[Barbara M]

I lost my dog 7 weeks after giving her an oral flea medication. The problems started immediately and just continued to get worse. She was a perfectly healthy 9 month old pup, and she passed away 1 week ago. I am devastated. Has anyone had similar problems?

[Susan]

Hi I’m so sorry for your loss, what did the vet say happened?? & did you contact the company so an autopsy could be done……
My cat got real ill from Revolution Spot-On, I rung Revolution straight away & they told me to take my cat to a vet ASAP & they paid the vet bill…..
When I rescued my boy the rescue lady gave me, 1 lead, his paper work, 1 worm tablet & 1 Comfortis tablet for fleas, but I never gave the Comfortis tablet to Patch after she told me she has had a few of the little rescue dogs nilly die after taking Comfortis, she said you need to know the proper weight, you must 1/2 the Comfortis tablet & give with a big proper meal after you give the 1/2 Comfortis tablet you must watch the cat or dog for 1 hour to see if they vomit & vomit back up the tablet, the company gives you another tablet if the dog or cat vomits up pill then after 1 hour & everything is OK, you give the other 1/2 Comfortis tablet 10-12 hours later with their dinner…but after she told me all that I thought gee I’m going to just use the normal Spot-On treatment, so I used Frontline spot-on then about 3 months later it didn’t really seem to be working, I had just applied 1 Frontline Spot-On & Patch still had fleas, so I had to wait 3 weeks the vet said I have to wait, then I bought the Advantage Spot-On, later thru the night 3am Patch vomited blood, his left side of face & ear were swollen by the time I realised what was happening & Patch was ill from the Advantage Spot On & rung the vet she said Patch has just past the 24hrs, so he’s over the worse of it now, then the vet explained that Frontline Spot-On only penetrates 2-3 layers of their skin, where the Advantage Spot On penetrates thru to their blood, so that’s why Patch was so ill……. now I just use the Frontline Spot-On only when needed in Spring & Summer & the Frontline spray on his legs & around lower tail & lower back, Frontline seems to work the best & Patch has no side effects, he’s very sensitive to medications etc..

[Barbara M]

Merck’s vet (whom I spoke to the next day when I reported it) agreed it had to have been a reaction to Bravecto. My vet too, said although she hasn’t seen it in her practice, she felt it couldn’t be anything else but a reaction to the drug.
Some dogs do fine with it, thank God for that, but I’m hearing more and more that there are terrible reactions that HAVE been reported. Many confirmed deaths.
Fleas around here have built up an immunity to Frontline. If I ever get another dog, and this was and is so painful that I don’t know that I will, I would only go the natural route…even if it means bathing 2-3 times a week. I will never use a man made chemical again on a dog. The more I thought about it, it is meant to be a poison. The insert even says not to handle the pill, nor to breathe any of the scent of it in. How safe can that be for our beloved pups?
After the initial reaction, the next 7 weeks were filled (daily) with vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst, not eating, incontinence, disorientation, confusion, itching, sores. All this in a puppy who was so full of life, so healthy. There was never a health issue before dosing. I am beyond grief. I was just wondering if anyone on here has had similar experiences with any of the oral stuff.

[anonymously]

I avoid the oral stuff, except for heartworm which I give every 6 weeks (not 4) in mosquito season only.
They are all pesticides, I use the least amount that I can to protect them. I have been using advantix II topical in the summer, but it depends on the dog, I have a small one that gets frequent baths, so I have gone back to alternating with preventic collars (amitraz).
I use deterrent “natural” sprays too…but I really don’t think they do much. They don’t kill the ticks/fleas.
I’d go all natural, but I lost a dog to Lyme and I don’t want to go through that again.

I don’t know when it got so complicated to own a dog. I’m leery of vaccines too. I decline them after puppy shots. But, there is still the rabies….

PS: I have never observed any adverse effects, but I have not used oral flea/tick preventives. One dog got a rash from the collar, so I can’t use it on him. He is elderly and doesn’t go far, so I just bathe him frequently.
I am sorry for your loss.

