FDA issues warning to pet companies for selling unapproved antibiotics.

[seanyuki]

Just sharing.

According to the FDA letter issued to Chewy CEO Sumit Singh, the drugs on Chewy's site marketed for fish Aqua-Mox, Aqua-Mox Forte, Aqua Ceph, Aqua Ceph Forte, Fishbiotic Cephalexin, Aqua-Cipro Forte, Aqua-Doxy, Aqua-Zole and Aqua-Zole Forte are not FDA-approved for their marketed use.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023...marketed%20use.

[seanyuki]

FYI

Everything Aquatics…..
Everything Aquatic
Dena Edwards · 12h ·
I just learned some sad news regarding the availability of fish antibiotics for ornamental aquatic species.
Effective 2024, fish stores will begin removing all fish antibiotics from their shelves as the FDA doesn't want these products available to the general public. This all stems from the warnings over the years cautioning everyone to not misuse or abuse these medications; and now they have gathered enough documentation to take action.
I didn't receive any notice so I called my distributor. And these products will continue to be available, but much more difficult to source.
We can continue to offer these products only to those with an account with permissions added. This not only includes all fish antibiotics, but it will also include metronidazole as it can be used as an antibiotic as well.
If you don't already have an account, now would be a good time to create one and message me for permissions.

IMG_5521.jpg

[jwcarlson]

That sucks horribly.

[Iminit]

Was due to happen. All of Europe has been like this for years.

[seanyuki]

In Canada as of Dec 2018 .all medications for fish disease treatment will no longer be sold in stores. Hobbyists will be required to get a prescription from a vet...super inconvenient and expensive.

[brewmaster15]

It definitely will be hard on aquarium hobbyists. I can only hope that maybe now more hobbyists and fish sellers will take Quarantine procedures seriously.

[brewmaster15]

Just sharing.

According to the FDA letter issued to Chewy CEO Sumit Singh, the drugs on Chewy's site marketed for fish Aqua-Mox, Aqua-Mox Forte, Aqua Ceph, Aqua Ceph Forte, Fishbiotic Cephalexin, Aqua-Cipro Forte, Aqua-Doxy, Aqua-Zole and Aqua-Zole Forte are not FDA-approved for their marketed use.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023...marketed%20use.

just a note on these antibiotics. These are all antibiotics that are important to humans and with the exception of metronidazole are not even of real use to hobbyists. There used to be several companies selling these..thomas labs was one and its out of buiness I believe.

The big problem with these meds are not abuse by hobbyists ..its because people use them on themselves.. every survival website out there in the last few years has promoted stocking up on them.

[brewmaster15]

Doing a search On this topic for facts.. came across this warning letter from 2020 to Everything Aquatics.

https://www.fda.gov/inspections-comp...10530-10062020

Gives some insight into how FDA views things.

In the letter there is contact information..

Your response should be sent via e-mail to Dr. Vic Boddie at Vic.Boddie@fda.hhs.gov. If you have any questions about this letter, please contact Dr. Boddie at 240-402-5618Call: 240-402-5618.

Perhaps members should email this person for clarification and with concerns.

[jwcarlson]

I can understand wanting to "crack down" on antibiotics, but imagine being in a bad situation financially and needing an antibiotic. That's probably approaching a $500 problem.

If it's mostly meds now commonly used in the hobby maybe it's not that big of a deal. However, I would be willing to bet that next to no one in the country is close to a "wet vet".

[brewmaster15]

To Follow up more here. I just got off the phone with Jehmco.com to place an order and brought up the topic of this thread. They have at this point heard nothing and had no communications on further restrictions. They do not sell a bazillion forms of medications but are a large seller of Metronidazole and praziquantel and have been for decades. I would think they would be on the FDA radar if restrictions were happening. They said they would look into more but have had no issues getting metronidazole. Of course that can always change , they said.Its just the nature of the business. I know they require a form signed that you will not divert the medications...I filled that out decades ago with them.

I think the core issue here is
"According to the FDA letter issued to Chewy CEO Sumit Singh, the drugs on Chewy's site marketed for fish Aqua-Mox, Aqua-Mox Forte, Aqua Ceph, Aqua Ceph Forte, Fishbiotic Cephalexin, Aqua-Cipro Forte, Aqua-Doxy, Aqua-Zole and Aqua-Zole Forte are not FDA-approved for their marketed use.

The letter also listed Aqua-Zithro, which is marketed for birds, as not FDA-approved."

these meds are tablet forms of

Amoxicillan
Cephalexin
Ciprofloxin
Doxycycline
azithromycin

also added to the list is a tablet form of Metronidazole (aqua-zole)

all of these medications were marketed by the mfg company as being human grade medications in their mfg practices.As pill format, they are a major issue I think to human abuse .
All of the above are critically important human antibiotics and really should not have been marketed towards fish in the first place,IMO.


Most commercial antibiotics we still have access to are not the above and come as pouches of powder.

example..
API General cure Doxycycline Hyclate, 250 mg .


api.jpg

I do think there is a growing concern among scientists and pathologists and Vets that abuse of and misuse of medications in the pet trade is detrimental to humans and needs to be better regulated.. but I think that at least in the USA, there will be a more gradual tightening of restrictions than elsewhere, simply because the pet trade is a huge business. Still it doesn't help the hobby at all when online experts recommend prophylactic treatments of antibiotics for new fish and regular periodic ones for possible bacterial infections. We need a more informed and educated approach to disease prevention and management than is currently the norm.
I would caution against mass panic and Hysteria and suggest a little more fact finding be done.

al

[jwcarlson]

Thanks for digging, Al, this certainly doesn't look to touch anything I've used over the years. The Everything Aquatic post was a bit too encompassing, perhaps... "fish stores will begin removing all antibiotics from their shelves".
I mean, maybe that's the case, but if this is a comprehensive list it seems like there's plenty of fish meds that aren't on the block (yet).

[brewmaster15]

Exactly. And there are ones like seachems polyguard which really probably will stay availible because its not really something we as humans would use..nor would animals in our food supply.

Theres some interesting info here...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/art...ter%20%5B32%5D.

Warning its a little science heavy.

Al