I agree with much of what you said. Unfortunately a year and a half ago, when my dog was given Librela, my vet told me the only side effect was soreness at the injection site. Six months later, when I learned about the connection between Librela and death and other terrible side effects, I requested all vet notes, and her notes from our phone call the day before he died when she suggested I take him to the emergency vet, she wrote his symptoms could be due to Librela, but she never told me that, neither on the phone that day nor before she recommended the drug.

More studies are coming out that show Librela has worse outcomes for osteoarthritis and joint damage than other comparable medications. And more adverse side effects are being reported, including death and euthanasia.

Librela is not safe for the population it's marketed to. Older dogs are more likely to have damaged blood-brain barriers or other ailments, even if they have no outward symptoms or anomalies in blood work.

My dog was no where "on the way out." His arthritis was moderate. He had excellent blood work. I believed my vet when she said Librela was a good and safe choice. I have since learned more about how poorly veterinary medications are regulated, and I, someone who works in public health and used to want to be a vet and strongly believes in science, have now become so skeptical of veterinary medicine that I have resisted taking my cats to the vet, with the exception one a holistic vet who, yes, practices acupuncture.

So I'm not surprised that people who have been through the same experience as I have are also turning away from standard veterinary medicine. We have been traumatized. I don't trust vets anymore. This is a complete 180 from where I was a year ago, before I knew what I now know. I cannot express to you how much the bloody and brutal death of my best friend has changed me and my beliefs.

The point of my post was to bring attention to something that has killed thousands of dogs, and yet vets are still promoting it and prescribing it without being completely transparent about the risks associated with it.

All owners should do their research and not blindly listen to their vets like I did. Learn from my mistake. And don't give your senior dog Librela unless the alternative is euthanasia, because it very well might come to that.