NexGard

[admin]

Hi Theresa

That’s awful to hear. Ticks & fleas are very difficult to prevent successfully & it seems the NexGard was not 100% effective for you. My dog Worzel also had ehrlichia, despite me Frontlining both my boys every 3 – 4 weeks. You can read about it in our stories https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/our-stories/worzel/

A long course (5-6 weeks) of high dose doxycycline killed it off, but unfortunately he already had developed IMHA. I hope your vet has started an aggressive course of doxycycline immediately & she will soon be on the mend. Ehrlichia is very good at hiding within the body for long periods, even years, & can hide itself away in the bone marrow. Horrible disease. She may also have anaemia & may need prednisone too – if she has any bloodwork abnormalities, we can help you with that. Please let us know how she is & if you need advice on anything.

Sheena

[melis]

Just started our dogs on nexguard 2 months ago, had been using frontline. Our big rottie died a few days ago august 10, 2015 just a few days after giving this and heart worm medicine, she was on lots of heart medication for the past 2 years so unsure if this and the combo of the heart meds did something to her or it was just her time to go. Be sure to research if has interaction with other meds. Our other 3 dogs no heart condtion are doing fine after having the nexguard, so might just be the combo of all the drugs and the nexguard and heartguard pills.

[Vally]

Melis, I’m so very sorry to hear about your rottie. You must be in shock to have lost her so suddenly like this. You’re very kind to post here because the more that know that there may be a big problem with this medication the better.

We have a Bridge page you may wish to visit, when you’re ready. It’s beautifully written and I hope it helps.
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/the-bridge/

My condolences,
Vally

[admin]

Oh Melis, that’s so sad – I’m very sorry to read about your poor rottie passing away, I really am. You’re right about the medications – maybe the combination of these things was the cause. Heartworm medications can certainly cause problems & none of us are convinced that NexGard is safe either. Thank you so much for letting others know. As Vally says, please visit The Bridge – our dogs are so precious to us & you must be hurting. It’s heartbreaking to lose a pup that you love so much because you were trying your best to protect them from all these horrible diseases.

Worzel also has a heart problem (mitral valve prolapse) which he has taken pimobendan for for many years. That, plus his previous bone marrow failure problem makes me completely paranoid about giving him anything we’re not 100% sure about.

Again, I am so sorry this has happened – sending you my sincere sympathy, Melis. Terrible for you.

Love Sheena xxxxx

[Rachel Schreiner]

Patrice,

My dog, Sydney (Australian Kelpie/Pit Bull mix female), has IMHA. She is doing extremely well. After her initial diagnosis (exactly one year ago today), I became scared to give her flea meds. Syd’s internal medicine specialist told me that fleas carry many deadly/life threatening diseases, especially for dogs with IMHA/AIHA. Also, fleas are responsible for the black plague. The internal medicine specialist told me to avoid all grocery store flea meds and to avoid Frontline. I’m going to call him about Nexgard/Heartgard because I received a free coupon for them from Value Pet. If you are using this med, you should see if they are still giving the free trial coupons.

[Patrice]

Rachel,
Does Sydney currently have IMHA? Or are you saying she is recovered from a diagnosis a year ago? I am sorry, this isn’t clear to me. Do you need help with this?

If your vet told you this about fleas, he is partially correct, they are a vector for plague. But, really, plague is very rare in the world. It only occurs in certain locations and the carriers are small rodents like mice. The main route of contact is during extreme outdoor activity such as camping and only in some very very specific areas.

There are a few very specific locations in rural and semirural areas in the western United States where plague infections may be found. In 2013 the CDC noted there were 4 human cases and 1 death and in 2014 there were 10 human cases and no deaths. In 2015 there was a single case of a child in Yosemite National Park and 2 in Colorado, both at camping grounds.

In general fleas are an annoyance in the household. Some dogs can develop allergies and are miserable. I would not consider death from fleas bites due to plague to be a concern to most dog owners.

