It's a loaded question, but I think any web/FB page that simply claims it "kills" is reactionary and probably dangerous.
That said, I won't use it. But there are others on here who love it.
Trifexis is a "combo" of milbemycin (which is the heartworm preventive in Intercepter/Sentinel) PLUS the drug Spinosad which is in Comfortis. For some reason it's the only thing out there using milbemycin while Novartis has still not got Interceptor back on the market.
Milbemycin is pretty darned safe. Safer across the board than even ivermectin (because there is no issue with herding dogs like there is with ivermectin).
The iss ue is the spinosad.
Spinosad kills fleas by causing them to go into seizures until they die of the seizures. If you read the Comfortis package they actually state on the package not to use it on dogs known to have a history of seizures. (In other words, it can trigger seizures in those dogs)
But the problem lies in the fact that you may not know your dog is "prone" to seizures. Seizures don't always manifest at a young age, and sometimes it takes some mysterious (medical term "idiopathic" = no known cause) thing to cause them.
The further concern is that since it causes fleas to "cluster" seize (meaning they don't just have one seizure -- they seize over and over with littler or no break between seizures so the body literally doesn't come out of the seizure state) that brings death. Cluster seizures in dogs are **very** dangerous -- if a dog begins to cluster seize it can be very difficult (and sometimes impossible) to get those seizures to stop.
I know my pug is likely "prone" to seizures. The vets (both regular and holistic) have already identified little "twitches" she gets which are purely "
electrical" and are a sort of tiny seizure activity. They increase hugely with the full phase of the moon (well established in both human and veterinary seizure knowledge as a thing that worsens seizure activity) and with certain kinds of stress. So I consider myself forewarned.
But where do you draw the line as to safety?
I've had other seizure dogs so for me it's a no-brainer.
Other people really like the efficacy of the spinosad in dealing with fleas and they feel the risk is minimal.
That's everyone's right -- but I'm not sure if the Trifexis package even mentions the seizure risk.
There will always be those of us more cautious about using chemicals and avoiding problem reactions. Others are more willing to take the risk and see it as minimal.
gmcbogger38
My vet hasn't heard of any deaths or illness directly stemmed from giving this product to a dog and I just want to know if their is solid proof, such as a necropsy, that has been done to prove this. If so, I will gladly stop giving it to my dogs, but I need solid proof.
The fact that Trifexis is more widely used now -- and it's popularity will likely grow if Novartis doesn't get Interceptor back in production -- it's likely something that will become more well known.
Do I know of any cases? yes -- several. It's something where the "evidence" will need to simply accumulate because the element of danger is totally tied to whether or not that dog is "prone" to seizures. I think they already know that if a dog DOES have a history of seizures and you administer spinosad to that dog will it likely sieze - perhaps to death? Yes, I think that's a given or Comfortis's box wouldn't carry that warning -- drug manufacturers don't LIKE to put warnings like that on a box until it's a true risk.
But I'm not sure there are ANY statistics out there (because the field of inquiry would need to be massive) as to what percentage of the dog population may be seizure risks. Most "studies" are done on a limited breed list of dogs (beagles, for example, are often test subjects) -- but seizures tend to be tied to various breeds. Most bracheocephalic breeds tend to have higher seizure problems. Breeds where the breeding for certain skull shapes can have increased risk (chihuahua's are an example there).
Pugs are certainly on the list of breeds more seizure prone. The other dog we had that had a lot of seizure activity was a pekingese (another bracheocephalic breed -- just as it happened - -she was a rescue, as is Tink). I can also tell you both of them were stellarly BADLY bred. That's one of the reasons they wound up with David and I.
The list isn't limited to bracheocephalic breeds by any means.
But trying to do some kind of a "study" -- were it to be fair & accurate -- would have to take breed into account. Even then it would be massively difficult because the very nature of seizures is SO difficult to pin down. You can't simply say "A, B, and C cause seizures". It's FAR more complicated than that.
gmcbogger38
Is that asking too much? Does that make me heartless?
"asking too much" maybe -- I'm not sure the cost/benefit analysis of such an undertaking is feasible given the profits the company has if they can simply put a warning on the package.
There is darned little out there right now that is "good" for heartworm prevention!!
There is darned little out there right now that is "good" for fleas!!
Dogs need both.
At best it's a judgment call
Heartless? Not hardly -- but I don't think that's the right word in any event. I think it's more a question of caution.
Some people tend to have good luck with dogs that are healthy and have relatively few problems. They tend to choose the pharmaceuticals they use on their dogs with an eye to what works well and what is convenient.
From my perspective, and the fact that I know most people are completely and totally unaware of 99.9999999% of the risks of most anything they put on their dogs -- I wish it were more well known when there was a problem with something like this.
I work a lot with IMHA dogs. "What's IMHA?" -- even that question (which most people would have to ask) kinda proves what I just said. (Immune-mediate Hemolytic Anemia). But in dealijng with IMHA you get REALLY smacked in the face with "side-effects" of drugs. And ... with the whole question of which drugs may cause problems .... it becomes a big huge deal. One I'm more familiar with than most.
Sorry this was long -- but you ask a really good question for which there is no "simple" answer. Like I said -- a LOT of people really love spinosad and we're in a time when both flea and heartworm prevention are sadly lacking in "safe" drugs.
It always makes me uneasy when I see a webpage claiming "________ KILLED MY DOG" -- I don't like scare tactics.