Dog Meds And Pet R_x

Prescription drugs are the #1 cause of human drug fatalities and FDA approved drugs are the 4th leading cause of death overall.

ARE YOU OR YOUR PETS CONSUMING STEROID HORMONES?

Barbara "BJ" Andrews, Publisher TheDogPlace.org and SAAB

The FDA’s 1993 position that bovine growth hormone is not harmful to humans appears unchanged in 2022 even though rbST is banned in Canada and Europe.

As recently as April 13, 2021 FDA issued this statement. “No steroid hormone implants are approved for growth purposes in dairy cows, veal calves, pigs, or poultry.”

In confusing rhetoric (below) consumers are led to believe that meat produced in the USA is free of steroidal growth hormones which stimulate the appetite and promote weight gain. That is not true unless you pay twice the price for USDA labeled organic or hormone free meat.

TheDogPlace.org obtained documents from 1995, 1999 and 2003 which affirmed FDA’s position that the growth hormone derived from cows is safe for human consumption. Perhaps (if they’re going to the Olympics…) but in 2015 Breyer’s Ice Cream discontinued “dairy treated with artificial growth hormones.”

Cheers for Breyers and other food companies that pay attention to customer health!

In the same time frame, we learned… “Since the 1950s, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a number of steroid hormone drugs for use in beef cattle and sheep, including natural estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and their synthetic versions.” ~ FDA.gov ^{{Ref #1}}

You are probably familiar with human growth hormone (HGH) also known as somatotropin. HGH, an anabolic hormone, is secreted by the anterior pituitary gland to build or repair muscle tissue throughout the body. You see the exaggerated effects in female Olympic athletes who look like male body-builders.

Now, in 2022, you understand why “hormone free” and “organic” foods are in such demand that we pay exorbitant prices for what was once ordinary meat.

Even so, does “organic” on a label mean that we can be sure it applies to that milk cow or the beef your T-bone came from? Does USDA test each cow? Did you know that today “…steroid hormone implants are available for over-the-counter purchase in the U.S. and are generally given by the livestock producer at specific stages of the animals' growth.” FDA.gov April 13, 2021

How can USDA certify “organic” meat? Do they test every cow for growth hormones or those that increase milk output? Of course not. But USDA does do a yearly site inspection.

The following information was first made public by TheDogPlace.org in 1999 and appears to be current in 2022. Notably, the growth hormone bovine somatotropin (bST) was banned in the United Kingdom and other countries in 1990 on animal welfare grounds.

That isn’t the same as saying eating hormone-treated beef is a risk to human health. Were that true, we’d all be sick. On the other hoof… American’s seem to have wised up about hormones in our food supply. This information on Posilac and the warning below will help you decide if Organic Certification is worth the cost.

BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE

Genentech discovered and patented the gene for bST in the 1970s. Bovine somatotropin or bovine somatotrophin is more commonly known as bovine growth hormone (BGH). The hormone produced by a cow’s pituitary gland was synthesized by recombinant DNA technology to create “recombinant bovine somatotropin”, i.e. rBST.

Monsanto licensed Genentech's patent and received FDA approval to market the manufactured version of bovine growth hormone as “Posilac” in 1993. See the lengthy warning label below.

The World Health Organization (WHO), National Institutes Of Health (NIH) and of course, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that meat and milk “from BST-treated cows are (is) safe for human consumption.”

That notwithstanding, a European Union report lists serious and painful health problems resulting from rBST and it has not been allowed on the market in Argentina, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, or the European Union since 2000.

Posilac (bovine growth hormone) Warning Label

POSILAC (sterile sometribove zinc suspension) is a prolonged-release injectable formulation of a recombinant DNA-derived bovine somatotropin. Posilac is used in healthy lactating dairy cows to increase milk production.

Human Warnings: Avoid prolonged or repeated contact of POSILAC with eyes and skin. POSILAC is a protein. Frequent skin contact with proteins in general may produce an allergic skin reaction in some people. Always wash hands and skin exposed to POSILAC with soap and water after handling. Clothing soiled with the product should be laundered before reuse. Not for human use. Keep out of reach of children.

Precautions and Side Effects: Use in lactating cattle only. Safety to replacement bulls from dairy cows injected with POSILAC has not been established. To minimize injection site blemishes on the carcass at time of slaughter, avoid injections of POSILAC within 2 weeks of expected slaughter.

