More than 8,000 “adverse reactions” have been reported to the FDA since May of 2023.
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Christi Brua Weaver keeps her dog Perry's ashes and collar on a shelf in her Mount Vernon home.
Those, along with some pictures and memories, are all she has left.
“I fell in love with Perry immediately,” Weaver said.
Weaver and her husband, Doug, had their pet for over 10 years, but it was not long enough.
“Every time I walk in this door it's like there's something missing,” Weaver said.
In May Weaver brought Perry to her veterinarian because he had a mild case of arthritis.
The dog was prescribed a drug called Librela to treat it.
“I was told there's this new drug,” Weaver said. “It's like a miracle. It takes away their pain. The only side-effect I was told about was pain at the injection site.”
Librela is a monthly injection used to treat pain and inflammation caused by osteoarthritis.
But after Perry's second shot, he got sick.
“What I saw, what I experienced was so awful,” Weaver said. “His death was bloody and it was brutal. I had no idea what caused this. I was so confused. He was so healthy.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a letter on Dec. 16 to veterinarians nationwide advising them about the potential dangers of Librela.
That letter came six months too late for Perry.
“I didn't hear anything about this until six months after his death and another dog I know began having seizures and other serious neurological issues shortly after injection, and her owner started doing research,” Weaver said.
The FDA said there have been more than 8,000 “adverse effects” reported with dogs since the drug was released in May of 2023, ranging from incontinence to seizures and sometimes death.
No necropsy was performed on Perry so there is no official cause of death, but Weaver's veterinarian did mention side effects from Librela in a report after he fell ill.
“I wish I would have been told this was a possibility,” Weaver said.
Librela's manufacturer, Zoetis, said with 21 million doses administered worldwide adverse reactions are “rare” and the company remains “confident in Librela's safety and effectiveness.”
For now, Weaver simply wants dog owners to be aware that Librela comes with risks, and they can be serious.
“I'm doing this for Perry, yes,” Weaver said. “But I'm doing this because I don't want to see other dogs die.”
