Death by PrevicoxRowdy’s Last Vacation
"Before administering any medication, know what the side effects are. I learned the hard way." -Mel Previcox- #10 on list of Dog Poisonings of 2011
Our beautiful, 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. Please read the following before reading of our experience. After going to other links suggested in our article, use your backspace button to return to this webpage.
NSAID's: What Are They and Why Are They Killing Our Dogs?
DOSAGE:
Always provide Client Information Sheet with prescription.
The recommended dosage of PREVICOX™ (firocoxib) for oral
administration in dogs is 2.27 mg/lb (5
mg/kg) body weight once daily. For proper dosage in lbs,
calculate 2.27 x <weight of dog>. Taken from
Previcox dosage information from Merial Caribbean
Monitor Your Dog for These Side Effects
Send to:
This is our experience (Mel, K911):
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 (firocoxib) 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 offered, nor did I have the presence of
mind to ask. On this holiday, we did not have access to the
internet to research the medication given.
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
(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, alert and wagging his tail.
He
actually rolled over for a belly scratch from the friend we were
visiting. 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. We used this method years ago for Gimpy and Jack, two dogs found at different times,
both of which had suffered a broken pelvis from being hit by a
vehicle. Gimpy had been found on the highway with a pelvis
injury
so severe that our vet said he would have immediately put her
down had she been to the clinic that day. 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 (firocoxib) on Sunday. Monday, we began our nine hour trip 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 help him walk outside and once there, he would stand in one spot as if he were in a daze. We then had to carry him back inside as he would not move on his own. We chalked up this 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, his first
tablet of the day. 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.
Late that night and into the early morning hours,
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. In the early morning hours, he pawed my arm several times in a frantic gesture for
help as I
lay beside him. His gums were starting to go greyish
in
colour.
Wednesday early 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
(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 and that there would be "no reach back residual
effects" once it was eliminated.
I then went online and started reading about Previcox
(firocoxib) and
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 approached 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.
For a moment I was numb. I did not cry or even speak as he led us to the 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. Prior to receiving
this medication, Rowdy was a vibrant, healthy two year old dog.
How could it be that we were now gathering up his lifeless body
to bring home for burial? It did not seem possible.
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 by Fort Dodge) reformulated in 2002 but pulled from the market in 2004 after numerous canine deaths.
In 2008 ProHeart 6 was reintroduced to the market,
however it
was not
reformulated. It only came bundled with more warnings.
Merial's website under the tab
Previcox FAQ (this link now
takes you to a blank page on their site):
Which dogs should not take PREVICOX?
As of 2013 they have
completely eliminated
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.
The FDA
website also carries this warning:
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 (firocoxib) 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
Previcox experience emails, gastric ulcers;
renal failure and heart failure have been
directly linked 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.
After completing this article, I contacted the out of state veterinarian who had initially treated Rowdy while we were on holiday. His office manager asked why I wanted to speak with him and after telling her I wanted Rowdy's file, she told me the vet was unavailable. I waited until the next week to call again, hoping I could speak directly with him but again, the office manager intervened and this time told me they had no record of my dog being treated at their facility. Excluding the vet and his office manager, there were four of us at the vet's office that day with Rowdy, so there was no denying he was treated at their veterinary clinic. Do I believe the vet intentionally harmed Rowdy? Absolutely not. He seemed genuinely concerned about his well being. I do believe however, that denying he was treated at their facility, puts them in a bad light and makes me question their motive for so doing.
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.”
Read of Previcox issues from other dog owners
The “Boys”
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. Mandatory Client Information Sheet * Rowdy was not roaming freely about when he was struck by the vehicle. We were visiting with friends in their fenced in back yard when our friend, a beekeeper, noticed his bees swarming and leaving the yard. Trying to keep them in sight, he was looking up while opening the gate and that is when Rowdy beside him, darted across the road toward a dog which had been barking most of the morning. One individual, who wanted to see what occurred with his dog Scamp when Previcox was administered to him, had it tested on his own liver functions. Note: He did not take the drug orally but had a doctor test and compare the results as if he had taken it. Below is his report. "I got a friend who is a practitioner, to test the last half of the Previcox tablet on me. I am 3 times my dog's weight and the tablet took down my liver function, spleen, duodenum and worst of all was the kidney and gallbladder function, both down big time. Also caused inflammation big time on liver. We first tested my organ functions, then we put the tablet in/on the machine and by putting in the differing organ ampoules again we were able to test the ill effects the Previcox tablet had on my varying organ functions. This as you know had a devastating and frightening ill effects on my organ function. Even more so when taking into account the big difference in Scamp's body weight compared to my own. The results are the same as if I had taken the tablet orally. For a drug that is supposed to cure inflammation we put it against my tester ampoule for cortisol, which I am sure you know is what prevents inflammation. It took my cortisol levels way down as well and this, with me at 60kg (132lbs) on only a half a tablet! No wonder the poor dogs get so sick and my dog at 20kg (44lbs) got so very sick on 2 and one half tablets." Veterinary Adverse Event Voluntary Reporting (US only) Revised April 23, 2013 |
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