‘I had a hand in killing my dog’: The treatment some owners wish they never tried
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When a trusted treatment becomes the centre of controversy, emotions can run high—especially when beloved pets are involved.
What began as hope for relief soon turned into a deeply personal and public battle, with questions now being raised about transparency, informed consent, and the balance between risk and reward.
Here’s how one veterinary drug has left pet owners divided—and demanding answers.
Above the fireplace in Courtney Christie's home sat a memorial dedicated to her beloved dog, Lotte.
‘We were completely inseparable, she went everywhere with me—she was my great friend,’ she said.
Lotte, a 12-year-old kelpie koolie cross, began showing signs of slowing down when her vet introduced a new monthly injection called Beransa, an antibody therapy designed to ease osteoarthritis pain in dogs.
‘"Safe and side effect free" was the messaging that I got and the messaging that the clinic got,’ Ms Christie explained.
However, things quickly changed after Lotte’s second injection.
Ms Christie said Lotte became lethargic and confused, and her health rapidly declined.
Veterinarians later found that Lotte had no platelets, a condition known as thrombocytopenia, which led to a series of treatments including plasma infusions, steroids, and immune therapies usually used in chemotherapy.
‘I maxed out every credit card I had, I borrowed money, and I gave her every chance to live,’ she said.
Despite her efforts, Ms Christie had to make the devastating decision to euthanise Lotte.
‘I just looked down and she started haemorrhaging. She was losing blood from her back end,’ she said.
After Lotte’s death, Ms Christie began researching Beransa and uncovered warnings from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the drug, known internationally as Librela.
The FDA had issued a letter to vets detailing reported adverse effects, including seizures, incontinence, and even death.
‘In some cases, death (including euthanasia) was reported as an outcome of these adverse events,’ the letter noted.
As a result, Zoetis, the drug’s manufacturer, was required to list ‘death’ as a possible side effect on US labels — a warning not yet mirrored in Australia.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), which approved Beransa in 2022, said it had updated the label in August 2024 to include rare side effects such as blood disorders like thrombocytopenia.
‘The APVMA will take immediate action if we determine that there is a significant imminent threat to the Australian community,’ it stated.
Ms Christie said she would never have given Lotte the injection had she known the risks.
‘It’s a huge guilt, and I feel like I let her down, and I feel like I had a hand in killing my dog,’ she said through tears.
She later found out a class action had already been launched in the United States, and is now working with other Australian pet owners to pursue similar legal action locally.
Ray Dalli, another dog owner, said he also wanted to be part of that effort.
Mr Dalli cared for his Jack Russell terrier Daisy for 161 days before having her euthanased.
‘We couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel…we felt it was unjust, and she couldn’t go through any further testing,’ he said.
He documented Daisy’s symptoms in detail, claiming they began after she received Beransa.
‘She would stagger, she would sway, she would fall over. It was not a slow collapse, but just, bang, I’m dead, frozen, dead,’ he said.
‘I wish I hadn’t heard of the drug.’
Although he said Zoetis had responded to his concerns, he believed more transparency was needed.
‘The answer is not to withdraw the drug from the market—the answer is to make people aware of it, that there are serious adverse effects,’ he said.
‘Our dog didn’t deserve this. She deserved a normal, dignified end to her life.’
Ms Christie agreed that Beransa had helped some dogs, but said it should be reserved for cases where all other treatments had failed.
‘[But] it should be for dogs that have exhausted every other treatment opportunity, not happy little 12-year-olds with a bit of a stiff hip,’ she said.
Veterinarians across Australia, however, reported largely positive results with Beransa.
Dr Andrew Spanner from Adelaide estimated that half the older dogs treated at his clinic had received the injection, totalling around 1,200 doses.
‘Generally, it’s been a real benefit to dogs…we’re not saving their lives forever, but we’re giving them six to 12 months they probably never would have had,’ he said.
He feared that legal threats and harsh feedback on social media might lead to the drug being withdrawn.
‘When you Google it, all you get is all the bad things, because the people who are having good experiences are just quietly going about their day, not saying anything about it,’ he said.
Dr Spanner noted that many of the reported side effects affected multiple body systems, which he said was unusual for genuine drug reactions.
Dr John Carruthers, another vet, shared similar concerns.
‘It becomes very confusing, and it causes unnecessary stress for pet owners because there’s this apparent information saying it’s bad when it’s not,’ he said.
‘We don’t expect any medication to be zero risk…with any medication, the question you have to ask before you prescribe it is what’s more dangerous—the disease or the medication?’
Mount Barker Vet Clinic owner Digby Ambrose, who had been practising since 1979, said his team had administered over 1,400 doses with minimal side effects.
‘It’s our last line of treatment…we’d like clients to have informed consent before we use this product, so we list the possible side effects and what we think the incidents may be,’ he said.
Zoetis defended Beransa in a statement, saying that adverse events occurred in fewer than 10 out of every 10,000 doses.
‘We understand that when any dog experiences an adverse event, these statistics are a small consolation,’ the company stated.
‘All medicines come with some potential risks. Pet owners should weigh the benefits of using any product against the potential risks in consultation with their veterinarian.’
‘Since launching four years ago, Beransa has been used effectively with millions of dogs around the world, helping dogs suffering from osteoarthritis pain live with less pain and greater mobility.’
In a previous story, we looked into concerns raised by pet owners over a controversial pain relief treatment.
That report highlighted the emotional and financial toll experienced by those who believed they were helping their furry companions.
You can read more about those heartbreaking experiences here.