Nutritional Management. Feed intake increases over several weeks after initiating the use of POSILAC. This increase occurs earlier for first calf heifers than for second lactation or older cows. Use of POSILAC may reduce the amount of body condition that is normally regained during lactation. This effect is more pronounced for second lactation or older cows.

Voluntary feed intake may be increased and body condition decreased during both the dry period and subsequent early lactation. Cows should be fed diets formulated to meet or exceed the nutritional requirements recommended by the National Research Council. Milk yield, stage of lactation, and body condition should be considered when making dietary changes. The feeding program should be managed to optimize energy intake and to have cows in appropriate body condition particularly during late lactation and the dry period.

Reproduction: Use of POSILAC (sterile sometribove zinc suspension) may result in reduced pregnancy rates in injected cows and an increase in days open for first calf heifers. Use of POSILAC has also been associated with increases in cystic ovaries and disorders of the uterus during the treatment period. Cows injected with POSILAC may have increased twinning rates. Also, the incidence of retained placenta may be higher following subsequent calving. Use of POSILAC should be preceded by implementation of a comprehensive and ongoing herd reproductive health program.

Mastitis: Cows injected with POSILAC are at an increased risk for clinical mastitis (visibly abnormal milk). The number of cows affected with clinical mastitis and the number of cases per cow may increase. In addition, the risk of subclinical mastitis (milk not visibly abnormal) is increased. In some herds, use of POSILAC has been associated with increases in somatic cell counts. Mastitis management practices should be thoroughly evaluated prior to initiating use of POSILAC.

General Health: Use of POSILAC is associated with increased frequency of use of medication in cows for mastitis and other health problems. Cows injected with POSILAC may experience periods of increased body temperature unrelated to illness. To minimize this effect, take appropriate measures during periods of high environmental temperature to reduce heat stress. Care should be taken to differentiate increased body temperature due to use of POSILAC from an increased body temperature that may occur due to illness. Use of POSILAC may result in an increase in digestive disorders such as indigestion, bloat, and diarrhea. There may be an increase in the number of cows experiencing periods of "off-feed" (reduced feed intake) during use of POSILAC. Studies indicated that cows injected with POSILAC had increased numbers of enlarged hocks and lesions (e.g. lacerations, enlargements, calluses) of the knee (carpal region), and second lactation or older cows had more disorders of the foot region. However, results of these studies did not indicate that use of POSILAC increased lameness.

Injection Site Reactions: A mild transient swelling of 3-5 cm (1-2 inches) in diameter may occur at the injection site beginning about 3 days after injection and may persist up to 6 weeks following injection. Some cows may experience swellings up to 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter that remain permanent but are not associated with animal health problems. However, if permanent blemishes are objectionable to the user, administration of the product to the particular animal should be discontinued. Use of POSILAC in cows in which injection site swellings repeatedly open and drain should be discontinued.

Additional Veterinary Information: Care should be taken to differentiate increased body temperature due to use of POSILAC from an increased body temperature that may occur due to illness. Use of POSILAC has been associated with reductions in hemoglobin and hematocrit values during treatment. Additional Information: Milk production response during each 14-day injection period is cyclic and will be greatest during the middle of each period. No milk discard or preslaughter withdrawal period is required.

Storage: Store under refrigeration (2 to 8C; 36 to 46F.) DO NOT FREEZE. Avoid prolonged exposure to excessively high temperature and sunlight to prevent a decrease in product activity. Expiration dates are stated on syringe and carton labeling.

Environmental Safety: Used syringes and needles should be placed in a leak-resistant, puncture-resistant container for disposal in accordance with applicable Federal, state, and local regulations.

How Supplied: Single-dose syringes in 25-pack cartons. NADA # 140-872, Approved by FDA

Manufactured and packaged for ANIMAL SCIENCES DIVISION OF MONSANTO COMPANY., ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 63167, U.S.A. Made in Austria

Referenced Information: {1} Steroid Hormone Implants Used for Growth in Food-Producing

TheDogPlace.org EST 1998 © March 2022 https://www.thedogplace.org/Rx/are-you-or-your-pets-consuming-steroid-hormones-b22A034.asp

DogMeds™ (TheDogPlace 1999) and PetMeds™ (TheDogPlace 2001) can help or harm your dog.

SSI

SSI

Advertising ~ Disclaimer ~ Mission ~ Privacy