[Pitlove]

My dog has been on NexGard his whole life and we recently just switched to Bravecto for certain reasons. Never had a reaction to any oral flea and tick med. Bravecto is also safe for dogs who have seizures, NexGard is not.

I am really really sorry for your loss

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by Pitlove.

[anonymously]

Are you a veterinarian? If not, How can you say “Bravecto is also safe for dogs who have seizures, NexGard is not”.

If you are happy with the product and find it to be effective…great. We are all eager to share experiences that others may find helpful.
But, every dog is different. You really can’t make a blanket statement. IMO

PS: Actually, this is the internet, so you can pretty much say anything you want about anything 🙂
Peace

[Mary H]

Never had a pet have a bad reaction except for one cat when I used a generic product. Just bathed him to remove the topical. He just lost some hair. All of my pets have used either Frontline or Advantage (dogs/cats) & have lived to be 11-16 years. Sorry for those that have lost pets. I know cancer have become an issue lately especially in goldens & I have 2 ( 1 & 13 yrs.) Studies are being done but will take some time for conclusion. I live in country & have fleas/ticks galore. Natural just doesn’t work for me.

[Pitlove]

Oh- Sorry I should have noted that I was quoting my dog’s vet on that comment about seizures and also that it was part of the reason for her wanting to switch my dog to it. Sorry for the confusion!

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by Pitlove.

[anonymously]

I didn’t mean to sound harsh. I looked it up and what you said about seizures makes sense.
I really don’t know much about oral flea/tick preventives and haven’t had any experience with them.
PS: Note to self: Think before you speak.

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by anonymously.

[Pitlove]

No! You’re fine. It was totally my fault for not mentioning where I got the information from. Was a really bold statement to make without clarifying who my source was!

[Lori W]

I gave Bravecto to my dog, the next day she slept all day. Then from then on she was having accidents all over the house, which she had never done and real thirsty, a couple weeks later I took her to my vet,who I got the Bravecto from, they did blood work and was in stage 4 kidney failure. Now I am giving her fluids twice a day and a special homemade diet. She was healthy before I gave her the medicine. It stays in their system for three months. So please don’t give your dog Bravect. I dont want anyone else going through what we have.

[anonymously]

“Now I am giving her fluids twice a day and a special homemade diet”.
Sub q fluids (once a day), that’s what I gave to my dog that had complications from Lyme (kidney damage). I used the prescription food, it kept her going for a couple more years. Plus, prescribed medication, as needed. Good days, and bad days.

@ Lori W, I hope this is an acute situation and that your dog feels better and makes a full recovery.

[Keryn S]

I’ve used oral flea and tick treatments for years (when available) and have NEVER had a problem. On the farm we used Proban for 20 years until it was withdrawn from sale due to difficulties sourcing a key component of the preparation.

In that time we didn’t have fleas or ticks on the dogs. Yes it did cost us a bit to treat 4 dogs (one of which was 45kg) however this was small in comparison had we had to treat for scrub tick paralysis.

I was devastated when Proban was no longer available but did manage to keep the dogs flea and tick free from regular use of flea and tick collars. It is only the scrub ticks we are concerned able in Australia as the kangaroo, dog and cattle ticks are a nuisance but don’t have the severe consequences should a dog come in contact with them.

I am now using Bravecto and love it. It’s easy to give, doesn’t leave a smell or stickiness on their coat and the dogs tolerate it well.

[Susan]

Hi, I found this link, “Why flea products are a bad idea” talks about all the poisons in flea products…..scroll down & there’s a 4 natural repellent recipes you can make yourself….
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-flea-and-tick-products-are-a-bad-idea-and-4-natural-repellent-recipes/

[Dannelle D]

I gave Comfortis to my six year old cat for the first time in April. Just last week, a week or two after his second dose of it, he died suddenly. Before that, he was in good health, having seen a vet back in March for a bladder infection. Googling information on Comfortis brings up many websites mentioning a great many deaths linked to the flea medication. I would not give this to any pet ever again.

