[Susan W]

Hi Melissa, I am sorry about your dog. Please come to the Facebook group called Does Bravecto Dogs? You’re not the first to report aggression and a dog after this medication. It was actually an article about the potential risks from this in the WashingTon Post. There are numerous members reporting bad side effects including prolonged G.I. problems including diarrhea. Please come to the group. We are trying to make sure that all side effects get reported to the manufacturer Merck and the FDA

[Koa B]

DIARRHEA! Did not have this side affect with the once a month pill , and just gave pup Bravecto , got it for free from friend. We do not like it! Runny diarrhea stooles and dog seems uncomfortable with it, wish I could undo it and not looking forward to the next 3 months. Do the once a month pills (forget the name) if your going to do anything.
– Koa Hauna Breath

[Susan]

Hi Koa, It’s Spring in Australia & the fleas are here already, last year wasn’t as bad as this year….I’ve been doing research on the net & asking people what flea product they use & no one uses Bravecto it’s too strong, it last 3 months, A few people in Australia recommend NexGard made by Frontline ….NexGard was tested on dogs over 8 years & seems to have less side effect or no side effects, I suppose it all depends on your poor dog, if the diarrhea persist see vet or email Bravecto & ask for help….also make a complaint to Bravecto maybe they will change their ingredients & make a monthly chew that wont have as many side effects….

[anonymously]

ADVERSE REACTIONS: The most common adverse reactions recorded in clinical trials were vomiting, decreased appetite, diarrhea, lethargy, polydipsia, and flatulence. For complete safety information, refer to product label.

CAUTION: Federal (U.S.A.) law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.
Available by veterinary prescription only.

For technical assistance or to report a suspected adverse drug reaction, contact
Merck Animal Health at 1-800-224-5318. Additional information can be found
at http://www.bravecto.com. For additional information about adverse drug experience
reporting for animal drugs, contact FDA at 1-888-FDA-VETS or online at
http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/ SafetyHealth.

PS: I would consult a veterinarian and have the dog examined if symptoms continue.
Not sure if Bravecto would have any liability, as based on the information you have provided, the preventive was not specifically prescribed for your dog (correct me if I’m wrong).

[anonymously]

Dosing Information of Fluralaner for Dogs
Medication should never be administered without first consulting your veterinarian. The dose of Bravecto™ for preventative flea control is administration of the product every 12 weeks throughout the flea season and every 8 to 12 weeks through tick season. Bravecto™ should be administered with food to maximize effectiveness. Treatment can begin any time of year but should ideally begin 1 month prior to flea or tick season. The duration of administration depends on the condition being treated, response to the medication and the development of any adverse effects. The manufacturer suggests monthly treatments to protect against flea re-infestation. Be certain to complete the prescription unless specifically directed by your veterinarian. Read more at: https://tr.im/tPTdl

[LadyJane]

We stopped ALL flea medications years ago. Our dog started having seizures whether oral or liquid drops on her coat. The vets said it wasn’t worth the risk. She is an inside dog, however does go out on occasion. We clean and vacuum regularly, wash her bedding, get her groomed and it seems to be working for her.

[Dori]

LadyJane. Glad to hear all you are doing. I stop flea, tick and heart worm meds quite some time ago. I also no longer have them vaccinated. They are all on raw healthy diets and are all healthier than they ever were. Blood tests always come back great. My three are homebodies also. Their excursions to the outside world are on our own property and on occasion to the vet where I carry them in and out.

[Jenn H]

Just a quick side note regarding the collars like Seresto.
Be very careful about where your dog wears them. I think they are very effective and found it to be a great alternative for a sick dog I had that I was leery about using other products on. However, I have a GSD who runs around a farm all day. While this would be the most convenient option for her, it’s a fatal option for other wildlife.
She is such a waterdog and doesn’t miss an opportunity to jump in the ponds and water jumps. Frogs, turtles, fish, birds also enjoy these areas. The chemicals on the collar have been known to get into the water and kill the things that live there.
In short, if you let your dogs swim where other wildlife live these collars are not a good choice.

