Trifexus...anyone use it? - Page 3 - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Wild Blue · 01-18-2014, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

Owners blame 700 dog deaths on Trifexis | www.wsbtv.com

With all respect........this is a local media link. "sensationalized"...adding fuel to the fire per se...that is what news channels do and are often biased. There is no scientific proof or anything from reputable parts of the veterinary professionals/community in this "breaking news" report.

Wild Blue · 01-18-2014, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

The Heartworm Medication Trifexis Is Causing Dog Deaths | Dogs Naturally Magazine

I love holistic medicine and it has it's place but there is no proven place for holistic medicine that help prevent fleas in dogs and cats with sever flea allergy, especially in warmer climates where fleas are many and year-round.

In the article: "It appears to be well known that spinosad can interact badly with ivermectin (Heartgard®). A study found ivermectin toxicity in dogs when given in conjunction with spinosad (Comfortis®). The findings suggest that spinosad increases the risk of ivermectin neurotoxicity by inhibiting the secretion of ivermectin to increase systemic drug levels and by inhibiting P-gp at the blood-brain barrier"

Duh....we all should know not to mix medications without consulting our doctor or veterinarian!

The link you provided here....AGAIN...no proof or anything valid from the PROFESSIONAL veterinary community. Dogs Naturally Magazine only depicts one way of thinking. I have read and do read some of the articles in this particular publication but I must admit that the contributors are based on the author bios. They are traditionally trained vets who left their practices at least ten years ago for holistic medicine. They have NOT kept up with modern traditional medicine.

jp4m2 · 01-18-2014, 02:20 PM

After doing a quick search I stand by my feelings that I would NEVER use this product....

So much for hiring an unbiased independent pathologist:

Who was the independent pathologist? Jeffery A Engelhardt, who was employed by the manufacturer of Trifexis®, Eli0Lilly/Elanco, from 1985-2004. It appears that he might not be as independent as the AVMA indicates.

Lovetodream88 · 01-18-2014, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wild Blue

From AVMA-The holy grail of veterinary standard along with AAHA

https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Pa...erinarian.aspx

" pathology/necropsy reports from an independent pathologist has determined that the cause of deaths were unrelated to the administration of Trifexis."

And from AAHA
NewStat | Independent pathologist shoots down media rumors concerning Trifexis

Proof is in the puddin'

My research shows the necropsy was done by someone employed by trifexis.

Princes mom · 01-18-2014, 08:21 PM

Although I commented that Wild Blue's post was informative, there is no way I would give that drug to Ian!

Lovetodream88 · 01-19-2014, 02:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jp4m2

After doing a quick search I stand by my feelings that I would NEVER use this product....

So much for hiring an unbiased independent pathologist:

Who was the independent pathologist? Jeffery A Engelhardt, who was employed by the manufacturer of Trifexis®, Eli0Lilly/Elanco, from 1985-2004. It appears that he might not be as independent as the AVMA indicates.

Wild Blue · 01-20-2014, 04:28 PM

We'll I don't know what else to say. Still, I respect your decision not to use Trifexis but it's unfair to label Trifexis a deadly product and to tell someone who is looking for advise on a product that it will "kill your dog".

If Trifexis was dangerous that would make ALL these type of products dangerous. It IS a wonderful product for dogs who suffer with flea allergies and unfortunately there is not a lot of alternatives.

If it is dangerous then how come none of my pets are dead? Then why are the hundreds of dog that I know are on it alive? The ONLY reaction I have seen was vomiting in a few dogs.

"These rumors have been circulating for more than a year, and despite this Trifexis sales increased 8% in the first nine months of 2013. It is also unlikely that a definitive link between Trifexis and the deaths will be established. The 31 deaths reported to the FDA also occurred over the life of the drug, averaging out to only around one death per month despite Trifexis being prescribed at more than 15,000 veterinary clinics in the United States."

Lovetodream88 · 01-20-2014, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wild Blue

We'll I don't know what else to say. Still, I respect your decision not to use Trifexis but it's unfair to label Trifexis a deadly product and to tell someone who is looking for advise on a product that it will "kill your dog".

