Proheart6--or 12--can Be A Killer

[goldens]

I found this forum while researching the re-release of proheart6 here in the states. I was looking to find any rports of adverse reactions/deaths since it had been back on the market here after an almost 4 year absence. See, it killed my beautiful golden retriever, Hunter the first time it was out. On with his story

We had 3 full golden retrievers and an adopted golden retriever mix and they were on Interceptor monthly heartworm prevention. Here on the coast of texas we have skeeters year round and if your dog is not on heartworm prevention, it most surely will get those nasty critters. Honey, our golden mix was right at a year old when we adopted herDec. 7, 2002----and a month afdter we got her, we found she already had heartworms and had to have her treated.

I had been hearing about ProHeart6, how safe it was. Heck, even heartworm positive dogs could have it with no problem. I was safe given with vaccines and antibiotics, etc. Still I hesitated. Finally I decided to start my dogs, all except the oder golden, on it, one at a time. Hunter was the frst, He got one in Sept. 2002, one in March 2003, and one the end of Aug. 2003. Honey was next and she got her first April 2003 and her 2ed Oc. 2003. KayCee was last and she got her first one the first of Aug. 2003.

The morning of Oct. 9, 2003, I was checking all their teeth to see if any needed dentals and I noticed Hunter's gums were very pale. Now, having been around dogs--and owing my first way back in '56---I had seen pale gum before and usually it meant hook worms, especially in puppies. Hunter had just turned 4 yeas old, but still, he had been off Interceptor for a year and th ProHeart6 injection did not take care of hook worms like the Interceptor monthly pill did. I called my vet at once to get an appointment that morning, thniking Hunter had hook worms.

A short time later, a couple of hours before our appoibntmenbt, I was on the patio with the dogs and Kay?Cee (Hunter's littermate sister" peeded just off the patio and being a male, he had to go where she went. He normall went out at the back fence. Well, I saw his urine was the color od rusty water and that really scared me.

When we got to the vet's--which is onlaile from us in th little town of 9300 people--I wa shcoked when he weighed in at 69 pounds--he had been 78 pounds when he had gotten his ProHeart6 injection 5 weeks before. But he had such long, thick fur and undercaot you could not tell he had lost that weight., He was tall, long and lean, we had called him the "long Lean Playing Machine" as he was also so active. Also he had a temp of 104 degrees. My vet said I needed to leave him there for tests.

Later he called and said Hunter had autoimmune hemolytic anemia, a disease I had never heard of. It is alsoald imune ediat hemolyticanemia goig by either AIHA or IMHA, Rickey (my vet) told me to come in and we would talk treatment. When I got there we went over everything different with Hunter for the previous 2 months and the only thing different was teProHeart6 injection. He said "When it comes time for his next Proheart injection, we are going back to the monthly pills." That was my first clue that ProHeart6 was the ulprit.

Well, this old grannie had never used a computer, so I went to our little town library and they showed me how to use one and I first googled AIHA ad my heart sank as I read about this horrible disease. Something like 50% die the first week after diagnosis, another 30% within a month pf diagnosis. There is no cure, only remission and anything can cause a relapse from a vax, to antibiotic to stress to even a change in food. I thn gogled ProHeart6 and stories started coming up. The first one wa ladyin North Carolina ls her shiht,Duker, to AIHA 4 weeks after Proheart6 injection. The next was a lady in Colordao that took all 3 of hers in the same day. In 2 months, the 11 year old "skipper key (do not know correct spelling), Niki, was dead of liver problems and the 4 year old mix, Tasha, was dead of AIHA. The 2 year old shepherd/lab mix was on meds--and 6 years later, today, is still on meds. I found more and more and actually found my first dog forum this way. There were several posting stories there about their dogs that had died or or were ill follwong Proheart6 injections. These dogs ranged from just under a year to 121 years old, all breeds and mixes.

