[theBCnut]

Now, I’m going to say something that sounds like the opposite of what others are telling you, but bear with me. NONE of those things caused the seizures. Epilepsy, diabetes, renal and/or liver failure, brain tumors, poisoning, these types of things cause seizures. Those other things only trigger seizures, but the underlying problem is already there.

Your dog need to be checked out to make sure the seizures are from epilepsy, because any other cause left untreated can kill your dog. If it is determined to be epilepsy, then chemical exposure, stress, and a number of other things can trigger the seizures. So as was mentioned, getting him off flea meds, heartworm meds, clearing out cleaning chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, scented candles, air freshners, etc. can reduce or even eliminate the seizures, so it’s important to do as much of that sort of thing as possible, especially early on when you can see if it is making a difference. Cleaning up the diet is really important too. Go natural as much as possible.

[Dori]

It may very well have been the topical flea tick meds. that have been known to trigger seizures in dogs. Also, what foods are you feeding your dog. I remember reading that some ingredients have to be avoided in dogs that get seizures. I’m sorry but I don’t recall what they are.

I do agree with Akari that it at minimum requires a call to the vet to let him know how many, how often and how long each seizure is lasting. Please start keeping a log of everything and anything you are feeding your dog. What’s happening in the hours preceding the seizures. Anything new happening in your environment inside and out. Have you changed cleaning products anywhere in the house. Are you burning candles. Are you using air fresheners. Anything new sprayed outside around your property. All this is needed information to determine what is going on. I would want to know all that first before putting him on meds for seizures but, of course, advise your vet of all the above. Write everything down before calling the vet. You made have made some change in his environment that is affecting him. Also, laundry detergent…is it scented??? Did you change laundry detergents or softeners? Anyone of these things could be triggering seizures.

[Dog_Obsessed]

You should take your dog to the vet ASAP to get checked out. If a dog has more than one seizure in a 24 hour period, it is known a seizure cluster and warrants an immediate vet trip. It is very unlikely this is actually life-thretentaning if the seizures are so short and he is fine afterward, but it is good to get him checked out. It is totally possible that the flea preventive could have caused it, though it is hard to know for sure. I would recommend switching him back to frontline, or talking to your vet about alternative preventions. Do not use any alternative preventions, such as garlic, without checking with your vet first. Garlic has the potential to cause problems if given in large amounts.

The vet will probably do blood work to check the Kidney(or liver, I forget) functions, and if those come back normal they may prescribe a medication like Phenobarbital. These meds often take several weeks to have full effect.

I once had a foster dog with Epilepsy, but he had Focal seizures instead of grand mal ones.

[Rebekah R]

Hi. I have a 2 year old male pit who had his first seizure 3weeks ago. It was out of the blue, while he was sleeping, grand mal. He was fine after and his vet said we should just watch him to see if he has anymore before doing anything else as far as testing or meds go. So, last night he had another one. And then a second this morning. Both while sleeping, grand mal. He’s fine once he comes out of them, but it’s heartbreaking and horrifying to watch. They last about 1 minute to 1.15.
I am writing in hopes of getting some help trying to figure out what could be causing them. I have my suspicions it’s the flea/heart guard meds. He was on heart guard and frontline plus for all his life, until he had the first one 3 weeks ago and I read that frontline could cause them. So we switched to what my other three take, advantage multi. last night he had his first dose….so I am completely wanting to blame the chemicals, and the internet is not helping their case much, but I just don’t know. We were trying to think of things that might have triggered them. Like we ran the vaccuum for a long period last night. We ran the dishwasher too. We also did a ton of laundry. He doesn’t really like the sounds of any of those things.
I just am looking for advice, info, help. As of right now, I want to take him off all meds and let him live without the poisons in his body. But being in the south I know he needs them.
Help.

[BeeBee]

Hi everybody, I gave my dog Bravecto at the beginning of November, and the other day found a bunch of ticks on her, and I am FURIOUS! I promised myself that I will never use anything for my dog unless I absolutely have to, the groomer said that she found few fleas, few people thought I was irresponsible for not regularly giving my dog prevention from anything and everything under the sun… So I decided to give it a try.
My dog has a sensitive stomach, I made sure she ate well before I gave it to her and she tolerated it well. No OBVIOUS side effects, but when I found couple of ticks 3 wks later, I was LIVID.

It is really difficult to get honest information. It is a new med and it is being pushed onto vets, who then push it on their customers… The only scientific info I found is a study from Australia stating that it is OK to use it with Scalibor…

From now on, my darling will get regular checks and hygiene, and if necessary local preparation, no long acting chemicals…
Thank you!

