HEARTGARD PLUS Lawsuit!!!!!!!!!! Must read!

[Princes mom]

Scientist fired by Merial alleges Heartgard Plus coverup - VIN


http://www.vin.com/apputil/image/han...?docid=4919211

[roseylovestosho]

WOW

[Nancy1999]

I see you posted here and it health and diet and I’ll just repeat what I wrote on the other thread.

I hope people don't stop using it because of this news. I can't open the second link, so I can’t comment on what it says, but the first link basically states Heartgard may not be as effective as they advertise it to be, what product is? It doesn't say anything about it not be safe, or that it could harm our dogs. If you dog gets heartworms, and you have proof that you’ve bought the product Heartgard will treat you dogs for the heartworm at no cost to you, so this tells me that they believe the product to be effective. We have to remember that some people may buy the product, but that doesn’t mean they remember to give it to their dogs every month.

[roseylovestosho]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I see you posted here and it health and diet and I’ll just repeat what I wrote on the other thread.

I hope people don't stop using it because of this news. I can't open the second link, so I can’t comment on what it says, but the first link basically states Heartgard may not be as effective as they advertise it to be, what product is? It doesn't say anything about it not be safe, or that it could harm our dogs. If you dog gets heartworms, and you have proof that you’ve bought the product Heartgard will treat you dogs for the heartworm at no cost to you, so this tells me that they believe the product to be effective. We have to remember that some people may buy the product, but that doesn’t mean they remember to give it to their dogs every month.

That's what it says in the article that the company's response is to any questioning regarding a decline in efficacy in the medicine. How can they stand by their product and at the same time claim that the owners are simply not remembering to administer the medicine? The company can claim that this is the case, but through statistical analysis it is very easy to determine if it is more likely than not that the medicine is at fault. What (apparently) did happen is that this company is passing the buck of responsibility onto the shoulders of the consumer rather than the product. Yes, it is true that not every single product is "effective" as it claims to be but this is a result of either purposely misleading of the public or when you have a biased sample. Since (from the article) we can infer that the problem is not a biased sample--then it is instead a company purposely misleading the public about the effectiveness of a product which I find unethical for the following reasons:

1) This makes it difficult for us to find the proper medicine for our dogs. I'm not saying that we should stop giving heartworm medicine to our dogs, but the lack of information DOES deter us from looking for other heartworm medicines that may be more effective.

2) If there isn't reliable data available about the current effectiveness of medicines in the market, then this trumps the scientific process and community from developing something that might be MORE effective than what we have now. If we think that the current heartworm medicine is 20% MORE EFFECTIVE than what the actual true population effectiveness value is, then why bother trying to create something better that is almost essentially "perfect."

I hope nobody is offended by my post. I do not plan on "stopping" to administer heartworm medicine simply because the product is not as effective as advertised--it still is better than not administering anything at all. The point I am trying to make is that I do NOT agree with PURPOSELY misleading the public about how effective the product is. In fact, I think that stating that a product is more effective than it actually is only further breeds the irresponsibility of the owner "Oh I only skipped a month or two of medicine, but it doesn't matter because it's 100% effective all the time so what's the chance my dog will get heartworm in a couple of months?" In addition, I can't imagine the HOOPS someone would have to jump through to get the company to pay for a dog who has heartworm even after using the product if they're willing to destroy documents and claim that the consumer is mostly at fault for their product not working.

[Woogie Man]

Ivermectin, the active ingredient in Heartgard, is the first practical compound approved for use as a heart worm preventative. It is widely used, not only in dogs and cats, but for livestock to treat many parasitic conditions. It's also approved for use in humans to treat river blindness.

I say that to point out that it's likely not the compound itself that is responsible for any possible ineffectiveness. If there is a real problem, my opinion is that it's probably in the administration by the owner or a manufacturing problem that may have affected some lots.

Once you get to the point of a lawsuit, it's hard to determine anything until a full airing of the case. All you really have are allegations and defensive responses to them. There may be real merit to some points of the case or not. I don't think it's true to say that Ivermectin is ineffective, however.

Here's some links on Ivermectin....

The History of Heartworm Medication | eHow.com

Ivermectin ? History of Safety and Efficacy

[roseylovestosho]

Great points, thank you for sharing.

Originally Posted by Woogie Man

Ivermectin, the active ingredient in Heartgard, is the first practical compound approved for use as a heart worm preventative. It is widely used, not only in dogs and cats, but for livestock to treat many parasitic conditions. It's also approved for use in humans to treat river blindness.