[Jenn H]

This is a very interesting and important topic. Having GSDs that I have at the farm and take to many outside places I’m always looking for something with the best results and least amount of chemicals and side effects.
Here in New England ticks are relentless and pretty much a threat year round. I have used Intercepter & Advantix for yrs with great results. When my girl gets fleas I use Capstar and spray Adam’s on everything. I even spray her with a horse fly spray that is also safe for dogs. She’s out in woods and water so much that it’s a constant fight to keep ticks off of her.
When Intercepter was temporarily discontinued I went back to Sentinal. No complaints.
Admittedly I haven’t been as vigilant using the preventatives since my girl ended up with Lyme anyway despite the randomly effective vaccine and all other preventions.
I have heard that ACV is a great, natural alternative. I just can’t stomach the smell so I haven’t tried it.
I’ll be following this thread closely as I’m always open to trying something new & improved with the least chance of harm to the animal.

[Shirley B]

I own several dogs, all of the same breed, parents are screen genetically prior to mating, all of which are not known to have kidney disorders. All had perfect blood work ups prior to using Bravecto. My youngest (under 3 yrs of age) became ill two months after taking Bravecto. Kidney failure. I am watching her undergo dialysis for the second week now. The other two, have also been tested for blood. A second one, also under age 3, has elevated BUN levels, indicative of potential for Kidney complications. The third one came up clean, thank heavens I may not lose him. I just sobbed as I wrote that, and he looked over at me.

I didn’t want to come on the message boards, but I owe it to others who could lose their sweet precious babies.

What happened is this: I wanted to switch to what was a gentler flea application. A vet told me yes this was it. Fool that I am, I didn’t research side effects. They are posted all over the web. How dare this company not pull the product, to prevent death to our sweet dogs. However, once I gave them these tablets, I did research, for one threw up in 30 mins. I felt sick to my stomach reading the reports. My husband said relax, most likely nothing. Two months later we were looking healthy and enjoying life, balls, playing, and all of a sudden my sweet girl becomes ill. Looked like UTI, kidney failure mimicks that. If you have already given Bravecto, RUN A BLOOD WORKUP FOR KIDNEY FUNCTION IMMEDIATELY.

Another (dog of mine) didn’t look so great, but oddly enough he is the one who is coming up good blood work up. I was so upset as I read the incidents of kidney and liver failure, but my dogs seemed to clear up and look wonderful, but ah kidney failure is sneaky. You don’t see the signs until there is so much damage.

I hope I can help my second sweet heart. I hope that it is not too late. But literally I have a sick feeling about my sweet girl who is undergoing dialysis. She is not looking good and the Vet (not the one that recommended Bravecto) looks so sad about her illness, and so shocked at how athletic and healthy her heart and body is otherwise. He said this he hasn’t seen before, and cannot imagine what caused it.

So I write this as one is real bad, and the worst is heading our way. A second hopeful, but ah I see how horrid this is, this damage. The third will not understand why his younger pack mates would vanish. Such pain, so avoidable, as is using Bravecto. Avoid Bravecto. Shame on the manufacturer of this product… My heart is with them and part of me will leave with them if they die prematurely at such a young age.

I had to be responsible and post this. I do not want more blood on my hands. It is bad enough i held out the Bravecto and told them good dog as they ate it.

[Jenn H]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I have seen this brand at the vet. A long term edible preventative did make me a little worried. Glad I didn’t try it.
Whenever a new product comes out, is redesigned, sold, etc. I tend to take the wait & see approach before using it on my animals.
There’s some natural preventatives that seem to have very good results as far as repelling fleas, ticks, mosquitoes. I haven’t tried them yet, but plan on it. There’s also a lot that are useless.
With horses I find the natural options dependant on the individual horse and their body chemistry.
Perhaps it’s the same with dogs. It may be certain products will work better than others on different dogs.

[Becca]

I’ve used only natural products on my dogs and cat for the past five years. you name it ive tried it there is nothing out there naturally that i haven’t gave it my all to get them to work, diatamacous earth, apple cider vinegar, garlic, lemon, every spray they have ever made, beside all the homemade spray i’ve made, as well as the amber collars, and those tags, flea trap lights, etc, the list goes on. i’ve dealt with the fleas for 5 straight years with no relief, the new vet i go to wants my dogs on bravecto, it makes me sick to my stomach just to think about giving it to them. so its sitting in the package. it is too new to the market, although they say its safe for pregnant and nursing dogs then why have i read about horrible reactions, even death. in the past i’ve tried spot on flea treatments which always made my dogs not right for 3 day or so and my cat was frothing at the mouth does anyone know which product out there is the safest, with the least side effects and no pyethrins or any others in that family of pesticides

[Jacky R]

I have just tried Bravecto on my pit bull and it was absolutely wonderful. He only had a few little brown ticks. I gave him the tablet in the evening and by the morning every single tick had dropped off and was dead. Not cheap but it works. I also have a neighbor who has only given it to her dog once and that was last November and her dog is still tick free.

