ChihuahuaKisses

Hello! My name is Elaine! I have been very happily married for 20 years to a very loving man! I am a Retired Chihuahua Breeder and I have #15 Chihuahuas of my own, who I absolutely Love, Adore and do anything for. They are all now Spayed, Neutered and Microchipped!  I had #16 Chihuahuas, but one of my precious babies named Gigi passed away  from Liver Disease. She passed away on August 10, 2008 and was only 3 years old. Gigi got the Liver Disease, from a drug called "RIMADYL", that the vet she saw had given Gigi for her broken leg. Gigi is the little girl that is in my Avatar! The vet knew the risks and how RIMADYL is killing many dogs! Vets are not warning people! They are still prescribing RIMADYL to dogs, when this drug needs to be taken off the market. I can't begin to understand why a vet would do that, except that they make a profit out of it, which in my opinion is a very selfish reason, knowing how risky this drug is and putting a dogs life at risk! Gigi was pregnant when she broke her leg. Gigi broke her leg in two places, running to the door to greet me, when I came home from the store. She slipped on the floor and her leg went sliding into the side of the wall.  I immediately picked Gigi up and took her to the vet to get her leg taken care of. Gigi was carrying 2 puppies and I asked the vet on more than one occasion, if the drug was safe for Gigi to take and if it would affect Gigi's puppies! The vet told me every time I asked her, No that I don't need to worry, that Gigi and her puppies would be fine and the Gigi would not be on the Rimadyl long enough, for it to do Gigi or her babies any harm. She was on Rimadyl for 2 months only!  Gigi delivered her puppies with no complications! She was acting like a perfectly normal, happy dog! You would never even suspect that Gigi was so sick! We did not know at the time that Gigi had Liver Disease, until one day about 6 months after she had her puppies, she threw up her food twice and I knew that something was wrong because Gigi was perfectly healthy and never sick with anything a day in her life, before this happened to her! When Gigi got sick, I took Gigi to the vet, had some bloodwork done and that's when I found out she had Liver Disease! I immediately changed vets and took Gigi to a better vet for treatment! I never took any of my dogs to the first vet again and never will! The new vet told me that the Rimadyl caused Gigi's Liver Disease and Death and it was confirmed through a Necropsy! He also said that the first vet was very irresponsible! The vet that I have now, refuses to prescribe or keep any Rimadyl in his office. He uses safer medications! The original vet was Wrong and now Gigi  lost her life for nothing, because of the original vets Dishonesty and Negligence and Gigi's puppies Zoe and Gizmo also have Liver Disease! Zoe and Gizmo are doing great right now and not in any pain according to my current vet. My current vet, who is treating Zoe and Gizmo and all my other Chihuahuas, also has Chihuahuas of his own, so he knows the breed. I'm glad I found him, because he treats my dogs like his own and is an awesome, very caring individual with over 35 years experience! Zoe and Gizmo have been fighting Liver Disease for approximately 2 years now! The vet told me that he and other vets that he has talked to about Zoe and Gizmo don't know what is keeping them alive, but to keep doing what I'm doing! He told me that if he hadn't seen the blood results for himself, that he would have never suspected that Zoe and Gizmo are this sick, by the way they act and look! If the original vet would have been honest with me when I asked her numerous times of the risks, I would have never given Gigi the Rimadyl at the vet request, I would have found a safer less risky drug, Gigi would still be alive and right by my side where she belongs and Zoe and Gizmo would not have Liver Disease and now I would not have to be worried about losing them too! I am truly pissed at this original vet! I am in the process of Legal Action, which my current vet is supporting me on and I am beyond heartbroken. Gigi was such a sweet, loving, funny little girl who had her whole life ahead of her. She loved everyone she met and they loved her too! This nightmare should have NEVER happened to Gigi, Zoe or Gizmo! If you have a dog on Rimadyl, please discontinue for your dog sake, have your dog blood tested to make sure there has been no damage done to your dogs Liver or Kidneys! If you know someone, please tell them that Rimadyl is NOT SAFE and to do the same! Find something safer, less risky and just as effective. If the dog seems fine now, the effects of the Rimadyl may not show up until later in the dogs life. Don't risk it Please! There are other safer drugs out there that would help your dogs problem! I will do my best to try and help anyone who has questions about their dogs, their health or their relationships. If I don't know the answer, I will try to find the answer for you! 

Rest In Peace, My Little Love Gigi! I'm so very sorry that this happened to you. I Love You So Much Sweetie! I Miss You more than words can ever express. You did not deserve this! You my little love, will remain so Deeply Embedded In My Heart Forever! We will NEVER forget you! Run and Play, free of pain and full of Love, until the day we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge never to be separated again! I can't stop crying for you and thinking about you on a daily basis! 

Keep On Fighting My Little Loves Zoe and Gizmo! I will be right by your side and do whatever I possibly can to help you get though this lousy disease, that you did not deserve to get either. I Love You both so much!