05/26/2024
⚠️ Drug Warning ⚠️ Please Read and Share⚠️
Long post but needs to be known... Especially since zoetis is circling the wagons with the CEO recently coming out publicly and saying Librela has NO SIDE EFFECTS 😠
Does your dog have osteoarthritis or mobility issues? Considering Librela?? You may want to think again... Do your OWN research, don't rely solely on the info your vet gives you...
For those who would like to see DATA about adverse effects, please join Librela Experiences. Look in the files section. I suggest reviewing the Canadian drug insert (it lists post-release side effects, the only country so far in which Zoetis is required to include that information) as well as the European regulatory agency reports listing thousands of cases of side effects reported by mostly vets for 2023 and 2024. Understanding the breadth and extent of these reports will help you identify whether the symptoms you see in your own dog may be attributed to Librela. There are more than 38,000 people in that group. Most come to it because they are not getting help from other sources.
This is a summary of adverse effects tracked on another group site - Librela Experiences. It has over 38,000 members and was started from the UK when Librela was released there. It is heart breaking to see all the new queries come through, but if your dog is or may be experiencing consequences from this drug, know you are far from alone.
This covers just three months of posts:
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‼️‼️ADMIN POST - Summary of Adverse Reactions & Lack of Efficacy - Jan to Mar 2024‼️‼️
✅️ If your dog has suffered ANY decline in ANY aspect of their health at ANY time following Librela; or if Librela never worked; or worked initially then stopped, we URGE you to report this to the MEDICINE REGULATOR in your country 🙏
✅️ You don’t need to prove the issues were caused by Librela
✅️ You can submit an adverse reaction report yourself
⚠️ IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO REPORT THEM IN THIS GROUP. If you need help reporting, please contact Admin team ⚠️
❤️🐾 Your report may save a life 🐾❤️
This summary is based solely on POSTS sent in to this group from January to March 2024. It does NOT include information about the VAST number of additional dogs discussed in the comments under each post.
If your dog suffered an adverse reaction and you haven’t sent in a post recently, please send in an update & photo (more people see posts with photos) - listing the adverse reactions; tips on what you did to manage / treat these; and any diagnosis 🩺 made by your vet.
From January to March 2024, 8️⃣6️⃣5️⃣ different dogs were reported in this group as having adverse reactions to, or no improvement from Librela.
Of those 865, 2️⃣1️⃣3️⃣ have already made full or partial recoveries - "are as good as they will get". The vast majority of the 213 are fully recovered ❤️🐕.
Tragically, of the 865, 2️⃣4️⃣6️⃣ dogs are confirmed as going to Rainbow Bridge - 165 were euthanised 💔 🌈. An additional 9️⃣ dogs are terminally ill or have planned euthanasia.
The remainder are either still in recovery or I have not been able to get an update.
🚨🚨 The owners of AT LEAST 1️⃣0️⃣7️⃣ of those 865 dogs reported that after the first injection, their dog “was like a pup again”; the improvement was “like a miracle”. Tragically at least 2️⃣9️⃣ of those dogs have since either died or been euthanised 💔🌈🚨🚨
➡️️ FREQUENCY OF ADVERSE REACTIONS - Owners own words -
❌️ NEUROLOGICAL / BEHAVIOURAL / PERSONALITY / COGNITIVE CHANGES - 414 dogs (48%) - Not acting normally / Like a totally different dog / Restless / Unsettled / Confused / Lost daily routine / Barking or whining at night / Hallucinating / Paranoid / Howling and barking at nothing / More reactive / Anxious / Scared / Panicky / Fearful / Hiding / Clingy / Needy / Scared to be alone / More fragile / Terror attacks / Lip smacking at night / Jumpiness / Wired up / Stressed / Distressed / Stopped making any sound / Sad / Depressed / Low morale / Miserable / Lost their joy / Light gone from their eyes / Aimless wandering / Pacing / Circling / No longer recognised owner / New dementia-like symptoms / Rapid worsening of existing dementia / Not sleeping / Waking through the night / Aggressive / Angry / On edge / Snappy / Growling / Grumpier / Tail tucked / Tail no longer wags / Not responding to their name / Memory loss / Worse at night / Excessive hunger / "Hangry" food aggression / Noise sensitive / Spaced out / Blank stare at nothing / In a daze / Zombie-like / Catatonic / In a trance / Out of it / Distant / Lost / “Looking at me like she is drunk” / Scared urgent bark / Lack of awareness & alertness / Running into things / Headbutting things / Teeth chattering, Stopped playing with toys / More vocal eg whining, moaning, barking and crying out at night / Head down / Heavy breathing at bed time / Disorientated / Tremors / Wobbling / Twitching / Shaking / Shivering / Trembling / Jerking / Spasms / Tics / Lifting paw and slapping it down / Kicking leg back periodically / Ripping fur out / Uncontrollable continuous, severe, full body, leg, head, face tremors etc while dog was standing or at rest / Eyes blinking but pupils not responsive / 🚨🚨Deterioration in blood brain barrier seen on MRI 🚨🚨 / Facial paralysis / Stroke / Vestibular episode / Head tilt / Nystagmus / Can't defecate (poo) or empty bladder or wag tail.
