Case Study
Samson received the librela shot on Nov 10, 2023. He was 12 years old at the time.
Sometime between August and December of 2023, Samson’s creatine, ALT, ALKP, GGT, and AMYL started to increase. None of these levels were flagged as abnormal because they were not out of the normal range. However, it’s clear when looking at this data something is wrong with Samson’s liver + kidneys by December 2023 and February 2024. An abdominal ultrasound in early February 2024 didn’t find anything abnormal, so it’s likely that the liver cancer first developed in March / April after the enzymes had started to go up. Samson died in May 2024.
Is it 100% certain that librela caused his issues and led to his death?
No.
Is it 100% certain that librela did NOT cause his issues? No.
I believe he died of kidney and liver failure that was sped up immensely by the librela shot. I believe vets have a duty of care to warn us of the risks, but many vets are not getting full information from Zoetis.
Samson’s detailed bloodwork results are to the right.
Symptoms Samson Had
0-6 weeks post shot: increased thirst, restlessness, panting, pickier with food, bloody elbow growths, high blood pressure, confusion & getting stuck in corners, mineralization of larynx (GOLPP was discussed), incontinence (both during day and while sleeping - had never happened before, ever), some liver and kidney enzymes start moving in the wrong direction, anemia
6-10 weeks: complete loss of use of back legs (so bad that we ordered a wheelchair and scheduled a consult for a total hip replacement), ataxia, knuckling, weight loss
8+ weeks: loss of hair (very easy to pull out in clumps), loss of hearing, even more picky with food, wanted to be alone more than normal, lethargy, pacing at night
16-20 weeks: this is when I suspect he started to develop liver cancer and spleen lesions
27 weeks: he passed away after he stopped eating completely
35 weeks: I went to donate his wheelchair, researching options via facebook groups. I found some facebook groups for librela. I read tons of real stories and realized that my boy had been impacted severely by the shot.
“Librela is not a miracle drug with no side effects. It can be helpful for some dogs, but there can be side effects.”
“Librela should be a drug of last resort, after all other options are exhausted and quality of life is a concern.”
“If you do give your pet Librela (Beransa, Solensia), know the potential side effects to watch for.”
“Lions mane mushrooms, fish oil, milk thistle, and turmeric are natural supplements that may help detox a dog suffering from side effects.”