Comfortis question
 

Does any one use comfortis for flea meds? I have been thinking about using this for Pistol and just wanted some feedback from any one here using it. You know pros, cons any problems. What about dosage do you give the whole pill? Pistol only weighs a little over five pounds. I would appreciate any input.

I am going to watch this thread. I am curious about Comfortis too:)

Make sure if you do switch to Comfortis that you do not use Heartguard for heartworm prevention. Heartguard is ivermectin and the two used together can cause a potentially dangerous interaction.

COMFORTIS® and ivermectin interaction Safety Warning Notification

My Westie takes Comfortis with no problems and . . no fleas! The big side effect is nausea and if the dog vomits within an hour of taking the pill, you must give them another dose.

My breeder used it on her pet yorkies but my vet would not give it to Lucy because she has not reached 4 lbs.

I use Comfortis on my miniature doxies. They do just fine with no sickness and eliminates all fleas. I have found nothing else that works. I give it to them and do not give anymore until I see fleas again, I don't want to put anymore drugs into their system than just have to. It usually takes 3 months before having to give another. I have used this since summer of 09. My yorkie is also to small to give this too. She gets revollution for heart worms and takes care of any fleas she may pick up.

We don't use it, but there are some interesting reports coming out from people whose dogs have liver problems associated with it. It's such a new drug and I'd want to see way more about all of it and the potential problems before using it. :)

Comfortis was tested for 90 days on dogs and the good news is, no one died. As long as the poor lab dogs don't die, then the product is considered safe to release on the market. Very sad. The studies done on rats (http://toxsci.oxford...t/full/67/1/144) over a longer period of time came up with very scary results (the doses they use in the rat studies are higher, but they do show the potential dangers of the chemical)...

I currently use Frontline on Zoey with no problem or side effects that I know about or have noticed, but with all the sudden bad press and recent spikes in severe reactions from spot on treatments I'm planning on trying some natural remedies to see how they work out. I heard really good things about cedar oil and specifically about Dr. Ben's personal insect repellent cedar oil, which is fully diluted in a natural safe mineral solution.

Lilly's own studies showed elevated ALT's in dogs who got Comfortis. I wonder about its long term effect on the liver.

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalV.../ucm062334.pdf

Medi-Vet Animal Health - Detail1 - 16576 - Comfortis (Spinosad) For Dogs, 5-10 lbs, 6 Pack, Pink - Flea, Tick and Mange (Mite) Control - Prescription Medications - Search By Brand - Medi-Vet Animal Health

I agree with you, Crystal. It's just too new to know its long term safety. It was on the market for awhile before they realized that there was a potential dangerous reaction with ivermectin/Heartguard.

The regular test went okay, but then the one where higher doses are given seemed to intefere with ALT results. It's hard b/c all drugs can affect the liver, but n ow that this is on the market, people are noticing that their dogs' livers aren't doing too well and the only change is this drug.

I'd want to know how many pups this is happening to. They all have the potential for harm, but there are just some major concerns around this one. But then, I don't like Advantage Multi or Revolution either, so...

Do you have any links to cases where dogs' livers have been affected by Comfortis? I'd be interested in reading them.

I feel the same way about Advantage Multi and Revolution. I am very nervous about long term effects of the combination medications after what happened with Proheart. I feel much safer using something like Advantage or Frontline that has been on the market for years. Of course, the problem with that is that fleas are developing a resistance to the chemicals used in them with the constant exposure.

I just Google "Comfortis liver." The reports are pretty subjective right now because we don't know if these dogs really had perfect livers before, etc. I'm just seeing a pattern that I don't like. :(

I am so glad that I read this thread.
I rescued a cute little Silkie/Yorkie Mix and her owner had been giving her Comfortis. So when it was time I bought it again and gave it to her and my puppy.
I will happily go back to the topical for flea treatment unless someone has another suggestion.

I will not give her the Comfortis again.
I had been using Advantix K-9 before and I will go back to that.

There is an ingredient in the K9 Advantix that many of us don't like either (permethrin). It's really what you and your vet are comfortable doing. I don't like Comfortis at the moment. Doesn't mean it's a bad drug. :)

I agree. :thumbup:

Are ticks a problem in your area or just fleas? If not, I'd stick to regular Advantage w/o permethrin. I have heard of too many toy breeds having trouble with it.

