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NSAID's - What Are They and Why Are They Killing Our Dogs?

"Before administering any medication, know what the side effects are. I learned the hard way." -Mel

Rowdy Roo at two months old Rowdy at Two Years

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 fractured pelvis suffered as a result. Rowdy died because I violated my number one rule when it comes to prescribed medications for my animals, “Always ask about possible side effects before administering.” This is what I have preached for years to anyone with a listening ear yet, in my agitated state and wanting to give our dog the 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 gave us a bottle containing five tablets of Previcox and the label stated '1 times daily for 5 days'. Previcox (firocoxib), is a NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug) produced by Merial Ltd., an animal health subsidiary of Merck and Co. Inc. and Aventis, S.A. 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 tablet, we chose to administer half in the morning and half that evening so he could rest comfortably at night. Prior to administering the Previcox (firocoxib), 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 and was so alert, wagging his tail and he actually rolled over for a belly scratch. He tried his best to get up but the fractured pelvis prevented him from doing so, 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 other dogs we found which had suffered the same fate. They both made a full recovery using only low dosage aspirin for inflammation and went on to live many happy years. Since Rowdy was recovering so nicely, we opted not to give him any Previcox (firocoxib) on Sunday.

Monday we began our nine hour car ride home so we decided a whole tablet would be necessary for his comfort. Less than an hour later, his breathing became labored and he would stretch out his neck and legs in a rigid manner. Thinking he may have been too warm, we turned down the air conditioning. It seemed to work and again, he drank more than the usual amount of water.

Tuesday came and he seemed very tired. Although he ate and drank, he did not have the stamina to hold himself up while we helped him walk outside. We had to pick him up and carry him back in the house since he would stand in one spot as if he were in a daze. We chalked it up to the grueling car ride the day before.

That evening we gave him another Previcox (firocoxib) 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 would shiver uncontrollably followed by heavy panting and then his head would jerk back and all four legs would stiffen straight out. Holding his mouth open wide as if trying to draw in more oxygen, he pawed my arm as I lay beside him. By then his gums were going a greyish colour.

Wednesday morning he was taken to our vet and immediately put on an IV. We were told to check on him at four-thirty that afternoon. Meanwhile, I called Merial, the company that makes Previcox (firocoxib) 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. I was also told there would be no ‘reach back’ residual effects once it was eliminated.

I then went online and started reading about Previcox (firocoxib) as well as Deramaxx, Metacam, Rimadyl, and other potentially harmful NSAID’s, some of which have been pulled from the market after dogs died from them. We felt certain that the IV would flush his system and that evening Rowdy would be back to his normal self.

We showed up at the vet and were told we could go back and visit him but then they asked us to wait. I thought they may be situating another animal from the surgery room into one of the cages in the back 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 told us Rowdy had died shortly after noon. Anyone who has 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 that 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?

Shouldn’t it be incumbent on the drug companies to include written information along with their product? And 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 it since it was one of the “safer” ones. 

"There’s clearly a breach between what veterinarians are reporting and what groups on the Internet contend." Quote from Dr. Larry Glickman on ProHeart 6, another drug pulled from the market in 2004 after numerous canine deaths.

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 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 would you know if your pet is allergic to the main ingredient? Such was the case with Rowdy, a healthy 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 (firocoxib), along with other NSAID drugs as being responsible for 22,000 cases of illness in dogs, almost 3,000 of which were fatal.

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'?

The link below provides numbers from test studies completed in February, 2007. This does not account for real life experiences of individual owners whose dogs have suffered allergic reactions or even succumbed to death as a direct result of using Previcox (firocoxib).

Update January 2008- The chart has since been updated and no longer shows any results, only the number of animals tested. Subsequent inquiries as to why no information is given have gone unanswered. The chart is now pointless.

http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Documents/ade_web_rpts_DF.pdf

Regardless, 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 (firocoxib) is the panacea for all breeds. 