Well, because my vet knows I was a farm girl and had treated various injuries, etc, and we both love sporting dogs--he had an Irish Setter like me when he first came here 20 years ago and now has an English setter, we have had a lot of converstaions and he allows me freedoms not usually given to others. Hunter was in ICu and I was allowed to go visit him any time, take his IV and taken him outsdie to do his business, take him fresh boiled chicken, etc. I went 3 times a day on Friday. They are only open til noon on Saturday and not at all on Sunday. I went Saturday amorning and just before Noon on Saturday and he arranged for me to be let him late that afternoon at feeding.meds time, and also on Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon,

I went backSat. afternoon and Sunday morning, with iontention of going back at 5:30 that afternoon. But he called me bout 3:00 and said he was going to remove Hunter's spleen, come on in. With AIHA the spleen kills the red blood cells and his was killing so many it could not get rid of them all and was grossly swollen. Oh, he also said they had had to give Huner 2 units of blood. His HCT had dopped to 9.7--should have been around 40.

I went right straight to the hopital, but when I got there, he was doing an ultrasound and then told me he had decided against spleen removal. It appeard Hunter hd cancer of the liver. Hunter was on a ton of meds--the same ones I had read needed to be given--and was on round the clock IV with antibiotics. I went in the 3 times on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. By Wed. afternoon we knewhe was needinbg more meds andthe ext step was cyclosporine. Rickey had enough on hand for a dose that night and one the net morning, but he ordered some from the drug store in the next town and they were to call me the next morning when it arrived, I wa to pick it up and bring it to the hsopital.

So I did not go in Thursday morning, waiting for the call. It came, I went and got the drug and went to the hospital. My heart dropped when I saw Hunter. He looked awful. I had gotten use to the shavd legs where the IV was changed daily from leg to let, the sahved thoat where blood was drawn daily, the grossly bloated tummy (due to swollen spleen) that had been shaved for the ultrasound. I was use to the orange color tongue--jaundice--. But I was not use to sunken eyes and what appeard to be temples sunken in so far his head looked pointed., For the first time he refused to eat the boiled chicken I took in for him. It was noted on his chart that he had been throwing up.

I went back about 5:45 and I could not believe that golden boy in that cage was my Hunter. He sat there with eye4s twitching, nable to focus, head bobbing up and down, muscles jerking. I opened the door and sat there and he leaned his head against me and that seemed to steay him some. I brushed him, told him how special he was, how much I loved him and when I felt my voice cracking, I stoppedtalking and just heldhim. In my heart I knew I was going to lose him. They close at 7:00, but the receptionis said they would stay as long as I wanted to. I think thy knew he was going to leave me. They all were crazy about that most gnetle soul Even the groomer would go back to visit him, off duty techs came in to check him, the part time vet that worked with my vet would call and check on him. Three times I went up front, but went back to tell him how much I loved him. I left at 7:15.

At 9:02 I got the call. Hunter had gone into seizure and died at 8:40. WE had a necropsy done since it was suspeted he had cancer of the liver and having his littermate sister, we neded to know. But when the histopath report came in--no cancer, just "drug induced necrosis of the liver."

I got serioous then and I hit every site I could to tell of his death and warn peple. Many of us were doing that. Fort Dodge "offered" to pay just about half of the vet bill but I would have to sign a release and never tell about Hunter and ProHeart6 and I would not agree. I felt I owed it to the dogsof the word to let it be known that ProHeart6 waqs dangerous. One lady who almost lost her pug, Velvet started a site and as people found it, they told stories and man y had e-mail address isted, as I did. Overthe next months so many found me and told me the stories. About 45 of us who lost our dogs to AIHA following the PH6 injection found each other. We made reports of the adverse reaction or death to the FDA. That is Federal Drug group that monitors all drugs and they have a section for vet meds as well. Laurryn knows how to get information with the freedom of Information Act and she published "Dr. Dotor Letters that th FDA had sent Fort Dodge having hem cahnge labels. Th first change--do not give to dogs with heartwomrs as so many have died. Next, AIHA and ;iver damager wastyo be listed as adverse reactions. And the day Hunter got his fatal injection, the warning was to includ DEATH as a reaction.

