FDA did not approve this drug for humans. Zoetis then did their own 2 studies funded by investors and got it approved for dogs and cats. Biased studies?! Of course. Zoetis is culpable and this dry should be taken off the table.
Would it be worth the risk if it was your dog or cat which had died, became paralysed, had seizures, became incontinent, had uncontrollable diarrhea or bled to death in front of your eyes? Would you be ok with paying out more money than you can probably afford just to treat the side effects from Librela in attempts to keep your pet alive? No dog or cat should die so others pets can benefit. This drug should be withdrawn until it's fully tested and the truth told by Zoetis about the side effects.
We have had Bella on Librela since last July when she was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her TPLO surgical leg. My husband freaked out and decided she should be taken off it. I consulted with three different vets, local to me, one being a client of my photography services. The two non-client vets told me if we haven't seen an adverse effect after one or two shots then we should be fine. The client vet said the same but if we were concerned, then we could skip a month or two and see what happens.
I can't tell you that we saw a marked difference in Bella's activity level with the shot. She is a Maremma sheepdog, a livestock guardian dog, and the breed is not designed for sustained bursts of activity. Even before her TPLO surgery, she ambled on our hikes, rather than running around all crazy like as a heeler or border collie would. She'll be 11 in March but she's probably been an ambler since she was 5 or 6. (I have this wonderful video of her hiking a few years ago with a big smile on her face and she was just wandering with purpose.)
I think we're going to move forward by managing her arthritis with strength exercises and massage and other supplements. I don't know what will happen. I don't consider her my family. She is my ride-or-die, the best friend I have ever had in my life, and I need her to stay happy for as long as I possibly can keep her that way.
One of my grand dogs is at least 14. She is terrierish! She has been getting injections for a year now. For her it has been a miracle drug. She started enjoying her walks and playing with her human siblings after being uncomfortable for a while before that. When my daughter decided to try it, it was not a hard decision because nothing else was working and at 14 potential long term side effects were not a concern. Sadly, it is no longer working very well but it gave this little girl an extra year of decent quality of life. Watching them age is never easy
My thoughts are the same as I concluded back when I was making the yes or no decision for my own dog at the time--Hail Mary solution only. Especially since there are regenerative treatments which I prefer, even though perhaps more costly and with some risks because they require sedation or anesthesia.
Regenerative treatments are my go-to big gun options. Note: I was never that keen on NSAIDs either and only used them short term when absolutely necessary.
Katie Rooney emailed the following to me and asked me to post it on her behalf.
I have recently started with Liberal shots for my 13-year-old dog. She became unable to walk or hold her head up from pain. Turned out that the arthritis in her back legs and spine became too much to bear. Liberal has given her a new lease on life! She runs and jumps like a puppy. Well worth the monthly shots. My wonderful veterinarian said that Liberal is a miracle for dogs like my BeBe. I don't recommend drugs willy-nilly but she would have to be on massive pain meds otherwise.
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/fda-panel-knocks-down-pfizer-lilly-s-osteoarthritis-pain-drug-near-unanimous-vote
FDA did not approve this drug for humans. Zoetis then did their own 2 studies funded by investors and got it approved for dogs and cats. Biased studies?! Of course. Zoetis is culpable and this dry should be taken off the table.
Would it be worth the risk if it was your dog or cat which had died, became paralysed, had seizures, became incontinent, had uncontrollable diarrhea or bled to death in front of your eyes? Would you be ok with paying out more money than you can probably afford just to treat the side effects from Librela in attempts to keep your pet alive? No dog or cat should die so others pets can benefit. This drug should be withdrawn until it's fully tested and the truth told by Zoetis about the side effects.
Hi Denise. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
We have had Bella on Librela since last July when she was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her TPLO surgical leg. My husband freaked out and decided she should be taken off it. I consulted with three different vets, local to me, one being a client of my photography services. The two non-client vets told me if we haven't seen an adverse effect after one or two shots then we should be fine. The client vet said the same but if we were concerned, then we could skip a month or two and see what happens.
I can't tell you that we saw a marked difference in Bella's activity level with the shot. She is a Maremma sheepdog, a livestock guardian dog, and the breed is not designed for sustained bursts of activity. Even before her TPLO surgery, she ambled on our hikes, rather than running around all crazy like as a heeler or border collie would. She'll be 11 in March but she's probably been an ambler since she was 5 or 6. (I have this wonderful video of her hiking a few years ago with a big smile on her face and she was just wandering with purpose.)
I think we're going to move forward by managing her arthritis with strength exercises and massage and other supplements. I don't know what will happen. I don't consider her my family. She is my ride-or-die, the best friend I have ever had in my life, and I need her to stay happy for as long as I possibly can keep her that way.
Hi Angela. What a lucky dog Bella is to have landed in your family! Talk with your veterinarian about using Adequan as part of her arthritis regimen.
Oh yes! We are using Adequan, along with Dasuquin Advanced and a few other vitamin supplements.
One of my grand dogs is at least 14. She is terrierish! She has been getting injections for a year now. For her it has been a miracle drug. She started enjoying her walks and playing with her human siblings after being uncomfortable for a while before that. When my daughter decided to try it, it was not a hard decision because nothing else was working and at 14 potential long term side effects were not a concern. Sadly, it is no longer working very well but it gave this little girl an extra year of decent quality of life. Watching them age is never easy
Such a variety of responses to this drug...
My thoughts are the same as I concluded back when I was making the yes or no decision for my own dog at the time--Hail Mary solution only. Especially since there are regenerative treatments which I prefer, even though perhaps more costly and with some risks because they require sedation or anesthesia.
Regenerative treatments are my go-to big gun options. Note: I was never that keen on NSAIDs either and only used them short term when absolutely necessary.
Katie Rooney emailed the following to me and asked me to post it on her behalf.
I have recently started with Liberal shots for my 13-year-old dog. She became unable to walk or hold her head up from pain. Turned out that the arthritis in her back legs and spine became too much to bear. Liberal has given her a new lease on life! She runs and jumps like a puppy. Well worth the monthly shots. My wonderful veterinarian said that Liberal is a miracle for dogs like my BeBe. I don't recommend drugs willy-nilly but she would have to be on massive pain meds otherwise.