Latest Update: Saturday, 24 February, 2018
On this page:
Canine: Fleas and Ticks, Heartworm, Leptospitosis, Titer Test
Feline: Fleas and Ticks, Herpes, Laryngeal Paralysis, Nasopharyngeal Polyps
Misc.
• American Holistic Veterinary Medicine Association
! Drug Allergy: A Hidden Cause of Itchy Skin That Many Vets Don't Know About, Sept 2013,
Mercola Healthy Pets
• The Outdated Vet Vaccination Advice That Can Harm Your Pet, July 2013, Mercola Healthy
Pets
• Allergic Dermatitis: The NEW #1 Reason Dogs Visit Vets, and How to Treat It at Home,
July 2013, Mercola Healthy Pets
• Using a Nebulizer, Veterinary Partner
• Fleas and Ticks (Canine)
• Currently - K9 Advantix 20 (imidacloprid/permethrin), Bayer
Animal Health
• Topical prevention and treatment of ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, biting flies and lice for
monthly use
• NexGard (afoxolaner) Merial Co.
• Brochure from Roanoke Animal Hospital June 2016, pdf
• chewable, once a month
• Reviews
• PetCareRX.com sells the product, 4.5/5, 53 reviews,
• 1800PetMeds.com sells the product, 4.1/5, 109 reviews
• Product Review 2.2/5 142 reviews 87% said made dog sick
X YourPetsNeedThis.com, 04 Nov 2014 with June 2016 DATA
I’ve been reading through message board posts on Veterinary Information Network, and so
far, my colleagues who are prescribing these drugs are happy with how well they’re working
and are seeing minimal side effects, in keeping with the data reported by Merial. Although
these drugs are new to the U.S. market this year, folks in Europe have been using them for
several years with no red flags cropping up.
Keep in mind that because these drugs are systemic, fleas and ticks WILL get on your
dog’s body and must bite to be exposed to the drug. Nexgard and Bravecto will not repel fleas
and ticks. However, studies show that within 2-4 hours of administration, Bravecto and
Nexgard begin killing existing fleas. Within 48 hours of administration, both kill ticks.
[Added comment 6/3/16: I will not prescribe Nexgard or Bravecto to dogs. After months of
communicating with dog owners, reading and researching, it is clear I cannot predict which dog
may have side effects from these drugs, and if side effects occur, I cannot remove the drug from
the dog’s body.]
Bravecto and Nexgard Adverse Drug Event Reports, Finally!
•X Facebook Does NexGard Kill Dogs?
• Dr. Melissa Shelton’s line of essential oils for animals AnimalEO.info
• Articles
• Natural Flea and Tick Prevention, Sunday, March 6, 2016
• Best Flea Treatment Updated May 2016, ConsumerSearch.com
• How Many More Pets Have Been Harmed by These Products Since the EPA's Advisory
3 Years Ago?, February 2012, Mercola Healthy Pets
• Heartworm (Canine)
• Currently -
• Proheart6, moxidectin, Zoetisus Co.
• one shot, 6 months
• Brochure from Roanoke Animal Hospital June 2016, pdf
• Zoetisus Proheart6 (moxidectin), Zoetis Inc., a former business unit of Pfizer Inc.
• Official Customer Info Sheet
• Recent Changes in the ProHeart 6 Riskmap, 28 Aug 2013
• The Vaccination ProHeart 6 Has Been Connected with Dog Deaths
Keep the Tail Wagging
13 June 2012
• Articles
! Why Haven’t Pet Owners Been Told These Facts about Heartworm?, August 2010
Mercola Healthy Pets
• Does My Indoor Cat Need to be on Heartworm Prevention? NovaCatClinic.com
• Safety Tips for Using Heartworm Preventive Medications on Cats PetMed.com
! How to Prevent Heartworm Infection in Your Cat, March 2012, Mercola Healthy Pets
• Leptospitosis
• Brochure from Roanoke Animal Hospital June 2016, pdf
• CDC [in humans]
• Recent Cases Of Leptospirosis In Parts Of The U.S. Of Concern To Dog Owners
American Kennel Club
July 2015
The leptospirosis vaccine is not included with the regular “core vaccines” given routinely to
dogs by many animal hospitals and instead may be recommended where geographic region or
the dog’s lifestyle is felt to put them at risk. In the past the leptospirosis vaccine was associated
with causing adverse reactions more frequently than other vaccinations. New vaccines,
however, may be less likely to cause adverse reactions, according to some vets.