[Hanna D]

I live in Mexico where it is summer like all year long. We have a huge problem with fleas but more so with ticks. I use Bravecto now on both my dogs, a rottweiler and a chihuahua/dacschund mix. Both have had ehrlichia, a tick born illness and common problem here. Both my dogs were terribly ill with the disease, (rescues), and it took nearly six months to get them healthy again. I began using the Bravecto because the Frontline did not work nearly as well. With Frontline and others if a tick bites and attaches to a dog it takes at least and hour or more for the tick to die whereas with the bravecto the tick will die within 20 minutes. It takes a tick 40 minutes to release the chemical causing the disease, so I opted for the Bravecto rather than risk them getting sick again with the ehrlichia. I get their bloodwork done every six months and they are healthier now than ever. I also have the yard sprayed for fleas and ticks every three to four months using natural ingredients not harmful to dogs. It may sound like overkill, but I would rather be safe than to have the dogs or myself become sick from a tick bite. This product may not be safe for all dogs, there could be some underlying issues with an animal that becomes ill or dies after taking the medication. I would recommend having a complete blood workup done prior to administering any chemical that could be hard on a pet whether it be oral or topical.

[Celeste S]

I recently used Bravecto on both my Jack Russell terriers, one of them was a little off the next day, the other was really ill, vomitting, not eating, listness, in pain. She was admitted to the vet hospital for 2 days and a night and cost me $1000 in vet bills. Luckily she is back to normal now, but she went through a really bad time and caused us a lot of worry. I will never, ever use it again and would like to warn others. I believe some dogs have very bad reactions to this medication and would like the manufacturer and vets to do more testing on this product

[Becca]

we had a family dog who lived to be 16 and a half years old, the only thing that was wrong with him was he was hard of hearing , he didn’t hear the car start and got ran over.he never had vaccinations, he was healthy. he never had anything put on him or in him for fleas or ticks. these poison weren’t even out, then he lived and he thrived. lyme disease wasnt as popular then. man made disease. check out info about vaccinations for lyme etc….both my dogs have been positive for exposure to lyme, they had no symptoms and no antibiotics, they came up clear a few years later with no treatment. lyme in dogs is different than human, only 4 percent of the dogs exposed to lyme ever get symptoms. unless they have had the vaccinations.

[Jenn H]

Just because they don’t show symptoms of Lyme doesn’t mean they aren’t having issues with it or any other tick borne disease.
When my girl was very young she was asymptomatic to Ehrlichia.
She has had Lyme twice. Also asymptomatic.
They don’t treat it unless it’s above 34.
There’s still so much that isn’t known about it. For now we can only do the best we can with what little scientific evidence we have.

[Michelle S]

I have used Bravecto for about a year on our Great Pyrenees and also on our Bichon – both of them have had no reactions at all and – no greasy hair, isolation from kids, no collars that irritate skin; I am liking it more and more. No fleas, no ticks, and only four doses a year. Our dogs go to several states with us… IL, NC, FL. We have two Vets in two states who like it and have had no reports of problems from their pet owners. My old standard was Advantix II, which worked well, but one had to be sure to put it on every month and keep the kids from petting them (hard to do.) The fleas have been horrific in the South – warmer winters – fleas don’t die and lots of ticks. Not a flea or tick to be seen since starting Bravecto and as I said no reactions at all from either dog. Will be using it on our Great Pyr young one when he is old enough & Vet says okay. If your dog is sensitive to medicines – talk to your vet and see what they say. Otherwise I would get some! Our full grown Great Pyr cannot get bitten by fleas; she gets a terrible reaction to one flea, so this is great for us. Good luck.

[David C]

In Portugal we have a very serious tick problem; this product was highly reccomended to me in Kenya by a South African vet and has been hugely successful.
I use it now in preference to any other remedy on the market and have noticed no side effects.