[Naturella]

Hey, guys! So, I am dog-sitting the dog that belongs to the family for whom I also babysit. Her name is Snowy, a shitzu-Maltese looking mix, maybe Lhasa Apso mix, don’t know, but it is one of those fluffy ones. She is adorable, incredibly submissive to humans, but likes her personal space when it comes to dogs. She is okay with Bruno as she is around his size (if she were a bit fitter, she would probably weigh as much as him) and has met him before, but I was worried that my roommate’s dog would eat her, lol… They had met once before but both were leashed and Snowy doesn’t like having her butt sniffed, so she growled at Casey and Casey growled back and Casey being around 60lbs I was worried that they wouldn’t get along. But, I brought her in, and they were both free (unleashed), with me and Casey’s alpha (my roommate) around and after the initial sniffing and slight fussing they were fine around each other. Casey is now in her room (my roommate’s room), and Snowy and Bruno are hanging out between my room and my bathroom. Bruno is being a tad of a bully and every time Snowy lays down on her bed that I brought from their house, he goes over there and tries to rub his smell on it, thus pushing her out, lol. She acts like a grumpy old lady (albeit only 4 years old) and fusses and leaves.

Now, I am so excited because I have permission to bathe Snowy tomorrow and I can’t wait to because she’s a tad smelly and also because I can condition her hair with my blend of oils and she will be soft, shiny, and smell good! I will also wash her bed tomorrow so it matches her cleanliness.

I have a question though – I have been in charge of her menu (foods) and feeding so far, but today one of the daughters had put a ton of food in Snowy’s bowl, and like a good piggy, Snowy ate it all! She ate at least a day and a half’s worth of food! I am really thinking about a giving her a fast day tomorrow, with a small breakfast just because I will be feeding Bruno sardines (Saturday is Sardines day!) and I want to split the can between them. I was going to give her just 1/4 cup of kibble and the 1/2 can of sardines and call it a day for her. Do you all think that would be okay? I would do that to Bruno if he overate one day.

Also, Snowy’s owners said that recently she had begun drinking a lot more water. And she does drink a lot! Doesn’t seem to have trouble holing it in (no excessive urination that I can tell), but is drinking a lot of water not a sign of diabetes? Should her owners be concerned if she’s not also excessively urinating? Or, is she just trying to stay well-hydrated even though I have been trying to feed her “soups” (kibble with water and coconut oil) for dinner every workday (M-F) for a couple of weeks now. The owner said the water drinking started before I switched her over to good food though. Before she was on Kibbles ‘N’ Bits, Beneful, Pedigree, and the like. Now she’s been on Dogswell LiveFree, Wysong Nurture with Quail (now), and I plan to put her on Earthborn next and I am so excited! I will try to get 4 Earthborns on sale and alternate them with some Pure Balance and Victor or whatever other deals I can find, lol. I want to get this pup to be healthy!

I also don’t know if they use any preventative as far as heartworm and other parasites go. She does get her rabies shot every 3 years. They don’t use anything against fleas and she used to have them bad in the summer. Oh, and remember how I said I thought her bumps were gone? Yeah, no, they’re still there, I found them again, and they are pretty hard and don’t move around. Each is on each of her sides, at the end of her ribcage. I wonder what they may be…

[Talia B]

You all have been fantastic in responding. She’s a golden, she has ear issues and is also allergic to fleas. When she is haVing a flea reaction we will find tumbleweeds of hair lying around from her scatching and the same occured when we had attemped to hide pills in pb.

[Marietta B]

I have been using it for over two years and have never seen a flea. I put it directly on my dog and I do it outside because it’s very dusty. I used to buy the food grade from a feed supply store, but now I just buy Only Natural Pet All In One Flea Remedy. It’s easier than buying a 50lb. bag from the feed store. My dog couldn’t tolerate any of the flea treatments from the vet. This has been a lifesaver!

[Cotons mom]

Anyone have experience with using this for flea control. Any down side to using it? Where can I get it if I do decide to use it?

Thanks

[Sarah Y]

my vet doesn’t feel titer tests are reliable yet either. I have one dog with an autoimmune disease that affects her nails. Our vet does feel that vaccines could trigger the disease so at least in her case, we only do the rabies (3 years and required by law). She had the vaccine a year before diagnosis so we can wait another year.

We vaccinated according to the protocol and now with all the things I hear, I get nervous about vaccines. After a discussion with our vet, we decided to just vaccinate with what could actually kill our dogs…rabies, distemper/parvo. That’s it. At least that’s what I remember we talked about. No more Leptospirosis or lyme disease vaccine especially since we make sure ours are on year round heart worm and flea/tick preventative.

[Naturella]

BCnut and Dori, thank you for taking the time to read through and answer my hidden question! I thought they are fatty formations too, but I didn’t think they could disappear like that! By the time they took her to the vet where she gets her grooming, they were gone and he had nothing to feel for! I am so happy that they trust and let me feed their dog as I see fit – I am very appreciative of it, and I try to be very cautious with what I buy for them, as long as it’s fairly good and a good deal. Basically I wouldn’t feed her something I wouldn’t feed Bruno. To my knowledge she has no known allergies (but she does have fleas and they use a topical… Yuck) but I prefer to give her grain free for as long as I can. The Wysong bag is not grain-free but I like the overall makeup of the food, so I hope she does well on it. I have also brought her a bunch of chews and she loved her lamb ear, and is now working on a stingray tail. She also has a split antler laying around. I am pretty excited she is responding so well to everything so far.

As for Zach, I don’t know much about bumps but I would do as the BCnut suggested. Just get them checked out.

