Newbie from UK with poorly cat - need info from those in US / Canada

I'm hoping for some info from those who live in the US or Canada...

My cat recently started having seizures which have been difficult to control, he is still at the specialist vets while they try to get him stable.   I am hoping beyond hope that he will pull through this crisis and that I will be able to get him  home. The problem is that I work shifts - earlies, lates and nights - and one of the medications he is on is to be given every 8 hours. My shifts are 9 hours long plus travelling time of 15 mins each way so giving an 8 hourly dose is going to be impossible.

I understand that an extended release version of this drug is available in the US which only needs to be given every 12 hours. Please could you tell me the name of a REPUTABLE online pharmacy in either the US or Canada so I can look into getting a prescription shipped over to the UK? Googling brings up huge lists of online pharmacies but I have no way of knowing if they are genuine. I will of course have a prescrption from the vet for this item  (Keppra or the generic version Levetiracetam).

Sorry your cat is having problems.

I understand you do not live in the USA.  And I don't know what your country's rules and regulations are regarding shipment of drugs.  With that in mind:.

www.petmeds.com is reputable, but I'm not sure they carry Levetiracetam.

http://www.allivet.com/p-2832-levetiracetam-500mg-tablet.aspx  does carry Levetiracetam. 

A bigger issue/question is:  will a USA mail order pharmacy accept a foreign prescription, and what are the customs' rules (export/import of drugs).  Maybe  you could get the extended release version in Netherlands, which may not have prohibitions against shipping drugs cross country.

Finally, I would discuss this issue with your own vet; maybe it's not as black-and-white as '8 hours'.

Vibes for your cat, and good luck.

Thanks for your reply, much appreciated. From a quick google it looks as though I can import medications as long as I have a prescription but the rules look quite complex so I would be guided by the pharmacies themselves. If I can get the names of a few genuine and reputable pharmacies then I can drop them an email seeing if a) they are prepared to ship overseas and b) whether they stock or are able to obtain the extended release version. Have emailed both those you recommended - thanks!

Unfortuantely the dosing for all seizure meds seems to be crucial, from the reading I have done so far it seems it's very important to dose 8 hourly (and 12 hourly in the case of the other medication he is currently on). My shifts are going to cause huge issues with the 8 hourly but 12 hours is doable - even if it means getting up at 06:30 every single day for the rest of his life which I will gladly do even though I'm most definitely a night owl rather than an early bird!

I will also look into whether the drug is available in other European countries -  hadn't thought of that so thanks for the idea. As per the title I am in the UK but we, and Europe, always seem to be far behind the US in terms of progress!

Hi Rileys Mum and welcome to the forum!

I want to give you a resource both for your question at hand, and also for the best online source of info, practical support and advice.

It's a specialized group of people whose sole focus is the management of their epi-cats' health. They've been around for ten years and boast a total membership of almost 2000 people. These groups usually have members from all over the globe - so, it's likely that you'll "encounter" others from the UK. (There are similar groups for almost every chronic condition/disease.)

Here is the group: epi-felines * Cats With Epilepsy or Seizures
 

These groups use email as an operating platform, so I'd advise you to get a separate email address before you join up - Yahoo is best - as it's a very busy group, and that will ease message management.

Hoping that helps!

Thanks, I have already joined that group and asked the Q on there yesterday but no suggestions as to names of 'reputable' online pharmacies yet which is what I need so I can start contacting them. I can't risk getting 'fake' or poor quality drugs hence the requirement for a few recommended sites.