Zombie cats – that is how some people describe their pets on an opioid pain medication.
The FDA has received hundreds of reports of cat deaths linked to the drug.
Channel 2 investigative reporter Sophia Choi took complaints of some serious side effects to the drugmaker.
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Pet owners told Choi they never knew about the risks, and in some cases were not even told their pet got the drug.
Boots, an 8-year-old cat, now cries for no reason and walks with a tilted head. Teresa Nichols said the changes happened after Boots got the drug Zorbium.
The cat got the drops behind its neck in January after getting some teeth pulled and was never the same, she said.
“His claw, his feet on his right side were clubbed in. You know his eyes blown out,” Nichols said.
Boots suffered a stroke. That was determined by his veterinarian and Elanco, the maker of the drug, which paid for a portion of the care.
Boots survived, but it took months of 24-hour care from Nichols, including fluids through an IV bag and needle.
“He couldn’t drink water. He couldn’t eat,” she said.
Zorbium is the only drug of its kind approved by the FDA after the maker did its own study showing no deaths and few negative reactions.
But the site Zorbiumlawsuit.com analyzed data from the FDA website and found 282 reports of cat deaths linked to Zorbium between its release in 2022 and 2024.
“That’s a lot of cat deaths, considering there were none in the clinical trials or in the follow-up,” said Josh Sharlin, Ph.D., a former FDA scientist turned expert witness.
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He said it takes time to learn if a drug is safe.
“I tell myself if a drug has been out for 3-5 years, then I will consider using it,” Sharlin said.
Only veterinarians can administer the controlled opioid for pain relief after surgery.
One dose should last for four days.
Monica Coleman said the side effects lasted much longer for their cats, 1-year-old Aghora and 10-year-old Ginger.
Both got the drug last year: Aghora got it after being spayed, and Ginger got it after surgery to remove her mammary glands because of cancer.
Monica said Ginger could not eat or sleep for several days before recovering.
“She couldn’t close her eyes at all. She was pacing all the time,” said Coleman.
It took longer for Aghora to recover – a week.
Coleman said she looked like a zombie - just staring with huge pupils.
“You know, staring into space. She was really high,” she said.
Elanco lists some possible side effects, such as hypothermia and hypertension, but nothing about these unusual side effects or death.
But the drug is so strong Elanco warns: “Accidental exposure to even one tube of Zorbium, especially in children, can result in a fatal overdose of buprenorphine.”
Elanco responded to our questions in a statement:
“First and foremost, as pet lovers, we are always saddened to hear about any issues involving a pet. Pets are part of our families, and our goal as a leading animal health company is to help animals live longer, healthier, more active lives. We live this mission daily as we continually strive to bring pet owners and veterinarians new products that solve unmet needs. Prior to the approval of Zorbium in 2022, there were limited options for post-surgical pain management in cats.
“Since Zorbium was approved, the product has filled an important need for veterinarians, helping provide safe, effective, and reliable pain relief to their post-operative feline patients and removing pet owners’ burden of care to administer additional pain medication at home. Overall, the estimated incidence of serious adverse events are rare, with fewer than 10 for every 10,000 units sold, from the approval date on January 20, 2022 through September 2024. It’s also important to remember that an adverse event report does not imply a causal relationship between a product and must be further investigated to determine cause.
“Additionally, events cannot be viewed in isolation due to potentially confounding factors. For example, all anesthesia and surgical procedures carry inherent risk, independent of Zorbium administration, especially in cats with pre-existing conditions; and anesthesia or surgical procedures can exacerbate underlying and unknown conditions.
“Elanco employs a team of licensed veterinarians and veterinary professionals trained in pharmacovigilance to investigate all adverse event reports and continuously and rigorously analyze safety data to ensure the overall benefits of each approved drug outweigh potential risk. Elanco and the FDA continuously review data to ensure safe and effective products are being provided to veterinarians and pet owners.
“All the available data we have today supports the safety and efficacy profile of Zorbium. We encourage pet owners and veterinarians alike to report all adverse events for any pet health products.”
Some pet owners said their veterinarians never told them their cats got the drug.
Nichols said she only found out after seeing it listed on her receipt – 20 milligrams costing $56.20. Her veterinarian is no longer using Zorbium.
Instead, she said they are warning others.
“I wouldn’t touch that drug again, and I wouldn’t recommend anybody using it. I mean, you’re taking a risk,” Nichols said.
Pet owners can make sure they are alerted when a veterinarian is planning to use Zorbium on their cat by asking questions before agreeing to the surgery.
They can ask what kind of pain relief is involved with aftercare and how long the drug has been on the market.
They can get a copy of the drug’s insert and read it.
Again, FDA expert witness Josh Sharlin, Ph.D. said if a drug is new you may want to wait to see what kinds of side effects arise before you agree to use it.
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