If Trifexis was dangerous that would make ALL these type of products dangerous. It IS a wonderful product for dogs who suffer with flea allergies and unfortunately there is not a lot of alternatives.

If it is dangerous then how come none of my pets are dead? Then why are the hundreds of dog that I know are on it alive? The ONLY reaction I have seen was vomiting in a few dogs.

"These rumors have been circulating for more than a year, and despite this Trifexis sales increased 8% in the first nine months of 2013. It is also unlikely that a definitive link between Trifexis and the deaths will be established. The 31 deaths reported to the FDA also occurred over the life of the drug, averaging out to only around one death per month despite Trifexis being prescribed at more than 15,000 veterinary clinics in the United States."

My research shows it's not a safe drug and that hundreds have died on it which increases the likely hood yours could but maybe you will be one of the lucky ones who's dog doesn't. I just can speak for myself, my opinion based on my research. I hope anyone even thinking of using it looks it up and really does research on it. I personally think it's to risky and am not willing to take that risk with my dog. I think this is going to turn out just like the chinesse chicken jerky.

sandy simpson · 01-20-2014, 06:26 PM

I don't care I would not give my boys that poison. I did not like the fact that dogs vomit after taking that. There are other meds with less side effects. I feel so sorry for those pets who have gone on to rainbow bridge because of this stuff. Please do not ever use this and take a chance of losing your dog.

OwnedByJezebel · 01-20-2014, 06:32 PM

Of course sales Of Trifexis went up in 2013. I bet sales of Heartguard and all of the topicals increased during the same timeframe as well. There was a Sentinel shortage and everyone was scrambling trying to find an alternative heartworm preventative.

MandiesMom · 01-20-2014, 09:20 PM

I am not going to read all the back and forth on this thread. Research and go with your GUT.

My Shelby-Dale was on Interceptor until it was discontinued. He is a hearding breed so he can't take the main ingredient in heartgard (however, my research has brought a new light on this info). Anyway, the vet put him on Trifexis in June of 2012. He hated it. He fought me to take it. He never vomitted, though. However, within a month or two, he started chewing his butt a lot and licking a lot. We had just moved so I attributed it to an allergy from the new yard/foliage.

By May 2013, he had his first ever hot spot on his front leg. He was almost 4 years old and never had this problem before.

In another 2 months, he started vomitting daily..sometimes 2 times a day. And he got another hot spot. I researched Trifexis based on my GUT.

I have no proof, but I also have no doubt in my mind that Trifexis was killing him. He also developed a type (untested, but vet's best guess) of arthritis in his front leg...where he had licked the hot spots...from pain. He still has pain meds for flare ups but they are not near as often.

I quit the Trifexis in October. After a month on pepcid to control the reflux vomitting, I took him off and no vomitting since. Gradually and progressively, he limps on that front leg less and needs pain meds less.

My GUT as the mommy human to my boy is all I need to know what the difference is...he was progressively sick on Trifexis...he is progressively getting back to normal SINCE being off it.

I believe it has killed and WAS killing. I will warn against it for as long as it continues to be on the market. DON'T USE TRIFEXIS!

Lovetodream88 · 01-20-2014, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OwnedByJezebel

Of course sales Of Trifexis went up in 2013. I bet sales of Heartguard and all of the topicals increased during the same timeframe as well. There was a Sentinel shortage and everyone was scrambling trying to find an alternative heartworm preventative.

A lot of vets are or were offering some really big deals on it too.

Wild Blue · 01-21-2014, 06:57 AM

I totally agree on researching anything you give your dog but I do not think that hundreds/ thousands (U.S. wide) of dogs as being 'lucky" because they did not get sick. I would not call it 'luck' but a product that is generally considered as a safe product.

I am very very keen to scientific and study based research as proof. Not to say Trifexis has not caused some reaction but it is so easy for us to give into our human nature. It's easy to point fingers at something like a product, any product, when there is any change in our pets. When most times the changes are completely unrelated to the product taking blame.