[Stephen S]

I have some real concern about Bravecto. I have given it to my doc, Snowflake (American Eskimo miniature , 13 yo). First time she did Ok I think. The second time, she essentially refused to take it, I tried hiding small pieces in bread, her favorite, she would spit it out.. I managed to “force”a bit more than half in her… Since then she has been very weird, walks very very slowly (she was a VERY lively dog, jumping, running..).. I doubt it’s old age or pain (pain med trial one week did NOT hep), it was sudden and after I gave her the med… She always has that “puzzled” look on her face when I walk her, like she is scared …. It has now been 2 months almost and she seems to be getting a bit better, running at times… Appetite still good, no vomiting… Vet checked he and could not find anything… Old age? Doubt it would be that sudden… So I guess I will hope she will continue to improve over next month or so.. But definitely no Bravecta any more, I doubt the dog would take it anyway, and she takes anything usually! So back to a topical preparation? I will continue monthly HW med which she takes willingly

[Jenn H]

Stephen S thanks for sharing your experience.
I’m trying to find an effective way of keeping ticks & mosquitoes from making my dogs sick again.
This product sounds great in theory, but also scary. I’m wondering if it maybe isn’t good for dogs that are immunocompromised and/or older. I keep looking for a trend in he negative reviews. I will chalk yours up to older dog.
I hope she completely rebounds. Please do let us know how she does as it wears off.

[anonymously]

@ Stephen S
You have to use caution with seniors (dogs over the age of 7), they are more sensitive to pesticides (that is what flea/tick preventives are).

What you describe sounds neurological…I would proceed with caution. I use nothing on my 15 year old dog, I just check him every night for ticks and bathe him once or twice a week.

Consider a Preventic collar, supposedly good for 3 months, 1 month is more like it.
Or a topical like Advantix II. I sometimes use both in conjunction with my younger dogs. I would not consider an oral. I also make an effort to keep them out of tall grass and woods, I keep the lawn mowed low.

Of course, I do heartworm preventives every 6 weeks (more pesticides) and have them tested once a year.

[theBCnut]

I would also consider having blood work run if you haven’t. Kidney issues can look like what you have described.

[Gavin S]

Yes we have tried Bravetco – buying from https://www.petcare.com.au/bravecto-single-chew.html the Australian online pet store.. It is a great product – why it is easy to give, my dogs loves it

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Gavin S.

[Kathy P]

I’ve heard of Bravecto, but not seen anyone using it around me. Among Advantix, Bravecto, Frontline, Nexgard, Bayer Kiltix, Above all, I think the most popular one these days for dogs is Nexgard. My sister uses Bayer Kiltix Necklace on her dog for fleas and ticks and My uncles’ dogs are on Nexgard all of the seasons. (both from either walmart/amazon/ petbucket.com, if you want to know more info) I guess they both work great now that the medication won’t wash off unlike Frontline.

[Anne B]

I would encourage everyone who has a flea problem to rip out all of the carpet from their home and replace it with laminate flooring or linoleum, if at all possible–fleas can’t reproduce in these types of flooring….However, they absolutely love carpet to lay their eggs in.

I ripped out all carpeting from my home 3 years ago, plus I applied food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) in my yard, and still do……..Haven’t seen a flea in my home since, and I live in VA–known for hot, humid summers….The DE was very effective at killing all the fleas in my yard (plus it killed other nasty creepy-crawlies like ants and spiders that would occasionally get in my house).

If you decide to try DE, make sure you buy the FOOD GRADE DE, not the DE used for pool filters….The kind used for pool filters is chemically treated and toxic, but Food Grade DE is completely non-toxic…..I have heard of some people applying directly on their dogs, and it successfully killed the fleas with no ill effects…You can get it fairly cheap at Southern States or Tractor Supply Company.

If applying DE on your yard, use a protective mask and safety glasses so you won’t inhale it or get it in eyes.

Yes, I would rather rip out all my carpet than use Bravecto, Comfortis, Nexguard, Trifexis, etc, or any topical flea product………However I do have to give heartworm preventative, because the DE obviously wouldn’t be very effective against mosquitoes…..I only give the heartworm prevention every 6 weeks, and only during the warmer months when mosquitoes are most active, so my dogs only get 6 doses a year…..This approach has worked well for me–my dogs are always tested once a year for heartworm, and have always tested negative.

My concern is, even if you don’t see any immediate adverse reactions from an oral or topical flea pesticide, who knows what it’s doing to your dog’s internal organs, especially if taking long-term—That’s why I choose not to use them.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Anne B.