[Susan]

Hi Lynn, is Bravecto a tablet or a spot on??? you mention Comfortis so Id say it’s a tablet, have you seen any problems with dogs that are very sensitive to tablets get ill from Bravecto….My boy doesnt do to well on any medications & vet adviced against Comfortis so are the ingredients the same as Comfortis & Trifexis….I even hate putting on the Frontline Plus spot on, I always check his paws after a walk as they are white & kill the flea as I dont have any fleas at home BUT I have a cat who brings home fleas, the vet said if you have a cat you’ll have fleas, do they make a tablet for cats, my cat has an iron stomach….

[Lynn B]

Hello,

I work in an animal hospital and can tell you that Bravecto has made an amazing impact in the US flea and tick market. It was launched in Europe last March and in the US in June. This product has the FDA’s approval and works amazingly well in fleas and ticks. Fleas start dying in 2 hours and ticjs are dead by 12 hours (faster than anything else on the market). Comfortis and Trifexis does not kill ticks at all and is more expensive per month.

Bravecto has already sold tens of millions in the US since June. The safety data is the most amazing. Bravecto even has a pregnant and lactating label which Most other flea and tick products do not have. (That reflects the safety of this product).

The best thing about the product is not only does it work super fast but it lasts 12 weeks. You only have to dose your dog 4 times a year! It is so easy with very little worries as a pet owner. Both my dogs use Bravecto, and I have been so surprised at how well it works.

No need to be weary with this product. We haven’t seen a flea and tick product with this kind of safety data in a long time. Plus, it’s economical. You can usually buy it from your vet for like $50 for 3 months. Buy 6 months and get $15 rebate. Net cost ends up around $85 for 6 months!!

[Tammy C]

Kristin,
That and pheasant is what I am trying next. There is some great information regarding food and environmental allergies. She’s only developed these allergies in the last year. She’d been allergic to fleas but it has evolved into so much more.

[Victoria W]

So I thought I would give an update……the choco lab with the skin allergies is doing better still not 100% but better.Unfortunately they have only been fed a good food ( pure balance ) 1.5 months and since my uncle picked up ole roy this weekend to replace the dwindling bag of pb I guess my hope of them having seen the improvement with the food change was unrealistic. I now feed all the dogs coconut oil on top of their kibble and I stocked up on sardines from the local Aldis. Currently they each get 3 sardines every meal and 1 or 2 raw eggs cracked over their food at supper. I bought a small bottle of the malasab to use on all of the “itchy” dogs and it helped…until it ran out 🙁 I brush all the dogs every night and I’m doing my best to keep them clean and as flea free as possible ( since they are hunting dogs who routinely go out into the woods this is proving very hard to do ). All the dogs seem happy and are at least recovering some of their hair. My other concern is that the black lab 8 y.o. and the golden retriever 4 y.o. both have lost almost all their teeth, I mean they have worn them down to the point that all that is left of some is the red inside part and they are even with their gum line and their canine teeth are only half left ….I don’t know how long theyve been like this but I’ve been with them for 7 mo. now and I can only assume they have had no teeth ( maybe from all their chewing on themselves ) for several years now. It looks so painful and Im worried its a way for dieseases to enter into their bloodstream. Their vet says its no big deal but what Ive found online says this is something that should be taken care of immeadately. I think its also the reason they are lethargic, they just dont feel good. I see a bleak road ahead and if you have any advice I can pass on and implement while I am here I would again greatly appreciate it.

[Tina B]

I have a female great dane and she was well under weight when I got her, and she also was full of parasites and worms. She scratched some and she used to take Trifexis too. My vet said that the medication could be reacting differently to her than it does to other dogs, or that it is too strong. I switched her to Sentinel Plus which is way better than Trifexis because it covers all worms including tape worms, plus it prevents flea eggs, and fleas, as well as killing existing ones. It comes in a chewable beef tablet too. I also fed her chicken, potatoes, and a lot of bread and milk daily. I feed her Purina Pro Plan Savor (chicken & rice) puppy blend. It comes in small bits instead of adult big kind. She loves it. She is very, very picky 🙂 It worked for my dog so hopefully it would yours too. Hope that this can help…..

[Dog_Obsessed]

Thanks! The time the vet said she thought Lily was having allergies it actually turned out to be fleas. (Apparently the frontline plus wasn’t working.) We have since changed to Activyl which took care of the problem, though she had a few more fleas 4 weeks later right before the next dose. She has still been sort of itchy though, which promoted us to think it might be allergies. The vet initially prescribed an anti-hisimine, which we chose not to use because she had recently been on antibiotics for an anal gland issue (one reason the vet suspected allergies.) and wanted to see how she would do without any medication for a few days. Then, we figured out the problem was fleas, and so we decided not to use the antihistamine at all. We also changed her food, from TOTW Wetlands to Lotus Grain-free Duck. She still seems somewhat itchy, mostly on her face.

On a side note, I just realized how much I use parentheses. Somehow I never noticed that before.

[theBCnut]

Gideon used to pin Buddy to the floor and clean his ears. Micah won’t allow it, but Gideon can flea bite him.