Dr. Hampshire, te vet who took the reports sw patterns. She saaw that in the 3 yeas it had been on the market, it had caused more deaths than all other heartworm preventatives combine, and some had been on the market 12-13 years, the daily had been out like 25 years. On Sepot. 3, 2004, 109 months after Hunter's death, it was pulled from the market. On Jan 31, 2005, there was a hering to get it back on. Several attened and spoke. Many, many of us had sent in ou stories and each emember got a copy of every store. The panel denied it coming back until more studies were done.

Many of us are still in close contact after all this time . We shared the death of near death of our beloved dogs, common denomiator, ProHeart6. Bandit, a Broder Collie in Wisconsin, died the same day as my Hunter. It was his 4th injection that killed him. He went into unstoppable seizures 10 hours after the injction--the firest seizure of his 7 years of life. His owner and I feel our boys are connected, both having died way to young, both killed by ProHeart6, both dying the same day.

The FDa says only 10 to 15% of all cases of adverse reactions, deaths are reported. To man times the people do notrealize that the their dogs liver damge or AIHa, etc is associated to the Proheart6--opr other vax--given weeks before. I would hve never suspected that i was tyhe ProHeart6 given 5 weeks earlier that caused my Hunter's deah had my vet not said it. and in hnd sight we realize he had not ben quite right for a couple of weeks. but it was such little things, like pieces of a jig saw puzzle. One or two alone do not mean anything, but put toghete, it makes a picture.

It was allowed back on teh market here in June but withall kinds of warnings indluding not to give withing a month of any other vax, do blood work, do not give to underweight or sickly dogs, and I have even seen it is not to be given to dogs over 7 years of age. They say it has been "reformulate4d" and the "residu suspected of causing the reactions hqas been removed". But back then they were claiming it was not their product.

Several from Australia have come to American forums looking for answers because they lost or almost lost a dog to it. According to waht they say, you report to the proer agency and thn then turn it over to the manufature to investigate andDEERMINE IF THEIR OWN PRODUCT IS AT FAULT OR NOT.' I find that rather like ltting he fox investigate the hen house raid. One guy I will never forget was a PI in Sydney and he almost lost his "best mate", a maltese, to it.

I know thousdands of dogs had it with no problem. But when it kills more dogs in 3 years than all others combined has in a combined total of over 100 years, then it seems it is not the best choice. In our town of 9300, I lost my Hunter. My car insurance agent's secretay's chihuahua had a severe swelling and waqs sick for a week after getting it's one and only injection. It made a couple fo trips to the vet. A lady at my church had her stanrdard poodle get on injection----and Amber was on meds the rest of her life, 4 years, because of it. My vet did tell me of a great dane that collapsed before leaving the hospital, but an injection of something else brought her around. And then there was the aussie shepherd that almost died after it's 2ed injection. They thought the illness after the first one was something else. But it was so bad after the 2ed one they knew it was the PH6. That is 5 dogs in my small town that I know of.

If you want to learn more, go to www.dogsadversereactions.com and just click on the moxidectin section. there are many stories and pictures of dogs that were lost or almost lost, plus published copies of letters from the FDA to Fort Dodge and all kinds of infomation. One thing, it stays in theri system at least 6 months, but according to Fort Dodge it can be there up to 8 months--I have no idea how long the 12 month version can stay--and nothing can remove it. The pills ar only in their system a total of 24 to 36 hours. One lady was told if her dog lived 6 months til it was out of his syste4m, he would probably live. He died a few days later. Some of the "survivors" ended up dying in a year or two. One, a pit bull name Ozzy, went from a puppy dog of 2 to an old an after his injection, he never got over and died an "old man" at age 4.

This is my Hunter, the last picture taken of him a COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE HIS DIAGOSIS.

