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 shares how Paws Over Profit is using media outreach, legal advocacy, and a planned citizen’s petition to push for greater transparency and accountability surrounding veterinary drugs like Librela. (40:20)
• The importance of education regarding the hidden risks of veterinary pharmaceuticals like Librela, advocating for true informed consent in a multi-billion dollar pet care industry increasingly driven by corporate private equity profits. (46:42)
• The need for education regarding the success of natural alternatives, highlighting how the pharmaceutical industry suppresses information about the endocannabinoid and immune systems to protect profit-driven "billion-dollar babies" like Librela and Apoquel. (53:14)
• The episode closes with information on how listeners can connect with Paws Over Profit and support ongoing advocacy efforts. (58:20)

Episode Resources:

• Download Angela’s Resources, including her Holistic Arthritis Protocol and more at AngelaArdolino.com/podcast-downloads 
• Paws Over Profit and PetAdvocare
• Follow Paws Over Profit on Facebook and Instagram
• Have a question about your pet that you want answered on the podcast? Email us at [email protected] 
• Sign up for episode reminders and updates from Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino
• Visit Angela Ardolino’s website for more holistic pet health education: www.AngelaArdolino.com

Follow Your Natural Dog on Facebook and Instagram and if you want to see what Angela is up to, follow her on Facebook or join our Plants, Mushrooms & Holistic Pet Wellness Facebook Group.