[Akari_32]

Sorry to hear about your ferret, Patty! They are such funny little guys! Not for me, though. They’d drive me nuts lol My moms friends used to live with us for a while and they had two ferrets, Flea and Pip. Pip would get up in the Christmas tree, in a bald spot about eye level and just watch everyone walk by, and Flea had a tunnel going through the stuffing of the couch *rolls eyes* But they pooped EVERYWHERE! They had their cage open all the time but they didn’t care. They’d pick the nearest corner, back in and lift their tails. Naughty little brats! Not sure whatever happened to them…

[Edwina M]

My neighbor found a starved 6mth old Great Dane Puppy last Friday on the side of the road where there are many deep woods. He and I both RN’s but he is working and I am not so we are caring for him.

His coat is good, no fleas, no mange, his eyes bright and his ears clean but of course truly a skeleton looks like my mom said she did after 3.5 years in POW camps. It has only been a week and the space between his hindquarters is filling in not touching anymore. He is eating well and all functions are normal regarding to toileting. He is exceptionally smart and he is clean with his toileting.

The problem is his balance is kapoot. He is now hopping off on his hind quarters, his front quarters still have muscle from pulling himself along I suppose. We are wondering if he will ever walk again and when he is stronger we have a Vet to take him to. She said at this point he needs rest and the food, vitamins etc we are giving him is substantial. We are concerned that he won’t ever walk normally and it hurts us deeply. Since it has only been a week we will most certainly give it time and then see what the Vet says.

He is a wonderful dog and he would make a wonderful companion for someone. We can not possibly keep him, we have a small home and a small backyard and we already have two little dogs and several inside cats and several outside cats. We took all cats to Vets and fixed them when we first moved here. No more stray kittens around this area. We are willing to spend the money and time on this beautiful animal but hope to find a loving home eventually.

Please tell me about serious neurological damage that can come from starvation. He was on the brink of death never saw an animal in this shape. He is strong in the AM but by nightfall when we bring him in from his huge run cage he is falling over and not able to control his hind quarters.

Thank you.

[Susan]

Hi Charli, you did a wonderful thing buying the pup, I think I would of done the same thing, she’s probably lucky to get away, poor dog that was left behind, it probably was her mum, thats not true that Pittys don’t do well on chicken, it can be any protein a dog can have food sensitivities too, but its rare…. if that were the case, then how come most dog foods will have chicken in them, normally it will be grains a dog cant tolarate… My staffy cant eat potaotes, sweet potatoes & wheat, he starts to scratch & gets a rash on his chest & tummy & then diarrhea from boiled potatos.. normally food intolances happen around 9 months old, not at 8 weeks old, give her a nice bath in a mild puppy shampoo & rinse her real well… also did she have any fleas?? or is she lying on the grass…..My boy lays like a frog on the grass & sometimes gets these little red spots rash on his chest & tummy area, I rub some Sudocrem on the rash & it goes away… Sudocrem is a baby nappy rash cream, I also put it on his paws, cause he gets red sore paws when we walk on wet grass or if its been raining, I put a heap of Sudoocrem on his paws so it repells the water…Good-Luck with baby…

[Ry K]

I’ll definitely start keeping track of his day to day – that’s a great tip.

I virtually bathe in coconut oil myself, so I’ll definitely start applying it to him topically or even adding a bit to his food.

Another person just mentioned to me that it may be fleas. I made a 50/50 apple cider vinegar and water mix and sprayed him today – hoping that will help. He’s really not that bad lately to be honest – it’s always so hard to tell why it gets worse and then goes away.

I don’t add any carbs like sweet potatoes to his diet – the raw food comes with the proper vegetable ratio already added into it. I never considered yeast – definitely another possibility.

Thanks again – great info!

[Susan]

Hi Ryan, when he was going really well, was he eating what he is eating now when he’s scratching or have you added something new to his diet, also fleas maybe a flea has bitten him, some dogs are allergic to the fleas salvia, one bite & they go mad with scratching…I’d start an elimination diet, I’d start again, just 1 protein & 1 low carb for 2 weeks & see how he goes, then if he’s not scratching start slowley adding back everything your feeding him now, every 3-4 days, add 1 new food, then you’ll see what food or oil or powder is making him itch, my boy starts scratching within 2 days when I added a new food that he was allergic too, as soon as I stopped the food (potato & sweet potato) the itch stopped within 2days, also were you adding the green powder & kelp when he was doing really well, I’d keep a diary & every night write what he ate, where you walked, what you did that day with him, then you can look back 6months or 2 weeks & see if there’s a pattern if he starts his scratching again when he’s doing better…. winter is coming, so if its environment allergies he should get better in the winter, it drives me mad.. but it will be something simple, real little that can be causing the itch.. have you tried Malaseb Medicated shampoo it kills any bacteria on the skin but doesnt strip the good oils from their skin, its very good shampoo for itchy skin..

[Akari_32]

I have a dog with the exact same problem. Not only was he extremely allergic to everything blooming here in southern Florida, as well as fleas, but he’s also got over active yeast on his skin. We had to cut as many carbs as possible out of his diet for him to clear up, and even then, you can’t avoid a dog (especially not a terrier) from going in the grass.