Edited January 12, 2009 by goldens

[Erny]

I'm speechless at the moment, Goldens, but just want to acknowledge your story and thank you for sharing it.

We here are becoming more and more aware of what we might be doing to our companions in the never ending administration of drugs and the sort of drugs some are, but your story, whilst I wish you hadn't had one to tell, brings the reality of these things to the forefront.

So very sad for your loss. RIP Hunter

[4 Paws]

I'm so sorry for you loss

I'm pleased I deceided against the Proheart vac last week and am going with monthly tablets now

[goldens]

I'm speechless at the moment, Goldens, but just want to acknowledge your story and thank you for sharing it.

We here are becoming more and more aware of what we might be doing to our companions in the never ending administration of drugs and the sort of drugs some are, but your story, whilst I wish you hadn't had one to tell, brings the reality of these things to the forefront.

So very sad for your loss. RIP Hunter

It is the same here. My vet has gone to a 3 year vaccination schedule. He has told me he thinks the increase he is seeing in cancer and autoimmune disease is partialy,infact largely, due to over vaccinating our dogs. When Hunter was diagnosed, he was seeing one dog every 1 to 1 1/2 years with AIHA. Now he is seeing a fewever year.

I do not know what all you have vax for down there, but here we have that multiple vax that clumps many things together, plus side vax of rabies, lyme disease, Lepto, Kennel l Cough. They have now come up with one for keeping tartar off teeth. I said NO NO NO to that. I rmember when our dogs just got rabies and distemper vax.

Hunter's littermate sister, KayCee had a severe reacion to her 2ed set of annual vax and we almost lost her. Forty five minutes after that group of vax, she was covered in huge hives, her eyes were swollen shut and she had a temp of 106.9. We had been the last ones to see the vet that Good Friday, and he had to come back on emergency call. All his is another story, but even tho he was sure it was the lepto part of the vax, he decided to never give her another vax except law required rabies for the rest of her life. She was 2 1/2 when this happened. I lost her to cancer back on May 25 at age 8 yrs. 9 months, 1 weeks. He had even bucked the law and only given her rbies vax every 3 years instead of law required every year.

[Erny]

I do not know what all you have vax for down there, but here we have that multiple vax that clumps many things together, plus side vax of rabies, lyme disease, Lepto, Kennel l Cough. They have now come up with one for keeping tartar off teeth. I said NO NO NO to that. I rmember when our dogs just got rabies and distemper vax.

We vaccinate for distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus. These are given in one shot (C3). There are also two strains of Canine Cough that can be vaccinated for. You can vaccinate for one strain plus the other diseases I've just mentioned (C4) or the two strains, plus the other diseases (C5).

The subject of vaccinations and whether we're killing our dogs with kindness is a fairly hot topic at the moment and there are quite a number of us who have become minimalists in this area. My current 7mo boy has had 2 x C3's as his puppy vaccinations and I intend to follow up with C3 booster when he is 15 mo. Then a titre. I don't think I'm going to vaccinate again if the titre test shows immunity. Some people are looking at the "every 3 years" option.

[goldens]

It appears you do not have near the vax there as here. The Lyme disease is caused by ticks, and even tho we have ticks in this area, they are not the ones tat carry that disease. nd they get Lepto from drinking water that infected animals have been in. My vet has only had one case and does not know of any others being reported. So my girl dos no geteiheroths.

[Jed]

Hi Goldens and welcome to the forum.

I am so sorry to hear about Hunter, such a tragic and hurtful thing to have happen.

Thank you so much for coming and sharing your story with us. It helps people to do the best thing for their dogs, and these days, what we believe is the best thing is not always so, and we are relying on anecdotal evidence, such as yours, to make choices.

I haven't vaccinated my dogs past the puppy shots for 10 years, because of the problems you write of. I had a friend lose a cocker spaniel from AIHA. Problem is proving that it was the vaccination that was responsible.

