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Owning a fur baby, especially a dog, can feel like a paradise with lots of cuddles and always having someone to lean on when the blues hit you. However, taking care of your dogs can be exhausting, with constant visits to the doctor for fleas and ticks inhabiting their bodies. And unless you get rid of this flea and tick infestation fast enough, your baby will catch skin infections.

So, what should you do if you find a flea or tick on your dog? Simply read through the end!

Side Effects of Flea and Tick Medications in Dogs and Puppies

Frequently, you may notice your dog getting fleas or ticks even after treatment. Or the treatment might seem toxic to your fur baby. However, the signs of toxicity emerge in your mutt within 12 hours after being applied. Or, in the worst-case scenario, they might start to exhibit side effects, which may include-

Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Difficulty in breathing
Excessive salivation
Incoordination
Shock
Tremors and life-threatening seizures

To prevent such mishaps, check the ingredients description of the tick and flea pills to understand what they mean, or your dogs may fall prey to neurological problems, often leading to death.

Additionally, a few flea and tick medicines on the market are known to be deadly for your dogs which you need to be aware of.

Flea and Tick Medications Causing Dog or Puppy Deaths

It’s quite hard to find the best flea, tick, and heartworm medicines for dogs, especially with so many toxic active ingredients that may cause your fur baby to get sick. The latest reports by FDA till November 2013 have concluded the death of over 700 dogs, over 250 euthanasia cases, and around 8000 reported cases of lethargic reactions when treated with flea and tick prevention medicines.

It’s better that you look for a flea and tick treatment for your furry kid when he at least reaches the age of 7 weeks or eight. And the suitable weight is 21 to 55 lbs to effect.

Hence, we suggest pet owners go through the labels themselves and consult with their vets beforehand. A little caution goes a long way!

List of Flea and Tick Medicines Causing Harm to Dogs

When it comes to tick and flea prevention, here’s a list of medicines that you might want to inspect first. Not always, but sometimes toxic substances are found in the products under the following brands-

Bravecto
Nexgard
Simparica
Credelio

These medications above are included in the Isoxazoline class, a synthetic chemical type with insecticidal effects against parasites such as ticks and fleas. This harmful chemical might lead to paralysis and even the death of your dog. However, according to the FDA, this class of medicine is known to be associated with adverse neurological complications, including seizures, muscle tremors, and ataxia (poor muscle control) in dogs.

What Flea and Tick Medicine Is Killing Dogs?

A class of flea and tick medicines belonging to the isoxazolines class is toxic for dogs. The ingredient is a necessary evil. That’s because it can be effective for killing fleas and ticks in dogs if used in the appropriate ratio. But if it is used in an extra amount, it can cause toxicity in dogs. Isoxazoline has negative neurologic impacts on dogs, like ataxia, seizures, muscle tremors, etc. Some flea and tick medicines include these ingredients: Bravecto (oral and tropical), Simparica, Simparica Trio, Credelio, and NexGard.

It’s better to look for your vet’s advice regarding using and dosing these flea and tick medicines on your fur baby. If they are used proportionately, they are safe; but if used excessively in amount, they can cause toxicity.

Frontline: Is It Safe?

Besides, another drug, namely Frontline, is known to be concerning for many dogs so far, with common reactions to the medication being hair loss, uncoordinated motion, lethargy, skin itching and rashes etc. But, as approved by EPA, it’s totally safe for your canine buddy and feline.

Side Effects of Trifexis

Vomiting and itches are the most perceptible side effects of Trifexis. Moreover, if you consider opting for Trifexis as a flea treatment for puppies, you might want to reconsider. This specific medicine has raw ingredients imported from China with no evidential safety standards. And thus, they have shown minor to significant side effects in fur babies involving epileptic seizures due to the high amounts of toxins.

Pyrethrin and Pyrethroid: Should They Be Used?

Pyrethrin and Pyrethroid are some kinds of botanical insecticides mainly obtained from Chrysanthemum. These medications are insecticides usually used to prevent flea and tick infestations in dogs, both big and small. When the beloved pets are dosed with Pyrethrin, a plant-based medicine or Pyrethroid, a synthetic drug, they may cause the sodium ion flow to the brain’s axons to slow down. As a result, delayed or reduced action potential is noticed, which ends with involuntary quivering or rippling movement of muscles among the puppies.

Cautiousness and Prevention

Emphatically, your dog’s life is dominant for you. But, unquestionably, flea and tick drug poisoning might cause damage to your Fido. That’s why preventions are a must. A few cautious measures are brought up here:

Be accurate with the dosage of the flea and tick medicine according to the weight of your dog.
Look for flea and tick treatments having less toxic ingredients, like pyriproxyfen or s-methoprene.
Try to avoid those products that fall under the Isoxazoline class
Consult your vet instantly in case any sign of irritation emerges.

Final Thoughts

So, if you’re planning to start flea and tick treatment for puppies, be sure to get the medications approved by a certified vet. After all, the lives of our pets matter, and we surely don’t want to end up treating innocent lives with flea and tick medicines that are killing dogs.

We hope to have helped you be aware of the current situation around such prescribed medicines and wish the most extended life to your precious little fur balls!