I copied this from another site. Death in dogs from Proheart 6 appears to more than a common occurrence . Why is this product not pulled off the market?

My name is Erin and I am here to tell everyone about ProHeart 6. This is a bad drug, it harms more than helps. My babys name was Brandi and she was a full bred american pit bull terrior. She was called up to heaven at only two years old after getting this horrible shot. Not only did it kill her, but it was slow and aganizing. She got the shot about 11:00am and passed at 4:45pm. She was hooked up to oxygen and an IV. It was terrible, she was actually crying. I miss her so much. She was my best friend. Please do not let this happen to yours, save them. If I leave you with one thing it is NOT TO GET THIS SHOT. Thank you for listening and I hope you check out a website for more info on this shot. www.dogsadversereactions.com Please go and see all the stories along with info. If I would have looked at this site before, my dog would still be alive.}

Subject: Death after Proheart 6 shot
Date: 8/21/2002 9:55:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
I lost a perfectly healthy 6 yr old shih tzu after Proheart 6 shot. He started diarrhea and vomiting within 5 days of the Proheart 6, and over weeks continued digestive problems which I now understand is a side effect of the shot. His not being able to regain normal access of his digestive system threw his immune system haywire and caused him to develop IMHA and die within days.

Even though he had blood transfusions and medications he still couldn't pull through. Duker was with me constantly and I knew this dog extremely well----He never acted the same after that shot. I know that the Proheart 6 shot led to the death of my dog. I have reported to Fort Dodge and to the FDA concerning this drug and they have established a case number on Duker. I hope the owner of the Collie has done the same.

I too have been spreading the word to watch out on this shot, and I'm trying to research and do as much as I can so that another dog does not have to go through what my beloved Duker had too. If you have any additional info or have heard of other problems, please let me know.

I just find out 3 days ago that a friend of mine in another state who also with in for a routine annual visit for her dog was given the Proheart 6 shot. Within 2 days he started diarrhea and vomiting and within weeks he died but she gave him CPR on the way to the vet. His heart stopped 2 more times at the vet, and they think now that he has heartworms and are giving him arsenic. Just like Duker her dog was given the test prior to the shot to be sure no heartworms were present. Both of our dogs tested negative.

There are even some vets I have heard of that will not give the Proheart 6 shot--I wondered what they know! In addition, I discovered on line that after mixing this shot it needs to sit for 30 minutes before injection. I wonder how many vets do that. By the way how is the other Collie that you mentioned in the email. I know this is long and I apologize but I'm just trying to spread the word. Thanks, Myra

If you suspect your dog has had an adverse reaction to the ProHeart6 shot, and you would like to be in touch with others like you visit the ProHeart Message Board

Danny's Death - The Truth About Proheart 6
Danny was a perfectly healthy five-year-old part Golden Retriever mix who was energetic and happy. He would spend his days swimming in the creek behind our suburban home, playing fetch with my son, and lounging about like any other pampered pet. Early this spring, we decided to switch to a new heartworm preventative called Proheart 6, which was supposed to be better because one injection would last all summer. The only problem is that it killed Danny.

From Janice Storey, Houston, Texas
Sat, 19 Oct 2002

My dog, Trouble received the ProHeart 6 shot on 8/20/02 in conjunction with other vaccinations. He died on 10/17/02 (58 days) after the shot. He was VERY healthy prior to the shot being given. He was 11 years old - which by most means, means old. However, he was very strong, could still jump into the back of the bed of a truck. He suffered a horrible death and died in my arms while transporting him to the vet to put him asleep. His "storey" is better told in an summary I wrote. If interested in it, I will be happy to e-mail it to you.

After three different vets and three different diagnosis, he was finally diagnosed as having "lung cancer". In asking this internist as to how long the cancer had been in his system, I was told about two months. How coicidental would it be to determine that the cancer arrived at the same time the shot was injected? PLEASE, IF YOU VALUE YOUR DOGS HEALTH, DO NOT LISTEN TO THE VETS THAT THIS DRUG IS SAFE. I WAS TOLD AT LEAST 3 TIMES, IT WAS SAFE AND NOW MY DOG IS DEAD. He did not deserve to die the way he did - and I do not deserve to feel the guiltiness I do in electing to allow the shot to be given. PLEASE LISTEN!

Manufacturer's Letter to Veterinarians Warns of Side Effects A letter was sent to veterinarians by Fort Dodge, the manufacturer of ProHeart 6. Amongst other issues, you will see just some of the known side effects of the medication. This is an excerpt of the letter. (I highlighted some sentences to emphasize the adverse reactions) Symptoms of Reactions

Read other testimonials (memorials)
HORRIFIC experience with the ProHeart 6 injection. Our little dog, an Italian Greyhound, recently received the Pro Heart 6 injection and almost died. I wish that I had read and found all the actual data on this drug before we used it.

I am also a registered nurse with a critical care background and it is that background that helped me recognize the complications in my little dog and get immediate treatment. Reddy started vomiting within 48 hours of receiving the injection. At that time I had only read the information packet given at the vets office with the Proheart medication. I did remember that in the adverse reactions section it stated that gastric distress occurs "in less than 1% of the animals tested." I thought that Reddy might be in that group so I started him on reglan and backed off feedings. The next day his stomach sounded like it was at war, the rolling was high pitched and tympanic, not good for bowel sounds, and by that evening he was vomiting only bright red blood and weak. In human terms to me, Reddy was having an upper GI bleed from severe gastritis.

I now know from some data received concerning the Proheart 6 that the number one severe reaction is hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. We took him to an emergency animal clinic who thought perhaps Reddy had ingested something and they did x rays for a foreign body. I had told them about the shot but they did not think that the Proheart was a factor in the bleeding. To make this story even more horrific, Reddy over reacted to the sedation they gave him so that they could perform the x rays and he quit breathing. The doctor had gone into the developing room and as my room mate hollered for him to come back out, Reddy lay limp in my arms.

I have only performed CPR and emergency measures on humans in ER and ICU, but quickly put those skills to use and after several rescue breaths Reddy had some mild seizure like activity and resumed breathing very irregular. The vet worked with him and gave him an antidote to counter act the sedation.

They gave Reddy an injection of reglan, an Antibiotic injection, and told us to only give him pedialyte in place of water to drink until we could get to our vet the next morning. Our vet found him dehydrated and weak, and kept him the whole day placing him on fluids and treating him. We now have Reddy home and I watch him like a hawk for any other complications as the information says that it can happen again and I have read everything I could on this drug ProHeart 6. It is a killer and vets are not being told the whole truth and owners are not being informed about the facts.

Keep telling anyone and everyone about ProHeart 6 which is a horrid killer. I have read several pieces that expound that vets are out to make money and I believe that most vets are like doctors. They rely on drug representatives to tell them the truth about medications that the FDA puts out. They are not as well informed about each and every drug as is needful and do not have time to read all the information and brochures sent as handouts. We need to inform the vets as well as the public and everyone else to think twice about this medication before ever letting their dog get the injection.

Please pass this info along on any other sites you know of to warn others. It would appear that death in dogs from taking this product is not enough of a deterrent to pull this product off the market.