❌️ ATAXIA - 413 dogs (48%) - Progressive Ataxia / "Can't feel any pain cos he can't feel anything at all" / Worsening mobility since Librela / Paralysis / Can't stand or stay mobile without assistance / Unable for more than a few steps / Falling / Stumbling / Uncoordinated / Knuckling / Dragging back end / Crossing legs when walking / Proprioceptive deficits / Wobby gait / Unsteady / Splayed legs / Acting drunk / Moving slower / Dragging one leg / Leg Weakness / Never walked again / Weight shifting between legs / Kyphosis worsening / Nearly impossible to ambulate / Collapsed / Tripping over feet.
❌️ ANOREXIA – 252 dogs (29%) - Progressive inappetence / Unexplained, rapid weight loss or atrophy with no increase in activity or decrease in eating / Eating less food / Refusing food / Lack of interest in food / Anorexia / Needs hand fed / Syringing liquid food / Feeding tube / Wouldn't eat in morning.
❌️ EXCESSIVE THIRST - 194 dogs (22%) - Excessive thirst (Polydipsia) / Excessive urinating (Polyuria).
❌️ URINARY INCONTINENCE / INAPPROPRIATE URINATION – 181 dogs (21%).
❌️ FATIGUE – 168 dogs (19%) - Progressive Lethargy / Listless / Fatigue / Weak / Excessive sleeping / Can't lift head / Apathetic / Corpse-like / Seems to have aged since first injection / Low / Flat / Disengaged / Constantly in deep sleep.
❌️ VOMITING & NAUSEA – 109 dogs (13%) - Nausea (dry heave, swallowing, licking, lip smacking, eating grass, stomach convulsions) or Vomiting (Not regurgitating) - White foam / Bile / Blood.
❌️ EXCESSIVE PANTING – 109 dogs (13%).
❌️ DIARRHEA / SOFT STOOL (NO BLOOD) – 99 dogs (11%).
❌️ INEFFICACY – 96 dogs (11%) - Didn't work at all / Wore off too quickly / Stopped working.
❌️ SKIN / PAW ISSUES – 86 dogs (10%) - Skin infections / Progressively worse itching / Alopecia / Fur falling out / Inconsistent or no fur regrowth / Paws ulcerated / Lesions / Constant licking, Scratching and gnawing until they bleed / Wounds not healing / Dermatitis / Discolouration of skin / Hot spots / Cysts between toes / Injection site abscess / Skin rash / Eczema / Several small holes near her collar seeping / Looks like the pores of her skin are tearing / Crusty scabs / Dull thinning and rough coat / Red, inflamed, itchy, scaly skin / Skin allergies / Abscesses / Hepatocutaneous Syndrome / severe skin infection at amputation wound site
❌️ TUMOURS / LUMPS (not including heart & spleen) - 78 dogs (9%) - Increased size and/or number of tumours and/or lumps, new Cancer diagnosis, Aggressive or Rapid Worsening of existing Cancer.
❌️ KIDNEYS - 75 dogs (9%) - Sudden onset kidney failure despite regular blood tests / Increased kidney levels (off the charts) / Acute kidney issue / Kidney enlarged / Protein in urine / Chemical smell from breath / Improved when Librela was stopped / Dilute urine / Phosphorous / Low specific gravity.
❌️ SEIZURES – 70 dogs (8%) - Seizure / Grand mal seizures / Fainting spells / Licking, biting air / Drop seizure collapse / Focal seizures / Drinks water, throws up then faints / Foaming at mouth / Collapsing or convulsing after exercise or eating or defecating or coughing or choking.
