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     Buy It For Less At...  |
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Buy It For Less At... |
Rimadyl has recently been targeted by the Wall Street Journal, (3/13/00), with an article written with a negative slant regarding company ethics in advertising the pain medication for animals. This comes after a rash of negative publicity on the Internet regarding the product and deaths related to liver problems. Most of this information is skewed or taken out of context. Other newspapers such as the San Diego Tribune and the South Florida Sentinel picked up and ran the story.
The article in the WSJ cited Pfizer as being reluctant to include the word "death" in its television advertisements among the possible side effects of the medication. As we all know, there is not a medication out there that has no side effects, and a small population could have problems, including death (such as anaphylactic allergic reactions) to any medication (even a bee sting). Many older/geriatric animals suffer from liver degeneration prior to seeing a veterinarian and these are the types of animals that frequently require pain medication for other problems such as arthritis.
Many animals are treated successfully with Rimadyl for pain control post-surgically or that have arthritic, skeletal or other types of pain, and most without serious side effects. With owner consent, most animals are screened with a blood test to check liver enzymes prior to being prescribed the medication. Should an elevation of liver enzymes appear on the bloodwork results, animals are generally not placed on the medication. This is a precaution that is not "published" but is practiced by most veterinarians who have been properly educated by Pfizer regarding the specific use of their product. (Pfizer has continually updated veterinarians with numerous letters and technical bulletins in the last three years).
Most veterinarians will not approve a refill of the medication without first running a blood test to determine the status of the liver enzymes, every couple of months. Close monitoring of patients on Rimadyl is a must, as with any ongoing medication. Pfizer is repackaging Rimadyl to include an owner-information sheet in response to owners who complained they did not receive enough information when given the product. You should always ask your veterinarian about the possible side effects/risks involved in any medication or treatment that is prescribed for your animal and together reach a conclusion of what you feel is best by weighing the risks and the benefits.
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