[davis h]

There is no natural product that I know of that works against heavy artillary of ticks! So many products would never have been invented if vinegar stopped fleas and removing carpeting solved the problem!
Even with a tick preventative Activyl Plus my dog was bitten by tick and came within 24 hours of dying with menangitis and a swollen brain!
One in four dogs will die from cancer…one in two adter age 10! Im sure chemicals dont help the statistics but PLEASE dont rely on smoke and mirrors or your dog may pay the price!
Im now using the soresto collar good for 8 months. So far so good. ..no adverse reactions. I never had a problem with Bravecto..but I did with Advantix2….neurological twithing in hind legs. Try the soresto collar. Order it from Petmeds…if youre not happy they will refund 100%. With a such a liberal guarantee you can afford to experiment and see what works best in your area.
I almost lost my Service Dogs life within a weeks time due to a tick bite. I know the need for heavy duty prevention even given long term possibilities of cancer due to chemicals. Good luck!

[Shirley B]

It is such a shame that people are still using this, and exposing their dog’s immune system to stress (at the very least). You cannot tell me it and others are safe, for I have lost one dog, and two are still recovering. Had that dog not died, I would have never linked the other’s illness with that PESTICIDE.

What to use if you do not want to expose your dogs to Tick and Flea chemicals? Go to Naturapetics and they will ship internationally. Order the http://www.naturapetics.com.au/pet-equine-concentrate-250ml/ (That smaller size will last for a long time) You mix it with water and our dogs have not had fleas, even though they hike in mountain and other dogs : ( have had fleas after those hikes. This is a preventive and not for dogs with infestations. For infestations, grab the Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. The Pet & Equine Concentrate smells nice and will prevent the fleas & ticks, not rid you of an infestation.
By the way I used this concentrate and neemsoap at the first sign of my dog licking his paws. Yes they ship to Mexico, USA/internationally, and the products go a long way!

[Anne B]

@davis h,

What I am doing is not “smoke and mirrors”…….DE has been proven to work for many people who are choosing not to use chemical flea and tick control……I actually lost a dog after applying Frontline ONE time and it was then that I educated myself about natural flea control methods that work.

The DE (diatomaceous earth) has virtually eliminated all the fleas from my yard, and has drastically decreased the tick population, but my dogs are short-haired and it’s easy to check them daily for ticks right after they come in from outside (which I do)…..

Besides, it takes 24-48 hours after the tick attaches to the dog for it to transmit any diseases……So, if you check your dog carefully for ticks every time they go outside, and immediately remove the tick(s) if you find any, there is a practically zero chance that the dog has gotten any disease from the tick…….Occasionally I find a tick, and this is what I do, and my dogs have NEVER had Lyme or any other tick-transmitted disease.

Thanks for your recommendations, but I’m not taking the risk of using the chemical toxins for fleas/ticks (and yes, they are TOXINS), on my animals, when what I’ve been doing works well for me………….I know about cancer statistics in dogs, but why would I possibly increase the chance of my dogs getting cancer, when I have safer alternatives?

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Anne B.

[davis h]

​One tick bite was leading to CERTAIN DEATH..in fact came within 24 hours. Cancer..even “if” proved to be caused over an extended period of time….is a better option than DEATH within a week. Exposure to ticks is deadly and Lyme and other diseases are often as bad as cancer. My dog survived cancer but came within 24 hours of death from a tick. One walk in the woods in Arkansas results in at LEAST 20 ticks (more in April when there are seed ticks) per dog and I have several. It isn’t possible to check every dog twice a day for ticks. AND if one falls off…even if unforeseen due to small size or human error…and bites a child…is it worth it? MANY…MANY people have contracted Lyme disease (one friend of mine did on my property) and “Tick Fever” in Arkansas. It is epidemic. By protecting our dog against ticks using the best stuff out there you will more likely prevent disease than cause it AND prevent the potential death of a child/human.
IF vinegar and other “green” products worked so well the other preventatives wouldn’t get sold! IF a natural product killed ticks I wouldn’t buy a chemical. I’m not going to risk what was almost certain death by allowing my dogs to go unprotected by something that will work with the greatest likelihood of success.
Ever watch a dog headbutt a door…walk in circles…due to a swollen brain from meningitis…due to a tick bite? Ever watch a dog whose nervous system was impacted for the long run due to effects of a tick bite?
Ticks are a daily confrontation with impending disease and possible death. Ticks concern me far more than cancer that will most likely manifest itself within a dog’s lifetime regardless. Personally, I have to spray my clothing every time I walk outside. I have to use chemicals on myself…to prevent personal exposure and risk the lives of others in my household when a tick “follows me” inside. I must worry about today even if it leads to “possible” adversity in the future.
Obviously this is personal for me as a friend was read his last rights due to a tick bite he received on my property (120 acres not a nice suburban yard you can easily treat). My dog miraculously survived due to efforts of neurologists at MIZZOU. I attend Veterinary conferences and listen to lectures about the growing problem with exposure to ticks and mosquitoes. Unfortunately, its the reality of the world in which we live.

