Zak didn't have a chance!

(As sent to the manufacturer and Bureau of Health Licensure and Regulation Division of Health Related Boards Investigations of Tennessee. Vets/Clinic name omitted)

We are writing to you today because we believe our precious 3 year old yellow lab, "Zak" died as a result of a vet giving him Proheart 6, along with his annual vaccinations and an antiboiotic for diarrhea. He treated him on February 23, 2005. Enclosed are medical records and facts leading up to his untimely death.

I will try not to make this too lengthy as not to lose your interest. I really want you to feel how much this Baby meant to us and how we thought we would get to love him for many years to come.

In the three years we were blessed with"Zak" he was a very healthy dog. We only had to take him to the vet for shots and one time he strained a muscle in his tail. On February 23 Tom took "Zak" to the Dr. _____. He had diarrhea a couple of nights and it was time for his shots. He got all of his shots, an antibiotic for a parasite, plus a heart worm shot. Dr. _____ had said that the shot would last for 6 months at a time which we thought would be better than the pills. He did not tell us to watch for any adverse effects. We had no idea that for the next 13 days the things his body was experiencing were side effects from the proheart shot. Since then though, I have read and learned about the side effects from Proheart. I have learned that the4 side effects double if the dog was sick and if he had annual vaccinations at the same time.

ZAK DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE.

The problems is, why was "Zak " even given the drug? The shot was taken off the market September 2004. As you have read "Zak received the shot in February 2005. His first side effect was on February 27th, four days after the injections. We came home from church and right away we knew something was wrong. He always met us at the door ready to play and all excited but on this day, his face, eyes and jaws were extremely swollen and he had these 'raised up' places all over his sides and on his forehead. We rushed him to Dr. _____ and waited about 15 min in the waiting room. The doctor came by us once and said he looked like he had been in to something. He didn't seem alarmed at all. He gave him a shot in the foot and said it was an allergic reaction to a bee sting or bite. We asked if this could be a side effect from his shots and he said that was very unlikely. tom picked him up around 9:00 PM and he seemed fine, just a little tired. On Monday, I noticed when I hugged him he was very hot and his belly and inside his ears were solid red. We called Dr. _____ and he said to keep an eye on him and to call on Tuesday. Tom took him in on Tuesday and he treated him. Then by Wednesday afternoon he had developed a dry cough. Then, for two or three nights, he had diarrhea. "Zak" was very good about getting us up to let him out to go to the bathroom, but on these nights he couldn't hold it and ended up going in the floor. (This was very unusual for "Zak").

Then the worst of all started! He would drink and drink water like he could not get enough; then he would need to go pee in just a short period of time. he seemed like he held his leg up forever when he would go. One night I thought I heard water running. I went into the hall and he was peeing a RIVER. He had never done anything like that before. When he looked up at us, our heart just broke! He even looked like he was losing his muscle mass, like he was shrinking. At that moment we knew something was very wrong!!

Tom called Dr. _____ again, which we did every two days, and we insisted they do blood work on him. We had already spent about $500 in the last few weeks and they had found nothing wrong. It didn't matter about the money at this point. We wanted to know what was wrong with our "Zak". Dr. _____ did the blood work and said he found nothing unusual and that it must still be from a reaction. So we thought everything would be fine. Of course he charged us another $146.

On March 8th we let "Zak" out that morning. We live on an 18 acres campground on the lake, and he would always run for about 20 min and then come back, and scratch at the door. For three years he did this, but no on March 8th. He never scratched on the door again. "Zak" had never wandered away from the campground. He might come back wet from going swimming, but he always came back. That morning when he did not come back after 45 minutes, we became very worried, and looked and yelled for him long into the night. This baby slept beside us every night. It was cold that night, and he was somewhere outside. We cried until we could not cry anymore. The next day we made flyers, posted a $100 reward and we ran an ad in the newspaper and on the radio. We gave flyers to mail carriers, bus drivers and pizza delivers and posted them everywhere. We were totally miserable and emotionally drained. Everyone kept telling us not to worry, and that he would be back. They told us that he was probably just running with a female in heat. But, I just could not understand why he would not come to us. Before, he could be half way across the campground, not even in sight, and we could yell and he would soon come running. I honestly believe, at that point, he didn't know our voices or his name.

On March 12th, "Zak" was found dead. He was found at the end of a dead end road. During the summer the lake is over that part, but it was dry at this time. There was a couple walking their dogs, and they found our "Zak" thrown off a ten foot embankment. It had been very cold. Yet, on this Saturday it was very warm and they were out walking. They had seen our flyers that we had put up and called. As soon as Tom saw "Zak" he knew it was him. He climbed down the 10 foot embankment and carried him up. I had been out when Tom got the call. Tom brought our baby home and waited on me. When I came in, Tom broke the news to me. I told Tom I could not see him at this point. I went and bought a large plastic tub to put his body in. It broke my heart to know that would be the last thing I would get to buy for him. I did get to see him one more time. He was wrapped up in two black leaf bags with duck tape holding him together. I could see his beautiful perfect shape. He had not been dead long. Tom was able to tuck his legs up under him and prop his head up. That was the way he would sleep. But I am not sharing my pillow with him anymore and I really miss that. That night after we buried "Zak," we took some peace from the knowledge he was now home. Yet, the peace was short lived, when we suspected that he had been poisoned. Proceeding on the suspicion of poisoning, we increased the reward to $1000, hoping this would motivate someone to come forward with any information. The newspaper did an article, animal control got involved, and even the police looked into it. We got calls, letters and cards from everyone who knew "Zak" and many from people who didn't know him. Our love for "Zak" was more than obvious; he had been with at least one of us 24 hours a day,, but now and forever only in our memories. We had no idea at that point that these suspicions would be later confirmed in the worst possible way. We learned the trust we gave our vet had been betrayed!

We have since gotten "Zak's" 12 week old nephew and his daughter, which has helped us through our grieving process. It was because of our new puppies that I found out Proheart had been taken off the market and should have never been given to "Zak" in the first place. We went to a new vet with our new puppies and when I asked if they wold be using the heartworm shot when they got old enough, they let me know that it had been taken off the market because of the side effects it had caused to other beloved pets! When I pulled it up on the computer and read about the side effects and all the facts from the FDA, it was then I knew what had killed "Zak." He had the facial swelling, the rash, the whelps; he had it all!!

When "Zak" got the Proheart shot, Dr. _____ might as well have shot him in the head with a gun. It certainly would have been less painful, because he was taken from us. What hurts the most is that he died alone. We trusted Dr. _____ to take care of our perfectly healthy baby. We don't have any children of our own, so we put all of our hearts into providing and protecting him. Now "Zak" is just another statistic. god has had His hand in this the whole time. Through "Zak's" death, it was revealed that Dr. _____ is still using Proheart. We can not make a difference in his life anymore but we can make a difference in his death and we owe this to "Zak" because of all the love and joy he brought to us over the past three years.

I don't know what kind of action can be taken against Dr. _____, I can only hope his license is taken away and this does not happen to another family.

Our Sincere Gratitude,
Thanks for your time,

Tom and Susan Everheart
The loving parents of "Zak"
In memory of "Zak"