More Truth about ProHeart Injectable

I did some research today to find out how to treat my 3 dogs natually with essential oils for fleas, and in doing so I stumbled across a wonderful dog blog and wanted to share this very interesting news with all of you.

Below is an email from Jean Townsend, the list owner of doghealth2, who took on Pfizer single-handedly and instituted a class action suit with Pfizer when her beloved dog George died after being given the drug RIMADYL, a potent NSAID that should be avoided at all costs.  (The same applies to the newer class of NSAIDs, e.g. Deramaxx, Previcox, Zubrin, etc. These drugs are now being handed out by vets like candy for even little things like routine surgeries.
http://oxbowcrew.com/RimadylCase.html

Jean has given permission to crosspost this message far and wide so please feel free to copy it and send it on or send your friends here to read it.  This so aptly describes the scam and despicable role played by pharmaceutical reps in unleashing a deadly drug on the market.

This e-mail is purportedly from a veterinarian. This is for your information - just in case you would ever even consider giving this drug to your beloved companion animal! Please ask your veterinarian for a copy of the Client Information sheet and read for yourself about any adverse reactions and side effects to giving this or ANY drugs to your animals BEFORE you ever even consider administering them!  For those you that are not aware, there was a recall and subsequent law suit in 2004 over ProHeart 6 Injectable (http://www.thedogplace.org/Articles/ProHeart_Rimadyl_Settle.htm)

Note: the emphasis and bolded words are the  Blog’s author’s.

QUOTE:

I recently attended a veterinary continuing education seminar at which the lunch (captive/paid for by manufacturer) presentation was on Proheart 6.
The company rep told our gathering of veterinarians the following regarding the recent reintroduction of the product to the market after its earlier suspension:

Regarding the new administration guidelines for not giving Proheart 6 within one month of vaccinations and performing very minimal bloodwork prior to giving injection: *this is not about safety. It is about building a *pristine* data base for the FDA* (that they can use to further evaluate safety/side effects of the product).

Bloodwork should be performed “but you do not need test results in hand prior to giving the Proheart 6 injection because it does not have to do with safety for the animal but with *data building” .

Regarding age limitations of only administering to dogs over 6 months to under 7 years: these are only for the 1st injection of Proheart 6- if the dog has no adverse effects from 1st injection you can then give outside of these age limits.

Proheart 6 “removes issues of Pet Med Express taking away veterinarians’ income for heartworm preventatives. It bypasses issues of owner noncompliance with giving pills as directed. It addresses our sour economy, and puts you in the driver’s seat”.

When the question was raised if a dog is presented for needed vaccinations and Proheart 6 injection at the same time, what should the veterinarian do ?  the reply was: “in order to develop the greatest degree of confidence in the data, hold off on giving vaccine(s), give the Proheart 6 injection and have owners come back one or more months later for the vaccine(s)”.

It was repeatedly pointed out that Proheart 6, “still allowed in other countries and the #1 heartworm preventative in some of them”, is the same product produced in the same place in the US”. “It’s all about confidence,”the rep said, “clients will do what we tell them to do“.

The deadliness of heartworms was stressed, which is true. But NOT ONE word was ever mentioned regarding death as a potential side effect, and when one veterinarian unfamiliar with issues surrounding the product asked what type
of side effects had been seen, the response was “some inappetance, vomiting/diarrhea, elevated liver enzymes, that type of thing”.

If anyone fails to see in the above the fact that a product that has killed dogs, has been reintroduced to the national market at the potential expense of the lives of BELOVED FAMILY CANINE COMPANIONS not for their own safety but in order to *build a data base*, well….that’s exactly what has been done.
END QUOTE

The following URL’s are from a “google” search -

http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Veterinary+news/FDA-clears-reintroduction-of-ProHeart-6-to-the-vet/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/522208

http://www.wyeth.com/news?nav=display&navTo=/wyeth_html/home/news/pressrele
ases/2008/1212685317306.html

http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/jul08/080715m.asp
From the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association:

http://www.gvma.net/5feced75-e1c1-43eb-aef7-b16baf9a62ec.aspx.aspx?newsId=5
0e9d0fa-7de7-4104-a6f9-0f170c998d53
Jean
(Always for George - Always for the Rimadyl Dogs)

You may also want to bookmark this wonderful site, Dogs Adverse Reactions http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/

*There are some all natural ways/drug free ways of preventing heartworm infestation in your dogs.  Read HERE

( http://www.thewholedog.org/heartworm.html )

Dr Jeannie

Comments

[SportDOG SD-400]

Base on what I saw on these blogs, they are true. They give out excellent help to treat our dogs’ health problems using natural method. Thank you so much for sharing it to us readers.