Furry Pitchmen Promoting New Drug Sileo For Dogs Afraid of Fireworks

By  //  July 2, 2016

30 percent of dogs afflicted by noise aversion

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Many dogs have a condition called “noise aversion” that causes symptoms ranging from skittishness to extreme panic and can result in dogs running away or injuring themselves.

STAT NEWS – They’ve sold out to Big Pharma to hawk a new drug — and they didn’t even get paid for it, not in biscuits or in bones.

The furry faces of pitchdogs are flooding Facebook and Twitter as dozens of veterinarians and pet hospitals seek to raise awareness of Sileo, the first drug approved to calm canines who are afraid of fireworks and thunderstorms.

“Do not fear, Sileo is here!” Aston, a gray-and-white dog with a remarkable grasp of English, is quoted as saying (or perhaps, barking) in one post.

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Pharmaceutical company Zoetis’ timing is perfect with its marketing of Sileo for dogs that are afraid of loud noises right before Independence Day fireworks. It is touted as the first and only FDA-approved treatment that calms without sedating.

Zoetis, the big animal drug maker that’s marketing Sileo in the United States, didn’t organize or ask for the PR campaign.

But it did supply its sales reps with red-white-and-blue bandanas printed with the drug name to distribute to pet clinics. And it did launch the drug just in time for the Fourth of July.

Vets couldn’t resist.

The drug, a low-dose version of a dog sedative, hit the market last month.

It was approved late last year by the Food and Drug Administration to treat dogs with a condition called “noise aversion” that causes symptoms ranging from skittishness to extreme panic and can result in dogs running away or injuring themselves.

CLICK HERE to read the full story on StatNews.com on how to allay some of the canine anxiety that results from the disquieting cacophany of fireworks.