With so many pet owners now questioning the risks, do you think Beransa should still be available in Australia? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
What began as hope for relief soon turned into a deeply personal and public battle, with questions now being raised about transparency, informed consent, and the balance between risk and reward.
Here’s how one veterinary drug has left pet owners divided—and demanding answers.
Above the fireplace in Courtney Christie's home sat a memorial dedicated to her beloved dog, Lotte.
‘We were completely inseparable, she went everywhere with me—she was my great friend,’ she said.
Lotte, a 12-year-old kelpie koolie cross, began showing signs of slowing down when her vet introduced a new monthly injection called Beransa, an antibody therapy designed to ease osteoarthritis pain in dogs.
Owner mourns dog after controversial treatment. Image source: ABC News/Brant Cumming
‘"Safe and side effect free" was the messaging that I got and the messaging that the clinic got,’ Ms Christie explained.
However, things quickly changed after Lotte’s second injection.
Ms Christie said Lotte became lethargic and confused, and her health rapidly declined.
Veterinarians later found that Lotte had no platelets, a condition known as thrombocytopenia, which led to a series of treatments including plasma infusions, steroids, and immune therapies usually used in chemotherapy.
‘I maxed out every credit card I had, I borrowed money, and I gave her every chance to live,’ she said.
Despite her efforts, Ms Christie had to make the devastating decision to euthanise Lotte.
‘I just looked down and she started haemorrhaging. She was losing blood from her back end,’ she said.
After Lotte’s death, Ms Christie began researching Beransa and uncovered warnings from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the drug, known internationally as Librela.
The FDA had issued a letter to vets detailing reported adverse effects, including seizures, incontinence, and even death.
‘In some cases, death (including euthanasia) was reported as an outcome of these adverse events,’ the letter noted.
As a result, Zoetis, the drug’s manufacturer, was required to list ‘death’ as a possible side effect on US labels — a warning not yet mirrored in Australia.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), which approved Beransa in 2022, said it had updated the label in August 2024 to include rare side effects such as blood disorders like thrombocytopenia.
‘The APVMA will take immediate action if we determine that there is a significant imminent threat to the Australian community,’ it stated.
Ms Christie said she would never have given Lotte the injection had she known the risks.
‘It’s a huge guilt, and I feel like I let her down, and I feel like I had a hand in killing my dog,’ she said through tears.
She later found out a class action had already been launched in the United States, and is now working with other Australian pet owners to pursue similar legal action locally.
Ray Dalli, another dog owner, said he also wanted to be part of that effort.
Mr Dalli cared for his Jack Russell terrier Daisy for 161 days before having her euthanased.
‘We couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel…we felt it was unjust, and she couldn’t go through any further testing,’ he said.
He documented Daisy’s symptoms in detail, claiming they began after she received Beransa.
‘She would stagger, she would sway, she would fall over. It was not a slow collapse, but just, bang, I’m dead, frozen, dead,’ he said.
‘I wish I hadn’t heard of the drug.’
Although he said Zoetis had responded to his concerns, he believed more transparency was needed.
‘The answer is not to withdraw the drug from the market—the answer is to make people aware of it, that there are serious adverse effects,’ he said.
‘Our dog didn’t deserve this. She deserved a normal, dignified end to her life.’
Ms Christie agreed that Beransa had helped some dogs, but said it should be reserved for cases where all other treatments had failed.
‘[But] it should be for dogs that have exhausted every other treatment opportunity, not happy little 12-year-olds with a bit of a stiff hip,’ she said.
Veterinarians across Australia, however, reported largely positive results with Beransa.
Dr Andrew Spanner from Adelaide estimated that half the older dogs treated at his clinic had received the injection, totalling around 1,200 doses.
‘Generally, it’s been a real benefit to dogs…we’re not saving their lives forever, but we’re giving them six to 12 months they probably never would have had,’ he said.
He feared that legal threats and harsh feedback on social media might lead to the drug being withdrawn.
‘When you Google it, all you get is all the bad things, because the people who are having good experiences are just quietly going about their day, not saying anything about it,’ he said.
Dr Spanner noted that many of the reported side effects affected multiple body systems, which he said was unusual for genuine drug reactions.
Dr John Carruthers, another vet, shared similar concerns.
‘It becomes very confusing, and it causes unnecessary stress for pet owners because there’s this apparent information saying it’s bad when it’s not,’ he said.
‘We don’t expect any medication to be zero risk…with any medication, the question you have to ask before you prescribe it is what’s more dangerous—the disease or the medication?’
Mount Barker Vet Clinic owner Digby Ambrose, who had been practising since 1979, said his team had administered over 1,400 doses with minimal side effects.
‘It’s our last line of treatment…we’d like clients to have informed consent before we use this product, so we list the possible side effects and what we think the incidents may be,’ he said.
Zoetis defended Beransa in a statement, saying that adverse events occurred in fewer than 10 out of every 10,000 doses.
‘We understand that when any dog experiences an adverse event, these statistics are a small consolation,’ the company stated.
‘All medicines come with some potential risks. Pet owners should weigh the benefits of using any product against the potential risks in consultation with their veterinarian.’
‘Since launching four years ago, Beransa has been used effectively with millions of dogs around the world, helping dogs suffering from osteoarthritis pain live with less pain and greater mobility.’
That report highlighted the emotional and financial toll experienced by those who believed they were helping their furry companions.
You can read more about those heartbreaking experiences here.
With so many pet owners now questioning the risks, do you think Beransa should still be available in Australia? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
