130. Exposing the Lack of Informed Consent in Veterinary Medicine with Lita Dwight

What happens when the medication you were told was completely safe leads to devastating consequences? In this emotional and eye-opening episode of Your Natural Dog, Angela Ardolino is joined by attorney and animal advocate Lita Dwight, co-executive director of Paws Over Profit, to discuss veterinary transparency, informed consent, and the growing concerns surrounding veterinary pharmaceuticals like Librela for dogs. After losing her beloved dog Lacey just 36 hours after a Librela injection, Lita began investigating the drug, uncovering thousands of reported adverse events and raising urgent questions about how veterinary drugs are researched, marketed, and prescribed. Together, Angela and Lita explore the lack of transparency in the veterinary industry, the importance of informed consent, and why pet parents must become active advocates for their animals’ health.

Episode Recap:

Angela introduces attorney and animal advocate Lita Dwight, whose dog Lacey died shortly after receiving a Librela injection. (00:00)The conversation explores how Zoetis allegedly altered or downplayed adverse event reports in Europe related to rapid progressive osteoarthritis and Librela.(02:19)Angela and Lita talk about how drugs rejected for humans are sometimes reformulated and marketed for veterinary use. (05:56)Lita shares how veterinary marketing promoted Librela as a “wonder drug with no side effects.”, recounts the timeline of Lacey’s rapid decline after the injection, and seeking answers and accountability from her veterinarian and Zoetis. (09:30)Lita explains how Paws Over Profit was formed to raise awareness and advocate for veterinary transparency, and coming together in the Librela class action. (18:34)Angela and Lita discuss concerns about the influence of the corporate ownership and the pharmaceutical industry on veterinary medicine,  long-term pharmaceutical use, and the growing need for holistic alternatives. (23:29)They discuss the environmental concerns surrounding pesticides and flea-and-tick products used on pets, and the lack of clear risk disclosures provided to pet parents about commonly vet-recommended medications like Apoquel, Librela, and Seresto collars for dogs. (30:21)Angela and Lita discuss how Zoetis continued promoting Librela with new marketing campaigns even after the FDA directed veterinarians to provide client information sheets warning about potentially serious side effects, raising concerns about transparency and accountability. (34:41)Lita sh