This is a report from
Best Friends Feral Cat Program
http://network.bestfriends.org/feral...ews/27553.html
Latest Sterilization Drug Claims Are Cause for Alarm
July 26, 2008 : 4:53 PM
Alliance for Contraception in Cats and Dogs weighs in on FeralStat™
July 24, 2008
Statement on FeralStat™
ACC&D is eager to support and advance safe and effective means of controlling feral cat populations. We are always looking for new contraceptive approaches that have promise for meeting animal welfare objectives.
When we heard recently about a new product called FeralStat being prescribed for feral cat contraception, we immediately began gathering information for review by our scientific advisors. We’ll share a comprehensive position in the next couple of weeks. Until then, we offer this preliminary statement:
FeralStat sounds like a dream come true. Remember the old saying, if something looks too good to be true, it probably is (not true)? Unfortunately, based on our initial review, ACC&D has concerns about both the safety and efficacy of FeralStat.
The active ingredient in FeralStat is megestrol acetate. This is the same active ingredient which was in Ovaban for dogs. In numerous studies over three decades, this drug, like other progestins, has been found to pose serious health risks in cats, including diabetes mellitus, mammary swelling and tumors, uterine disease, pyometra, and skin disorders. Megestrol acetate is not now, nor has it ever been, approved by the FDA for use in cats.
There do not appear to be any controlled studies of FeralStat that show that it is either safe or fully effective at the dose used. We have no information that FeralStat has gone through any formal review process.
Because FeralStat is given as a food additive for outdoor cat colonies, there is no way to control the amount of the drug each cat ingests, or to prevent wildlife or owned pets from consuming the drug.
While we continue our thorough review, ACC&D cannot recommend the use of FeralStat because of serious unanswered questions about safety and efficacy.
To learn more about non-surgical pet contraception and to find out how you can help, please visit
www.acc-d.org. You can also contact us at
info@acc-d.org or 503-358-1438/503-310-4265 with questions.