Permethrin and Pyrethrin Toxicity in Dogs

I do agree. I don't really like using K9 Advantix on Jackson but it's the only thing that seems to work around here. Last summer, on Frontline Plus, he got sooo many ticks while on it, and actually got Lyme disease. On the K9Advantix, there have been none to my knowledge. It's never caused a reaction in him but I still don't feel *totally* comfortable using it, but sort of have no choice. Ticks are really heavy in Maryland and we live on farmland, with 90 acres behind us, where deer are ALL the time! I'm looking into other options currently, might TRY the Frontline again and see if it works better this summer.

Same thing happened with Levi....As Brit knows, we were using frontline as well when Levi came down with Lyme disease. I think it depends on where you live, I know we have alot of it on Cape Cod:mad: But the Advantix seems to work the best for Levi and I just started Lily on it also. Would love to be able to use nothing....but I know nothing else I have tried do it for the ticks.

I wonder what people with cats use for their pups' tick protection.:confused:

I have a friend that uses the natural cedar oil from Juniperus Virginiana. She uses a specific product containing the extracted oil called Dr. Bens Personal Insect Repellent Cedar Oil on both her dogs and cats for fleas, ticks, mosquitos, bed bugs, lice, mites, mange, roaches, ants and other prasites. She absolutely swears by it that it works. It's an all natural product. She sent me this information below about it. It something I'm definitely going to try out!


"There have been numerous studies that show when delivered in small amounts the aroma will overwhelm most insects. The lingering aroma of Juniperus Virginiana Oil is a pherome interruption agent that impairs the mental capacity of non-beneficial insects, it has no effect on beneficial insects such as lady bugs, honey bees, lizards, earth worms, butterflies, and toads. It is safefor large and small animals, people and children.

This product was tested by Iowa State University at the request of the United States Department of Agriculture for the use of the United States Army in Iraq to eliminate the Desert Sand Flea problem that our troops are encountering, which chemical treatments were either ineffective or causing rashes. The test results were astonishing - this redcedar oil product was RATED far superior to its chemical counterpart. These same products were tested and proven to not only kill Mosquito's, Flea's & Bed Bugs, but is one of the "ONLY KNOWN SUBSTANCES KNOWN TO MAN THAT WILL KILL THE FLEA, ITS EGGS AND LARVEA THE FIRST TIME" Studies found Cedar Juniperus Virginiana to be Non-Toxic. Article from the Dept. of Biomedical Sciences - College of Vet. Medicine, Oregon State University - (http://juniper.orst.edu/craig.pdf)


Most nuisance insects, particularly mosquitoes and flea’s, rely on a keen sense of smell to seek food and find a comfortable place to reproduce. This unique Cedar Oil penetrates the insects’ breathing apparatus and confuses their sense of smell to the point that they will either leave the treated area to regain their equilibrium or become overwhelmed and die. Beneficial insects such as ladybugs and butterflies are not affected because they tend to rely on their sense of sight rather than smell. When an area is treated with the Juniperus Virginiana Cedar Oil formulation, non-beneficial insects have no choice but to retreat. The encapsulated formula is very slow to decompose, forming a barrier to prevent insect re-entry. The repelling effects remain long after the cedar scent is non-detectable to human senses.

Juniperus Virginiana Cedar wood has been used for 1000's of years as one of mother nature's own insect repellents, Texas cattle fences are built with Juniperus cedar post which naturally resist decay and pest infestation for 50 years or more. The Cedars of Lebanon were used to build King Solomon's' Tomb. The Egyptians used papaya leaves soaked in cedar oil in the mummification of their dead. In the U.S. our pioneering forefathers used cedar sawdust on the floors of their cabins to rid them from countless pests. Native Americans would rub their bodies with cedar needles to prevent mosquitoes and other biting bugs from feasting on them."

