What the FDA wants your vet to tell you

I'm not the world's biggest fan of the FDA, and this year's massive pet food recall didn't do anything to change that -- other than to make it worse. But their veterinary drug arm has come out with an informational pamphlet on the veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Etogesic, Metacam, Previcox, Zubrin, and Novox (carprofen), and it's good. Really good.

The question is, will your vet give it to you? I'd be more optimistic about that if I knew of more than a small handful of vets who even give out the client information sheet that the FDA requires be handed out to pet owners when they're prescribed these drugs for their dogs. In other words, there's a law telling your vet he or she has to give that piece of paper to you. But how many of you, when given a bottle of Rimadyl or other, similar drugs, were given that sheet? Or had your veterinarian cover the information in this new pamphlet?

I blogged about this at Pet Connection today. Check it out, look at the pamphlet, print it out in case you ever need it.

And let me know if you ever see it in your vet's office.

Comments

[emily]

I will certainly keep an eye out during my visit next week. There needs to be more info on NSAIDs out there if only to inform the debate over using them with livestock.

[Liz]

Hmm. Our vet sent us home with Deramaxx on Thursday, without a pamphlet. Off to check it out...

[Jean Townsend]

My beloved George, a chocolate lab, died from adverse effects of Rimadyl Oct. 13, 1997. Subsequently a class action lawsuit was brought against Pfizer - they settled with about 300 plaintiffs in 2004 - nothing much has changed - vets are still not giving out the Client Information sheets that are now being provided by several drug manufacturers (at the urging of the FDA CVM) How many unnecessary deaths does it take before the vets wake up?

[Kat]

My dog underwent a very invasive surgery & passed away this past spring due to one of the "serious side effects" listed in giving Prednisone & Deramaxx too closely together... We were never given the pamphlet & when we asked the doctor about the adverse reactions of the Prednisone, he fluffed it off. We were never told that he would be using Deramaxx, much less the serious complications that could arise. Our dog's stomach was already compromised & because of the medications, which were given orally, he developed a perf in his stomach that was not properly attended to while he was in the care of the vet.... That negligence cost him his life..... It wasn't until I researched the medications on line that I read about the side effects & complications of using the drugs so closely together; something the vet. should have informed us about, if he even knew.... We would have never risked his life & are still questioning why the vet did... You just assume that they are in the best of care....

[Barb]

My cat had trouble urinating, and my vet gave him an injection of Metacam near his back area, thinking he was having back pain from mild arthritis. they gave me no warnings or anything, just injected my cat like they were giving candy. As soon as I came home with my cat, he had a lump the size of a large lemon on his back. I called the vet and the company that makes Metacam. The vet said to see what happens, not to do anything. My cat survived, but still has a lump on his spine that hurts him terribly. The lump remained lemon size for over a year, the vet offered to do nothing. The company said he shouldnt have injected my cat, it wasnt approved for cats, but they would do nothing. I even paid for the vet bill. My cat wasnt even having back pain, he had kidney stones which had to be operated on in an emergency situation. So the vet even mis diagnosed. Over 2 years later, my cat has no fur around the injection area and a lump the size of a large grape. He licks his back and leg area constantly and I cant pet him over his spine, he spasms there if you go near it.

[Cat]

Interesting. My dog was prescribed rimadyl a week ago today after getting a tooth pulled -- 'I got nothin.' No pamphlet, nothing.

Then again, the vet techs at this facility made about three other major errors in my dog's care after the surgery, so getting a pamphlet on her anti-inflammatory was expected to be the least of my concerns.

[Erin]

My beloved Shelby died from a perfed stomach on Tuesday night. She had been taking Deramaxx for approx 1 year. We had also tried Rimadyl when the Deramaxx didn't seem to help as much, but I NEVER gave her both of them at the same time. She had also taken Medrol for a week to clear up a rash on her chest. I was told by my vet to not give her the 2 medications at the same time. I didn't, and made sure there was a week in between the 2. Her dosage was 25 mg/day and she took it with food. I need to know if there are others that have had the same experience. My vet warned me of the side effects of the possible liver complications, but not gastric perforation. The emergency vet hospital that I took her to in Seattle said they had had 5 other dogs with the same problems with it and only 1 survived. This dog was my daughter's partner at 4H, she showed her in AKC Junior Handling and just had her certified as a therapy dog. We are beside ourselves with pain.