Costco/Kirkland brand dog food, which is made for Costco by Diamond Pet Foods, was recalled about five years ago due to melamine poisoning. We have just had a report (March 2012) that another batch of the food, which was contributed to an animal welfare organization, is making their dogs sick, and that several of them, after a period of vomiting and diarrhea, have died. The report we received specifies: "The Kirkland Canned Lamb and Rice has the expiration 2013. The cans I have say 'June 23, 2013.' It would have been purchased in Nov-Dec. 2012." If you have one of these cans, DO NOT FEED IT to your dog, and please get in touch with Renee Carleton by E-mail: woof@thepetfoodbank.com

Chinese-made dog treats can harm your dog; why you should buy U.S.-made treats....

Canine influenza virus (CIV) is a relatively new virus and is highly contagious, infecting 80% of dogs exposed to it. Learn more....

Proheart is Re-introduced as Proheart 6.....Is It Safer?

According to an informed veterinarian, "Proheart caused more deaths in one year than all of the oral heartworm preventives combined did in ten years. When the FDA notified Pfizer that their drug was causing a problem, the manufacturer claimed it was due to the vaccines' being given at the same time. The FDA looked at the data again and told them the dogs involved had been getting their vaccinations all along and the only difference was the Proheart. That's when the FDA informed the company of their intent to pull it and the company then voluntarily took it off the market." Proheart now back on the market, but, according to our source, it is still the same drug, Moxidectin. The website, drugs.com, you'll find this warning:

Because Of Its Potential For Serious Adverse Drug Reactions And The Absence Of Identifiable Risk Factors Associated With Those Reactions, Proheart 6 Is Only Indicated For Those Dogs In Which Alternative Preventatives Cannot Be Effectively Administered.

Our resouce tells us, "One problem with Proheart is that it is a six-month injection. Heartworm preventives like Interceptor or Heartgard are out of a dog's system in a few days; their protection goes backward and covers the 30 days before the medication was given, does not protect for the month after administration. They are essentially 'catch up' drugs, catching a dog up for the previous month. If a dog has a problem with the drug, it's short term as the drug is out of them in a few days. Not so with a six-month injection. If a dog has a problem with it, the Proheart is still there for six months."

Proheart's Back Story -- Disturbing Details; Advice to Hold Off Using It

While it's true that Proheart 6 has been reintroduced, it's important to understand the history of the drug. As the Nathan Cummings Foundation states, "It's a disturbing tale for anyone who relies on pharmaceutical companies and the FDA to ensure that medicines for animals and humans are safe, one that raises questions about the conduct of a major corporation and its federal regulator."

Please watch a video in which a veterinarian describes the problems with Proheart6 and what's happening with it now. "They claim it was totally reformulated," says Dr. Pinney of Veterinary Insider. He adds, "I'm not sure I believe that." He recommends holding off on using Proheart6 until there has been more experience with the supposedly "reformulated" drug.

Side-effects Warnings and the Law

Veterinarians must warn about drugs' side effects! It's the law!

Warning clients about potential side effects of medications isn't just good medicine... it's the law.... The American Animal Health Association's TRENDS magazine asked Duane Flemming, DVM, JD, DACVO, to explain. Read more....

Ketoconazole

Ketoconazole is an anti-fungal drug (human drug is called Nizoral) that is used for animals with fungal infections. On October 21, 2006, the Senior Dogs Project received a report from Nice, France, where "Ralph," a dog belonging to an American living in France, died as a result of liver damage. The drug is suspected as being the cause of the liver damage. The report states that the veterinarian provided no warning about the potentially deadly side effects of the drug and neither did the manufacturer's label. The vet had warned only that Ketoconazole might cause vomiting at the beginning of treatment, but that, in time, the vomiting would stop. On the 'notice' sold with the drug, the statement made is: 'This medicine is very well tolerated except for rare cases of vomiting at the beginning of treatment.' Ralph did not vomit at first. He did, however, have diarrhea, orange urine (almost black), trembling, and fatigue, and his skin turned dark and peeled in large flakes. After one week, the side effects had not disappeared. The vet advised cutting the dose in two (from 200 to 100 mg daily), and that was Ralph's death sentence. On the 24th day after beginning treatment, even though the drug had been withdrawn, Ralph began to vomit. He vomited whether he ate or drank; nothing would stay down. A perfectly healthy dog (on August 14) was diagnosed with hepatitis most likely brought on by drug intoxication, which could only have come from the Ketoconazole. He died, suffering greatly.

Veterinary note: Ketoconazole is approved for veterinary use in France; however, it is not FDA- approved for animal use in the US, although it is widely used (note that you can buy it online). Every vet advising use of this drug should be fully aware that it: (1) Does not work for one in five dogs. (2) Can cause severe liver damage, and (3) Has a fairly high number of allergic reactions. There is a safer anti-fungal -- Fluconazole -- but that safety comes at a price -- around $12-$15 a pill -- although there may now be generic versions available or coming soon. There are many situations where fungal infections can be life-threatening. These are generally internal infections, not just skin allergic reactions, so these drugs do have a place and are a better alternative than simply suppressing the symptoms with steroids.

The Senior Dogs Project has just received another report of an adverse event related to Ditrim Rx. Information from the VetInfo site follows:

"Antibiotics are often harmful to patients. Sulfa/trimethoprim (Bactrim Rx, Tribrissen Rx, Ditrim Rx, Sulfatrim Rx, SMZ-TMP, other generic names) is an antibiotic that can cause joint inflammation in Dobermans and is implicated in immune mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) in many dog breeds. Thrombocytes are the platelets in the blood, responsible for blood clotting. Thrombocytopenia is a decrease in the number of platelets. Obviously, if they get low enough there is a great risk to the pet. This antibiotic is still widely prescribed, though. It has a broad spectrum of action, it is inexpensive and most of the time it doesn't cause problems. The ITP is almost always reversible if the medication is withdrawn. Remembering that this antibiotic can cause this problem may help to save your pet's life, though. Penicillins can cause severe allergic reactions, even causing sudden death in a few patients. Many antibiotics cause diarrhea. Chloramphenicol has been associated with aplastic anemia in several species. Enrofloxacin (Baytril Rx) and tetracycline antibiotics should not be given to growing pets unless absolutely necessary due to the potential for problems with absorption of the medications into bone and/or teeth, causing defects. Amikacin and gentamicin are aminoglycoside antibiotics. This group of antibiotics can cause deafness and kidney failure. Use of antibiotics should be restricted to conditions which are likely to respond to appropriate antibiotic therapy since these are not harmless medications. When they are necessary it is obvious that some risk of use is justified."

The very-popular chew, "Greenies," may hurt your dog!! Read about Greenies on CNN news.....