If there is any veterinary drug that has been vilified, particularly on the Internet, it is Rimadyl, which is sold under the generic name carprofen. Critical sites abound, including the cheesy www.rimadyldeath.com. Part of a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs, carprofen was identified as the cause of liver toxicity documented in 21 dogs in a 1998 Colorado State University study.

That said, Rimadyl reactions are “relatively infrequent – approximately two out of 10,000 pets treated, according to the latest numbers reported by Pfizer,” which manufactures the drug, says Dominic Marino, chief of staff at Long Island Veterinary Specialists in Plainview, N.Y. His specialty practice dispensed more than 30,000 doses of Rimadyl in 2007 – with no reported cases of toxicity.