❌️ LIVER - 65 dogs (7%) - Increased enzyme levels / Enlarged Liver / Liver Failure / Changed shape and/or size of Liver / Liver Infection.
❌️ BREATHING ISSUES – 60 dogs (7%) - Laboured breathing / Aspiration Pneumonia / Pneumonia / Shallow breathing / Gasping for air / Asthma-like / Heavy breathing / Unresponsive & barely breathing / New diagnosis of COPD / Rapid breathing / Wheezing.
❌️ F***L (Poo) INCONTINENT - 57 dogs (7%)
❌️ URINARY - 56 dogs (7%) - Urinary Tract Infection / UTI / Bladder thickening / Strutives in Urine / Blood in Urine with or without infection present / Urinating blood clots / Bladder infection / Bladder stone / Calcium Oxilate, Calcate crystals / Cystitis
❌️ HEART / CARDIAC – 50 dogs (6%) - New mass on heart / Arrhythmia (abnormal rhythm) / Atrial fibrillation / Cardiac arrest / Heart attack / New diagnosis or rapid progression of existing heart murmur or congestive heart failure / Fluid around heart / Heartbeat not audible / Bradycardia (slower than normal heart rate) / Increased or Decreased blood pressure / Dangerously high tachycardia / Enlarged heart.
❌️ REDUCED FLUID INTAKE - 44 dogs (5%) - Can't or Won't drink / Dehydration.
❌️ COUGH – 43 dogs (5%).
❌️ PANCREAS - 42 dogs (5%) - New Pancreatitis diagnosis, Raised Pancreatic Enzymes / Acute Pancreatic inflammation / Enlarged pancreas.
❌️ MUSCLE WASTAGE - 40 dogs (5%).
❌️ INFECTIONS & FEVER (does not include eye, liver, galbladder, skin or urinary/bladder infections) – 38 dogs (4%) - Unknown source of infection / Other infections
❌️ SPLEEN – 35 dogs (4%) - Diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma / Ruptured spleen / Tumour, mass on or near spleen / Enlarged or twisted spleen / Internal bleed / Hemorrhage / Vomit blood / Brown vomit / Mottled spleen / Splenic infarcts.
❌️ ANEMIA / IMHA - 35 dogs (4%) - Low Red blood cell count (RBC), Low Hematocrit / Regenerative & Non-Rehenerative Anemia / Bruising / Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA) / Hematoma / Distorted red blood cells / Pale or White gums or tongue.
❌️ EYES – 29 dogs (3%) - Rapid (24hrs), dramatic deterioration in vision / Cloudy / Smoky lens / Glassy / Glazed / Ulcer / Abscess not healing / Temporary blindness / Horner’s Syndrome / Conjunctivitis / Eye inflamed / Lost vision in one eye with no known cause found / Changes in pupillary light reflex / intermittant swelling of one eye.
❌️ GASTROINTESTINAL - 23 dogs (3%) - Inflamed intestines, tract / tummy making noises, rumbling, screeching / flatulence, passing gas / bad smell / new Colitis diagnosis / Upset tummy / Intestinal bleeding / Repeated cycles of Gastroenteritis / New Gastroenteritis diagnosis.
❌️ BLOODY DIARRHEA / HEMORRHAGIC DIARRHEA / BLOOD IN STOOL – 21 dogs (2%) - bloody diarrhea / hemorrhagic diarrhea / blood in stool.
❌️ HEARING LOSS - 21 dogs (2%) - Sudden and rapidly deteriorating hearing loss / Deaf.
❌️ EXCESSIVE DROOLING - 20 dogs (2%).
❌️ CONSTIPATION – 19 dogs (2%) - Constipation / Hard abdomen / Severe Pain in tummy, abdomen / extended belly / swollen belly / hard pebble-like poo / wouldn't let owner touch his belly.
❌️ FLUID RETENTION / ASCITES - 18 dogs (2%)
❌️ CUSHING’S – 17 dogs (2%) - New Cushing's diagnosis / Suspected Cushing's / Adrenal gland issue
❌️ SUDDEN DEATH - 15 dogs (2%).
❌️ SWALLOW ISSUES / CHOKING / GAGGING - 15 dogs (2%).
❌️ SINUS – 13 dogs (1.5%) Teary watering eyes / Puffy lower eye lids / Excessive sneezing / Nasal congestion / Runny nose / Nasal discharge, runny or thick.
❌️ DIABETES – 12 dogs (1.5%) – New diabetes diagnosis / Increased or decreased Glucose.