We first put him on By Nature 95% canned food, and now he’s on See Spot Live Longer raw. He still breaks out when it rains and the grass shoots up and grows like crazy and pollinates, but it’s Florida, and there’s no preventing that. He did have himself chewed bald from his ribs back, and we finally have him down to chewing just his feet after rainy days.

[Jessica S]

Hi everyone,

Can anyone provide more information on their experience with heartworm prevention specifically. I’ve taken our dog off of Trifexis. I’m looking at other flea/tick alternative but my main concern is heartworm prevention at the moment. I was considering Heartguard Plus. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[MelSnowy]

Yes, agreed – I don’t use any more of the Seresto Collar with severe sfx as well as any ‘topicals’. I use FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous Earth, a natural tick (including deer tick) and flea prevention and rub into my dogs fur. Non-toxic and edible! WORKS GREAT!!!

[theBCnut]

Yes, the flea med can do that.

[Susan]

Hi Ringohop, why I asked about how long after eating does she vomit her kibble, is my boy was vomiting up his kibble 6-8 hours after eating it & it still wasnt digested, so I had to change his kibble, vet said a lower fat & a low residue kibble, he was put on the Vet Prescription Diet Eukanuba Intestinal & the vomiting stopped, but he did get Pancreatitis from the kibble being too high in fat it was 19% fat, now he eat kibbles with fat% from 10%-13.6% fat, I feed the Wellness Simple Lamb & Oatmeal limited ingredients for breakfast & lunch & his Eukanuba Intestinal for dinner & he hasnt vomited these kibbles fingers X…. I’d feed wet tin food if I could for breakfast but he has very sloppy poos, so now I found a couple of tin foods where the fat% is 0.3% & 1% fat & I’m trying them with the Wellness Simple kibble for breakfast & his poos are good as long as I mix with his kibble…I mite try with no kibble next week & see if his poos are sloppy again since Ive lowered the fat% so his poos should be good..
When I used the Advantage spot on once, Patch vomited blood about 8 hours after apply it & his side of his face swelled up, by the time I realised & rung his vet the 24hr bad period was over, so vet said no more Advantage as the Advantage goes thru the layers of their skin to their blood, his Vet recommended Frontline Plus spot or the Frontline spray, as the Frontline Plus Spot on only goes thru 2 layers of their skin & he’s was OK on the Frontline Plus…Ive heard that some flea & tick collars can make their dogs ill…
I looked up the Dr Tim Kenesis & the fat min-16% so max fat is probably around 17%-18% max, it mite be a bit high, try a lower fat kibble & see if the vomiting stops, it stopped my boys vomiting….

[ringohop]

Would flea and tick meds cause this? I applied frontline plus. She seems to be more lazy/sleepy the last couple of days but when she’s up and running around she acts fine.

[crazy4cats]

BDog- Wow! You did do great. The Innova and Canidae cans were a steal! Akari is rubbing off on you! Yes, I’m happy about my kitty’s turnaround. It must have been too much change for her. She’s never been away from home in her life. Except for 3 or 4 days up in trees in her younger years! I can’t help but always wonder about previous pets. I really wish I knew as much then as I do now. I feel like a couple of them could have lived longer. I guess that is just how it is in many aspects of life though.
My sister is coming around a bit with her dog . He is getting a few eggs a week, yogurt and some fish oil. She tried a little canned and it gave him explosive diarrhea. Her boyfriend got a little mad and told her just to only give him kibble from now on. I wish she would have asked me about canned first. She tried Merrick right off the bat when he’d never had any before. She probably should have started with a little lower level food. I hope she continues to try and improve his diet. And doesn’t let the set back stop her quest. They are still battling fleas a bit, however.
We have today off and are probably going to take the canine boys for a ride. Maybe even a dog park! They love them so much. But I’m so nervous about them “picking” up any cooties. We have been clean for a while now! Have a great day!

[Mom2Cavs]

Wellness has their Simple line, which I like. I am using their Simple Small Breed formula with my Cavaliers. It is Salmon based and the only flavor, atm, in the Simple Small Breed line. The regular Simple line has other flavors, but not all of them are grain free so you would need to check.

I also top my dogs’ kibble with canned food. I use Wellness, they have a 95% line that is just meat. I use other brands at times. Right now I am using Freshpet Vital, a lightly cooked food that is grain free and comes in roll form. I chop it into chunks and top their kibble with it, and add in their probiotics, fish oil and a little water. Not a speck left in their bowls. They do have some that are limited, the Turkey, Beef and Bison, and Whitefish rolls. I alternate flavors with the dogs.

I have two dogs that seem to have flea allergy dermatitis, and one of them also has mild food allergies as well. I am also using an allergy chew from Vet Classics (I bought at my holistic vet), but you can buy it online and also from Naturvet (same company). These have quercitin, colostrum and other things that seem to be helping them, too. Right now all are doing well…..hope I didn’t just jinx us, lol!

• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Mom2Cavs.
• This reply was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by Mom2Cavs.