How many deaths are mistakenly attributed to old age, heart failure or an 'existing condition' while the real culprit is the prescribed drug?

Our dear loveable, mischievous Rowdy has now become another statistic, case number 07-18129 in the ever mounting deaths in which Merial claims no responsibility while they continue to respond with, “We are sorry for your loss.”  

You can contact me at: Mel@k911.biz

Acknowledgement: Our website is only ONE of the many sounding the warning about the effect this drug is having on dogs worldwide. To ones who have been so forthright in sharing your personal experiences, I thank you. It is difficult to express the depth of sadness I feel for those who have lost their pal to Previcox or any of the other drugs which cost them their lives. To those whose dogs may never recover completely, my thoughts are with you also.

To the vets who urge a complete blood work and enzyme liver testing prior to administering Previcox or any of the newer Cox-inhibiting drugs on the market I say, "Congratulations, you are a responsible, caring vet!" We hope that you also take the necessary time to inform your clients of all the possible side effects and encourage them to read the literature associated with this drug. Hopefully though, we will see a decline in the offering of Previcox for every occasion where in days past, a baby aspirin would have been prescribed. 

Merial, the makers of Previcox (firocoxib), has been paying for emergency treatment and hospital costs incurred when dogs have taken a turn for the worse or died. Lab work cannot be easily dismissed, no matter how 'rare' they claim these cases are.

Update April 2008- Routinely, we receive emails from individuals whose dogs have been given Previcox for problems unrelated to arthritis for which it was developed. Some examples include: A cut paw, a scraped nose, after neutering, before having teeth cleaned, after having a tooth pulled and before knee surgery. 

"Why?" we wondered. When speaking to a Merial employee, we found that vets, like human drug salesmen are given "incentives" to push Previcox. An effective drug could be offered such as baby aspirin but this has fallen out of favor due to the low cost associated with it and the availability of purchasing it over the counter. Since this offers no financial return, most vets fail to mention this option to dog owners.

Another way to further distance themselves from promoting a simple, low cost pain reliever is to frighten individuals by telling them of the "horrible consequences" of gastric ulceration from aspirin. One individual wrote us that when she asked her vet about using aspirin, the whole office gasped at the very thought and told her how dangerous it was! Aspirin toxicity usually occurs because of the ingestion of improperly stored drugs or the administration of the incorrect dose of aspirin. Always make sure the aspirin is of the correct dosage for the weight of your dog. Should any GI disturbance occur, discontinue use and have your vet give your dog a thorough checkup to ensure there is no internal bleeding of any kind. Once a clean bill of health is given your dog, begin aspirin therapy again at a lower dosage and always use buffered aspirin. Aspirin is better tolerated and more forgiving by most breeds than the main ingredient in Previcox, which is firocoxib. A few doses of Previcox can and do cause death as our emails confirm.

The incentives from Merial in some cases provide equipment for veterinary surgeries as well as give the vets a substantial discount on future orders of Previcox. So, there you have it. We no longer wonder why Previcox is being pushed in clinics all over North America and in the UK and why dogs who should have easily healed are now dead. This is big business.

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 

DukeNoRowdy 

Lab owners: GOOGLE- 'Lab forums' and read about Labradors and NSAIDs. It is to your advantage to join any of these Lab forums since they provide a wealth of information for this wonderful breed of dog.

The reason why many turn to prescription drugs like Previcox for their animals is to control pain, generally caused by arthritis. Read what other factors affect our canine pals by clicking the links below.

A Vet's Perspective on Drugs

Veterinary professionals discuss Previcox-2006

Grains in Commercial Dog Foods Contribute to Arthritis

Aspirin, Ibuprofen and Hazards of OTC Medications

Pain Drugs for Dogs: Be an Informed Pet Owner

Closely Monitor Your Dog When Using NSAIDs 

Previcox Dosage and Administration-2005

Previcox Dosage and Administration-2007