[Caryl R]

Maybe it works for some but my 11 month old Australian Shepard had a seizure when I gave her Nexgard a couple months ago. I do give heartworm preventive for the warm months (not year round) here where I live. No more flea/tick pesticides for my dogs, I just don’t feel that it is worth the risk to their health.

[anonymously]

@ Caryl R
Consider the Preventic/Amitraz collar, I get them through Chewy.com. I don’t believe they last 3 months, I change them every 1 month during the summer.
I also use Advantix II topical and a heartworm preventive but skip when the ground is frozen.

Lyme disease is ugly and the natural stuff doesn’t work. Talk to your vet as to how to proceed.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by anonymously.

[Caryl R]

Thanks for the reply Anonymously. I did not know about the collar, I will look into it. I do get the lyme vaccination at the vet (not sure if that is good or not) each year. I will ask my vet about what to do for ticks.

[anonymously]

I am leery of vaccines and only do the rabies vaccine as required by law, after puppy shots.
Of course it depends on the dog and the level of risk involved.

Science-based Veterinary Medicine http://skeptvet.com/Blog/category/vaccines/
if you are interested. I find the site helpful.

[Caryl R]

Thanks for the link! I have read that blog before and I like the scientific/no bs approach of the author. Maybe I will not get the Lyme vac anymore. One of my dogs had Lyme when I rescued her. She was skin and bones and in horrible condition. Because she had Lyme’s I gave her the vac and thought it was a good idea for my other 2 babies. Hmmm. Rethinking this now. 🙂

[PATTY J]

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

Our Bailey’s had to be put down and I am seriously thinking that it is due to the nexgard… We started it on all our babies about month and a half ago on all out dogs and our dobies had skin issues after a few days but then at about 3 or 4 weeks our pitbull had what looked Like coughing and hacking (the vet thought maybe it was kennel cough) and food getting stuck in her throat I had to dig it out …it looked like the flap in her throat wasn’t working I think she had an allergic reaction and it seemed like she had a stroke also her side if her face was really droopy and she could not walk or and eat right I had to feed her canned food because dry food would not go down then she acted like she had another stroke and couldn’t walk and was not eating or drinking we had to make the devastating decision to put her to sleep I am now thinking it was because of this drug

[InkedMarie]

JMO: I’d rather deal with fleas/ticks and have a dog who’s alive.

Patty, I’m sorry about your dog.

[Darlene J]

I started both my cocker spaniels on Nexgard in June 2016. They have done nothing but scratch & bite. The first month was slight biting, but going into the 3rd month (soon to give pill #3) it’s horrible. The biting, scratching & heavy panting is bad. I don’t like this product at all & I’m really afraid to give them the last one! I’m going to talk to the vet today when I take them in. This product is not cheap especially when you have 2 or more pups! But to have to purchase then have issues! I think the company needs to refund the cost of this product.

[pitlove]

Hi Darlene-

Sorry to hear your bad experience with NexGard. Interestingly enough I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with oral flea preventatives and I use them on my ultra sensitive pup.

I’m not sure if they can refund the product now that it’s been ingested, but it certainly can’t hurt to ask! Best of luck

[Jackie B]

Sorry to hear about your pup 🙁 Although I haven’t personally heard of any dogs passing away from oral flea meds, I’m always concerned about oral them. If you use a topical and there’s a problem, at least you can always wash it off!

[Jenn H]

As much of a pain it is to deal with fleas I agree. Ticks however are another matter. They cause problems worse than fleas.
I’ve been using a homemade repellant using essential oil and almond oil. Here in the Northeast ticks are everywhere all year.
It’s been surpringly effective. The only drawback is you have to put it on every day. It takes 2 seconds. The hardest part was remembering to do it until it became routine.
I have little bottle of it at home and in the Jeep so if they go swimming I can reapply.

