Trifexis caution...?

[Pat and Traveler]

Just FYI...

http://www.wsbtv.com/videos/news/grieving-animal-lovers-blame-pet-d...

[Breanna]

I called my vet because Crush did throw up today. I didn't really relate it to this until after reading this post. (She has thrown up from overeating and then getting hyper). The vet said that the throwing up was not related to trifexis because adverse reaction would have happened within 24 hours of giving it to her. She is acting completely normal but I will watch out and take her in if she starts to act strange. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thanks for posting this and for the comments.  I haven't tried Triflexis because it is a newer product and I don't want to take a chance on it until the product has more longevity behind it.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

That's the way JD's dermatologist feels. 

[Jen Anderson]

The two drugs that combine to make Trifexis have actually been around for a long time. It's the Trifexis product name that is newer.

[Jen Anderson]

There are side effects and risks with any drug. Human or veterinary medicines. Allergic reactions are out there.

[Pat and Traveler]

I'm way more cautious than I was four years ago when I first got a puppy.  It didn't occur to me to question the vet who provided a bag of Science Diet--if the vet gave it to me, it had to be the best.  Right? 

Four years later, I don't feed Trav Science Diet, and his "brother," Grendel, doesn't eat Beneful..  Many dog owners do feed their dogs these foods, and would defend their choices.  I'm okay with that, and I'm okay with my own choices.

As for Trifexis, when it was suggested to me, Trav already had a history of being fine with the flea and heartworm meds he was taking.  I didn't feel any desire to change from what was working to something I knew nothing about, even if the vet sounded encouraging.  This may be a good med for many dog owners, and I'm okay with that.  I'm also okay with my own choices. 

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Great post , Pat. We all want what is best for our furkids. And obviously, what works for some, will not work for others. In the end, OUR choices , for OUR dogs is all that matters. I would see no reason to change medications if it works for both you and your dog(s) without any harmful side effects.

[Pat and Traveler]

Exactly, Ro.  I don't doubt for a moment that we want the best for our dogs.  I really knew nothing about dogs when I got Trav, and recall how pleased with myself I was when I noticed he had a couple of fleas and I got a flea collar for him.  I was explaining this example of good dog ownership to a couple of friends and was shocked when they told me to get rid of the collar and find out what I should be doing about fleas on my dog.  :)

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

LOL...we've all been there!  Hey....doesn't Hartz tells us their flea collars are the BEST????  

I just know, my Mom and Dad are turning over in their graves, knowing what I pay for a bag of dogfood these days!  They were brought up thinking Purina was the very best!

  Thankfully, we now have the internet and places like DK, to come and learn.

[Sally S Miles]

This stuff scares me - big time, yes it was suggested by the vet - but I admit to being extrememly cautious about any sort of medication.   It's new - it's tough stuff.  Not meaning to be mean, or whatever - but as far as I am concerned the FDA has approved a lot of deadly stuff,  just look at recalls and class action lawsuits.  I prefer to err on the side of caution and unless it's been out a long time, with a long proven track record, I'm not interested.    Despite that, many times an unknown issue can be brought to the forefront with a simple Rx that clashes with a system.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Yogi took this once at 12 weeks. Seemed to do fine with it. I questioned my vet yesterday at 12 week appt. he says he uses it for his own dog.

I did decide to use heart guard for now since there aren't many fleas in Indiana this time of year.
Guess I'll have a few months to think about it.

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Thanks for posting Pat.  I see that Spinosad, one of the ingredients in Trifexis, is also used in liguid lawn & garden pesticides. I'm sure the concentration is different but really!  I don't use this stuff on my lawn because of my pets so why would I feed it to them?  When I had to switch Finn to a heart worm preventative with Ivermectin, he had a seizure. He still shows tremors from time to time since the incident. I wanted him back on the ingredients in his original Heartworm medication but big Pharma seems to keep loading up their pills with heartworm, flea, and tick preventatives and the marketing slogan - why wouldn't you want a pill that does it all?  We've found a substitute but -- and this may sound like heresy -- I have decided to take him off these medications from the first freeze until late winter/early spring and give his body a rest.  He's doing so much better and I will keep testing him for heartworm.