Atlanta, GA – Multiple dog owners who used Librela, a drug for control of pain associated with osteoarthritis in dogs, have shared their devastating stories about fatal side effects with Kare 11 News. Dogs like Bear, who lost the ability to walk within days of receiving the Librela injection. His owner tells the news agency:
“He just cried all night, every night. We were dragging him outside in sheets so he could go to the bathroom. It was heartbreaking.”
And a French bulldog named Gumbo, who stopped eating, developed unquenchable thirst, and then collapsed less than two weeks after his Librela injection. Donna Pope tells Kare 11, “The vet said his red blood cells were so low, they weren’t compatible with life,” she said. “He started seizing the next night. I held him while he died. I told him, ‘It was okay to go.’”
Yoshi, Jennifer Naujokas’s senior dog, lost the use of her back legs after one shot of the drug. Shortly thereafter, she struggled to breathe. She said, “Eventually, we had to put her down on my birthday. It was one of the worst things I’ve ever gone through. The guilt just crushes me.”
Several other families, with unsettlingly similar stories, shared their stories of heartbreak with Kare 11. Despite these side effects being known to veterinarians (the FDA issued a warning to them about the risks earlier this year) the drug is still being offered to pet owners, and the risks are not being relayed.
On a personal note, within the last six weeks, a close friend told me that Librela had been recommended for her senior golden retriever. I told her of the risks and as soon as she read up on them, she expressed dismay that the drug was offered (make that RECOMMENDED) by her veterinarian.
Zoetis, the pharmaceutical giant that manufactures Librela, insists that severe side effects are rare.
Has your veterinarian recommended this drug? Do you have any personal stories to share about Librela? Please feel free to comment below.
You can report adverse side effects to the FDA at this link.
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4 Comments
ABSOLUTELY CRAZY that these drugs were MOST LIKELY tested on ANIMALS!!! And animals are dying from this drug??? animal testing is worthless!!! Disgusting pharmaceutical companies – only care about their profits!!!
Safe and effective unless it’s not. A heartworm drug called Proheart killed thousands of dogs instantly upon injection. The rest weren’t so lucky and suffered with ever increasing autoimmune diseases until death by sepsis or cancer. I would never give any drug to a pet without thorough research and talking to people who’ve used it. I can assure you knowing that you could have prevented a brutal end can haunt you the rest of your life. Consider that before you assume your pet won’t be on the “rare” list.
I’ve never heard of Proheart. I didn’t know there was (is) an injectable heartworm medication. The only heartworm medication I’m familiar with is Heartguard. Was (is) Proheart a heartworm preventative, or was it for treating active cases of heartworm.
My senior pup who is approaching 12 was a medical foster who was going to be euthanized by the shelter because of the weakness in her legs. Our vet prescribed Librela. Our girl immediately went from having rear legs in which she struggled to stand up from a life of abuse to the strongest dog you’ve ever seen. That was nearly two years ago. She continues to receive a monthly injection and fortunately there haven’t been side effects of any kind. It gave her the life that she never would have known.