As for heartworm I stopped it completely. Every 4 months I bring a fecal to the vet for testing. Heartworm preventative are nothing more than pesticides that kill the parasites. If they don’t have the parasites why should I feed them pesticides? By testing samples in that interval it catches them at the larva stage. Still young enough to not need the intense heartworm treatment of full grown worms.
Part of heartworm treatment is giving high doses of the monthly preventative. I just can’t feed them poison if they don’t need it.

I think it’s important to note that a lot of the drug companies that make these products have been bought & sold to other drug companies. Sometimes they change formulas.
Another thing to keep in mind is that many pests are evolving to tolerate some pesticides. So companies have to change things to try to keep up with nature.
I’ve just decided to try to repel the pests using natural means and dealing with any that get past it only if necessary. I’m done with making my animals sick trying to keep them from getting sick.

[Mary W]

My not quite 12 year old Shih Tzu’s health suddenly went down hill after a 2nd oral dose of the flea medicine, Comfortis (She was 10 pounds and was prescribed dosage for dogs 10-20 pounds.) She began to feel bad 6 days after the 2nd monthly dose and began to skip meals and started losing weigh. tI took her to the vet 11 days after the 2nd dose because she wasn’t thriving. The Vet gave her diuretics and antibiotic. It seemed to help for 2-3 days, then she started downhill, but I continued given the meds. I took my fur baby back to the Vet 11 days after, the previous visit and he did X-rays and bloodwork. It took 3 days to tell me she had a high white blood count. The X-ray was showing something but it would take an MRI to know what. Three days after her 2nd Vet visit, I spoke with him on the phone, and he prescribed another, very strong antibiotic and said that I should call the manufacture of Comfortis. I did call them that day, Monday. In the early hours of Wednesday she died suddenly. I was shocked! The vet didn’t expect it. The manufacturer of Comfortis offered to pay for a Necropsy, which I naively thought was a test to see if their drug killed her. It wasn’t. I knew this only after the results came in and she had been cremated. The “necropsy” only showed the failing that she died from peritonitis and had low kidney function. Now I have no recourse to prove their drug killed my once lively dog. My Vet said he believes the Comfortis oral flea medicine was toxic to her.
She had a good three years left. I had her mother and she lived 15 1/2 years.

[Susan]

Hi Mary, so sorry for your loss, all you can do now is warn people about given pets oral flea medications…
I’m always warning people when giving any oral flea medications, only give 1/2 the dose with their breakfast on a full stomach & then only if your dog was OK no side effects then give the other 1/2 tablet or chew with their dinner on a full stomach & if your dog is over 7yrs old to have your pet vet checked first especially if they’re a senior dog or cat…

Bravecto has killed a few dogs cause it’s a 3 monthly chew it’s a stronger oral flea medication, I bet all the dogs that have died were elderly, these flea companies need too write on the flea packet, “make sure any pets over 7yrs old are vet checked first for any under lying health problems”, my boy has IBD & Skin Allergies when I asked my vet can I try one of the new flea products Patches vet looked a me & said NO do not give Patch any flea meds just use the frontline spray & frontline spot on, so she must of seen a few dogs get sick after taken oral flea meds… if only vets came on these type of dogs sites & wrote what they have seen being a vet..

[SummerRainAussies]

YESS.. The new oral flea meds (Bravecto, Nexgad, Simperia) are only trouble. Dogs are having reactions anything from slight skin rash to death.
Just like with any flea and tick preventive some dogs will react and others wont but these are the worse of the worst. Check out the facebook group “does Brevecto kill dogs” with over 30,000 members who are sharing stories. Its a great page with a lot of support. Also check out “does Nexgard kill does”

[Nancy M]

I’ve used Comforts without issue. My vet wanted to switch us to Bravecto and now I’m glad I refused!

[Margaret H]

I’m sorry for her. My pet is also acting abnormally. Should I take her to vet or what?

[Mary N]

This is probably the worst thing I read on the internet in a long long time…
Many bad things happen to people and our beloved pets.. But this.. Losing your companion because of some pill that’s made to chase away the fleas.. And in a such a painful way.. Seven weeks of torture, that is beyond horrifying.

