Pain medication for arthritic and senior dogs is the single largest area where UK owners overpay. The most-prescribed canine NSAID, meloxicam (Metacam), costs around £26-£42 per month at the average UK vet for a medium dog. The same product online runs at £22-£27, and the generic at less than £20. Branded NSAIDs like Onsior and Galliprant are even more dramatic — Galliprant for a 25 kg dog typically costs £55-£75 at the vet and £30-£40 online.
Add Librela (the monthly anti-NGF injection), gabapentin for neuropathic pain, and adjuncts like Pardale-V or tramadol, and a senior arthritic dog can easily save £500-£700 a year by switching to a VMD-approved online pharmacy.
From 23 September 2026 the CMA Order caps the prescription fee at £21 for the first medicine and £12.50 for each additional medicine on the same prescription. For a dog on three pain-related products (e.g. Galliprant, gabapentin, Pardale-V), one combined prescription costs £46 — the saving still dwarfs that.
Below is every pain and joint medication in our index. Each links through to a per-medication calculator that takes your dog's weight and shows the exact monthly and annual saving.