I say that to point out that it's likely not the compound itself that is responsible for any possible ineffectiveness. If there is a real problem, my opinion is that it's probably in the administration by the owner or a manufacturing problem that may have affected some lots.

Once you get to the point of a lawsuit, it's hard to determine anything until a full airing of the case. All you really have are allegations and defensive responses to them. There may be real merit to some points of the case or not. I don't think it's true to say that Ivermectin is ineffective, however.

Here's some links on Ivermectin....

The History of Heartworm Medication | eHow.com

Ivermectin ? History of Safety and Efficacy

[Princes mom]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I see you posted here and it health and diet and I’ll just repeat what I wrote on the other thread.

I hope people don't stop using it because of this news. I can't open the second link, so I can’t comment on what it says, but the first link basically states Heartgard may not be as effective as they advertise it to be, what product is? It doesn't say anything about it not be safe, or that it could harm our dogs. If you dog gets heartworms, and you have proof that you’ve bought the product Heartgard will treat you dogs for the heartworm at no cost to you, so this tells me that they believe the product to be effective. We have to remember that some people may buy the product, but that doesn’t mean they remember to give it to their dogs every month.

Yes, I did, I wanted to share this info with as many members as possible.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Nancy1999

I see you posted here and it health and diet and I’ll just repeat what I wrote on the other thread.

I hope people don't stop using it because of this news. I can't open the second link, so I can’t comment on what it says, but the first link basically states Heartgard may not be as effective as they advertise it to be, what product is? It doesn't say anything about it not be safe, or that it could harm our dogs. If you dog gets heartworms, and you have proof that you’ve bought the product Heartgard will treat you dogs for the heartworm at no cost to you, so this tells me that they believe the product to be effective. We have to remember that some people may buy the product, but that doesn’t mean they remember to give it to their dogs every month.

I am also repeating what I posted on the other thread:

I have been using Heartgard since 1985 and have never had a pup turn up positive for heartworms. I test yearly.
I will not stop using it.

Not broken and not going to fix it.

[roseylovestosho]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I am also repeating what I posted on the other thread:

I have been using Heartgard since 1985 and have never had a pup turn up positive for heartworms. I test yearly.
I will not stop using it.

Not broken and not going to fix it.

LOL. I think the article states that the efficacy is declining from what it used to be...but either way I'll never stop giving it to my dog. Have to restock now since Teddy is now in the over 10lb range

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by roseylovestosho

LOL. I think the article states that the efficacy is declining from what it used to be...but either way I'll never stop giving it to my dog. Have to restock now since Teddy is now in the over 10lb range

Heartgard is up to 25 pounds!!

[roseylovestosho]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Heartgard is up to 25 pounds!!

OMG this is just the most embarassing day for me. I just finished my last tablet the beginning of the month as well as the tick medication and so I just ordered k9 advantix but need to get heartguard plus from the vet and so I assumed that the heartworm preventative scale was the same as the k9 advantix I just ordered...since I don't personally order it I don't remember the scale like I do with the flea/tick preventative....goodness I should just stop posting for today before I make more stupid comments.

Either way, thank you for correcting me

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by roseylovestosho

OMG this is just the most embarassing day for me. I just finished my last tablet the beginning of the month as well as the tick medication and so I just ordered k9 advantix but need to get heartguard plus from the vet and so I assumed that the heartworm preventative scale was the same as the k9 advantix I just ordered...since I don't personally order it I don't remember the scale like I do with the flea/tick preventative....goodness I should just stop posting for today before I make more stupid comments.

Either way, thank you for correcting me

hehe...don't be silly ... Lots get that mixed up!

[JMuedog]

I won't stop using it. Especially just because their saying its not 100% effective. I think vets are aware and your vet should do a yearly test for heartworms. Nothing is perfect.

I don't see women stopping their birth control because its not 100% effective...

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by JMuedog

I won't stop using it. Especially just because their saying its not 100% effective. I think vets are aware and your vet should do a yearly test for heartworms. Nothing is perfect.

I don't see women stopping their birth control because its not 100% effective...

Exactly!

[ladyjane]

Another thing to think about. If this were about some kind of horrible side effect that was being hidden, I would be alarmed. If it is about efficacy, I honestly never thought it was 100% anyway. And, how do I know that if I switch to another product, that it would be better?What if even one of my pups had a reaction to the new product?....and/or what IF we found out next year or even 10 years from now that a scientist was making the same claim about the other company? Sadly, these things do happen with large companies that are trying to gain the edge in marketing. Thankfully, this does not sound like something earth shattering for people whose pups have been on Heartgard. Just some things that came to mind as I was trying to rid myself of gray roots.