.jpg)
Death by Previcox
Rowdy’s Last Vacation

Thursday, March 29, 2007
Our beautiful, healthy, two year old Labrador Retriever named Rowdy
is dead.
He did not die from the impact of the car that struck him
and sped away without stopping.*
Nor did he die from the lacerations,
contusions and hairline fractured pelvis the x-rays revealed.
Rowdy died
because I violated my number one rule when it comes to prescription
drugs, "Always ask about possible side effects
before administering."
I have preached this for years to others and yet, in my agitated state and
wanting to give our dog much needed relief, I neglected to follow my
own advice.
This is our experience...
Thursday, March
22, 2007. We were on vacation out of state with our dogs Rowdy and
Duke when the accident occurred. The vet said Rowdy suffered a
hairline fracture of the pelvis but that he thought he would be
okay. He gave us a bottle containing
five tablets of Previcox. Previcox
is a Cox-2 inhibitor and is
an NSAID
(Non-Steroidal
Anti-Inflammatory Drug)
produced by Merial Ltd., an animal health subsidiary of Merck
and Co. Inc. and Aventis, S.A.
The label stated '1 times daily for 5
days'. No
information regarding side effects was given, nor did I have the
presence of mind to ask. Little did we realize, that with each pill,
we were doling out death to our beloved dog.
Friday morning, we dutifully
began his doses. Rather than give him a whole 57mg tablet as
prescribed, we chose to
administer half a tablet in the morning and
half that evening so he could
rest comfortably at night. Prior to administering the Previcox
,
he had a normal appetite and drank water as usual.
Saturday morning
he
refused to eat or drink anything, so no pill was given him. Later that evening
he seemed to be perking up so again, I offered him food which he ate
and water which he drank and drank. I thought nothing of it, nor did
I give him any of the medication.
Sunday he seemed even better, alert
and wagging his tail, he actually rolled over for a
belly scratch. He tried his best to get up but the fractured pelvis
prevented him from doing so without help, so we slipped a long towel around his
abdomen and gently lifted him to his feet. This tried and true
method was used long ago on two dogs we found at different times,
Gimpy and Jack, who had
suffered the same fate. Gimpy's broken pelvis was so severe that the vet
said he would have immediately put her down had she been to the
clinic that evening. Fortunately for her, it was almost midnight
and back then, there were no emergency vet clinics.
Gimpy and Jack both received
low dose aspirin (also an NSAID), for inflammation and pain and made a full
recovery, living many happy
years thereafter. Since Rowdy's injury was nowhere near what Gimpy
or Jack had suffered, we opted not to give
him any Previcox
on Sunday.
Monday, we began our
nine hour trip toward home. We decided rather than half a tablet, Rowdy would require a
whole tablet (as the vet prescribed) to make him comfortable
for the long ride. Less than an hour after administering the Previcox, his
breathing became labored and many
times he rigidly stretched out his neck and legs. Thinking he may have been too warm, we turned down the air
conditioning, which seemed to help. When we stopped for a break, he drank more
water than
usual.
Tuesday came and he seemed very
tired. Although he ate and drank, he did not have the stamina to
hold himself up. We had to helped him walk outside and once
there, he
would stand in one spot as if he were in a daze,
then we would carry him back inside. We chalked up his
behaviour to the grueling car ride
the day before.
That evening, again trying to make him as
comfortable as possible, we gave him
a whole
57mg Previcox tablet
By midnight, he was
projectile vomiting.
Suspect that projectile
vomiting is a symptom of poisoning - the body may be aggressively
trying to rid itself of a toxin. Drug-overdose patients often
experience projectile vomiting.
From the article
‘How to Understand Projectile Vomiting’.
Several times during the night and early into the next morning,
he vomited until
he was physically worn out. He
shivered
uncontrollably followed by heavy panting and then throwing his head
far back, he would hold his mouth open wide as if trying to draw in more
oxygen. Then all four legs would stiffen out straight. He pawed my arm
several times in a frantic manner as
I lay beside him. By this time his gums were going a greyish colour.
Wednesday morning he was
immediately taken
to our vet and put on an IV. We were told to check on
him at four-thirty that afternoon. Meanwhile, I phoned Merial, the
makers of Previcox
and told them of the situation. I asked how long until the drug
would be completely out of his system and was told
eight hours
and that there would be "no reach back residual effects" once
it was eliminated.
By law, drug companies are required to report adverse effects to
the FDA. Anyone whose
dog has succumbed to Previcox (firocoxib) poisoning, please
contact Merial for a case number a.s.a.p.
The US number to call
is: 888.637.4251 (Select option 3)
A case number, which Merial gives
out, helps them track
what is happening in the field with their drug and allows them
to update their list of side effects included on their CIS
(Client Information
Sheet) and website. Merial's
website with phone numbers for all geographic locations is:
http://www.merial.com/ContactUs/Default.aspx
I then went online and started reading about
Previcox
as well as
other NSAIDS such as
carpofen (Rimadyl), meloxicam (Deramaxx) and other
NSAID’s, some of which had been pulled from the market after
many dog
deaths. We felt certain that with what we were told by Merial, the IV would flush
the drug from his system
and that evening he would be back to his usual self.
When we arrived at the clinic, the woman at the front desk said we could go
back where the kennels were, to see Rowdy. As we moved down the hallway, an assistant stopped us
and asked us to wait where we were. I thought perhaps they
were
situating an animal from surgery into one of the kennels, so never thought anything about it.
The vet came by and
asked “Are you here to see the dog that passed? "We
looked at each other dumbfounded as I said "No!" "Not MY dog!" He
said Rowdy
died shortly after noon. I was numb. I could not cry or even speak as he led us to
an area where Rowdy lay
motionless in the kennel.
