As any long term reader of this blog knows, my beloved feline companion, Pumpkin, has experienced acute renal failure on two separate occasions as the direct result of corporate greed. She ate contaminated pet food back in ’07 when many animals were dying because melamine was added to foods in order to boost the protein content without actually providing more actual protein. I fed her only one can before I started noticing that she was not well. My cat kidney-failure detecting senses were razor sharp because of her FIRST acute kidney failure as a result of the prescription drug, Metacam.
Metacam is used for arthritis and joint issues in dogs with wide success, and until recently, has been pushed by the drug company as a nice off-label application suitable for cats as well. I, along with others on the many cat kidney failure support groups that I belong to (!) knew that it was causing serious harm to animals. The drug company surely knew as well, though they did not take responsibility until critical mass was reached and lawsuits were imminent (I mean, why stop making money and selling it until people make you, right? Forget the “right thing to do”).
I know the drug company knew something was wrong as early as 2005, because I (and my father) personally called and told them that something was wrong. We also asked that we be reimbursed for Pumpkin’s extensive medical bills ($3,000). Their response: it DOES work in cats and Pumpkin was an outlier case where it caused some side affects. When pushed by me in a subsequent phone call, their legal team told me that they did not in fact “officially” endorse it and if my vet used it off-label, then she was ultimately the one responsible for my bills because she prescribed a drug that was not FDA approved in cats. Awesome corporate strategy dudes!! (side note: during the pet food contamination fiasco, Iams DID reimburse me for every vet bill, which again totaled about $3,000. Though I will never by their product again, I do not have the intense hatred for them that I would have had they not “done the right thing” (why is that such a novel concept for companies?)).
Flash forward to 2010: Pumpkin is still alive and dealing with the annoyance of having Albert around. My mother is one of the few people in America who still receive the actual paper on their doorstep. She is also (I suspect) one of the few people who still literally “read” most articles in the paper. Yesterday, she called to tell me that in the Dr. Dolittler animal advice section of the Miami Herald, the vet recommended the use of Metacam for arthritis in cats. If there is one thing that I do well, it is to become indignant.
I immediately posted a comment in the online version of the paper about my experience with Metacam and its unsuitability for cats. I then e-mailed the vet directly to ask her to print a retraction about Metacam. She responded and agreed to make a retraction in the next print edition and she also posted a clarification in the comments section. Swift justice! Experiences like this make me very happy about technology and the interweb. Within 24 hours, view points were clarified and retractions were made. In the olden days (when I was in high school), information could not be conveyed so quickly (well, maybe with a phone, but that’s emotionally bold. Thank goodness we can sit behind computers and type in our opinions about everything from wedding favors to Bill O’Reilly’s suit without ever revealing our true selves! Yay internet (!) for emboldening anyone with a modem!)
1 comment:
As they say, justice begins with your cat! Good done! :P
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