One of my yorkies, Ren, she cannot tolerate Advantage Multi. She foams at the mouth and gets muscle tremors. It scared me so much (!) but I do not go around saying Advantage Multi harms pets in general.

Anyway, I am so glad Sentinel is back on the shelf and it's at the price of Heartgard now. A lot cheaper than Trifexix! The only difference is the flea part in Sentinel is not good for dogs with flea allergy. Trifexis is the only product where the flea does NOT have to bite the dog to die or be repealed.

Speaking of Sentinel....everyone loves Sentinel but Novartis had stopped making it and recalled it due to "quality control" issues. The entire manufacturing facility was shut down. The FDA came down on them hard and cited them for manufacturing mishaps and a host of other violations and for not disclosing what the issue was with Sentinel and Interceptor! Now tell me why that is okay?
Rather than being proactive and putting patient safety first, it seems like Novartis had tried to minimize the public’s awareness of the problem. But, I don't see anyone saying Sentinel is "bad". What was Novartis hiding? In the FDA inspection reports they had found significant quality control problems with the ingredients. Interceptor is still not available and may never be again. A lot of veterinarians will not even keep Sentinel on their shelves due to the hassle from Novartis and because of the unknown danger that it posed when all this happened, but they instead, recommend Trifexis as an alternative.
I know a few dogs who cannot even take Sentinel. One is a bird dog named "Bird dog" who projectile vomits after eating it but tolerates Trifexis just fine.

Like I said before, I respect if some of you do not want to use Trifexis. If you are that concerned by the rumors and your dog does not have a flea allergy, there are alternatives. But if your dog has a flea allergy, there are not a lot of alternatives and it is certainly worth easing the suffering of the pet to give Trifexis a try because Trifexis is still considered a safe product by the majority of the veterinary community.

If Trifexis end up like a 'Jerky treats from China' case and it is recalled, I will admit I was very wrong about it. I hope with all my heart this will not be the case but right now, I don't see enough validity in the majority of the cases that were blamed on Trifexis. Some cases yes, but the majority, no.

It's nice to have a discussion/debate like this without people getting ugly with each other personally.

Not a lot of forums can pull that off.

Sienna Wright · 01-21-2014, 08:51 AM

My adult male Yorkie Vinny was prescribed Trifexis as a flea preventative, 2 years ago. Several hours after the initial dose he vomited frank red blood and had frank red blood stools. This is after having the medication with food. As soon as possible Vinny and I returned to the Vets office. I thought of every possiblity of why he could be bleeding internally. I keep really close watch of him so, when I mentioned to the Vet- Do you think it might be the flea medicine, she stated " oh no this medicine has even in use for awhile and the only real side affect has been normal vomiting (not blood)." So of course all of his labs had to be checked, xrays taken of his GI SYS, everything necessary to rule out any possible acute problem, and then medications to help stop the bleeding. All the tests came back normal. Thank The Lord Vinny was okay. I being the trusting soul I am continued to use the Trifexis as the Vet ordered.
Well, problem was the following month after giving Vinny the Trifexis, the same identical things happened!!!!!! Plus all the tests, meds ects. But this time no matter what the Vet told me I knew in my heart - the BEST thing for my sweet baby. The sight of seeing your sweet Yorkie throwing up blood, pooping out blood.... All the tests, all of the informative rhetoric are really just empty words. I believe it is a gamble no one should take with their precious loved one now..!!
Just between you and me why would someone spend so much time defending a product as this. This is a Free Country, and I would tell anyone who asked or that has a dog not to use Trifexis. Plus, I think alot of the flea topicals, prevent fleas by disrupting the fleas ions outside their bodies. According to my Professor/Scientist of Physiology.