I had very good advice from a breeder. She told me that the route to eliminating fleas from your household is to first start on your environment. That means really getting the yard and surrounding areas flea free. If you just treat your dog, she said, you are attempting to manage that whole area around your house and inside your house with just your treated dog. And if you have neighbors with fleas, you need to involve them in the process as well. Just eliminating them from your own yard doesn’t stop the problem.

Inside the home, you need to be a clean freak. Eggs will be in everything, carpeting, bedding etc. I saw a suggestion once that I liked, put a flea collar in your vacuum bag so that the eggs are killed inside the bag. Washing toys, bedding, furniture etc. is a must on a regular basis.

Some homes are so overrun that owners are no longer able to manage it alone. Unfortunately, this may mean that profession help is needed. Scheduling this while you are away on a vacation seems to be the best solution.

So you can see why the use of a topical is only one of many ways to reduce the population of fleas. I personally would avoid flea medications that are ingested, that is my preference. Some of these ingredients, like IGR’s are currently under scrutiny by the government as to their safety.

I am not sure why your vet told you to avoid certain topicals like Frontline. I have used that successfully on my dogs for many years. In some areas, Frontline may have been less effective, but the tick list I am on has have traced that to using Frontline product that is old and should be treated as expired. From now I use only fresh Frontline that is current for the year I am using it. I buy it from a vendor who maintains records of the dates of purchase of his stock. I carefully follow the instructions on the package concerning the exact weight of the dog, not using it on ill dogs and correctly applying it to the dog.

The advice about not buying over the counter is good and valid. Owners may attempt to use -more- of the product thinking this is better. So they may buy for a large dog and apply it to a small dog. They may not want to spend extra money on a box for a cat too and apply the canine product to the cat, harming the cat. They may cheap out and buy the small dog size for a large dog and then undertreat their dog. They may put in on once in the season and forget to use it again all year, then complain that it doesn’t work. Or they may try to stretch it out to 45 days or two months.

With Frontline they may bath their animal immediately before the application removing all the oils from the oil glands in the skin where the product settles. Then they may bath their dog too frequently, especially with astringent soaps, removing the product prematurely.

I really feel strongly that if an owner needs these kinds of products they should discuss this with their primary vet. Breed, size and health differences really alter the specific needs of a dog. Certain breeds (and mixed breed dogs with these breeds in the mix) do not do well with these products, having serious side effects. A vet will be able to determine this and help these owners find a different solution to protect them.

Finally, in my case, I try to target the things I am most concerned about and realistically have a problem with in my local area. I do protect against heartworm and ticks as both heartworm disease and tick diseases are rampant in my area. I have never experienced flea issues but certain types of worms, including hookworms, are fairly common.

To check your area for the prevalence of tick diseases, heartworm and parasites use this really cool mapping program that is kept current.
http://www.capcvet.org/parasite-prevalence-maps/

If a vet likes a product and friends have had luck, that is one the best ways to chose what you are going to use. Vets are very aware of the success of certain products in an area. They really do want to help you protect your dog. I would be reluctant to revisit a vet that is frightening me with talk about the plague, unless of course that was a factual statement: “We live in an area where plague exists.”
my best
patrice

[Robyn]

I have a 18 month old maltipoo. Very sick after taking nexgard. Nausea , vomiting will not eat or drink. Has had 3 -200ml fluids over the last week. I keep trying everything and hand feed her ice chips. All lab work was good. She eats a little at the time of wet foods. Sometimes throws it up. She will not touch the nutracal. Going on 7 days now. Any advice would be appreciated. My happy puppy does not exist anymore😥

[Vally]

Hi Robyn, I’m so sorry your pup is sick right now.

Make sure she is getting fluids, maybe use a syringe (no needle) to make sure she’s getting water.

What has the vet said? She may need something for nausea to help her get some food into her.