[Nancy C]

I had a very scary experience. Our GSD dog ( approx16 mos old) in March had had bad diarrhea from transitioning OFF TOW to Origen, then Acana. Spent lots of $ at vet for cure. A week later the dog had gotten back to normal. The vet did a “well check” w thumbs UP and on the way out I bought the Solesto HORRIBLE Collar. Everyone at the vet was raving and the vet herself told me it would probl be better than an oral flea/ tick med due to his sensitive stomach. So I BOUGHT IT and they put it on.

Within 24 hours this dog was so sick. He was literally CRYING in the crate and scratching the door to get out and poop total syrup. One night he woke me three times scratching and crying AND MOANING with discomfort. This was over the weekend. I put him on broth and no changes. Back to the vet on Monday COLLAR STILL ON. Long horrible story short: I finally realized it was the collar! I yanked it off and within 24 hours he was much better. I called Bayer, had to “work it” bec nobody wanted to refund me. I finally got my money back. The VET TECH secretly told me that the rep told HER that they have had a LOT OF TROUBLE with that collar!

It’s not for everyone.

[InkedMarie]

Find a new vet! I only use Bug Off a Garlic for fleas & ticks.

[MelSnowy]

I, too, am very afraid of using topicals for fleas and ticks, especially with bad sdx from Seresto Collar. After much research, found FOOD GRADE and FOOD GRADE only stated on package: Diatomaceous Earth, which is also edible, (again make sure stated on package) – just rub into dogs and cats fur and will prevent fleas and even deer ticks …and will kill those already attached. Very easy to use – used a 1/2 cup of this powder on my large breed puppy rubbing it into coat, avoiding eyes. Just FYI. Hope this helps! Read package diligently as some DE has chemicals in it for other purposes.

Melinda and Snowy

[MelSnowy]

Hello, All – has anybody used a Seresto flea and tick collar on their animals? At 6 months my large breed pup was per vet, given a Seresto collar to use. After 3 days of use and at 3 different times over a month, my pup would do a little dance in front of me, lunge at my face and ear trying to bite me and biting puncture wounds on my arms..Talking to my vet, she wanted to put my puppy down. I refused! Went to a specialist seeing if this was a behavioral or neurological issue, as my puppy always has been so very loving and gentle. It was deemed as Neurological. I removed the Seresto collar immediately and it’s been 3 months with NONE of these issues. I called Corporate, Bayer, as I had seen many posts regarding the same sfx. Bayer said they would report it to FDA..”had to as reported by Law” Corporate lied to me. I contacted FDA and they returned a very nice email and said, “Not covered by FDA, but EPA! I’ have tried to contact EPA with no luck. Any help or other comments would be appreciated! Thank you and Woof-Woof!

[crazy4cats]

Hi Ktistin-
I started giving my dogs fresh garlic three times a week to help get rid of giardia along with a few other holistic remedies. They had no side effects and I believe it was detrimental in finally ridding them of parasites. Since then, I’ve learned that it can help with repelling fleas. So, in June I started giving them the Springtime Bug Off garlic granules. Fleas have been bad this year and I’ve not found one on either of my dogs and they are outside all day. I did however give them each a smaller than recommended dose of Advantage as well in July and September. My neoghbor’s dogs have been covered even with using the spot on flea meds. I’m a believer, but I only give about half the recommended dosage of the Bug Off because I’m still cautious of some of the worries others have. Welcome to DFA and have a great day!

[Bobby dog]

LOL, Diamond foods look great IMO, and they are everywhere, but I just can’t bring myself to feed it after being caught up in an earlier re-call of theirs.

I happen to be on-line looking for some low carb, GF, and potato free canned food options for my dog who is a little itchy for some reason right now. I am having flash-backs to his terrible time with yeasty/flea dermatitis skin. Don’t know if it’s yeast making a come back, but I am not taking any chances for his sake! 🙂

[Akari_32]

Well guys, looks like we’re keeping her LOL After talking with mom, it appears she doesn’t think anyone is capable of caring for her like we do *rolls eyes* I told her the lady with the Dachshund rescue wanted her, and that she had a few other dogs as well, and she came back with “well, she’s old right? I read they only live to be 16, so she’s on her last leg!” (Of course to that I came back with how large dogs, like my 130 pound rott mix, usually only live to be 8 or so, and he’s going on 11 this coming march). And she’s also looking at a pink cage for her XD

Last night I fell asleep on the couch, and then dragged off to bed later, and Ginger plopped down on some blankets on the floor. I told mom to put her in her bed in the closet but she insisted that she would sleep right there all night and not move. Of course, I’m half asleep, so I’m not going to argue with her and get all woke up again. Then at 2 am this morning, I hear Ginger crying, and think “oh she must need to go potty” and turned the flashlight on on my phone and got up to take her out. Well, she did need to go potty, but certainly didn’t wait for me! Peed all over my carpet. At least she has just done it, so it came up easy. Needless to say, her little butt went in the closet for the rest of the night. Then she woke me up again at 8:30 crying, so I crawled out of bed, found some shoes and took her out. She didn’t waste any time going pee when we got out there. Then she promptly came inside and drank water till she threw up. Gross dog lol Mom gave her a bunch of crap yesterday (sausage and French toast), so hopefully that’s all out of her system now and she won’t do it again.

