My wife recently found your website, after our 10 year old German Shepherd (120 pounds) became sick.  Jake had no previous health problems, until he sprained his front left leg.  Our Vet in Columbus, GA. x-rayed the leg and after determining there was no break, wanted to put Jake on Previcox. 

He did not have any in his office and had to order the medication for him.  I went back two (2) days later to pick the Previcox up and immediately began giving it to Jake. 

He was on Previcox 227 mg once a day and the vet office called a few days later to check on him for any side effects, since they said this was an experimental drug.  At this point I had not noticed any side effects, in fact he seemed to be getting better with his leg so my wife decided to cut back on the Previcox until she saw signs of Jake favoring that leg. 

The first bottle was a 30 day dose.  After completing it, we purchased another bottle.  Not even 1/2 way through the second bottle is when Jake became sick or as the vet initially told us, had seizures.

He would fall on his side, (as a new colt trying to walk) and his legs would stiffen, his head cock up in the air as if he were trying to breathe.  After a few minutes the first (so called seizure) he seemed somewhat incoherent but was able to walk to my car. 

I immediately took him to our vet and was told after several blood tests that Jake's liver and kidney count was extremely elevated, but this was not uncommon in older dogs.  They kept him overnight to flush out his kidneys and liver and administer IV fluids. 

The next day I went in to pick him up and the vet told me he wanted me to try Jake on a food that was for the liver/kidney functions.  He felt like this would help him.  He also sent me home with phenolbarbital to give to Jake only after a seizure. 

We got Jake home and kept him inside an away from our female Sheppard who is 9 years old.  Thinking this would help him in his recovery, I tried many times over the next few days to give Jake his Previcox and each time he became agitated and spit it out. 

The so-called seizures continued through the weekend along with blood in his stool. We took Jake back to the vet on Monday 5/26/08, (was not able to take him in to our vet or emergency vet in Columbus, because of the Memorial Holiday, so we kept him as comfortable as we could during that weekend).

On Sunday night my wife researched the Internet about Previcox, and that's when she read your story about Rowdy. When we took Jake in on Monday, 5/26/08 the attendant had to come and help me physically pick Jake up, because of his size. 

They kept him again on Monday evening and called us on Tuesday morning, to say they felt like he had a brain stem tumor and was beginning to go blind.  This is the point where they recommended "We need to put him down".

We knew how he had suffered and felt like there was nothing else we could do.  We loved him enough not to let him suffer anymore.  Our vet did call Merial and spoke with a vet on staff there, on Monday.

I found out today, 6/30/08, after calling our vet to retrieve Jake's records, that the Merial Tech called our vet on Tuesday afternoon and wanted to help pay for an MRI, when told they were too late, they offered to pay for an autopsy and our vet refused. 

The assistant vet said if it is any consolation to you, no other animal in her office will be given Previcox.  The Previcox poisoned Jake to the point nothing could be done. 

I called Merial myself today 6/30/08 and have received my case number and I am filing a complaint with the FDA.

I hope that this product is taken off the market and no other animals like Jake and your Rowdy have to suffer.

Thank you,

Jim L.