[Becca]

90 percent of dogs will come up positive for Lyme exposure they will not have symptoms there bodies fight it off differently than ours. 4-5 percent of dog will actually have Lyme. you cannot take back a pill if you give it to your dogs and they have a reaction.

[Becca]

a lot of people do the poison treatment because its easy, the natural ones take time and effort. those companies are making billions of dollars per year one company made 825 million dollars last year alone, they are not in it for the welfare of your pet, there in it for the money. once enough reports come in about sick or dying pets they change the formula and the name. and start over, these are poison regulated by the epa. environmental protection agency. they also pay for a lot of the veterinary schooling and throw huge incentives to push the products. look up the studies they do, on dogs and expose them to high doses of the stuff very sad, we lived with ticks and flea long before these products came out. there is definitely way too many unnecessary vaccines out there, that do more harm than good all of which kill you dogs immune system, which make them more susceptible to Lyme etc.. we are bad pet owners if we don’t use the products they scare you to death, me included. putting poison on the pet does not protect the person probably creates more exposure, seeing the tick has to suck enough poison from the pet to drop off in your house and then climb on you that is scary

[anonymously]

The above post is incorrect (imo). I lost a dog to Lyme, it wasn’t diagnosed in time, resulted in kidney damage and a 2 year nightmare of band aid treatments to keep her comfortable. My other 2 dogs (at the time) tested positive and all received the antibiotic treatment (very important). Those 2 never had symptoms related to Lyme.

The poison is necessary, the natural stuff might work as a deterrent, at best, but it doesn’t kill ticks.

[Anne B]

@davis h

No, I have never seen a dog with meningitis….But I did see my healthy 4 yr old dog die within hours of an application of FRONTLINE…..Was acting funny, not eating, then he had several seizures and died….My vet concluded that the FRONTLINE was to blame.

Becca above is right about the chemicals not repelling ticks/fleas….Since the insect has to bite and attach to your dog to be killed, it’s highly possible that a live tick could drop off in your home, anyway…..I check my dogs for ticks outside, using a comb to carefully check the entire dog….Then, if I find a tick, which is rare now that I’m using the DE, I drop the tick into a container of rubbing alcohol, which quickly kills it.

My suggestion would be to fence off an area of your property that is not wooded, and don’t take your dog in the woods if there are that many ticks……Then treat the fenced area heavily with the FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth and re-apply weekly……You can also apply the DE directly to your dog, being careful not to get it in the eyes…..Also, it is not impossible to check several dogs for ticks twice a day…..I do it every day….Yes these methods take more time, and I’m willing to to put in that time for the sake of my dog’s health.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Anne B.
• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Anne B.

[anonymously]

“Yes these methods take more time…..I’m willing to to put in that time for the sake of my dog’s health…..Are you”?

Yes, I do. But, I use tried and true chemicals that will kill ticks, Amitraz/Preventic collars, sometimes in conjunction with Advantix II. Check with your vet first.
I do avoid the orals and anything that claims to be effective for more than 3 months. The collars I use claim to be effective for 3 months….I change them every 1 month in the summer. I avoid tall grass, woods, keep the lawn mowed low.
I keep the dogs well groomed and check them at least twice a day. It is what it is……Lyme disease was unheard of till the late 70’s’
Lyme disease was diagnosed as a separate condition for the first time in 1975 in Old Lyme, Connecticut (it was originally mistaken for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

[Anne B]

@anonymously….

My post was really directed to davis h, not you…..Based on his posts, he takes his dogs for walks into heavily wooded areas with massive tick population, and claims it “isn’t possible” to check several dogs for ticks 2x day.

Based on your post, sounds like you are doing everything you possibly can to protect your dogs.