I guess I need to get her on some flea meds now (she can share the lufenuron with the cat, I suppose), and see about getting those talons cut and getting her bathed. Also need to pick a few more dog bowls, and make a place for the collection of bowls we have now LOL

[DogFoodie]

Hi Jennifer,

The yeast (Malassezia) infection is secondary to the seborrhea. The seborrhea could be the result of a medical issue (like thyroid) or allergies, either environmental (flea bite dermatitis) or food related. If it were thyroid related, you might see issues related to weight loss or gain, as well.

First, I’d like to ask some questions: about how old do you think she is; how long have you had her; did she have the condition when you adopted her; has it ever improved or gotten worse (do you know what caused the change); how long has she been eating the Purina and has she ever eaten anything else? How are her stools?

Without knowing the answers to those questions, my first thought is that changing foods is such an easy way to see if that’s the culprit, that it’s worth trying.

I would choose a simple grain free food that contains a single animal protein. I would choose a protein that your dog hasn’t eaten. She’s been eating lamb, so maybe try something like duck or rabbit. Look for a food that that doesn’t contain other high histamine ingredients like tomato. I would avoid fish oils, in the event that fish is a problem as fish oil, in theory shouldn’t contain protein, but it isn’t a guarantee; same goes for chicken fat. Chicken is a common problem ingredient, so I might avoid all fowl for right now. Look for something that contains none of the ingredients she’s getting now.

I’d recommend Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet in either duck or rabbit. Some other good limited ingredient foods are Zignature, Back to Basics, Wellness and Earthborn Holistics. I’m not a huge fan of Natural Balance or California Natural, but both are affordable.

Figuring out food allergies or intolerance, is very time consuming and can be very frustrating. Keep notes on what you’re feeding and how she reacts to it and be patient, give the new food time to work. A true elimination diet is a lot of work and can be very challenging to do. Feeding a limited ingredient food is easier and keep in mind that treats can be problematic as well.

[Akari_32]

When I tried frontline, I saw fleas litterally crawling over the application site. It’s pretty much useless these day. I’m having great results using Little City Dogs brand lufeneron (sp?). You can buy it on Amazon, or through LittleCityDogs.com $25 treats a cats and medium dogs for a year, and $50 for large dogs. It’s the same ingredient in Sentinel and Program, and is extremely safe, even at high doses. My cat even takes it as a treat out of his food (it’s a chicken or beef flavored cap). After using every available on the market here in FL, it’s the only thing I can get to work, with the exception of Trifexis, which really bothers me with the all the problems it has, and I took my dogs off.

[InkedMarie]

Just bumping this up…I don’t use flea stuff so I’m no help but hopefully someone will see this.

[Ly]

First I was using Parastar. He got fleas like 2 months ago. After the Parastar I tried the Seresto Collar. He didn’t like it and I didn’t like it, so I just tried Frontline Plus 2 weeks ago. I walk him over 3 miles a day (he’s a 8 month old yorkie). He was biting himself a little bit yesterday after our walk. I investigated and found nothing. I was doing my daily grooming/brushing today (on a table with a white pillow case under him) and a little bit of flea dirt fell-just a little bit. I tested it with the paper towel and sprayed it and smeared it, it was flea dirt. Is this something I should worry about? Did the Frontline Plus not work either? Why is he a flea magnet? I get him groomed every 4 weeks and keep his hair short. Oh and he’s also on Sentinel so I don’t have to worry about the eggs….right?
Can anyone suggest why I’m having such bad luck or maybe this is normal. And what flea and tick prevention I should use? I was thinking Comfortis for fleas, but then I would need something for ticks. Or just keep using Frontine Plus?

• This topic was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Ly.

[vfs]

Hi everyone,

My Annamaet Grain-Free Salcha Poulet Formula Dry and Wet Dog Food arrived 3 days ago and Ive been mixing Science Diet dry and wet with the new food until he gets used to Annamaet only. Lenny has been eating it however I noticed that his lower back has becoming very sensitive. He always loved when we used to scratch his lower back area but now its different. It seems very sensitive, very itchy. He is scratching his eyes too, but not too often. Just by touching his lower back, he already “jumps out” and kind of ask for us to scratch it. Long story short, something its different and Im not sure if it could be by the new food. Should I get back to Science Diet only and see if Annamaet is the one causing irritation on his skin? Another thing that it might have affected: About a week ago, my husband found a flea on him. I religiously use once a month Advantage or Advantix and I was surprised about the flea. I ended up applying Advantage as soon as we found out about the flea (this was 3 weeks after I applied Advantix on August). So I`m very confused if his skin irritation could be caused by the flea or food. Any advice? Thanks a bunch.

[Nancy C]

Hi Stacey – this can be a difficult mystery. Check out my post that I just sent (near the top of the page) under “ZiwiPeak” — as an idea. Last spring my vet thought our GSD’s digestive problem “Might Be” EPI. Turned out it was due to a SOLESTO flea collar which was making him terribly sick with some of the standard symptoms of EPI. The food I discuss there is highly digestible. Good luck. Don’t give up! There is a solution somewhere, but the food is definitely part of it.