Anyone who has ever experienced a situation
similar to this, knows the gut-punched feeling that accompanies unexpected bad news. We were in total disbelief
as we
gathered up his lifeless body and brought him home for burial.
The next day I spoke with the same person at Merial who had
given me a case number the day before. When I questioned why vets
were not given the CIS
(Client Information
Sheet) regarding NSAIDS, I was told they could “Send
off for the information if they choose to.”
Drugs which can and do adversely affect our animals are routinely
dispensed without
any information. Why is that?
Would it not be good
practice for vets to provide their clients with a CIS before
prescribing
any medication, thus allowing the owner to make an informed
decision regarding their dog’s health and well being?
My vet had
never heard of any dog having a bad reaction to this medication and
said he routinely prescribed Previcox since it was one of the “safer
drugs”.
"There’s clearly a breach between what veterinarians are reporting
and what groups on the Internet contend."
Quote from Dr. Larry Glickman (professor of
epidemiology and environmental medicine at Purdue University School
of Veterinary Medicine) on
ProHeart 6, an injectible heartworm medication reformulated in 2002
but pulled from the market in 2004 after numerous canine
deaths. In 2008 it was reintroduced, not reformulated.
Previcox's own website under the tab
Previcox FAQ states
Which dogs should not take PREVICOX?
Your dog should not be
given PREVICOX if he/she:
-
Has had (Merial added the word
had to their literature in 2009) an allergic reaction to firocoxib, the active ingredient in
PREVICOX.
Please note that almost
all pet medications warn against use if the animal is allergic to
<insert active ingredient name>. The problem lies with the fact that
until the drug is administered, how do you know if your pet is allergic to
the main ingredient? Such was the case with Rowdy, a healthy,
two year old dog, who had never been on
any medication. How could we have known?
An article published
in 2006, entitled 'Why
is Fido dead? Prescription drugs are killing dogs, too.',
named Previcox ,
along with other NSAID drugs as being responsible for 22,000 cases of
illness in dogs, almost 3,000 of which were fatal. Data
taken from the FDA website carries this warning regarding NSAIDS:
NSAID medicines can cause ulcers and bleeding in
the stomach and intestines at any time during treatment. Ulcers and
bleeding can happen without warning symptoms and may cause death.
A
Previcox ad notes the following, "In
rare situations, death has been reported as an outcome of the adverse events listed
above." Really? Are over 3,000 NSAID deaths (and counting) considered
'rare'?
Reports of adverse and fatal reactions to
Previcox abound
on websites and blogs. Tragic experiences, one after another are
cited while the veterinary world by and large has been lulled into
thinking that Previcox
is the panacea for all breeds.
How many deaths are mistakenly attributed to old age or a 'pre-existing
condition' while the real culprit is the
prescribed drug?
According to
emails we
have received, gastric ulcers, renal
failure and heart failure have been linked directly to this drug.
Other
options which may have proven effective for Rowdy were
unknown to us.
Christie Keith, in her article
"What
the FDA wants your vet to tell you", shares
information as to what vets
should be telling their clients and which drugs can safely be used
with NSAIDS for gastrointestinal protection.
Our mischievous, loveable Rowdy has now become another statistic,
case number 07-18129 in the ever mounting deaths in which Merial
claims no responsibility. They did respond with, “We
are sorry for your loss.”
Monitor your dog for these possible side
effects:
- Decrease or increase in appetite.
(generally, dogs refuse food)
- Vomiting.
- Change in bowel movements (such as
diarrhea, or black, tarry or bloody stools).
- Change in behavior (such as decreased
or increased activity level, lack of coordination, seizure,
or aggression).
- Yellowing of gums, skin, or whites of
the eyes (jaundice).
- Change in drinking habits (frequency or
amount consumed).
- Change in urination habits (frequency,
color, or smell).
- Change in skin (redness, scabs, or
scratching).
- Unexpected weight loss.
- Seizures.

If you have experienced a positive or negative
outcome with Previcox that you would like to share, please
include the following information and email to:
mel.k911.biz@gmail.com
-
Dog's name, age, weight and your geographic location
-
Why Previcox was prescribed and dosage (57
or 227mg)
-
Length of time given
-
Case number from
Merial
-
Photo of
your dog
The “Boys”
We had some land that we loved so
And to it often we all would go
As the doors slid open and we watched them run
Our beautiful boys crossed fields in the sun
Rowdy bumped Duke to follow his lead
Duke didn’t mind he followed, indeed
Flushing out a rabbit, it disappeared into thin air
They then tussled with each other, they hadn’t a care
But Rowdy is now gone and Duke wanders alone
A bit unsure of what to do on his own
And now as the doors slide open again
Duke steps out slowly, minus his friend
It is never the same, it never can be
No, life’s not the same without his Rowdy
If your dog is displaying symptoms of Previcox poisoning and you
are not able to immediately take him to a qualified vet,
consider using
activated charcoal
to help rid his
system of the toxin if it has been less than an hour after
taking the drug.
Previcox reports from
dog owners
Previcox test studies
Mandatory Client Information Sheet
More Previcox
Information
*
For ones under the impression that Rowdy
was roaming about freely when struck by the car, rest assured he
was not. We were visiting with friends in their fenced in back
yard when our friend, a beekeeper, noticed that one of his
hives was swarming and leaving the yard. He was following them,
looking up while going through the gate and never saw Rowdy
beside him waiting to dart across the street toward a dog who
had been barking most of the morning.
Updated July 4, 2010