Vet Drug Longisil, A Penicillin For Animals, Recalled

Vet drug recalled after allergic reactions

Vet drug recalled after allergic reactions - The Globe and Mail

Health Canada announced the recall of Longisil, a penicillin for animals, after numerous reports of reactions such as swelling and hives.

Extract:

Longisil is administered by injection and treats infections in various animals, including dogs, cats and livestock. The recall is an expansion of an earlier one, initiated in December, involving one batch of medication distributed in various vial sizes. The new recall involves a different batch, raising questions over whether problems with the medication are more wide-reaching than the company first believed.

The number of adverse reactions reported to Health Canada is often a small fraction of actual cases. Many experts estimate only 10 per cent of adverse reactions are ever reported.

Health Canada only receives a few hundred reports a year of adverse reactions involving animals. In 2008, the department received 614 reports; in 2009 it was 665 reports.

Drug companies are required to inform Health Canada of suspected problems with their products. But there are no similar requirements for veterinarians, which helps explain why a large number of adverse reactions go unreported.

Might want to keep this in mind next time you have to bring your little critter to a Thai vet; I know I will. Cheers