Dogs dying from 'miracle drug'

08:53 AM PST on Friday, February 4, 2005

By ERIC WILKINSON / KING 5 News

Marketed as a miracle drug for man's best friend, Rimadyl is one of the most popular painkillers available for dogs. And it's killing dogs by the thousands.

KING

Vince Sharkey was faced with the decision every pet owner dreads, whether to euthanize his beloved dog King Billy.

Arthritis and deteriorating bones made it too painful for the 8-year-old golden retriever to walk.

His veterinarian recommended putting the dog down.

"He had so much life in him. I said, 'I just can't do that'."

Then Sharkey discovered Rimadyl, a prescription anti-inflammatory drug heavily marketed to owners of older dogs. Sharkey says Rimadyl saved his dog's life.

"Before I had him on the Rimadyl he was not even able to walk. He would drag his back half of his body. The moment we got him on Rimadyl, he was back to being his normal self again.

But Lynne Bradburn tells a very different story.

Her Saint Bernard, Honor, was just 22 months old when he died after taking Rimadyl for a sprained knee.

"He'd been sitting in my lap. And he looked up at me, and he died," Bradburn said.

Honor died after taking just four doses of the drug.

"They tell you it's as safe as aspirin. But it's not. And yes, I'm angry. And I will always be angry," Bradburn said.

The FDA reports some 12,516 complaints about Rimadyl dating back to 1997, including more than 2,300 cases where the dog died or had to be euthanized. The largest number of cases involve liver or kidney failure or internal bleeding.

Rimadyl's manufacturer, Pfizer, maintains the drug is safe, saying some 10 million dogs have taken over a billion doses of the drug, with less than 1 percent of them experiencing any negative side effects.

"There are side effects just as there are benefits with all medicines, with all medical procedures and certainly with Rimadyl. The good news about Rimadyl is that for the overwhelming majority of those 10 million dogs, plus, it has provided safe and effective pain relief," said Pfizer spokesman Robert Fauteux.

But the FDA approved Rimadyl after it was tested on just 549 dogs, raising the question, were the rest of the dogs that took the drug acting as guinea pigs?

Retired veterinarian turned attorney Paul Mabrey says a drug for humans would never be allowed on the market with such a small sample.

In response to continued concerns about the drug, Pfizer sent a letter to veterinarians across the country warning them that some side effects may "occur without warning" and, in rare situations may result in "hospitalization or even death."

Still, veterinarians continue prescribing Rimadyl more than any other drug in its class. But they're careful to warn dog owners looking for a miracle cure.

"There's a lot of people that want the medication not fully aware of everything that's entailed with that but we make sure to do everything we can to educate before they go on the medication," said Dr. Deborah Feltz, a the Elliott Bay Animal Hospital.

It's a warning echoed by those who know first hand what happens when a miracle drug proves imperfect.

"Unless you want to get your dog back in a box… make sure you know exactly what this drug is and what this drug does," said Bradburn.

Before your dog is prescribed Rimadyl or any other similar drug, make sure he has a full physical and blood work to rule out any conditions that could complicate the drug's use.