I will never feed my dogs any pills for fleas again. After reading this forum post I went ahead and researched this and there are so many things that ca go wrong with such a “regular” pill. Most of us will not even wonder how dangerous can an oral flea medication be.

Maybe you should read about some grief after losing a dog tips:
http://www.petlosshelp.org/10commonquestions.html

Most important thing is not to blame yourself.. After all, you just wanted to help your poor dog 🙁

[Joy A]

I recently rescued an Aussie from a shelter who was injured and needed a few stitches. Because of this I was unable to give him a flea bath for several weeks. He was covered in fleas and ticks (not to mention internal parasites) and the topicals didn’t even make a dent. My vet prescribed a dose of Bravecto and it worked very well at killing the parasites quickly. My dog, however, was extremely listless for 24 hours before rebounding. I’m not sure if it was the medication or the culmination of all the trauma/surgery/exhaustion but I figured that Bravecto was too strong for him on a regular basis. As we do not have a tick problem in my area I switched him to Comfortis for flea control, as my other two dogs (another Aussie and a corgi) have been taking it for years. Fortunately, none of my dogs have had any issues with it.

[Heath D]

I’m sorry to hear about everyone’s animals. I found this thread in search of help for my mother’s cat whom she loves dearly. The healthy 10 month old cat took a dose of Comfortis for the first time a few hours ago and has been panting and twitching. He hasn’t eaten which is very unusual. He is acting very lethargic right now. Why are these poisons approved for animals? Here is a video of how he is acting. https://youtu.be/gpjqjAwAKVs

[Bobby dog]

Hello Heath D: If you haven’t already, please take the cat to a Vet asap.

[Susan]

Hi Heath D
yes I hope your mum has taken the kitten to the vet ASAP, Comfortis will pay the vet bill as long as you have rung them & have proof…….
With any oral Dog & Cat flea meds cause they are giving orally you can’t reverse any side effects, my last cat took Comfortis the vet said only give him 1/2 the Comfortis tablet & give with a full meal breakfast & watch him for 1 hour for any side effects, sometimes they can vomit, then if the cat is OK you give the other 1/2 of the Comfortis tablet with his Dinner, my cat was OK the first time cause I had given in 1/2 doses but then the 2nd time I gave my boy a full Comfortis tablet cause he was OK last time, but this time he was vomiting & vomiting…
My new kitten I use “Revolution” spot on, Revolution seems to be OK for cats, it covers ear mites, fleas, flea eggs & certain worms… & if a cat has a reaction you just wash off the spot on off & take to vet…

[Susan]

Hi Heath just watch the video, she does not feel too good, she’s wagging her tail & feels real sick, should of given her some grass to induce vomiting……She looks exactly like my 1 yr old girl…. I hope you took her to a vet..

[kristin n]

Please google “Rowan’s Nexgard Story” and share!

My dog, Rowan, died within 3 1/2 months after taking her first and only Nexgard!!! Please watch the video of what happened to her and please, please, please do not give this to your dog. No dog or pet owner should ever have to go through this.

[karen h]

Hi, i have a two month old puppy. Last month Vet put him on nexgard 3 days later he had blood in urine. This month he was given another dose. 3 days later blood again in urine. Will not be giving to him again. The first time we did not know what caused it. He had gotten oral heartworm meds and i was switching his dog food.

