Memorials Page 4

"Missy"

1987 - November 25, 2003

I'll never know if the Proheart 6 shot had anything to do with her fading so fast.

It 'might' have
been her age.

I had to put my 16-1/2 year old Cocker Spaniel, Missy to sleep on 11/25/03.

Missy had always been very sweet and loveable. For her age she was very healthy until 6/03.

It was on that date that Missy received her one and only injection of Proheart. Afterwards, it started with her not wanting to eat. Then she didn't want to be touched, she even bit me! She didn't enjoy her baths anymore and didn't want to go for walks.

Missy slowly
became very disoriented and began losing her bodily functions. Poor girl didn't know the outside from the inside of the house. In just a couple of months time she became blind and deaf.

" Ezra"

September 2000 - January 4, 2003

January 4th....... I'll never forget.... 2003. That was the day I had to put my Ezra down. I relive it every day, thinking about what he had to go through, the suffering, because of Proheart 6.

Ezra was only three years old. He received his only ProHeart 6 injection on October 22, 2002, along with his annual shots and a check up. On that day he was a very healthy Doberman weighing 79 lbs. Ezra went back to the vet a couple of weeks later to have his teeth cleaned and had lost 5 lbs. I asked my vet about it, but never got an answer on the subject.

It was after that visit that I noticed Ezra had stopped eating. He was vomiting all of the time. He couldn't keep anything down. I took him back to see the vet on 12/20/02 and he told me to change his food. I didn't think that was the problem but figured I would try it. I asked the vet again about the possibility of it being the ProHeart 6 and he told me there was no difference between that and what he was on. That Proheart 6 was safe.

I took Ezra home and started cooking for him, trying to get him to eat. I felt so sorry for him because he would whine .. because he was so hungry, but then if he ate, he threw it back up.

I took him back to the vets three days later. This time the vet did a complete blood work and x-rays. By now Ezra was down to 72 lbs. His urine was real dark, almost brown. The vet told me that Ezra had pancreatitis and started treating him for that.

I didn't feel that was the problem, so I took him to a second vet. Ezra was down to 62 lbs. The second vet took more blood work and saw Ezra's liver was failing. His veins were collapsing. By now Ezra was to sick to try to help. There was nothing else to be done, I had to make the decision to have him put down.

Although I filed a complaint with Fort Dodge Animal Hospital, they never gave me a case number. I know in my heart that Proheart 6 took my Ezra.

Pat Labone

"Shanna"

"September 30, 1995 - June 21, 2003"

Shanna was a very healthy and very active 7 1/2 year old Golden Retriever

I had never seen a dog that was as good with children as Shanna. She had always been on Heartgaurd heartworm prevention as we live in Northern Ohio and never had any problems with that medication. For that fact, she never had any illness to speak of her entire life until Proheart 6.

On June 17, 2003 Shanna went in for her normal check up and vaccine shots. At this time my wife was told of Proheart 6. In asking the vet about side effects, she was told "that there may be a little itching at the site of the injection." I was not very concerned of the couple of days of lethargy and loss of appetite... as this was fairly normal for her after she received her booster shots.

I was going to bring her in to the vet after the 4th day but never got the chance. My wife and children, ages 5 and 6 found her dead on Sunday morning. She passed away some time during the evening.

Shanna died just 4 1\2 days after receiving Proheart 6.
She was a great dog,
A great companion
A great friend to our whole family.

Shanna is truly missed.

Griffin Hill

"Chaos"

December 1, 1996 - November 3,2003

If only this veterinarian had read the August '03 letter...my precious Chaos would still be alive today!

.I received a notice in the mail that it was time to have Chaos come in for his check up and shots. When I called to make an appointment I also wanted to get him groomed and was told they no longer groomed animals due to them moving their location. They referred me to another location near me which was 9695 S.W. Fwy. that did grooming as well. I called and made an appointment with Dr. James G. Sloat on October 30, 2003, and had all of Chaos' records faxed over to him so he would know all about his medical history.

When I arrived at the clinic I ask Dr. Sloat if he had received Chaos records and he stated he had. He asked me if I had treated Chaos for his heartworms, I told him that the vet that found he was heartworm positive (2000) had told me that Chaos had advanced to far along and to treat at this point it may and could be fatal. So I decided not to have him treated. Dr. Sloat told me that I needed to treat him for the new worms, which consisted of giving him a ProHeart 6 injection. I asked him if that would harm my dog and he said "No."He went on to explain that all this injection would do is prevent new baby worms from becoming adult worms. I was hesitant because of Chaos' present condition but Dr. Sloat promised me that it would be perfectly safe. So with him saying this, I agreed to the ProHeart 6 injection along with his Rabies, Bordetella, DHLP-PARVO-CORONA.

When I picked Chaos up, Dr. Sloat told me that he was in good health and what a good natured dog, for being the breed he was.

I really never noticed that Chaos was not feeling well, due to him being an outside pet. On November 2, 2003, I noticed that he had not eaten his food. I talked to him and pampered him and let him come in the house and he just laid around and acted sluggish. I thought he was just enjoying being inside. On November 3, 2003, I noticed he did not eat again and when he tried to get up, his little back legs were shaking and I knew then he was sick. I told my husband to look at him. My husband picked Chaos up and brought him back in the house. But Chaos just laid there, and attempted to crawl to the door to get out. This was happening at night and I called the emergency night clinic. They told me I needed to bring him in. By the time we got ready to take him in.... he was laying on his side. Chaos looked up at me and laid his little head down and died. This was the first time he had ever had the PH6 injection.

I later discovered through my daughter finding a dog site on the Internet located at www.i-dog.com that there had been other dogs with similar deaths associated to this product. Then I discovered this website and read the August/03 Dear Doctor Letter submitted by the manufacturer to all of the veterinarians. In this letter it stated that ProHeart 6 was no longer approved for heartworm positive dogs! The FDA mandated this letter! Evidently this vet did not read this letter, nor did the clinic enforce the policy that all veterinarians must read it for updated information.

If only this veterinarian had read this letter, my precious Chaos would still be alive today. This is not acceptable to me and I plan on filing a complaint against this veterinarian with the State Board. I encourage anyone that feels their veterinarian has not followed the instructions supplied to them by the manufacturer of this drug, to also do this. It may help save other dogs lives.Wilda