I'm a breeder, and a couple of young dogs I've bred died from very odd things, not hereditary or congenital, which seemed to occur within a couple of months of a booster vaccination.

Makes you wonder and makes you worry.

And I know for sure that not all deaths which are probably from reactions to vaccines are published, and I know for sure that some of the deaths notified to the manufacturers of the vaccines never make it to the website.

We were fortunate enough to have Dr W Jean Dodds DVM visit Australia last year to give a serious of lectures in each capital city on vaccines and vaccinosis. So good that there is some research going on out there.

Hope you will stick around

[Ravyk]

im sorry to hear your loss goldens... R.I.P doggies

I'm not a big fan of vaccines, especially the kennel cough one, mainly because its actually gives them the disease, but a milder form. I took my dog to the vet when she had it and my vet said that a healthy active dog will get over kennel cough by itself [since it is basically the canine version of the flu] and i decided against that vaccine.

I will vaccinate dogs with the 'necessary' ones, [distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus] but i try to stay away from any other vaccines...they cause more grief the help sometimes

[Erny]

I took my dog to the vet when she had it and my vet said that a healthy active dog will get over kennel cough by itself [since it is basically the canine version of the flu] and i decided against that vaccine.

My youngster has had his puppy vaccines (2 x C3). I didn't opt for the Canine Cough Vaccine. At around 5mo he came down with a bout of CC. Symptoms appeared 5.30pm on a Thursday and by 5.30pm the next day, outward symptoms (ie coughing) gone. A little lethargic compared to the usual for another 12 hours, but otherwise, he was over it. During this time (and for the rest of the week following, just to help him along) I heavily dosed him with Active Manuka Honey which boosts the immune system and also soothes the throat and eases the cough. And he LOVES it . Even now, I dose him up on a teaspoon of the AMH every now and again. Also pointedly do it if I feel there might have been a chance of him picking up something from wherever we've been. Sometimes, I just use it as a special treat .

Sorry .... veering a little off topic .

Edited January 13, 2009 by Erny

[goldens]

iT SEEMS THAT COCKER SPANIELS ARE ONE OF THE BREEDS THAT SEEM TO GET HIT WITH AIHA SO VERY OFTEN, AND FOR SOME REASON, THE BUFF, OR BLOND ONES ARE LESS LIKELY TO SURVIVE THAN SAY, A BLACK OR PARTI-COLORED. ABOUT A TEAR AGO A LADY ON ONE OF THE ALL BREED FORUMS I BELONG TO----IN FACT IT WAS THE VERY FIRST ONE I TOLD HUNTER'S STORY ON--ANNOUNCED HER BUFF COCKER HAD JUST BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH AIHA. HE CRASHED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT IS DOING ORETTY WELL NOW. HOWEVER, CALLIE WILL NOT LET HIM GET ANY TYPE OF VAX AND SHE USES AS MUCH HOLISTIC HERBS/ MEDS AS SHE CAN.

IN THE PASST WEEK OR SO, 3 OR 4 MORE HAVE COME ONTO FORUM LOOKING FOR ANSWERS, HELP FOR THEIR AIHA DOG, OR TO TELL THEIR DOG HAD DIED FROM THAT DISEASE. AND I JOINED A GROUP THAT IS TOTALLY MADE UP OF ONES WHOSE DOG IS FIGHTING FOR IT'S LIFE, IS IN REMISSION, OR HAS DIED. IT IS HEART BREAKING TO GO THERE AND FIND ONE OR TWO THAT HAD BEEN FIGHTING LOST IT'S BATTLE, OR ONE THAT WAS IN REMISSION HAD A RELAPSE. THEN OF COURSE, THERE ARE HAPPY STPRIES WHERE ONE HAS GONE INTO REMISSION, OR HIS HCT HAS IMPROVED A LOT, ETC. IT IS A HORRIBLE DISEASE THAT CAN WEAR A PERSON DOWN WITH WORRY AND ALSO EMOTY THE BANK ACCOUBT IN A HURRY.

