"Rex"

From: Regina

Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 1:44 AM

Dear Mel,

We just had an experience with Previcox also.  We brought our dearly beloved 15 yr and 10 month old Rex to the vet because we wanted to have him checked out.  He probably had doggie dementia but it also appeared that he had arthritis.  We just wanted to see if there was anything we could do to make him more comfortable.  He for sure was old, yet still able to eat and drink and go to the bathroom outside (an occasional accident inside) but that was to be accepted, after all he was 105 yrs. old.

So as the story goes I got a handout from a vet at a street fair in our home town on Saturday and brought it to my vet on Wednesday. Well as it turns out that was a big mistake.  I gave Rex a dose on Wednesday and his second dose of Previcox-the death drug on Thursday. 

This early AM  Rex was frothing at the mouth and breathing hard, legs out rigid after laying down, I thought he was just having a spell.  Then this AM he could not stand up on his own and was not interested in drinking.  I laid him down to rest a bit.  I also noticed his rib cage area appeared bloated and enlarged.  He was able to make it slowly outside where he went to the bathroom and then laid down, listless, breathing labored, abdomen distended. 

When we got home after work Rex looked terrible, tongue hanging out, bluish hue, gums pale, unable or unwilling to get up with coaxing. We took him to the vets, he never got up. 

The vet said he had bloat, twisted stomach and when my husband asked if it could have anything to do with Previcox he said no. My husband noticed also that on Thursday night Rex was drinking a lot of water and commented that he appeared to also have vision problems, like he couldn't gage the depth of the water bucket. He also had frequency of urination and drinking way more water than usual.  Now I feel so bad for our dog. 

Rex was put to sleep today.  It is after the fact, tonight that I went to the Internet to see if my husbands hunch was right, and sadly so it was.  I really thought it was coincidental but now I am not so sure.  It all happened so fast. 

What can be done and is there anything being done to warn and prevent this from happening to other dogs?  What can I do?  Please write back.

Rex's mom