My Alfie has dry eye and needs ongoing Optimmune treatment.  I get a prescription from the vets and then I get it online.  However the company I have got it from before at around £16 a tube has gone out of business.

Can anyone help me find some cheaper Optimmune please.

Have you tried the canine chemist?

Buy some Viscotears from your chemist this does exactly the same job and only costs £4.99!!! our old girl was diagnosed with dry eye 8 years ago she is now 11 and I have given her viscotears twice a day since then and its just as good, her eyes are great and she has no problems with them. Optimune is an extortionate price, just dont tell your chemist its for a dog, say its for yourself or they wont sell it to you.

I agree with Moomins. I have to give one of my TT's Optimmune and I alternate with Viscotears to eke it out. Its seems to do the job.check out the online pet chemists as well and see if its cheaper to buy prescription from vet and then buy online. I got my vet to make one out for 3 tubes and then you can use it as a repeat script online.
Much cheaper.

What is the normal going price for it?  Have found it here: http://www.discountpetcare.co.uk/product_search.aspx?Search=Optimmune  for £24.99 no prescription, also their flea treatments are quite cheap too and no prescription needed.

>£24.99 no prescription

Optimmune is in the  POM-V category, which means it's a Prescription-Only medication.

It's the same for Advocate, that is a POM but they supply without, so not sure how they manage it and I know of a lot of people that buy from them.

> that is a POM but they supply without

It's probably worth reading the "Red Flag" put out by the FDA on this subject regarding online pharmacies that will supply without a prescription.
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048164.htm
I think the same precautions can be applied here.

My further concern on reading this is for others reading this and maybe the original poster is that Optimmune doesn't have the same ingredients as Viscotears, otherwise the vets would be advising as such..

Optimmune is a white petrolatum based ointment for ophthalmic use, containing 0.2% w/w cyclosporin Ph. Eur.

Viscotears contains carbomer, a synthetic polymer that forms a viscous eye gel to create a transparent, lubricating and moistening film on the surface of the eye.

When you actually go into links, apologies for not putting them onto here, but a quick google search brings them up shows they contain different ingredients, so advising another person who is using Optimmune to use Viscotears could be very negligant, its always something you should check with your vet first before using, in case of any contraindications..

Completely agree, optimmune and viscotears are completely different and i definatley wouldn't use alternatives without checking with the vet first!

This thread goes to show how little the average dog owner knows about medicines, and how dangerous and silly, not to mention illegal it is for a non-qualified person to advise on them.

Sorry that I havent been on to update this.  Fortunately being a long standing Cavalier owner, sadly I know a fair bit about dry eye and know that Optimmune is the only thing that stabilises the autoimmune response to the tear ducts making proper tears with their own special cleansing properties rather than how Viscotears work which is just a lubricant.  I know that as we have already gone down that route :( before we had to resort to Optimmune.

Luckily I can get a prescription at no cost from my vets, its just the massive price of the tiny tube.  I got it from an online company before (3 tubes which lasts us ages) but they have gone out of business, however the listing for the Optimmune was that it less than £20 a tube.  So I will keep looking, but thank you for all your help.

Hi, Not sure if you have managed to find a site where you can buy Optimmune cheap. I have been searching myself as my vet charges me £45.95 per tube which I think is diabolical. My insurance does cover the cost but I cannot believe the Mark up vets get away with charging.
I have found a site where they charge £19.63

http://www.viovet.co.uk/p69/Optimmune_Opthalmic_Ointment_-_3.5g_Tube/product_info.html?gclid=CL6KkPr32qkCFUoc4QodWQs0Xw

I would order from there myself if I was unable to claim on my insurance.

Thank you so much for the link....my boy has has been on this stuff for years plus viscotears and I have been forking out between £35 - £37 a tube from the vet & online store were they wanted a prescription for it which was a pain due to the vet charging for that every 6 months!! No more hassle... thank you! thank you! & big sloppy kiss from my Snoops!! :-)

Re: Above comments I do not give or self medicate my dogs without checking with my vet first when using an alternative treatment!! I asked my vet if I could use Viscotears instead of optimune due to the cost,  he said yes is was ok and although the content of Viscotears and Optimune may be slightly different they do the same job i.e. lubricate and protect the eye ..the only difference is with optimune you only need to put it on once a day with Viscotears it needs to be usd twice a day. 

>the content of Viscotears and Optimune may be slightly different they do the same job i.e. lubricate and protect the eye ..the only difference is with optimune you only need to put it on once a day with Viscotears it needs to be usd twice a day. 

Optimmune contains an immuno-suppressant drug (which is why it's prescription only) but Vic=scotears is purely a lubricant containing no medication.

As JG says Cyclosporine,the active ingredient in Optimmune is an immune system surpressing drug, optimmune is specifically for use in dogs suffering from Keratocontunctivitis sicca or dry eye.This is where the dogs own immune system surpresses the tear making production so is specifically for this disorder ie it does more than lubricate the eye.
Interesting fact cyclosporine is made from a soil fungus - Beauvaria nivea.