[Lucky22124]

My dog had a horrible reaction to vaccines earlier this year. The good thing was that I didn’t get very far with her & was able to rush her back in for treatment. They said that in the future they would give her pre-med before vaccinating her, but we got a second opinion just to be sure. The new vet said that other than rabies every three years, it’s too risky to vaccinate my dog because the reaction will be worse each time. So now we can’t really bring her into places like petsmart because of the risk of contracting parvovirus or bordatella.

She gets the heartworm preventative every month, but I don’t put flea medicine on her. She’s never had fleas in her whole life. We check her for ticks when we go to parks or other places where she might get them. I just always had a hard time applying the flea meds, which is why I stopped using it.

I think people should vaccinate their dogs if it’s safe to do so, but some dogs are allergic, and in that case, they shouldn’t vaccinate. It was our vets advice to not vaccinate our dog, and after almost losing her to the last vaccine reaction, I’m okay with that. I just have to be extra careful with my dog now.

[Dori]

Sorry T. I don’t use Frontline or any topicals on the dogs. IMO it’s just too much insecticide for my little girls what with them being on Sentinel the first of every month. Above I meant to say that I’ve been living in Georgia a little over 12 years and no fleas. We also used to live in Cape Cod before that and they never got fleas there either. You must be walking your dog in an area where there are a lot of fleas maybe. Could you change where you walk your dog and see if that helps. I don’t use flea collars either. I hate those. Unfortunately living in Georgia they’re on Sentinel 12 months of the year.

[Ly]

My dog is on Sentinel as well. So he got fleas, and the Parastar didn’t kill the adult fleas. But since I’m on Sentinel I have nothing to worry about because it’ll kill the eggs? Is that right? So I tried Frontline Plus. I waited 24 hours, and the next day we went outside for a short walk and came home. He laid down and started biting his paw. I jumped up and grabbed the flea and tick comb and he had a flea on him. But prior to that he’s been good for days without any fleas or flea dirt on him. He just got him from our short walk. He’s like a magnet. My friends don’t think that normal. I’m a little concerned. Should I be? I thought maybe it was me and putting the topical stuff on. Maybe I don’t do it well enough. Hence the research and finding a chewable alternative. He’s a yorkie. I get him groomed every 4 weeks and keep his hair short. It’s too short to separate to apply it, but at the same time it’s like long and it seems to just go all over his hair. That’s why my vet said to use the Seresto Flea and Tick Collar. He hated it and I didn’t care for it either. After a few days I went out and bought the frontline plus and put that on him.
At least it will be winter soon and I won’t have to worry about fleas.

[Dori]

I’ve been using Sentinel for my dogs for years and years with never an issue of any sort. Knock on wood!

I wouldn’t try Bravecto, it’s just too new a product and lasts too long. Also the group of vets I see are all in consensus about new products. They like products to be around awhile to get a better feel for efficacy and side effects. I’ll stick with Sentinel. We’ve never had a dog with HW. We’ve also never had a dog with fleas and that’s saying something considering we’ve been living in Georgia for a little over Georgia. The South is pretty well known for HW and an over abundance of fleas and Mosquitos.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by Dori.

[Akari_32]

Hey guys. I’m currently interning with a vet that is very excited about Bravecto. He says it’s the same as NexGuard, only it lasts longer. I’ve not personally explored it myself, but he seems to be liking it. He believes in a “why use it if you don’t have to” approach to veterinary medicine, but living in Florida, you cannot skimp on flea control.

That said, such a new product is a bit worrisome. Especially a product that’s got such a high dose of flea meds that it’s lasts three months. However, if it’s what works for you and your dog, go for it. I’m taking my dogs off Trifexis (Comfortis plus heartworm preventive) because it really bothers me, especially with my oldest dog.

For just fleas, I really like Little City Dogs (a sort of generic Program pill). Its safe even at extreme over doses, and it’s new enough that fleas are not yet immune to it, yet the active ingredient (lufenuron) is well known enough not to be sketchy. Not to mention, it’s extremely affordable, at just $25-80 a year for cats and dogs of all sizes.

http://littlecitydogs.com/smallpetfleacontrol.html?

I will be trying Sentinel this go around as my new alternative to Trifexis. It’s $90 for a whole year for my 60 lb lab mix. Seems like a safer and MUCH cheaper alternative.

[2nd2none]

^ same here. when it comes to chemicals and my dogs, less is more. years ago i was diligent about using a monthly preventative until one of my dogs tested positive for lyme. the vet i worked for said parasites can build up a resistance to the active ingredients in most products and that changing products, thereby the active ingredient, will help to prevent this. i, however chose to discontinue them all and went with a spray for fleas: ACV=1 cup to 1 qt of h2o, mixed together in a spray bottle, then sprayed onto each dog. for ticks, since mine are all short haired i just check them and remove any i see. if your dogs are outside dogs add some DE to the dirt. fleas despise it. it’s been 6 years now with no chemical products and ALL my dogs are still parasite free.

• This reply was modified 11 years, 3 months ago by 2nd2none.