The CDC says that the vaccine does not provide 100-percent protection, noting, “This is
because there are many strains (types) of leptospirosis (the bacteria that causes leptospirosis),
and the vaccine does not provide immunity against all strains.”
I'm so sorry about your dog! I wish you luck! This is a tough disease and worth preventing
with the vaccine. As a vet, I don't push vaccines for non-life-threatening diseases such as
bordatella, but this one is serious and worth an ounce of prevention! The new vaccine (low
dose ultra pure) has low incidence of side effects. Costs more but worth it! Common sense
doesn't prevent it as most dogs go outside and if there are raccoons in your area, there is risk. Be
safe and vaccinate!
• Leptospirosis: Serious and Preventable
TexVetPets.org
For Texas Pet Owners by Texas Veterinarians
April 2014
X Leptospirosis: Yes, You COULD Get This Disease from Your Dog, But…
HealthPets.com
February 2013
There is a vaccine for leptospirosis, but I absolutely don’t recommend it and I don’t offer it
at my clinic. It’s a relatively weak bacterial vaccine that is short acting and can’t protect against
all 20 serovars of the Leptospira bacteria. In fact, it’s actually ineffective for the current serovar
that’s causing the majority of infections in my area close to Chicago. The leptospirosis vaccine
is a bacterin -- a vaccine made from killed bacteria, which in and of itself won’t prompt an
immune response to make antibodies, so a powerful adjuvant is added that elicits a strong
immune system response. Because of this, it also carries a significantly greater risk for adverse
reactions.
• Leptospirosis in Dogs: How Concerned Should You Be?
Petful.com
August 2014
• Titer [Tighter] Test
• Titer Testing Your Dog: Are You Wasting Your Money?
DogsNaturallyMagazine.com
VitalAnimal.com
holistic medicine
• Fleas and Ticks (Feline)
• Currently - none
• Revolution for Cats, selamectin, Zoetisus Co.
• fleas, heartworms, roundworms,* hookworms† and ear mites
• Administer once a month, topical
• FDA approved, so you can be confident in the drug’s quality, efficacy and safety
• Requires no separation from family or other pets following administration
• Safe in breeding, pregnant, lactating and heartworm-positive cats
• REVOLUTION must be prescribed by a licensed veterinarian
• Side effects: Like all medicines, Revolution has some side effects. The most
common is hair loss at the site of application with or without inflammation (redness, flaking) in
cats. Other side effects reported in cats and dogs include vomiting, diarrhea with or without
blood, anorexia (decreased appetite), lethargy (sluggishness), salivation, rapid breathing,
pruritus (itching), urticaria (welts, hives), erythema (skin redness), ataxia (incoordination), fever
and rare instances of death. There have also been rare reports of seizures in dogs.
• Do not massage Revolution into the skin.
• You should avoid contact with application site when wet. You may hold or play with
your pet any time after the area on which Revolution was applied is dry.
• US Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed
veterinarian
• Revolution kills adult fleas and prevents flea eggs from hatching for one month
and is indicated for the prevention and control of flea infestations (Ctenocephalides felis),
prevention of heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis, and the treatment and control of
ear mite (Otodectes cynotis) infestations. Revolution is also indicated for the treatment and
control of roundworm (Toxocara cati) and intestinal hookworm (Ancylostoma tubaeforme)
infections in cats.
•X ProductReview.com 3 of 5 stars / 85 reviews
• May 20, 2016 We have bought revolution every summer for the past few years.
