New cancer drug for dogs!

This is actually a really significant event: recently major pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced that the FDA had approved a new drug specifically for use in the treatment of cancer in dogs. The name of the drug is Palladia, and it is approved for use in dogs for the treatment of cutaneous (skin) mast cell tumors.

The reason this is such a big deal is that it shows that the big drug companies are interested in developing drugs specifically for pets. We've been treating cancer in pets for many years, but it has always been with products approved for human use. It's great to have safety and usage data specifically from companion animals right off the bat. Usually we have to wait for that research to be done after the product is approved for use in humans, and this takes time. Hopefully, this drug will be successful, both in treating cancer, and as a financial success for Pfizer. That way, other companies will see that the pet market can be lucrative, and this might stimulate further drug development.

Right now Palladia is available free, but only through specialists of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). (The ACVIM is the veterinary group that trains and certifies veterinary internists and oncologists). It's important to note that the drug is free, but there may be other charges for administering the drug, exam fees, bloodwork, x-rays, etc. that will need to be performed in order to make sure the pet is a good candidate for this treatment. We have Palladia at TVEC; call us for more information.

It's early to really judge the drug yet, but this looks like a significant, and positive, step in the treatment of cancer in dogs.

Update - peanut butter recall

More pet products added to the pet food recall related to Salmonella in peanut butter.

FDA press release

Original blog post

FDA Alert - Chicken Jerky Dog Treats

Way back in September of 2007 the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine issued an alert warning consumers about a possible link between chicken jerky treats and illness in dogs. They re-issued the warning back in December of 2008, so they must still be getting complaints. It looks like the treats (also called 'tenders' or 'strips') are made in China, and the first outbreaks were seen in Australia. Despite extensive testing by the FDA and other labs, no definitive cause for the illness has been found.

No specific brands are listed, so we can't tell you which products are involved. It might be best to avoid all 'chicken jerky' products.

Here's the links:

The 2007 FDA press release
The 2008 FDA update
The main FDA CVM site

Pet products recalled

PetSmart announced that they were voluntarily recalling some of their products due to possible Salmonella contamination associated with peanut products. Make sure to check your shelves, and if you have any of the 'Grreat Choice' dog biscuits or 'Healthy-hide' peanut butter treats, stop using them and contact PetSmart.

Here's PetSmart's website for full information.

Here's the story on CNN.

According to the CNN story, Dr. Stephen Sundloff of the FDA says:

"...the risk to animals is minimal but that people who handle contaminated treats could come in contact with the salmonella bacteria."

"It's especially important that children wash their hands after feeding treats to pets" because the bacteria could be on the surface, Sundlof said.

Sundlof said dogs aren't immune to salmonella and in some cases could get sick. They may be lethargic or get bloody diarrhea. On the other hand, they may never show symptoms at all but could still carry the bacteria.

As always, TVEC is here if you have any questions or concerns.