PREVICOX WARNING - Please Read Entire Thread!!!!

[stedmansmommy]

I hope it's ok that I post this here being that I already have it posted in Health & Diet - but I REALLY wanted as many people to read this as possible and I don't know how many people (especially new members) read that section of the board. I want you all to read this NOT JUST about Previcox - but just to get the message out that we really DO need to research each and every medication that we give our babies....it is just SO important. Just because a medication is given to us by our vet, doesn't mean it's safe for our babies.

Please read more to find out WHY.....


I wanted to post this here for everyone to read. As alot of you may know, Tatum has Luxating Patella in both back legs and needs surgery. Lately she has been in pain due to her having LP, so almost a month ago I called my vet and asked that he prescribe her some pain meds to help control the pain and keep her comfortable. He agreed and gave her a bottle of Previcox. He only gave me 7 pills (well, not even 7 to be exact - because the pills are more than halved) - anyway, as of today (because I gave her a pain pill this morning as she was hurting - but this was BEFORE I found out what I did about PREVICOX) she has taken all but one of the pills in the bottle.

Well, my aunt told me a while back about a local grocery store in town that will fill dog prescriptions for half the price if you bring in the prescription from your vet. So, I called the grocery store today to see if the medications that Tatum is on is available through them. The first medication she said they do have, but when I mentioned the second one (Previcox) she said that she had never heard of it and that I should call my vet and get the "real" name of the medication (as some of you many know, there are several different names used for the same drug). Anyway, before I called them I figured that I would go ahead and search for it online (from my Blackberry, because my computer was messed up) - and anyway, the very *first* web site that it pulled up was entitled: "DEATH BY PREVICOX" and I immediately started to panic. I couldn't click on the link fast enough.

I read the entire article on my Blackberry and was shaking the entire time. I had JUST given Tatum a Previcox pill this morning, prior to reading this article. I know that she had taken 6 Previcox pills prior to this morning's pill, but I felt like I had just fed my baby poisoning. I had NO idea of the side effects and the number of dogs that this medication has killed. And to think I almost re-ordered another bottle of this medication - I cannot believe it. I am so GRATEFUL that I found this article when I did. There was only one Previcox pill left in her bottle and it is now in the trash.

This article really opened my eyes. I am going to try and make this as short as possible, but back in January of 2006 we lost our Cocker Spaniel who was approx. 13 years old (we were unsure of her age as she was a rescue). She did have Cancer and an enlarged heart, however she showed no signs of being sick. The day my vet diagnosed the Cancer and the Enlarged Heart, he gave her 2 prescription medications (NEITHER of them were Previcox - don't want to confuse anyone here). I immediately went home and gave the meds as my VET instructed me to. I WAS ONLY DOING WHAT THE VET TOLD ME TO DO. As an owner, this is all we know. WE TAKE THE ADVICE OF OUR VETS.

Later that very night, she had her first heart attack. I was in my bedroom and I heard her HOWLING like a wolf (I had never in my entire life heard her make a sound like this before - ever.) - I walked into my living room and she was laying flat on her side with all four legs stuck out straight, stiff as a board and she had her head cocked back as far as it could go - and she was just HOWLING. I ran to her and hugged her dropped to the floor and started shaking and sobbing not knowing what in the WORLD was going on with her. This was at 2 a.m. and I called my vet and woke him up at home and he FLEW to his office. He told me that she was indeed having a heart attack. Mind you, before we left for the vets she had 2 more heart attacks here at home.

So, she stayed at the vets office over night. The next morning she was scheduled to have surgery (this surgery was scheduled BEFORE the heart attacks started) as they were going to remove the Cancerous growth that was on the under side of her stomach. She made it through the night at the vet's o.k. and the next morning they preformed the surgery. They insured me that they would call me right after the surgery was complete and let me know how she was doing. But, me being the impatient person that I am when it comes to my babies, I went ahead and called up there myself just to check on her. The receptionist asked for my name and asked for my dog's name and when I told her she said, "Oh........(pause)......hang on just one second sweetie, I am going to let you speak with the vet" - and that is when he got on the phone and told me that shortly after the surgery she had another heart attack and was turning blue. He said that they put her on oxygen and pumped her heart for 10 minutes straight trying to get her back - but she was unresponsive.

She lost oxygen to her brain and just stopped breathing. I never even got to say goodbye. The night that we rushed her to the vet after she had her first set of heart attacks, was the very last time I ever saw my baby.

Three years later my heart is still broken and I am crying as I type this. I know now, after doing much research online, that my baby died because of the MEDICATIONS that were given to her. I read online that one of the medications that she was given should NOT be given to dogs with enlarged hearts - my baby had an enlarged heart. Why did the vet NOT know this? WHY? Do they not even know the side effects of the medications that they are giving out to their patients?

Our Cocker Spaniel never had a heart attack a day in her life until this medication was given to her. This medication is what took her life in the end. Now I feel like it is MY fault because if I wouldn't of given her the medication, she wouldn't have died. She might still be here with us today. If I would have ONLY done the research BEFOREHAND. If I would have asked the vet more questions - IF ONLY.

Now she is gone and I can't ever bring her back. But I CAN say this - I BEG YOU....before you give your dog ANY PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION please please please do your research on it first. I don't care how much you feel you trust your vet - DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. It could save your babies life.