I am just terrified of chemical agents, because my one of my dogs died from Frontline.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Anne B.

[anonymously]

I gave up walking in the woods. It just isn’t worth it in my opinion.

I think it is possible to give the dogs a good check at least once a day, at bedtime. It only takes about 5 minutes at the most.

Also, check out this item https://tickease.com/product/tick-ease/

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/04/08/nightside-the-truth-about-ticks/

PS: @Anne B, Sorry for what happened to your dog (Frontline)
I am worried about all the rabies vaccines we have to give our dogs…..sometimes we don’t have a choice.
Find a vet that you trust and listen to him, hope that he has your pets best interests at heart, that’s all we can do.

[Anne B]

@anonymously,

Thanks for the links….I think I’ll be ordering some of those TickEase tweezers….However, I couldn’t play the article in second link due to this ancient computer with totally blown out sound system..**SIGH**

Also thanks for your condolences about my dog.
In VA, we have to give rabies vaccination every three years, but I have heard in some states, dogs have to get it every year….That’s much too much, IMO.

I do have a nice vet now, but the clinic she works for is really pushing the Bravecto.
She knows I won’t buy any flea/tick pesticide products, so respectfully, she doesn’t try to push them on me.

I do buy the heartworm preventative, which is a pesticide, but feel I have no other choice , since I can’t really control flying insects like mosquitoes with a natural product, and my dogs getting heartworms would be a major setback……However, I only give it every 6 weeks, during the warm months, and they only get 6 doses a year.

• This reply was modified 8 years ago by Anne B.

[davis h]

Anne B
FYI
My yard IS the woods…ticks know no bounds. As far as not spending enough time with my dog(s) …not a nice comment …perhaps issued from a less than nice person. I have earned a Master’s Degree in Canine Life Sciences from an accredited U.S. college. I regularily attend Veterinary conferences…places where your vet goes to get required continuing credits to maintain his/her license. I spend the majority of my days with my Service Dog Booster travelling the world, in fact, Im willing to bet he is more travelled than you.! Cuba, Pero, Thailand, Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada….and so on.
If you will provide me with your name and the name of your dog I will gladly Google Search and dee if in fact you apend more time with a dog than I do….but…dint think its possible.
Please Google me and tell me I dont spend enough time with my dog(s). “Davis Hawn Booster”. My dog is protected against ticks and disease as is required. The efficacy of fru-fru dust against tank like ticks may be ok for aome, but not for most of those who live in tve real world…and travel in it.
If you spend more time with your dog(s) than I….I so commend you. If you choose fru fru dust its your choice…fine. Ad hominem attacks arent necessary and a dog would certainly bever resort to such tactics.

[anonymously]

I agree, ticks are nasty and they are everywhere. It doesn’t matter how careful you are or what you put on your lawn…..they can even fall off of birds and wait for a host to walk by, all they need is a blade of grass.
The natural stuff doesn’t work.

[M F]

I find this an interesting topic. I had two dogs who lived to be 17 and 18 years old. One a Border Collie and the other an Icelandic Sheepdog. The started out there lives in Arizona and then spent time in both Florida and Michigan and then back to Arizona. Anyway, when we lived in florida my Border Collie became itchy and was diagnosed with allergies, in Florida their snap test does not test for Lymes disease as it is not prevelant there. Finally after three years with no good results, I am up in Michigan with the dogs and find out the Border Collie has Lymes and have him treated and all the allergy problems go away. Quite interesting. We always used frontline on the dogs and also checked daily for tics, It still didn’t prevent the Lymes disease. I now have two dogs again an Icelandic Sheepdog who is 4 now and an Australian Cattle Dog Mix who is now 5. I winter in Arizona and summer in Michigan. When I got the cattle dog I decided I would vaccinate him for Lymes because of spending time in Michigan, after the Lymes Vaccine he developed ITP and almost died, he never has gotten Lymes though, therefore I decided not to vaccinate the Icelandic Sheepddog, she ended up with lymes at age 1, was treated and has been doing well, I do worry about her though because my Border Collie who had undiagnosed Lymes for three years developed sever arthritis. Anyway I just wanted to share my story, because although all these dogs were on frontline and also checked for tics daily, two of the four ended up with lymes and the other two did not. I also want to mention that while the Michigan property is in the woods, they do have a grass fenced yard, which is mowed short and treated for pests at the beginning of the season with an organic product two months before the dogs arrive. I’m not a believer in using pesticides around my dogs, yet I do use the frontline. In conclusion I am not sure of the best thing to do, I do know I will never give another one of my dog’s a Lyme Vaccine after what happened to my boy. I haven’t had any adverse reactions with the frontline, however I only use while in Michigan for about four months per year, fortunately in the area of Arizona I live the rest of the year we don’t have a big problem with fleas and tics. I’m not even so sure about the frontline though because it didn’t prevent two of the four dogs from getting lymes. I would not feel comfortable giving my dogs an oral flea and tick preventative, seems like giving them poison but, I don’t know enough about that oral medication to give sound advise.