I used Comfortis for 3 months. It was recommended by my vet when frontline quit working. Both of my yorkie babies weight 3.4lbs so he called the company to find the safest dosage. They recommended cuting the lowest dosage in half. They both did fine on it. Then...recently I changed vets. She said no to Comfortis. Her feeling was that the product was too new and long term side effects weren't know. She also didn't like that it was given internally. She prefers topical.

I gave my yorkie girl comfortis for the first time 12/5 as reccommended by my vet (instead of Frontline). She did not feel well that night and vomited the next day. I didn't think much about it because sometimes it does make them a bit ill, but she have vomited her food every few days since. I have taken her to the vet and she has been on sufralcate (helps) and had xrays (no blockage). After vomiting her dinner again last night we have her scheduled for barium solution xrays tomorrow to see if she has leaves or something soft in her stomach causing it. She is one yr. old and still chews everything//but it started w/comfortis. i will never give it to her again!
CC

Did you try it?

You spray it on every time the pup goes outside?

I'm glad I read this. It reminded me to do more research on Comfortis. We were considering changing to it next month.

some info, supplied by Pet Pharmacy:

Comfortis: Flea Preventative In Dogs - 1800PetMeds

interesting: customer reviews, especially by Michael Dym, VMD Veterinarian "mixed feelings"

Quote
"... In my experience and opinion, I have also seen several dogs vomit when given this pill and it is really not supposed to be used in patients with seizure disorders, which is also a concern of mine in terms of safety...
For the reasons stated above, I therefore give this product an overall rating of 2 with effectiveness (for fleas) of 4, the ease of use a 5, and the taste a 4. I still prefer Front line, Advantage and K9 Advantix despite the oily spot because of the increased coverage of parasites, and my concerns about safety."
Comfortis: Flea Preventative In Dogs - 1800PetMeds

Pepper is suffering from Flea Dermatitis, and his Vet strongly recommended taking Comfortis. Still, I will not give Comfortis to Pepper, since he had seizures after he received his 3rd vaccination as a puppy.

It's great!!! My Morkies use it AND My Vet gives it to her Maltese and Cockapoo. I like it much better than Frontline and Advantage.
ALSO, Most of the MalteseTalk members use with no problems.

I am very happy with Comfortis for my 4, and don't even have to use it every month.... I wait until I see fleas again before re-dosing. Often I can go 2 months or more depending on exposure.

It is very weight specific, and not to be used on dogs under 5 lbs. Frontline was not working, and I really don't like the oily stinky topical spot treatments.

Also, it is almost the same price for all weight categories, so I get the pill/chew for a larger dog and split them (according to the proper breakdown of dose for various weights).

Sorry some have a reaction; I'm just thrilled to finally have something that works with no reactions for over 8 months.

My Westie takes Comfortis but the vet said that Lucy was too small. I do not give her flea medication in the winter (but I live in a cold state). When spring comes, we'll transition back to the Interceptor or the Sentinel (both are for heartworm but one has flea protection too and I can't remember which one)

Both seem to work ~ I've never seen any fleas on either dog and they are outside a lot in the warmer months.

I use Comfortis on Daisy. She's allergic to fleas and it has worked great for her so far. I didn't have any luck with the spot on products at all and I use soapless shampoos. I think because I give her a bath every week and mist her coat before I brush her that this was causing the spot-on to weaken faster than it was supposed to....idk.

Bug went to the vet today..
 

I had to take ( Bug ) into the vet today for her rabies shot ( not happy about that ) she is only 3lbs and has been laying around all day, very unlike her.. I talked to the vet about comfortis.. He said because she is so small that I should buy the lowest dose and cut them in half, I purchased 3 pills from them today, but I plan on calling the company that makes the product 888-545-5973 to get more info ... I would also like to ask everyone about retaining puppy teeth... Bug has two sets of lower canines and my vet says if they are not bothering her we should just leave them alone and watch her.. until they start to bother her.. I was kinda happy about that because I am afraid of having her put to sleep.. She has no problems eating and the teeth do not seem to bother her... what are you guys thoughts on leaving the teeth ? :animal-pa

Play LOTS of tug-o-war with your dog. That oftentimes will get them coming out. If they start to bother her, that means they are starting to loosen up and will come out. If they don't come out by about 7-8 months, I'd definitely have them removed.