Tatum will never again be given Previcox. Not after doing the research I've done on it and reading the things I've read about it. She could do just fine on it, but I am not going to take any chances with it, especially not with the bloody-stool episode she just has this afternoon (see this thread: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...ool-again.html).

Again - PLEASE research all meds before giving them to your babies....it really is *SO* important.

P.S. - The article about Rowdy, the Black Lab who lost his life due to Previcox, can be found here: "Death by Previcox"

[KimberlySRN]

How very sad. I think it is always important to remember that doctors and vets are practicing medicine, which means they make mistakes and it is important to do our research.

[stedmansmommy]

Originally Posted by KimberlySRN

How very sad. I think it is always important to remember that doctors and vets are practicing medicine, which means they make mistakes and it is important to do our research.

Couldn't agree more. I will most certainly be doing my own research from now on, no doubt.

[Fancy_Pants]

I agree with you 200% You can never be too careful...

[YoRkiE Te aMo]

Thank U for making this post ....We trust the vets and sometimes pay a high price.... with the life of our little ones
and that is a Heartbreaker !

[mxkids]

I agree completley. I have found medication mistakes, dosage errors ect... We need to be our babies advocates and research as much as possible. Thanks for your post.

[SweetViolet]

In doing our own research, it is important to remember that just because it is published on the internet does not mean it is true! It is dangerous to take anecdotal evidence...somebody's highly subjective experience...as fact. They may be blaming the drug...or vet...or procedure...without regard to the real facts.

That said, I have nothing against research...just make sure you give the strongest weight to the resources that are most credible...like research posted in peer-reviewed journals or research papers by scientific teams...or government websites.

That said, here is something I found about Previcox posted on the FDA website. Please note it is contraindicated for dogs under 12.5 lbs!! The vet should have known better! http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Documents/N141230cis.pdf

[stedmansmommy]

Originally Posted by Fancy_Pants

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]I agree with you 200% You can never be too careful...[/FONT]

Ditto!

[stedmansmommy]

Originally Posted by YoRkiE Te aMo

Thank U for making this post ....We trust the vets and sometimes pay a high price.... with the life of our little ones
and that is a Heartbreaker !

You are absolutely right.

I am not telling anyone "DON'T TRUST OR LISTEN TO YOUR VET" - by all means, PLEASE take their advice and listen to what they tell you...because (in most cases) they DO know more than we do about ALOT of things....HOWEVER, just like with doctors, vets DO make mistakes and they DO get things wrong. My Cocker Spaniel's case and my Tatum's case are just 2 examples of that.

It's terrible that "the little things", such as a medication's instructions and/or warnings get overlooked by VETS, but obviously they do because it happened to me - TWICE. I refuse to let it happen again and even though our babies do have to see the vets, we still need to do our OWN research on things. The information is right at our fingertips and it is SILLY of us to over look it. It could safe a life.

[stedmansmommy]

Originally Posted by mxkids

I agree completley. I have found medication mistakes, dosage errors ect... We need to be our babies advocates and research as much as possible. Thanks for your post.

Very good post! I totally agree with you...and, you're welcome

[stedmansmommy]

Originally Posted by SweetViolet

In doing our own research, it is important to remember that just because it is published on the internet does not mean it is true! It is dangerous to take anecdotal evidence...somebody's highly subjective experience...as fact. They may be blaming the drug...or vet...or procedure...without regard to the real facts.

That said, I have nothing against research...just make sure you give the strongest weight to the resources that are most credible...like research posted in peer-reviewed journals or research papers by scientific teams...or government websites.

That said, here is something I found about Previcox posted on the FDA website. Please note it is contraindicated for dogs under 12.5 lbs!! The vet should have known better! http://www.fda.gov/cvm/Documents/N141230cis.pdf

Thank you for your post and I agree with you You do want to make sure that the research you have found is factual. Though I do personally like to read stories by the actual owners themselves - it is just nice to hear it in their own words sometimes. But you are right, at times these said people can be upset and may be blaming the vet, etc. - so again it is nice to have FACT to back up those stories. I get that - but I myself also like to read personal stories from people who have experience with using "X" medication on their babies, etc.

You're right, my vet SHOULD have known better. Especially since he is fresh out of school There can only be two reasons why he would have given it to her - either A, he's dumb as dirt and doesn't even know what he is prescribing to his patients (and needs to go back to veterinary school I might add) - or B, he just doesn't give a damn and is only in it for the money. Either one is SCARY.

[jp4m2]

I am so glad you had the foresight to look up Tatum's med's.....Most people take the scripts without question and dutifully administer them thinking they must be safe or my vet wouldn't have given it to me....That couldn't be farther from the truth.....

Vet's and doctors get most, if not all, of their info on meds from the drug reps that visit them. The reps always give glowing reports on the benefits and down play any negative side effect or adverse reactions. The prescribing doctors typically has no time, effort or sometimes desire to follow up on reported adverse reactions or any newly discovered problems with the meds ...It's up to US to be proactive in ALL prescribed treatments.....

[LibbieLu08]

I'm so sorry to hear this. . . . I will do my own reseach before giving my baby anything for now on.