Update on Librela

"They turned to new arthritis drugs to ease their pets' pain. Now dog and cat owners are asking what killed their beloved family members. Could it have been the drugs?" - Wall Street Journal

On April 13, 2024 the Wall Street Journal ran an article about concerns pet owners have over Librela.

There has been a large push to make public the side effects many dogs are experiencing from the new genetically engineered monoclonal antibody. Cats are experiencing similar side effects from the feline version of the product, Solencia.

Here is the link to the wall Street Journal article:

What Killed Their Pets? Owners Blame Meds, but Vets Aren’t Sure

And a link to market shares dropping:

Zoetis Shares Slip Premarket After WSJ Report on Arthritis Drugs for Pets

If you scroll back on my Substack I provide a review of Librela based upon the information request provided by Zoetis to the FDA and the FDA’s approval of the product.

There were only 2 clinical trials performed and many questions left unanswered. For example:

• Does this product have any effect on patients with cardiac disease?

• Does this product have any effect on vaccinated dogs?

  • The majority of dogs walking into a veterinary clinic to receive this injection have been vaccinated, most likely multiple times.

Librela indiscriminately binds to nerve growth factor, a substance the body makes because the body uses it for a variety of things. Science does not even have a complete understanding of everything it does in the body. So how can we know what will happen when it is blocked?

No one knows, but we are beginning to find out as more and more dogs are experiencing tragic consequences.

This past week I euthanized a cat who received 12 injections of Solencia before acutely losing the use of her hindlegs. I also saw a 12-year-old dog who developed a large tumor during 3 months of Librela injections. An ultrasound pre-injection did not reveal any abnormalities. It may have been coincidental, it may not have been.

The major problem is pet owners are not being informed on the dangers, rather they are being told there are no side effects. I would love for someone to show me one single substance that does not have a side effect.

As a veterinarian with 25 years of clinical experience, specializing in geriatric care and end-of-life care, I cannot conscientiously prescribe this product. I took an oath when I received my license to practice, and that oath states “First Do No Harm”. I prefer not to play Russian roulette with my patient’s health.

But that is just me. I like to sleep at night.