vet perscribed a un FDA approved drug for my cat

So a few days ago I took my cat, Bijou, to the vet due to a small dry cough she's been having for a while. The vet said she seemed healthy but had a small fever prescribed a hairball lubricant and also antibiotics of some sort that are not approved by the FDA. My bf and i looked at the reviews and side affects and they are actually pretty extreme for just an antibiotic. Side effects included seizures, bloody urine, involuntary eye movement, death, lethargy, loss of appetite (anorexia) Neurological disorders, Liver failure (hepatoxicity) Drop in white blood cell count (neutropenia) ect....Any idea why he would prescribe something so dangerous and not approved by the FDA  for just a small fever? this is the website i looked at reviews and side effects on http://www.vetinfo.com/side-effects-metronidazole.html

Catfamily7995 said:

 
.Any idea why he would prescribe something so dangerous and not approved by the FDA  for just a small fever? t

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Metronidazole IS FDA approved... for Human use only.  The FDA prohibits the use of any medication in a manner that is not consistent with its labeling. Your vet is prescribing the metronidazole "off label". Many common medicines for pets are used "off label". Vets are required (by law I think) to issue a prescription for any medication that is for a pet to use.

I was prescribed so many antibotics for my cats stomatitis. Nothing was working but this seemed to break the cycle. I'm not sure why out of the box the vet prescribed it to your kitty though. I've had a vet prescribe adequan when it was only approved for dogs but I never realized flagyl is not approved for cats. I guess it is legal to do it. This may be a result of all the antibiotic resistance vets are turning here now.....

My cat had that med 250 mg 1/4 tab twice daily for bowel inflammation about two years ago.  Worked great. My Vet never said anything about it be experimental or out of the box.  It was his first infection of any kind and he has not had a recurrence.

My IBD kitty has been on metro a few times with no issues.  All drugs have possible side effects, it's a matter of does the benefit's outweigh the risks.  The risk with metro generally only appear with long term use or high dosage.  

Many of the medications for kitties are being used off label because a group of kitties haven't been put through the expensive studies for FDA approval.  Cerenia for nausea is still a medicine for dogs and is off label for kitties but it has become a very standard medication for nausea in kitties.

Just because a drug isn't registered/approved for a certain condition doesn't mean it's illegal or even wrong. Doctors often discover that a drug designed for X has an added bonus of treating Y, and unfortunately the companies don't always seek FDA validation of it because that is expensive. I would say trust the vet.

Ya hey! Not only is Cerenia used "off label" to treat nausea in cats - it's now used "off label,  off label" -err, or something like that, to treat inflammation in cats for diseases such as respiratory and IBD. It mimics "substance P" which is involved in triggering the vomit center AND it is involved in numerous inflammatory conditions. Very complicated brain chemistry stuff, but I started learning about it when the vet put my cat Willis, who has struggled with upper respiratory infections/inflammation for over a year now, on Cerenia and Doxycycline for a bad flare up. He was so sick last week he could barely make it up and down the stairs, and today he's running around like a knucklehead. I don't want to get my hopes up too far, we've tried and failed so many times to identify and beat this thing, but he feels SO much better. Last time he went on doxy it made him stop sneezing but he continued to have a hard time breathing through his nose because of inflammation. The doxy also made him very nauseated and he vomited a lot of his medicine. So the Cerenia MAY be doing double duty: anti-nausaea and anti-inflammatory "off label". He's still going to see an internal med specialist Tues b/c he's had upper respiratory problems for so long and now several of his blood values are off. But the Cerenia appears to really be a huge help.

My kitten was prescribed this medicine and my vet lied to my face saying it was fda approved. My kitten is also now close to death and suffering all the side effects that come with this medicine despite my vet denying it. Please as a loving animal owner don't ever give this medicine to your pet. It isn't worth it.

Many cats have been prescribed this medication when other meds didn't work. One has to do their homework about medications. Each animal is different. Just like humans. Just because it didn't work on one cat doesn't mean it won't work on another. The important thing is to research and ask questions. Ask for both sides of the story for medication-side effects-both good and bad.

also it has nothing to do with being a loving owner by withholding medical treatment. That right there doesn't sit well with me. There's many different ways to go about skinning a cat but claiming we don't love our pets because we use x for treatment via our vets is quite frankly insulting.

Emellie&meredith said:

My kitten was prescribed this medicine and my vet lied to my face saying it was fda approved. My kitten is also now close to death and suffering all the side effects that come with this medicine despite my vet denying it. Please as a loving animal owner don't ever give this medicine to your pet. It isn't worth it.

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OMG, I'm so sorry!!! I've learned to look up the drug before administering before I give it to them. If the vet doesn't give it first, that is.

I really hope your kitten pulls through. Much love and prayers for you!!!

Veterinarians are allowed to prescribe drugs extra label. Extralabel Drug Use and AMDUCA: FAQ
The issue here becomes informed consent.

Meredith died in my arms on Wednesday. I felt her last breath. I know metronidazole took my dear kitten way before her time came. Thank you very for your prayers josiegirl. I will now and forever more be against metronidazole and research all medications I and my pets take. I'm not biased against the medicine, I've just looked long and hard at all the facts and even witnessed them. I miss and yearn for my Meredith everyday.

Emellie&meredith said:

Meredith died in my arms on Wednesday. I felt her last breath. I know metronidazole took my dear kitten way before her time came. Thank you very for your prayers josiegirl. I will now and forever more be against metronidazole and research all medications I and my pets take. I'm not biased against the medicine, I've just looked long and hard at all the facts and even witnessed them. I miss and yearn for my Meredith everyday.

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There are no words.

I am so sorry.