All 12, at the time, of our cats were reacting okay to it until recently. Our 8 year old cat started
getting what looked like matted fur on his back closest to his tail. About 3 weeks after noticing
this we found him dead in our yard. He had no other symptoms and the company claims that it
was a gene that certain cats have. They also did not believe us when we told them about his fur.
Now we have another cat going to a vet tomorrow for the same thing. Keep your pets away
from this.
• May 13, 2016 Revolution killed my beautiful 9 yr old 16lb Himalayan! I will
never use this again- the formula has changed or something has gone array. I put it on all 3 cats
2 are outdoor/indoor 1 is strictly indoor. The cats have been very lethargic, 1 had muscle
tremors and I came home to find my Himalayan dead 2 days ago this is 1 week after using this
product. He was absolutely fine beforehand. If u value and love your pets do not gamble w
their lives. I too was innocently trying to give the cats relief from fleas. I reported the problem
and I am trying to have a necropsy performed. Grief stricken I could have done this to my
animal so not worth the risk. lot #1210972 exp 10/18 on package
• Apr 19, 2016 After I used this product I figured out it made my cat pull out his
hair, he is lethargic and feels like crap. Im going back to frontline and heartguard. I may have to
put him down because it has been two weeks and he is clawing himself to bleed. I worked for a
vet for 19 yrs and never seen this kind of reaction.
• Apr 15, 2016 Took my 4-year-old cat to the vet to get him some relief from fleas
and for his rabies vaccine. Vet recommended and applied Revolution. I will not be using this
again. He has vomited several times (scares me to death). I feel so bad for this big guy. I take
him to get some relief from fleas and it makes him sick. I absolutely hate that this happened.
• Mar 15, 2016 I have used frontline plus for all my pets for over 15 years
successfully and recently swapped to revolution. I don't know why but my cat still has fleas
jumping on her after 2 months!! Not happy at all. Do not buy it. Changing back to frontline,
what a waste of money.
• Protect Your Cat and Home from Fleas, WebMD
• Herpes Virus, Feline (Gracen 2018, Dr Foland)
• Herpes Viral Conjunctivitis: A Feline Problem, Veterinary Partner
• Feline Upper Respiratory Infection Veterinary Partner
• Pets WebMD Feline Herpes Symptoms and Treatment
• Feline Herpes: It Sounds Scary, But It’s Manageable, Catster
• Feline Herpes ThenSome (Holistic)
Lysine
• Feline Herpes Virus: Bad News for a Popular Treatment PetMd
• Lysine for FHV? Researchers Say Don’t Bother Veterinary Practice News
Famciclovir
• Treatment of feline herpesvirus-1 associated disease in cats with famciclovir and
related drugs. NIH
• Famciclovir For FHV In Cats, Diamond Back Drugs
• Q+A with Dr. David Maggs and Dr. Sara Thomasy Vet Med, UC Davis
• Laryngeal Paralysis (Gracen 2018, Dr Foland)
• Laryngeal Paralysis Veterinary Partner
• Laryngeal paralysis in cats: 16 cases (1990-1999), NIH
• Laryngeal Disease in Cats, PetMD
• Laryngeal Paralysis in Cats, The Cat Site, video and chat
• Laryngeal Paralysis in Dogs and Cats, Pet Assure
• Laryngitis in Cats, Merk Veterinary Manual
• Polyps, (Gracen 2018, Dr Foland)
• Naso-Pharyngeal (Nasal Pharyngeal) Polyps in Cats Veterinary Partner
• Don't Ignore This Invading Virus, It Can Block Your Pet's Breathing, Health Pets,
Mercola, Dr Becker
• Pink Growths in the Nose and Pharynx in Cats, PetMD
• Nasopharyngeal Polyps in Cats PetMd
• Nasopharyngeal Polyps, Cornell Feline Health Center
• Possible Nasal Pharyngeal Polyps (Gracen Oct 2018, Dykstra VCA
Aledo Vet)
• Cornell Feline Health Center
• VCA Vets