Revolution or Trifexis?

I've been using Trifexis since it came out.  I have two large dogs, one medium and one small.  None of my dogs has ever had any problems with the product.  My small dog weighs 13lbs.  I will say that this product will not repel fleas.  It kills the fleas but it is possible for the fleas to bite and cause an allergic reaction.  I don't think there are many products that claim to repel.  Last time I looked, K9 Advantix was the only making that claim but you should check with your vet to confirm.

I used Revolution ONE year.  The flees were intense and it did nothing for them, actually seemed to attract the darned things.  If it doesn't work on something I can see, I worry that it doesn't work on something I can't see.  Honestly, I would never use it again.

The tics and fleas are already becoming a problem here according to some of my neighbors.  I wish we could wait a bit longer before starting something but...... I have used Advantix in the past but was hoping to change, may have to ask the vet about Trifexis for my big boys. 

 I'd never even heard of Trifexis until 5 minutes ago - someone on the bichon forum has just switched to using that, after 7 years using Sentinel.

 Around here, I know that Revolution does not seem to work for the dogs at all, per other dog owners.  (The cat version does seem fine, and I use it)

 I've only ever used Interceptor.

 Umm, Freedom, Interceptor is heartworm preventative...not for fleas.

crouchingcheese

So it looks like trifexis is the better option. I do wonder though, for those of you that use it, do you worry about basically "poisoning" your dog in regards to using chemicals to kill/prevent bugs that they don't even have? I'm sure mine don't have any intestinal parasites, but then I'd still be "poisoning" them for critters they don't have, right?

I was trying to say nothing and can't.  I will *not* use spinosad (Comfortis) -- I DO use Interceptor (milbemycin alone) and I can't wait for them to come out with a version without spinosad.

I know a lot of folks on here use spinosad.  Spinosad "kills" by causing the flea to have seizures to the point of death.  It has also been linked to seizures in dogs.  I will honestly never be "ok" with a drug that kills that way, particularly one that stays in the bloodstream all month (the milbemycin part doesn't, the spinosad part does).

My pug already battles what they call a "pre-seizurey" condition (she has little "petit mal" twitches that we control with herbs).  I've had other dogs who battled seizures.  There just is no way I would be comfortable with a drug in any way that owed it's strength to killing seizures (even in a parasite).

Bottom line -- 999.99999$ of us never even think about "how" a pesticide kills pests.  If it works and the vet says it's ok, then what's to question?  And I'm not saying anyone's vet here is bad.  My own regular vet sells Comfortis. 

I just can't "go" there if that makes sense.

crouchingcheese

of pumping them full of chemicals, but what other options are there?

Just last night I typed out a response on the AIHA/IMHA thread about heartworm prevention -- and one of the dogs at question lives WAY up in Canada (not even on the border but hours above the border) -- and she was questioning the use of herbs in place of heartworm prevention.  And in that case I had to say "no' to that as well because the herbs at issue (blackwalnut and a few others) are patently *Poison* -- and altho folks have been using them to fight internal pests for ages, I have to say "too danagerous".  Dosing is iffy at best and how strong the dog's metabolism may be makes it even more impossible to "dose" accurately and not ncur heart problems with those herbs

My point is this -- you have to take everyhing on a case by case basis.    Heartworm prevention, to my mind, is not "pumping them full of chemicals".  If you live here in the American South, as I do, if you don't give your dog heartworm prevention, ultimately they WILL get heartworm and if you don't treat it they will die.  And for that "prevention" I'm going to use the safest (and the least amount of) stuff I can.  So I *must* use heartworm prevention (which again is a misnomer but that's a whole different discussion) --

But altho fleas carry disease, and can actually make an animal anemic and unwell, I don't have to use a chemical "added on" to combat fleas that is, particularly in my personal experience, dangerous from a seizure point of view.

This is where you have to talk long and hard with your vet.  Discuss what your particular situation is ... how much of a threat is contained in each option. 

For me it's all wrapped up in a bunch of things -- I don't do annual vaccines (just rabies when it is absolutely required), and I don't use anything that is "systemic" (meaning it enters the body system either by mouth or via the skin, and stays there the whole month).  In this particular case spinosad is not only systemic, but it's a chemical with a seizure-related means of working, so it's a double "no" for me.

Like I said - I know a lot of folks on here use it, but I won't.  I'm hoping I'm not sounding ratty or nasty -- it's not my intent.  This is a more-than-usually difficult decision this year because Interceptor's hard to get. 

