Pet owners should be cautious of purchasing animal drugs on the Internet. The products may not be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and pose a health threat to the pets.
Pet drugs sold by unscrupulous businesses in this country have been a growing concern, according to LSU AgCenter veterinarian Dr. Christine Navarre.
Foreign companies selling pet drugs is also a growing concern because without FDA regulation, they can sidestep the FDA and offer drugs that otherwise require a prescription in the United States.
“Lack of oversight of quality control is a major problem,” Navarre said, explaining that the amount of an active ingredient in a product may range from zero all the way to toxic levels. “Pet owners just don’t know for sure what they’re getting,” the veterinarian said.
Some Internet companies may claim to have a veterinarian on staff, but this person never sees the pet and prescribes medication based on an online questionnaire filled out by the pet owner.
Although the drugs most commonly purchased are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and heartworm disease prevention products, all types of pet drugs are sold online, Navarre said.
Mark Claesgens
(This article was published in the fall 2007 issue of Louisiana Agriculture.)
12/7/2007 2:04:44 AM
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