Wild Blue · 01-21-2014, 10:33 AM

[QUOTE=Sienna Wright;4379004]My adult male Yorkie Vinny was prescribed Trifexis as a flea preventative, 2 years ago. Several hours after the initial dose he vomited frank red blood and had frank red blood stools. This is after having the medication with food. As soon as possible Vinny and I returned to the Vets office. I thought of every possiblity of why he could be bleeding internally. I keep really close watch of him so, when I mentioned to the Vet- Do you think it might be the flea medicine, she stated " oh no this medicine has even in use for awhile and the only real side affect has been normal vomiting (not blood)." So of course all of his labs had to be checked, xrays taken of his GI SYS, everything necessary to rule out any possible acute problem, and then medications to help stop the bleeding. All the tests came back normal. Thank The Lord Vinny was okay. I being the trusting soul I am continued to use the Trifexis as the Vet ordered.
Well, problem was the following month after giving Vinny the Trifexis, the same identical things happened!!!!!! Plus all the tests, meds ects. But this time no matter what the Vet told me I knew in my heart - the BEST thing for my sweet baby. The sight of seeing your sweet Yorkie throwing up blood, pooping out blood.... All the tests, all of the informative rhetoric are really just empty words. I believe it is a gamble no one should take with their precious loved one now..!!
Just between you and me why would someone spend so much time defending a product as this. This is a Free Country, and I would tell anyone who asked or that has a dog not to use Trifexis. Plus, I think alot of the flea topicals, prevent fleas by disrupting the fleas ions outside their bodies. According to my Professor/Scientist of Physiology.[/QUOTE

I am so sorry your baby got sick from Trifexis! I absolutely know what it feels like to see blood like that. My four pounder has has two boughts of HGE totally unrelated to Trifexis.
I do not understand what this being a free country is related to other than the fact that we are free to debate on a public forum such as this. I defend Trifexis because I have seen a lot of GOOD it has done for dogs with severe flea allergies. By me defending Trifexis by no means belittles the experience you had with it. See...this is where an emotionally charged response clouds intentions.

01-18-2014, 02:20 PM	#33
jp4m2 Love my Boys Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: w/ my boys Posts: 5,056	After doing a quick search I stand by my feelings that I would NEVER use this product.... So much for hiring an unbiased independent pathologist: Who was the independent pathologist? Jeffery A Engelhardt, who was employed by the manufacturer of Trifexis®, Eli0Lilly/Elanco, from 1985-2004. It appears that he might not be as independent as the AVMA indicates. __________________ B.J.mom to : Jake J.J. Jack & Joey, momma misses you..... The joy found in the companionship of a pet is a blessing not given to everyone. The two most powerful words when we’re in struggle: me too..

01-18-2014, 08:21 PM	#35
Princes mom YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 4,566	Although I commented that Wild Blue's post was informative, there is no way I would give that drug to Ian! __________________ Prince, rest in peace. We miss you and love you so much.

01-20-2014, 06:26 PM	#39
sandy simpson YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: santee, california Posts: 2,123 Blog Entries: 1	dog I don't care I would not give my boys that poison. I did not like the fact that dogs vomit after taking that. There are other meds with less side effects. I feel so sorry for those pets who have gone on to rainbow bridge because of this stuff. Please do not ever use this and take a chance of losing your dog.

01-20-2014, 06:32 PM	#40
OwnedByJezebel YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,921	Of course sales Of Trifexis went up in 2013. I bet sales of Heartguard and all of the topicals increased during the same timeframe as well. There was a Sentinel shortage and everyone was scrambling trying to find an alternative heartworm preventative. __________________ Life is merrier with a Yorkshire Terrier! Jezebel & Chuy ... RIP: Barkley Loosie & Sassy