[Tania M]

Hi Judy
I’m very sorry for your loss .
I Was wondering how you’re so certain that comfortis was the problem when your dog passed away ? I’m currently researching 3 medications that were refered to me by the vet . They are Advantix , Nexguard and Bravecto . Did an autopsy confirm the cause of death ? I wonder seeing as that’s usually the only way to confirm 100 % a cause of death , otherwise one would be assuming . Thanks in advance .

[davis h]

Hello
As I have previously posted I have almost lost a dog to Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. In Arkansas, and elsewhere, MANY humans have contracted RMSF and LYNES disease. It is serious and getting worse. I recently tried bravecto collars and initially no issuse. A week later 2 dogs were very sick with plastic like drool..One dog had a hotspot like lesion 6 inches in diameter. All recovered when I discontinued use.
Years ago one dog had an adverse reaction to Advantix2. I think different dogs have dofferent reactions to products. What to do is a hard question to answer.
I went back to using Preventic collars and have never had a single adverse reaction. These collars dont kill fleas as i understand it. I now keep my dogs in a fenced environment treated with granules and only walk them in the winter…dad.
Theres got to be an answer but I think its subjective.
Even pet medicines, like human medicines, cause reactions. Its often trial and error but not treating for ticks in my area is potentially dealy for my dogs and the humans that love them.

[karen S]

I have used Bravecto for the first time on my old girl (16 y/o rescue) and my young chihuahua. for the first time my 75 # old girl didn’t start scratching her stomach a few days after giving her a topical (Advantix II) and she still hasn’t over a month later. Neither of them have had any adverse effects and their food and elimination habits have remained the same. My old girl is prone to skin allergies, has many small and large skin tags, is in congestive heart failure and on prednisone and it is a relief to know that she isn’t in misery from fleas, particularly since we have not had a hard winter in a couple years to get rid of fleas. I advised a friend about it and he also has had no problems with his dog, a lab mix. I think there can be many reasons for an animal to reject a medicine that have to do with the animal’s physical make-up so a degree of caution is always advisable when trying out a new medication. I have my vet’s office on speed dial!

[LF F]

After reading these responses don’t think I shall use on my little 5# pup!!
But on fleas and ticks for the yard etc. Had a puppy with Hook worm and old time vet told me to spray the yard wit Bleach in one of those bottles/jars you fill it with Bleach attach to hose an Spray. The only thing to get into the egg she’ll to kill hook worm. Found it also solved all tick and flea problem in my yard. It last along time and did not kill my grass!! Live in MA (New England) spray my yard every Spring as far as the Spray will go beyond my fence – Have no problems for the whole summer. Use it when I go to AZ seems to be doing OK there, also.
People that have flea problems in their rugs, use Borax – leave for a day or so then Vaccuum (Borax cuts the fle eggs) Do this a few times in spacing as flea eggs hatch every three weeks. It worked for me in my camper. Every time we camped through Texas, round up with fleas in our camper!! LOL
Good Luck everyone, have a great summer.

[Patricia B]

I’ve used Bravecto since 2015 for my 3 dogs. I’ve had NO ill side effects/no side effects at all. I’ve also had 0 fleas and 0 ticks. Great product. True user testimony.

[Mike Sagman]

Testing threaded comments

[C4D]

HI Dr. Mike! Does this mean we can directly reply to comments like on the other section of DFA?

[Becca]

Im so glad i opted out of giving my dog bravecto. the vet i was going to knew my dog had liver cancer and still wanted me to give it to him, i switched vets, and this one was mortified and glad i did not give it to him, dogs are so stoic we have no way of knowing how they are reacting to these chemicals until it too late.

[Becca]

bad enough he got me to make him take sentinel . my other vet was very upset about that also.

[Author]

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