[Susan]

Hi Karen H,
stay away from any oral chews for fleas etc especailly Bravecto it stays in the dogs system more then 3 months & if the dog starts to react & gets sick there’s no treatment to reverse the Bravecto…

Do you live in a high flea, high heartworm area?? ask vet when was the last time he had a heartworm patient in your area ask a few vets in the area normallly the vet staff at the front desk know?? Where I live vets haven’t seen any heartworm cases in 30yrs now.
Less chemicals you put in his body the better off he’ll be….
I have a very sensitive boy who has IBD & I do not use any flea chews, we don’t have fleas where I live but when I first rescued Patch nilly 5 yrs ago when we were walking thru the park before all these flea chews came out (Bravecto & Nexgard) there were fleas in the dog park after it rained thru the Summer months & Patch would tell me as soon as a flea jumped up on his leg, he’s allergic to flea bites, just 1 bite & he itches for days, Patches vet said the best product to use is “Frontline Plus Spot on” or the Frontline Flea spray, they both only penitrate 2 layers of the dogs skin, where other flea proucts like Advantage spot on penitrate thru to their blood, Patch was spewing blood after I applied Advantage spot on when I first rescued him, I dont know if it was a coincidence this happened but it was awful he woke up 2am vomiting & there were clots of blood in his vomit, I took his vomit to the vet that morning but the blood clots had mixed thru, this is how I’ve learnt all this info about flea products, the Frontline spray is expensive but it last a few Summers, I was just spraying his legs then put on a glove & spraying the glove then rubbing onto Patch fur.. but these last 2 Summers he hasn’t had no fleas at all I’d say everyone in the area are using all the new toxic chews for fleas, so my Patch is flea free when he comes home from his walks & he doesnt need any chemicals in his body..
Join a few “Natural Canine groups” & ask what they’re using for fleas, I know in Australia, Australian made pet foods have Garlic in them, at the end of the ingredient list, so there’s not much garlic in the dog foods, google what foods in a dogs diet stops fleas, you don’t add heaps of Garlic only very small amounts there’s other foods as well like Brewers Yeast…
I know Lavendar & Rosemary plants planted around the the yard are good to keep away Mozzies as Mosquitos hate Lavender & Rosemary, you can make up lavender, pepermint, eucalyptus in a spray bottle & spray the dogs coat, bedding, kennel etc to keep fleas away, I’m moving into a house in a few months & I’m worring about fleas as the last owner had a dog & a cat so there will be flea eggs in the dirt grass etc there’s no carpet inside house so hopefully the house will be flea free, but fleas dont seem to like Patch, Patches vet said she see a few dogs that are the same the fleas jump on them, then the flea jumps back off them, could be their diet….

[Chase P]

I’m sorry, I know this is an old topic but I just couldn’t resist responding to the rude comment

“Are you a veterinarian? If not, How can you say “Bravecto is also safe for dogs who have seizures, NexGard is not”.

First of all, you don’t need to be a vet to READ directions and information on a medication. I have been a pharmacy technician for years. We not only prescribe medications for people but also animals. Our pharmacists make over $100 an hour and when people ask questions about medications or drug interactions they use GOOGLE.

You do NOT have to be a vet for everything under the sun. Do you feed your dog onions and chocolate? If not, did your vet tell you not to or did you just know that you shouldn’t feed your dog onions and chocolate? Quit being a smart ass.

[jella]

Yes,
It has been all over the tv news. Over hundreds of dogs have died taking all the different oral flea medications. Mentioned toxins similar to what they put on your yard as an insecticide. TV news suggested to use the rub on kind if you couldn’t do all natural. News said they kill young puppies even no known ever health problems. Internet has all kinds of stories about this subject. Facebook has groups that have testimonials of some of the people that have lost their pets to all the different oral flea and tick medications.

[a c]

Ok. After 9 years of using Frontline Plus with no problems, I have recently found fleas on my dogs. I have been giving Frontline Plus given every 4-6 weeks. I have also tried flea shampoo.

I went to my vet’s office. I was told the over the counter flea medicine doesn’t always work. They recommended Bravetco pills. I also inquired about the flea collar. I was told they don’t sell the flea collars or the Frontline anymore. They only sell Bravetco($59 a pill).

After reading all the posts above, I am very nervous about given them this oral pill. Someone said the best. Dog with the fleas and ticks are better than dead dog.

I have spent all day using flea comb combing their hairs. Any other ideas?

