A number of people have contacted my wife and I, confused by last month’s story about our campaign to outlaw the anti-inflammatory drug Carprofen, which led to the premature death of our black Labrador, Abby (Couple Want Drug Outlawed After Death Of Beloved Dog, News Shopper, March 28).

It is important to be clear on how quickly Carprofen affected Abby so distressingly.

She was not put to sleep after six days on the drug: we gave her only four tablets - over three days - before she became extremely ill. The vet, at Tender Paws in West Wickham, prescribed a paste to calm Abby’s stomach and help her eat and drink, and we were told the drug would be out of her system in 48 hours.

Abby was restless throughout the night, and on Saturday morning, we found her behind bushes in the garden, looking vacant and miserable.

She kept going to her water bowls, but found it impossible to get her tongue into the water to drink.

On Sunday, we phoned a mobile vet, who could not come until early evening. Abby’s back legs became so unsteady, we phoned again and was told that she probably needed to be put to sleep.

We took her to Tender Paws first thing Monday morning and she was put on a saline drip.

Abby’s kidneys weren’t functioning properly, but the vet was more concerned with her liver because she was anaemic and had a raised white blood count.

Abby was kept in overnight and, early the next morning, we got a call, saying she was so poorly she should be put to sleep.

We said our sad goodbye six days after she had been prescribed Carprofen - but she had not been on the drug all that time.

Robin McGibbon
Bickley