YES, PROVING THAT A VAX CAUSED A DOG'S DEATH IS HARD TO DO UNLESS IT GOES INTO SHOCK OR SEIZURE WITHIN MI NUTES. AS I SAIOD, SO MANY OF US ARE STILL IN CONTACT EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. ONE THING WE ALL HAD IN COMMON,-----WE ALL FELT A TERRIBLE GUILT. WE FELT WE HAD KILLED OUR BELOVED DOG, OR IN SOME CASES, DOGS. I LOST 40 POUNDS IN 8 MONTHS BECAUSE OF MY GUILT. I WILL HAVE TO TELL THE STORY OF HOW I CAME OUT OF IT. MOST DID NOT HAVE NECROPSY DONE AND THE MAKER TOLD THEM THERE WAS NO WAY TO PROVE PH6 CAUSED THEIR DOGS DEASTH BECAUSE THERE HAD BEEN NO NECROPSY. SOME OF US DID HAVE IT DONE----AND WERE TOLD THERE WAS NO PROOF IT CAUSED OUR DOGS DEATH. IT WAS A WINLESS SITUATION.

THERE WERE A FEW THAT CAME ONTO I-DOG, ETC TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY WERE GOING TO FIGHT FORT DODGE, AND SUDDENLY NO MORE POSTS AND WE KNEW THEY HAD TAKEN PAYMENT AND SIGNED THE "ZIP YOUR LIP RELEASE"

i NOTIFIED THEM AFTER HUNTER'S DEATH AND THEY DID NOT REPLY hOWEVER THEY CONTACTED MY VET AND WANTED HUNTER'S COMPLETE MEDICAL RECORDS. mY VET WOULD NOT GIVE THEM WITHOUT MY OKAY, WHICH i GAVE. tHY WOULD SEE THAT HE HAD NEVER BEEN SICK A DAY IN HIS LIFE TIL THIS HAPPENED FOLLOWING PROHEART6 INJECTION.

AS I FOUND MORE AND MORES TORIES, i WROTE THEM EVERY 10 DAYS OR SO, BUT NO REPLY. hE DIED oCT. 16, 2003. fINALLY FOR SOME REASON, IN jAN OR fEB i SENT THEM A COPY OF HIS $2300 BILL. A SHORT TIME LATER I GOT A CALL FROM MY VET. THEY HAD SENT HIM A COPY OF LETTER TO ME SAYING THEY WOULD PAY THE DIAGNOSTIC PART OF THE BILL, ---JUST ASBOUT HALF OF IT. BUT I HAD TO SIGN THE RELEASE. THEY WANED HIS OPINION IF THEY SHOULD SEND THE LETTER TO ME OR NOT. HE DID NOT THINK IT WAS QUITE RIGHT AND HE HAD ME COME AND PICK UP THE LETTER.

WHEN I GOT HOME AND READ IT I WAS FURIOUS. THEY WERE TRYING TO SHUT ME UP, PREVENT ME FROM WARNING OTHERS. THE RELEASE SAYS THAT I WOULD NEEVR REVEAL OR DISCUSS ANY INFORMTION, DATA, DISCOVERY, ASPECT OF THE RELEASE, ETC, I RAN OFF SOME COIES. TOOK IT BACK TO MY VET AND TOLD HIM TO RETURN IT AND TELL THEM THEY COULD PUT IT WHERE THE SUN DID NOT SHINEW. IF MY WARNINGS COULD SAVE ONE DOG.....WELL.