Vally & Bingo
xxx

[admin]

Hi Theresa

That’s awful to hear. Ticks & fleas are very difficult to prevent successfully & it seems the NexGard was not 100% effective for you. My dog Worzel also had ehrlichia, despite me Frontlining both my boys every 3 – 4 weeks. You can read about it in our stories https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/our-stories/worzel/

A long course (5-6 weeks) of high dose doxycycline killed it off, but unfortunately he already had developed IMHA. I hope your vet has started an aggressive course of doxycycline immediately & she will soon be on the mend. Ehrlichia is very good at hiding within the body for long periods, even years, & can hide itself away in the bone marrow. Horrible disease. She may also have anaemia & may need prednisone too – if she has any bloodwork abnormalities, we can help you with that. Please let us know how she is & if you need advice on anything.

Sheena

[melis]

Just started our dogs on nexguard 2 months ago, had been using frontline. Our big rottie died a few days ago august 10, 2015 just a few days after giving this and heart worm medicine, she was on lots of heart medication for the past 2 years so unsure if this and the combo of the heart meds did something to her or it was just her time to go. Be sure to research if has interaction with other meds. Our other 3 dogs no heart condtion are doing fine after having the nexguard, so might just be the combo of all the drugs and the nexguard and heartguard pills.

[Vally]

Melis, I’m so very sorry to hear about your rottie. You must be in shock to have lost her so suddenly like this. You’re very kind to post here because the more that know that there may be a big problem with this medication the better.

We have a Bridge page you may wish to visit, when you’re ready. It’s beautifully written and I hope it helps.
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/the-bridge/

My condolences,
Vally

[admin]

Oh Melis, that’s so sad – I’m very sorry to read about your poor rottie passing away, I really am. You’re right about the medications – maybe the combination of these things was the cause. Heartworm medications can certainly cause problems & none of us are convinced that NexGard is safe either. Thank you so much for letting others know. As Vally says, please visit The Bridge – our dogs are so precious to us & you must be hurting. It’s heartbreaking to lose a pup that you love so much because you were trying your best to protect them from all these horrible diseases.

Worzel also has a heart problem (mitral valve prolapse) which he has taken pimobendan for for many years. That, plus his previous bone marrow failure problem makes me completely paranoid about giving him anything we’re not 100% sure about.

Again, I am so sorry this has happened – sending you my sincere sympathy, Melis. Terrible for you.

Love Sheena xxxxx

[Rachel Schreiner]

Patrice,

My dog, Sydney (Australian Kelpie/Pit Bull mix female), has IMHA. She is doing extremely well. After her initial diagnosis (exactly one year ago today), I became scared to give her flea meds. Syd’s internal medicine specialist told me that fleas carry many deadly/life threatening diseases, especially for dogs with IMHA/AIHA. Also, fleas are responsible for the black plague. The internal medicine specialist told me to avoid all grocery store flea meds and to avoid Frontline. I’m going to call him about Nexgard/Heartgard because I received a free coupon for them from Value Pet. If you are using this med, you should see if they are still giving the free trial coupons.

[Patrice]

Rachel,
Does Sydney currently have IMHA? Or are you saying she is recovered from a diagnosis a year ago? I am sorry, this isn’t clear to me. Do you need help with this?

If your vet told you this about fleas, he is partially correct, they are a vector for plague. But, really, plague is very rare in the world. It only occurs in certain locations and the carriers are small rodents like mice. The main route of contact is during extreme outdoor activity such as camping and only in some very very specific areas.

There are a few very specific locations in rural and semirural areas in the western United States where plague infections may be found. In 2013 the CDC noted there were 4 human cases and 1 death and in 2014 there were 10 human cases and no deaths. In 2015 there was a single case of a child in Yosemite National Park and 2 in Colorado, both at camping grounds.

In general fleas are an annoyance in the household. Some dogs can develop allergies and are miserable. I would not consider death from fleas bites due to plague to be a concern to most dog owners.