Callie,

 Thank you for your post!  I haven't given my dogs the trifexis yet (wanting to wait until April 1st, to get them on the monthly cycle), but what DO you use for flea control?  I have honestly been battling fleas for ages, especially with my cats.  One is sickly to begin with so fleas are REALLY attracted to him.  Anyway, we've tried bombs, topicals, frequent baths, everything.  I tried using the generic frontline plus (both the stuff from Walmart and the Ecto Advance given to us by the vet) with little improvement.  I've tried sprays and all sorts of things.

 Finally, this past weekend, I bought a huge jug of the diatomascus (sp?) earth, food grade stuff.  I spent all day sifting it into the carpeting in the "cat room" (where they sleep at night, in their own bedroom), in the living room, spare room, etc.  I also dusted both of the cats and all of the dogs as well as all of their bedding.  I also put down a flea trap, one of those sticky ones with lights.  I'm waiting for some Advantage to come in the mail that I ordered for the cats, but until then, I haven't treated them with anything since I treated them on March 1st with the Ecto Advance.  I have seen a LOT of fleas on the two cats this past weekend, every time I see one I pinch it off and kill it.  I've only seen three fleas in the flea trap since Friday night when we put it down.

 We're treating the yard with beneficial nematodes tonight (it's coming in the mail today).  But what else is there to do?  The generic frontline isn't working for my cats, I'm hoping that the Advantage works.  The dogs are getting fleas (probably from the cats, but maybe also from the yard) and they're both allergic and start getting bacterial infections on their tummies if we aren't careful. 

I'm just at my wits end with these fleas.  I'm HOPING that the combination of the dia. earth, nematodes, Advantage, and Trifexis will finally wipe them out.....but if they don't....then what?  I'm also feeding the dogs a garlic/brewer's yeast combo chewable tablet to try and help with the REPELLING of fleas, since none of the flea controls seem to actually repel the fleas, just kill once they've bitten the dog.

 Sigh, I'm sorry for the novel, I'm just so sick and tired of the darn fleas!!!  I would LOVE it if I didn't have to give the dogs something every month for flea control, but as of right now, I don't see any other options :(

crouchingcheese

but what DO you use for flea control? 

Frontline isn't working here at all.  I'm putting Advantage on the dogs (and Advantage II when I can't get Advantage I).  I'm using DE in the yard.

DE works great but it's not fast.  It is a dessicant - literally it dries out the pests and kills them.  As long as you're using food grade you can put it on their coats.  If you use it in the yard you have to reapply after it rains significantly (which can be a right royal pain). 

You can't just pick them off -- for the one you see there are 100 others.  But you have to get to the very bottom of it usually -- gosh, I've done everything from bomb to just close off a room for weeks. 

I know nothing about cats at all -- so I'm no help there. 

There ahve been times when we just went with some big heavy-duty flea killer for the yard, and didn't let the dogs IN the yard at all for a couple of weeks just to get control of the yard problem.  But be aware, you'll need to treat the foundation of your house -- fleas can walk right thru the airholes in concrete, so be sure to treat the whole area around your foundation wall

The garlic/yeast combo?  I never saw it help at all (and oh yeah, I have used it).  And be careful -- if any of your dogs have skin problems, the yeast can exacerbate it. 

 You'll probably have to keep the cats in -- if somebuddy is constantly going out in the world, they're going to come back with a whole new flea population.

Here's some info on Comfortis.  See the info concerning seizures.   It's not recommended for dogs with seizure disorders but there is no evidence that it causes seizures.  The dogs who already had a seizure disorders were given doses higher than normal.  Since these dogs already had seizure disorders, the fact that they had seizures isn't proof that the Comfortis was the cause.   

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2768&S=1

 I have been using Revolution on both of my dogs for 12 years. I have tried everything else that has come out at one time or another because our local low cost clinic doesn't have discount Revolution but carries everything as it comes out. NONE of the other products have worked for my dogs in my area other than Revolution. My latest failed attempt was Trifexis.  The problem is that NO OTHER PRODUCT other than Revolution can prevent AND treat mites in addition to Fleas, Ticks, Worms, etc. None of them claim to. The other products seem to do as they claim, but we have mites in our area(which is common in lawns in most areas). This makes it so that we stick with Revolution. It is the best product and the least toxic. It has worked for everything for us for 12 years. The only thing I have heard bad about it are rumors that the Heartworm prevention has not been effective for some people. (I chalk this up to people that don't follow the monthly regimen closely enough)

 I hope this is helpful for you!