Trifexis In The News

[OwnedBySummer]

Here's an article I just read about Trifexis. I don't use it but I know many of you do.

Edited November 12, 2013 by OwnedBySummer

[Burpdog]

Unless the owners push it, it will be swept under the rug

[Guest k9soul]

Scary . I don't use it but I like being aware of anything like this.

[Guest june]

I was told Trifexix was developed for convenience; only having to give one pill. I turned it down because I give HW at the beginning of the month and Frontline two weeks later. These guys react to drugs much more often than other breeds so if I'm giving them at different times I know, if there is a reaction, which drug it is from.

[OwnedBySummer]

I space drugs out, too, as much as possible. Being a therapy dog, her group demands vaccines (thankfully, they'll accept every 3 years instead of annually) and I give the vaccines in a different year from the rabies. And then I even split the vaccines apart as much as possible.

[MP_the4pack]

My girls are currently due for their heartworm but Opal is on not one but two strong antibiotics (one of which is injectable). So no meds until after a couple weeks post antibiotic. Luckily, the mosquitoes are all gone now.

[MaryJane]

And .... the article states that one of the ingredients is made in China ....

[Guest cruzNhounds]

So sad..... We used it twice with no ill effect other than loss of appetite but that is common. The "since it's beef-flavored, you can offer it as a treat, easy-to-administer chewable tablet" claim I found not to be true! All 4 of my dogs would NOT take it. The pill has a strong moth ball smell to it, I can only imagine how it would taste We took that as a cue and discontinued it. I don't like to force things down my dogs throat, you all know that "oh gee not that sh*t again" look our dogs give give us . The concept was great, all tested for heartworm infection before starting. I just would rather not.

[ramonaghan]

And .... the article states that one of the ingredients is made in China ....

 

Yep, here's the excerpt: Trifexis contains two drugs, spinosad and milbemycin. "The spinosad is from the United States. The milbemycin is sourced from China" said Connell.

 

But that hasn't (yet?) been isolated as the issue. Comfortis, which is what I give Sweep, is also made by Elanco and also contains spinosad. Makes me a bit paranoid! So sad for those owners.

[BellaBean]

I've used this for years and have not had any problems. Both of the ingredients they list are common in other flea/heartworm meds. Maybe people should contact them and I bet you'd be surprised to find out where they come from. Any medication that is out there you can find horror stories about. Trifexis is relatively new and of course people are going to shout about the bad when it happens. My Bella cannot have any topical meds because she shakes, vomits, or has vertigo. I think that an owner just needs to know their dog and use what works for them. If any of mine ever exhibited any of those symptoms as in the video I would never use it again.

[kikibean]

Wingnut is on Trifexis. I dip it in peanut butter and I don't think he even chews it. I think this is his 3rd month on it. Molly is on Advantage Multi. She is 13 and has had some tummy issues and a bout of vestibular, so I don't want to risk giving it to her. And, I doubt she would eat it.

 

I recently had a dog at my house w/ fleas that I didn't catch for a day and a half. Neither of my dogs got them, so both products are working.

[galgrey]

Unless the owners push it, it will be swept under the rug

Just like lots of other drugs.

[JJNg]

Here's the response to the article that I posted to the Facebook GT forum:

 

I didn't see any clear evidence linking either of the deaths highlighted in the article to Trifexis. Not saying that it's not a possibility, as any drug can cause idiosyncratic reactions, but before publicizing info that a certain drug is deadly, I'd personally want to see some documented facts. I've seen owners become convinced that their dogs died, or got sick from, a number of things, and when investigating further, it just wasn't true.

There are a number of different reasons why a 12-year-old dog could get sick and die. The article mentioned that Gizmo got sick "shortly after" taking Trifexis, but in related video, the owner stated that she got sick about a week later. Most reactions to Trifexis happen within the first 2-3 days, when blood levels of the drug would be expected to be highest. I'm wondering if Gizmo had a necropsy done to determine the cause of death. The signs described could also have been caused by a brain tumor.

In the case of the Vizsla puppy, buried near the end of the article is the statement that "A University of Georgia Veterinary School pathology report on Bishop's death stated a bacterial infection likely caused the dog's heart failure. It ruled his symptoms were not typical of drug toxicity." But because the owner is convinced that it was due Trifexis, this news article seems to present that as the cause.

 

Additional thought...if the details regarding the litter of Vizsla puppies is accurate, I think it warrants further investigation. But rather than a general problem with the Trifexis itself, it sounds like an underlying genetic/congenital problem that may have been triggered by the medication.

[Guest Branna]

I space drugs out, too, as much as possible. Being a therapy dog, her group demands vaccines (thankfully, they'll accept every 3 years instead of annually) and I give the vaccines in a different year from the rabies. And then I even split the vaccines apart as much as possible.

Hi, I wonder if I could ask what you use? Mag has to go to the vet tomorrow and currently has hook worms, but we used Trifexis with our last dog (who used to have seizures, now deceased). Thanks,

[OwnedBySummer]

Hi, I wonder if I could ask what you use? Mag has to go to the vet tomorrow and currently has hook worms, but we used Trifexis with our last dog (who used to have seizures, now deceased). Thanks,

What particular drugs do you want to know about that I use? For the hooks? To cure hookworms, I use Drontal Plus.