I had very good advice from a breeder. She told me that the route to eliminating fleas from your household is to first start on your environment. That means really getting the yard and surrounding areas flea free. If you just treat your dog, she said, you are attempting to manage that whole area around your house and inside your house with just your treated dog. And if you have neighbors with fleas, you need to involve them in the process as well. Just eliminating them from your own yard doesn’t stop the problem.

Inside the home, you need to be a clean freak. Eggs will be in everything, carpeting, bedding etc. I saw a suggestion once that I liked, put a flea collar in your vacuum bag so that the eggs are killed inside the bag. Washing toys, bedding, furniture etc. is a must on a regular basis.

Some homes are so overrun that owners are no longer able to manage it alone. Unfortunately, this may mean that profession help is needed. Scheduling this while you are away on a vacation seems to be the best solution.

So you can see why the use of a topical is only one of many ways to reduce the population of fleas. I personally would avoid flea medications that are ingested, that is my preference. Some of these ingredients, like IGR’s are currently under scrutiny by the government as to their safety.

I am not sure why your vet told you to avoid certain topicals like Frontline. I have used that successfully on my dogs for many years. In some areas, Frontline may have been less effective, but the tick list I am on has have traced that to using Frontline product that is old and should be treated as expired. From now I use only fresh Frontline that is current for the year I am using it. I buy it from a vendor who maintains records of the dates of purchase of his stock. I carefully follow the instructions on the package concerning the exact weight of the dog, not using it on ill dogs and correctly applying it to the dog.

The advice about not buying over the counter is good and valid. Owners may attempt to use -more- of the product thinking this is better. So they may buy for a large dog and apply it to a small dog. They may not want to spend extra money on a box for a cat too and apply the canine product to the cat, harming the cat. They may cheap out and buy the small dog size for a large dog and then undertreat their dog. They may put in on once in the season and forget to use it again all year, then complain that it doesn’t work. Or they may try to stretch it out to 45 days or two months.

With Frontline they may bath their animal immediately before the application removing all the oils from the oil glands in the skin where the product settles. Then they may bath their dog too frequently, especially with astringent soaps, removing the product prematurely.

I really feel strongly that if an owner needs these kinds of products they should discuss this with their primary vet. Breed, size and health differences really alter the specific needs of a dog. Certain breeds (and mixed breed dogs with these breeds in the mix) do not do well with these products, having serious side effects. A vet will be able to determine this and help these owners find a different solution to protect them.

Finally, in my case, I try to target the things I am most concerned about and realistically have a problem with in my local area. I do protect against heartworm and ticks as both heartworm disease and tick diseases are rampant in my area. I have never experienced flea issues but certain types of worms, including hookworms, are fairly common.

To check your area for the prevalence of tick diseases, heartworm and parasites use this really cool mapping program that is kept current.
http://www.capcvet.org/parasite-prevalence-maps/

If a vet likes a product and friends have had luck, that is one the best ways to chose what you are going to use. Vets are very aware of the success of certain products in an area. They really do want to help you protect your dog. I would be reluctant to revisit a vet that is frightening me with talk about the plague, unless of course that was a factual statement: “We live in an area where plague exists.”
my best
patrice

[Robyn]

I have a 18 month old maltipoo. Very sick after taking nexgard. Nausea , vomiting will not eat or drink. Has had 3 -200ml fluids over the last week. I keep trying everything and hand feed her ice chips. All lab work was good. She eats a little at the time of wet foods. Sometimes throws it up. She will not touch the nutracal. Going on 7 days now. Any advice would be appreciated. My happy puppy does not exist anymore😥

[Vally]

Hi Robyn, I’m so sorry your pup is sick right now.

Make sure she is getting fluids, maybe use a syringe (no needle) to make sure she’s getting water.

What has the vet said? She may need something for nausea to help her get some food into her.

Vally & Bingo
xxx