when used correctly. Most flea drops contain either Permethrin, Fipronil or Imidacloprid in special formulations.
Permethrin can be found in our own Easidrop Flea Treatment; Fipronil can be found in Fipnil or Frontline; and Imidacloprid can be found in Advantage flea treatment. These treatments spread rapidly throughout the coat. For this reason they are not intended to evaporate rapidly and should be allowed to dry before allowing contact with furnishings and other fabrics. The may also leave a residue on the coat or skin. Permethrin drops are never to be used on cats.

Ticks

Flea treatments do work they kill all adult fleas on the animal when used as directed.
Permethrin in Easidrop is also highly effective against ticks,
Fipronil found in Fipnil and Frontline less so,
Imidacloprid found in Advantage has no affect on ticks.

Treating the House for Fleas as well
Advantage does have some effect on killing fleas on the bedding and around the house but Bayer, like
all manufacturers of flea treatments, recommend using a household flea spray as well. This is because by the time fleas are noticed millions of eggs have been shed to hatch out over the succeeding months. These “new” fleas are attracted by vibration and will jump onto passing pets or people to feed on blood.

Allergy to Fleas

If your pet is still scratching after using flea drops they may have developed an allergy to flea dust which may last for months after the fleas have gone. Insecticides are not a treatment for allergies. In severe cases steroids may be used to control the itching.


Household Sprays are Available

Most good household sprays such as Indorex, Acclaim or Staykill contain Permethrin or similar insecticides to kill adult fleas and a “growth regulator” to stop flea eggs hatching for 12 months. Skoosh was insecticide free and contained silicones but the effect only lasted for 14 days.  If you are sill finding fleas after treatment it is wise to use a household flea spray wherever the pets have been including pet bedding, around kick boards in fitted kitchens and furniture close to carpets.  All licensed flea drops work- Most complaints are about “Frontline” and this is simply because more of these are sold than any other brand although Permethrin products may produce fewer complaints because it is the only insecticide to repel fleas and ticks as well as
kill them.

The Pesky Pupae Stage
Unfortunately insecticidal sprays do not kill the pupae stages of fleas, so many of these can still hatch out for some weeks to re-infect pets. The only product certain to kill pupae work by coating them in silicone and thorough treatment of the home is essential. Unfortunately however they only have a very short duration of action. “Skoosh” the original product of this type is no longer produced but Duramitex Plus marketed for avians and Bob Martin “All in One Spray” are similar.

Tackling Flea Infestation
At a conference on flea treatment (yes we live for pleasure here at Hyperdrug!) a vet working for the makers of Effipro flea treatment, recommended that if you really wanted to get rid of fleas, the answer was to use a flame thrower!
While we do not  recommend this there are things that you can do:
Try a different ingredient in your flea treatment for example Advantage has some effect on the household and bedding.
Regular use of the vacuum cleaner keeps down the level of contamination and the vibration caused and warmth helps Pupae to develop faster.
Use of a insecticididal flea spray at regular intervals.
Use of a short term Pupae spray such as All in One Spray
Hard work