THEN ABOUT A MONTH LATER I LEARNED THAT BATCHES OF PROHEART6 THAT HIT THE MARKET STARTING IN JULY WEWRE BEING RECALLED BECAUSE VTHE TIME RELESE THINGS WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WE WERE NEVER ABLE TO FIND OUT THE EXACT PROBLEM---NOT RELEASING AT ALL, ALL RELEASING AT ONCE, RELEASING AT THE WRONG TIMEW. AND I LEARNED A WARNING LETTER HAND DELIVERED TO FORT DODGE. THEY WERE WARNED WORKERS NOT WEARING PROPER ATTIRE TO NPREVENT CONTAMINATION OF ANIMAL MEDS, OF UTENSILS USED ON A CONTAMINATED BATCH NOT BEING STERILIZED, BUT USED ON ANOTHER BATCH, ETC ETC. AND IT MENTIONED ABOUT ANOTHER WARNING LETTER ABOUT ETOGESIC PILLS BEING SUBSTANDARD. THAT RAG A BELL, SURE ENOUGH, KAYCEE HAD BEEN ON THAT NSAID AFTER HER KNEE SURGERY, I STILL HAD THE BOTTLE, ANDS IT WAS DATED SHORTLY BEFORE THE RECALL.

I WROTE THEM THAT I KNEW ABVOUT THE PROHESRT6 RECALL OF BATCHES THAT VWENT ON THE MARKET BEFORE HUNTER GOT HIS FATAL DOSE, ABOUT THE ETGESIC RECALL--AND I STILL HAD THE BOTTLE, HOW DID I KNOW MY PRECIOUS DOGS HAD NOT GOTTEN BAD DRUGS,

AND GRACIOUS ME, NEXT THING I KNOW, THEY ARE PAYING JUST ABOUT HALF THE BILL PLUS MAKINF A DONATION TO NTEXAS A&M VETR SCHOOL IN HIS MEMORY. I GOT A LETTER FROM A&M SAYING THEY HAD RECIECED A GENEROUS DONATION IN HUNTER'S MEMORY----AND I NEVER SIGNED A RELEASE. DID ALL MY TELLING HIS STORY ON DOZENS OF FORUMS SAVE ANY LIVES? i HAVE NO IDEA, BUT SOME HAVE SAIS I MAY HAVER SAVED THE LIFE OF THEI DOG. I HOP SO.

[outatime]

I'm sorry for your loss.

and I'm very glad that I refused (despite a few vets and vet nurses telling me there is nothing wrong with it) to give Ruby the proheart injection.

[WildatHeart]

Sorry for your loss. ;) I will never use it but before I learnt about all this my vet talked me out of it purely because of the cost, not the dangers. Glad i didn't do it.

[Quirkyhound]

So sorry for the loss of your great friend Goldens. Welcome to the forums Down-under.

I'm old fashioned, I'm sticking to the 'once a month' heart-worm prevention with the Ivermcetin type drugs, they seem to be fairly 'non-toxic' for the dogs, (except for the Collie/Aussie/Sheltie breeds that are intolerant)

I always tell my puppy buyers to avoid the yearly injection if they can. I don't know why really, I have not looked into it very far, it just does not feel right.

Thanks for your information. Input like this alerts all of to the possible dangers of the unknown really.

[goldens]

There were 600 deathgs and over 6000 adverse reactions reported to the FDA, which is why the FDA had them pull it. The FDA says only 10 to 15% of deaths, reactions are re4ported, so it was actually thousands that died, many thousdands that had reactions. And I know of a few how survied for a year or 2 and then died after it was off the market.

When they were trying to get back on the market a few months after it was pulled, theynwere told at the hearing how they used the 12 month down there and it wa 3 times th strength of the 6 monthnused here (wonder whyn 3 tyimes stronger) and that they did not have reported deaths down there. Meanwhile, some from there are hitting forums here looking for iformation as to why their dog died after getting ph12. When asked if things were investigated the same there, they said yes. But we were hearing different from those coming here for answres. Here we report to the governmeny Food and Druf agency, they compile the reports and decide if a drug needs to be pulled. The Aussies were telling us that down there you report to the proper government ageccy, but they turn the case over to the manufacturer to investigate and rule if it was their own producy that caused the reaction. As one in Sydney who almost lost his "best mate" saids, they are not going to say their product is at fault and lose sales because it is dangerous.