FDA Warning - Flea/Tic Meds - Dogs and Cats

[doxiemom11]

If you haven't seen it, the FDA has issued a warning on 4 different common flea/tic meds that are causing neurological issues in both dogs and cats. They are also currently notifying vets. The 4 involved are:

Bravecto --- Nexguard---Simparica--- and a brand new one Credelio.

Symptoms include -- Seizures
Muscle Tremors
Ataxia

Our dog previously had problems with Nexguard and was taken off it. Back to a topical.

[toedtoes]

If the dog is sensitive to flea bites, I would treat monthly regardless. Fortunately, both my dogs are not affected like that (I have a worse reaction than they do).

Again, there isn't a single answer for all dogs and situations. But being able to understand as many options as possible will help you find a solution that works for your dog and situation.

I will add that whenever I camp, I do a daily rub over on the dogs to check for ticks. Fleas will bite me before the dogs so I know immediately if there is a flea.

[Pawz4me]

BCSnob wrote:
Did you see symptoms of the TBD or was the diagnosis based upon an Idexx Snap test? I ask because not everyone realizes that this test has measurable and reported false positive rates. I suspect we had a false positive test recently but chose to treat anyway.

My vet was willing to treat based on symptoms and because a few weeks prior to onset we'd been on a trip to the northeast where ticks were a definite issue. I pulled many unattached ones off of him during that trip, but we're guessing (obviously) that I missed at least one.

[BCSnob]

Did you see symptoms of the TBD or was the diagnosis based upon an Idexx Snap test? I ask because not everyone realizes that this test has measurable and reported false positive rates. I suspect we had a false positive test recently but chose to treat anyway.

[Pawz4me]

BCSnob wrote:
A problem I see with your approach is “seeing” some ticks species and some stages of all tick species before they have been feeding long enough to transmit infection. However if your exposure risk to ticks is low then this should not be an issue.

Yes. After our dog reacted so horribly to Advantix I didn't use anything on him for a year. And then, despite my being very diligent in checking him, he was diagnosed with a TBD. And that was pretty horrible, too. Thus my decision to try Nexgard, and now to stick with it since I know he's been tolerating it well.

And even with fleas one may pay a rather steep penalty if waiting to find evidence before treating. Many sources say flea bite allergy is the most common allergy in dogs. By the time you see a flea or note increased scratching the dog may have been bitten enough that he'll be in misery for weeks, and it will be a big effort to get things back under control.

There is risk in any approach. It all comes down to which one(s) an owner is most tolerant of, I guess.

[BCSnob]

A problem I see with your approach is “seeing” some ticks species and some stages of all tick species before they have been feeding long enough to transmit infection. However if your exposure risk to ticks is low then this should not be an issue.

[toedtoes]

Pawz4me wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Since then (1998), I have only needed to treat the dogs if we were going somewhere that potentially would have fleas and/or ticks.

Exactly. Our yard/neighborhood isn't a problem. It's been decades since we've had any trouble at home, or even walking through our neighborhood.

RV'ing anywhere -- I always assume during our travels at some point(s) we'll encounter areas with flea/tick infestation. And since we travel frequently, prevention is required most of the year.

My solution to that has been to wait until the first sign of a flea/tick (which may be scratching rather than seeing anything) before treating. Rather than treating "in case" there will be a problem. For me this works well because if no problem arises, i'm not treating my dogs unnecessarily. If I do see a problem, I can nip it in the bud quickly. So I always have a treatment available, but don't use it until there is a need.

[toedtoes]

BCSnob wrote:
That is that is a reasonable approach and one We used when our dogs were only out in a yard. Parasitic nematodes work well at controlly fleas and ticks; however the treatment cost for our current property is about $2500. Fleas have not been an issue for us; however ticks are and we likely have Lyme carrying tics on our farm based upon the number of times we’ve treated infected dogs. Plus our dogs are exposed to many farms throughout the year.

In addition to using a topical for tics we also vaccinate for Lyme.

Yes, size of property is a concern. And, the amount of time your dog spends with other animals.

The fact is there is no one solution that will work in every situation. But understanding the different options can get you a solution that will work.

[Pawz4me]

toedtoes wrote:
Since then (1998), I have only needed to treat the dogs if we were going somewhere that potentially would have fleas and/or ticks.

Exactly. Our yard/neighborhood isn't a problem. It's been decades since we've had any trouble at home, or even walking through our neighborhood.

RV'ing anywhere -- I always assume during our travels at some point(s) we'll encounter areas with flea/tick infestation. And since we travel frequently, prevention is required most of the year.

[BCSnob]

That is that is a reasonable approach and one We used when our dogs were only out in a yard. Parasitic nematodes work well at controlly fleas and ticks; however the treatment cost for our current property is about $2500. Fleas have not been an issue for us; however ticks are and we likely have Lyme carrying tics on our farm based upon the number of times we’ve treated infected dogs. Plus our dogs are exposed to many farms throughout the year.

In addition to using a topical for tics we also vaccinate for Lyme.

[toedtoes]

I have found that a good elimination of fleas in the home and yard will reduce the need for an ongoing monthly treatment of the animal.

I used Zodiac yard and kennel spray over the complete yard when I moved in. Used their household spray inside for things that weren't washable. Two weeks later, I repeated the process.

At the time of the first spraying, I treated all the animals.

Since then (1998), I have only needed to treat the dogs if we were going somewhere that potentially would have fleas and/or ticks. If I see any flea or tick, I treat the animals, yard and home once, then treat the yard and home again two weeks later. If a new animal comes into the home or yard, it is treated first and the yard and home get the two treatments. Other than that, I do not treat the animals.

This has maintained a flea and tick free zone at home. I have not found a flea on any animal in over 3 years. I did find a tick on Bat-dog during one camping trip, so when I go to that campground I always treat them first. If I find a tick or flea during or after any trip, I will treat them for that location. But I have found that they do not need monthly treatments if I don't let the parasites get a hold in the yard or house.

[dturm]

keepmotoring wrote:
I would like to know, if my dog could have had an adverse reaction to Nexgard, which was last given on 8/30, would it show up almost 30 days later? He scared me to death on Friday, September 28. Without going in to detail, I truly believe it was neurological. Took to vet and a lot was done to no avail what happened. Not willing to give him the pill right now.

If what he had was neurological, I would probably recommend a different product. Neuro signs are not widely reported, but there have been a few where an individual that already had seizure issues had seizures after dosing. Those were closer to the dose, so I'm not sure what your dog had was related to Nexgard.

Doug, DVM

[doxiemom11]

Always possible, but probably hard to know If it's an older dog, could be something age related. Like your dog, ours may have had a problem also. We will just avoid any of the meds listed and have gone back to using a topical treatment.

[keepmotoring]

I would like to know, if my dog could have had an adverse reaction to Nexgard, which was last given on 8/30, would it show up almost 30 days later? He scared me to death on Friday, September 28. Without going in to detail, I truly believe it was neurological. Took to vet and a lot was done to no avail what happened. Not willing to give him the pill right now.

[dturm]

An individual's biology can be so different that a product that is a problem on one may not be on another. These type of warnings are important in that they are issued when a greater number or more serious types of adverse reactions are reported than expected.

IMO if you have found something that is effective and doesn't have side effects in your dog, you've found what you need to use.

My recommendation are always based on the best efficacy with the fewest side effects.

BTW, doing nothing for flea/tick control is as potentially dangerous as using products. There is the discomfort and serious skin issues with flea allergy dermatitis AND life threatening diseases carried by the fleas and ticks that act as vectors for those diseases as well as the potential spread of zoonotic (human illnesses)diseases from your dogs or from those same vectors.