Chronic allergic skin disease (atopic dermatitis) affects roughly one in ten UK dogs. The lifetime cost of treating it at the vet practice is one of the most painful bills owners face. A 15 kg dog on Apoquel for ten years racks up around £9,000 at typical UK practice prices.
The good news is that almost every allergy medication a UK vet can prescribe is available at materially less from a VMD-approved online pharmacy. Apoquel 5.4 mg (the most-prescribed strength) is around £85-£110 per month at the average UK practice and under £45 per month online. Cytopoint, Atopica and the newer JAK inhibitor Zenrelia all sit in a similar range.
From 23 September 2026 the CMA Order makes asking for a written prescription mandatory and caps the prescription fee at £21 for the first medicine plus £12.50 per additional medicine on the same prescription. Bundling allergy meds onto one prescription is the cheapest path — if your dog is on Apoquel and Cortavance spray, you pay £33.50 total to switch both online.
Below is every allergy and skin medication in our index, ordered by category. Each links through to a per-medication calculator that takes your dog's weight and shows the exact monthly and annual saving, after the prescription fee.