A study revealed that the use of a popular arthritis medication for dogs may cause severe neurological side effects.
This is according to an analysis by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, which discovered that the drug, called Librela, approved for use last year, can cause seizures and loss of muscle control.
The medication is a monoclonal antibody injection approved for arthritis-related pain in dogs. Its label lists mainly mild side effects such as urinary tract and skin infections.
However, after Librela was approved for use, many reports of sick dogs began to surface. In some cases, dogs died or had to be euthanized after developing some of the side effects related to the drug, the agency noted.
The FDA analysis, based on more than 3,000 reports of adverse events submitted to the agency and the drug manufacturer, does not prove that Librela caused these problems or estimate the frequency with which they might occur.
But these reviews may help regulators identify potential side effects that smaller clinical trials might have missed. The FDA warned veterinarians about the adverse events that may be associated with Librela and recommended that the drug’s label be updated to include them.
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