SWISSVALE, Pa. — A Swissvale woman is speaking out on the dangers of a Librela, after the FDA announced a warning about ‘adverse events’ related to the drug.
Lauren Spagna lost her dog, Sydney, a Jack Russell terrier she adopted in 2012.
“Within 48 hours he was catastrophically ill, within three days he was dead,” Spagna said.
In September, she took him to the vet for help with his osteoarthritis.
“He had started to struggle going up and down steps with osteoarthritis. Going for walks he could walk for an hour, pull me over, go full speed.”
Spagna’s veterinarian suggested a newer drug that the FDA approved to help with pain associated with osteoarthritis.
“The vet said this drug was new, risk free, no side effects, it’s a miracle drug, dogs are acting like puppies again,” Spagna said. “Less than 48 hours later his legs were giving out, he was vomiting bile. I carried him downstairs like a rag dog doll. I carried him into the emergency vet like a rag doll.
They said he was in agony and when they did an ultrasound, they found he had pancreatis and all his organs were swelling. I had to make the loving but horrific decision to end the suffering.”
Spagna said they euthanized the dog that Sunday, just days after the injection. She said the dog’s bloodwork, which was taken before the injection, was great.
“His bloodwork was taken again at the vet hospital. 48 hours after he had the injection and bloodwork the vet was really happy with, they had run his bloodwork multiple times, the red blood cells kept falling apart, they couldn’t get readings. He was catastrophically ill. He had immune mediated anemia. They gave him IV fentanyl.”
The FDA released a warning about Librela to veterinarians, posting a letter on their website:
It explains adverse events reported in dogs of various ages treated with Librela since its release in 2023. The adverse events identified and analyzed include ataxia, seizures, other neurologic signs, including but not limited to, paresis, recumbency, urinary incontinence; polyuria, polydipsia, and in some cases, death.
Lauren passed her records on to Zoetis, the drug manufacturer, who sent her a check for $1000 dollars to help cover vet bills.
We reached out to Zoetis and they tell Channel 11, “We remain confident in the safety and effectiveness of Librela for controlling osteoarthritis pain in dogs, and in the science, safety and regulatory rigor behind these products.
Since launching in Europe over three years ago, Librela has been used effectively with millions of dogs suffering from osteoarthritis pain. With more than 21 million doses distributed globally, no single sign reported in an adverse event is classified as more than rare, according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) categorization.
We understand that when your dog experiences an adverse event, these statistics are a small consolation. We are deeply committed to listening to – and working with – veterinarians and pet owners, and we take very seriously our obligation to gather as much relevant information as possible when potential adverse events are reported to us. We do this so we can ensure the ongoing safety of our products and so that we can report these events to the appropriate regulatory agency.
The significant majority of the feedback we have received from vets and pet owners continues to be positive.
Veterinarians are the best source of guidance and information for pet owners, and we continue to recommend that pet owners speak to their vets about any questions or concerns they may have.”
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