❌️ LEG PAIN – 12 dogs (1.5%) - Reluctant to walk / put weight on leg / paws due to new severe pain.
❌️ PLATELETS / IMTP – 12 dogs (1.5%) - New diagnosis of Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia / Low or zero platelets / Spontaneous bleeding from mouth & gums.
❌️ IMPA - 11 dogs (1.5%) - Confirmed or suspected IMPA, swollen joints, legs, paws.
❌️ HIGH WHITE BLOOD CELL COUNT - 10 dogs (1%).
❌️ LYMPH NODES – 9 dogs (1%) - Reactive / Swollen / Enlarged.
❌️ INTENSE PAIN (source not listed) - 9 dogs (1%).
❌️ LARYNGEAL PARALYSIS - 8 dogs (1%) - new diagnosis or worsening of existing diagnosis.
Over the 3 months, 7 or fewer dogs had the following adverse reactions: Suspected immune mediated / Anaphylactic reaction / Lupus / Received plasmapheresis / Regurgitated food / Electrolyte imbalances / Constantly licking legs, wrists, licking agitation / Nosebleed (with or without platelet issue) / Multi organ failure / Changed bark / Over extension of Carpal ligaments / Low White Blood Cell Count / Stomach flipped, Stomach showing abnormal angle, Slow bloat / High platelets / Body wasnt healing / Blue or purple tongue / Low thyroid, hypothyroidism / High thyroid, hyperthyroidism / Cold extremities, low temperature / Collapsing trachea / Galbladder issues - sludge, enlarged or infection / Body in shock / New Lymes diagnosis / New Myasenthia Gravis diagnosis / Hot extremities / Gingivitis, inflammation of gum line.
➡️ ⏰️TIMING OF ADVERSE REACTIONS⏰️
Of the 865 suffering adverse reactions:
380 had adverse reactions after 1st injection -- though many didn't realise and continued with Librela - the side effects got progressively worse over additional injections. I have only recorded when the FIRST side effect appeared. The following injections may be a rough estimate for the longer term users.
144 after injection 2
108 after injection 3
32 after injection 4
11 after injection 5
18 after injection 6
6 after injection 7
9 after injection 8
2 after injection 9
5 after injection 10
4 after injection 11
18 after injection 12
20 after between 13 & 23 injections
12 after 2 plus years
96 didn’t include the injection number on their post
➡️🐶🐕 YOUNGER DOGS 🐕🐶
As there are sometimes comments about Librela only being given to older dogs, or older dogs being the only dogs who suffer reactions, it might be helpful to know that of the 865 dogs having reactions or no improvements from Jan to March: 85 were under the age of 8, and at least 9 of those dogs very sadly died or was euthanised.
➡️ UNDERLYING / PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
The majority of posts don't list any underlying conditions. Many also report having bloods & diagnostics done before their dog got Librela and they still had adverse reactions. Of those who did mention underlying issues, the following were the most frequently listed:
🔶 ️Spinal issues (spondylosis, spinal arthritis, spinal damage, transitional vertebrae, spinal compression, narrowed vertebrae, spinal fusion / Degenerative discs / lumbosacral disease / degenerative joint disease / crunbling discs in spine - 32 dogs
🔶 ️Kidney issues - 19
🔶️ Liver issues - 18
🔶️ Cardiac condition / Murmur - 14
🔶️ IVDD - 13
🔶️ Current Cancer diagnosis - 13
🔶️ History of Cancer - 7
🔶️ Cushing's - 12
🔶️ History of epilepsy / seizures - 12
🔶️ Dementia - 12
🔶️ Laryngeal Paralysis - 10
🔶️ Thyroid issues - 8
🔶️ Pancreatitis - 6
🔶️ Degenerative Myelopathy - 6
🔶️ Paw dragging / Knuckling / Scraping toenails - 5
🔶️ Skin issues / Dermatitis / Allergies - 5
🔶️ Vestibular - 4
🔶️ Urine/Fecal incontinence - 4
🔶️ Ear infection 3
🔶️ Also on Cytopoint - 3
🔶️ Diarrhea on day of injection/ IBS / IBD - 6 - (one vet gave Librela for diarrhea!)
🔶️ Existing pu/pd - 2
🔶️ Diabetes - 2
🔶️ Eye infection - 2
🔶️ Protein losing Nephropathy - 2
🔶️ Tracheal Collapse - 2
🔶️ Addisons - 2