[haleycookie]

Majority of family and friends use bravecto. You have to understand it’s a very very low chance your dog will be negatively affected. If you really feel that uncomfortable. Use half of the chew one day and monitor your dog and give the rest a day or two later. I find it’s one of the best things to use. Depending where you get it it avarages around 20$ a month. The chew lasts 3 months.

[anonymous]

I wouldn’t advise dividing the tablet (even if scored) the medication is not evenly distributed within the tablet, so that could result in too little or too much medication being consumed.

“Equal distribution of medicine in split tablets is questionable. Studies have shown that the actual dose in each half of a split tablet often is different. So while the two halves may look the same, they don’t necessarily contain equal amounts of medicine. Even if the tablet is scored with a line that runs down the middle, one half may actually have more medicine than the other”.
Above is an excerpt from:
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm171492.htm

Giving the pill any way other than prescribed not only could make it ineffective but also could result in adverse reactions. The pill has to be given in it’s entirety at one time.

[anonymous]

Per: https://us.bravecto.com/faq.aspx

Can the Bravecto chew be crumbled?
The product insert states that Bravecto should be administered orally as a single dose. In the case that a chew is broken or crumbles, it should be assured that the dog still receives the whole dose.

[pitlove]

Hi a c-

I’ve been using Bravecto on both my dogs for a couple years now. Not a single issue here. We switched from Nexgard once we figured out my AmStaffs allergy issues and after we found out he was predisposed to seizures Bravecto was still recommended to me by his vet as one of the safe products he could have. I do firmly believe in the safety and efficacy of the product and would recommend it to you.

Consumer reviews on products make it challenging to properly assess the product because they are often bias. The reviewer assumes that the most recent thing changed in the dogs environment or daily routine is at fault for the problem, not realizing that’s not always the case.

I also think your comment about a “dog with fleas and ticks is better than a dead dog” is note worthy. I wholeheartedly disagree with that statement. Fleas and ticks carry and transmit multiple fatal diseases, not to mention, with heavy infestations can cause anemia. Don’t forget about flea bite dermatitis as well.

[CockalierMom]

a c -Since you are uncomfortable with Bravecto, I would get a new batch of Frontline or try Advantage before going with the pill. You may have received some that was not stored properly and has lost its effectiveness. My vet does not carry the topical flea treatments so I order Advantage online from either Drs Foster and Smith or Chewy.

[anonymous]

http://www.akc.org/content/health/articles/flea-and-tick-medicine-for-puppies/
excerpt below:
Why Flea and Tick Prevention Is Important
In addition to being uncomfortable for your dog, fleas are also the leading cause of tapeworm, a parasite whose larvae is carried by fleas. Ticks can transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Canine Ehrlichiosis, Canine Anaplasmosis, and other serious conditions. (Read more about tick-borne diseases from the AKC Canine Health Foundation.)
Dr. Andrea Tu of Park East Animal Hospital in New York City (scroll down for video) recommends regularly running a flea comb throughout your dog’s coat to check for fleas. Also, be on the watch for “flea dirt,” little black specks usually found on a dog’s belly or around the tail. Vacuuming the home and spraying insecticides on shaded areas in the yard can also be useful in keeping any potential flea problems at bay. Some people prefer the more “natural” option of using nematodes, an organism that feeds on flea larvae, on their yards.
After visiting woody areas or spending a lot of time outdoors, give your dog a tick check, looking him over for any embedded parasites. If you spot a tick on your pet, carefully remove it using this safe method and contact your veterinarian in case further treatment or testing is necessary.

[earthchild]

I read this post as a result of searching for information and reviews on flea pills. My 3 year old cat died 3 weeks of ‘probable cause – heart failure’ after giving her a Comfortis pill in early 2017 and I am scared to use that again. My dog however is so flea infested that sprays and baths arent enough. I’m still deciding which one to try, but wanted to answer the initial question, yes, I believe we should be extra careful about this type of treatment. It was a traumatic experience to see my kitty go like that, and so young also. She was a healthy indoor kitty and I regret not doing the research before giving Comfortis to her.

[Author]

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