01-20-2014, 09:20 PM	#41
MandiesMom and Shelby's too Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Millbrook, AL Posts: 7,842	I am not going to read all the back and forth on this thread. Research and go with your GUT. My Shelby-Dale was on Interceptor until it was discontinued. He is a hearding breed so he can't take the main ingredient in heartgard (however, my research has brought a new light on this info). Anyway, the vet put him on Trifexis in June of 2012. He hated it. He fought me to take it. He never vomitted, though. However, within a month or two, he started chewing his butt a lot and licking a lot. We had just moved so I attributed it to an allergy from the new yard/foliage. By May 2013, he had his first ever hot spot on his front leg. He was almost 4 years old and never had this problem before. In another 2 months, he started vomitting daily..sometimes 2 times a day. And he got another hot spot. I researched Trifexis based on my GUT. I have no proof, but I also have no doubt in my mind that Trifexis was killing him. He also developed a type (untested, but vet's best guess) of arthritis in his front leg...where he had licked the hot spots...from pain. He still has pain meds for flare ups but they are not near as often. I quit the Trifexis in October. After a month on pepcid to control the reflux vomitting, I took him off and no vomitting since. Gradually and progressively, he limps on that front leg less and needs pain meds less. My GUT as the mommy human to my boy is all I need to know what the difference is...he was progressively sick on Trifexis...he is progressively getting back to normal SINCE being off it. I believe it has killed and WAS killing. I will warn against it for as long as it continues to be on the market. DON'T USE TRIFEXIS! __________________ Terri, proud mom to Mandie & Shelby-Dale Last edited by MandiesMom; 01-20-2014 at 09:23 PM.

01-20-2014, 04:28 PM	#37
Wild Blue Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 25	We'll I don't know what else to say. Still, I respect your decision not to use Trifexis but it's unfair to label Trifexis a deadly product and to tell someone who is looking for advise on a product that it will "kill your dog". If Trifexis was dangerous that would make ALL these type of products dangerous. It IS a wonderful product for dogs who suffer with flea allergies and unfortunately there is not a lot of alternatives. If it is dangerous then how come none of my pets are dead? Then why are the hundreds of dog that I know are on it alive? The ONLY reaction I have seen was vomiting in a few dogs. "These rumors have been circulating for more than a year, and despite this Trifexis sales increased 8% in the first nine months of 2013. It is also unlikely that a definitive link between Trifexis and the deaths will be established. The 31 deaths reported to the FDA also occurred over the life of the drug, averaging out to only around one death per month despite Trifexis being prescribed at more than 15,000 veterinary clinics in the United States."

01-21-2014, 06:57 AM	#43
Wild Blue Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 25	I totally agree on researching anything you give your dog but I do not think that hundreds/ thousands (U.S. wide) of dogs as being 'lucky" because they did not get sick. I would not call it 'luck' but a product that is generally considered as a safe product. I am very very keen to scientific and study based research as proof. Not to say Trifexis has not caused some reaction but it is so easy for us to give into our human nature. It's easy to point fingers at something like a product, any product, when there is any change in our pets. When most times the changes are completely unrelated to the product taking blame. One of my yorkies, Ren, she cannot tolerate Advantage Multi. She foams at the mouth and gets muscle tremors. It scared me so much (!) but I do not go around saying Advantage Multi harms pets in general. Anyway, I am so glad Sentinel is back on the shelf and it's at the price of Heartgard now. A lot cheaper than Trifexix! The only difference is the flea part in Sentinel is not good for dogs with flea allergy. Trifexis is the only product where the flea does NOT have to bite the dog to die or be repealed. Speaking of Sentinel....everyone loves Sentinel but Novartis had stopped making it and recalled it due to "quality control" issues. The entire manufacturing facility was shut down. The FDA came down on them hard and cited them for manufacturing mishaps and a host of other violations and for not disclosing what the issue was with Sentinel and Interceptor! Now tell me why that is okay? Rather than being proactive and putting patient safety first, it seems like Novartis had tried to minimize the public’s awareness of the problem. But, I don't see anyone saying Sentinel is "bad". What was Novartis hiding? In the FDA inspection reports they had found significant quality control problems with the ingredients. Interceptor is still not available and may never be again. A lot of veterinarians will not even keep Sentinel on their shelves due to the hassle from Novartis and because of the unknown danger that it posed when all this happened, but they instead, recommend Trifexis as an alternative. I know a few dogs who cannot even take Sentinel. One is a bird dog named "Bird dog" who projectile vomits after eating it but tolerates Trifexis just fine. Like I said before, I respect if some of you do not want to use Trifexis. If you are that concerned by the rumors and your dog does not have a flea allergy, there are alternatives. But if your dog has a flea allergy, there are not a lot of alternatives and it is certainly worth easing the suffering of the pet to give Trifexis a try because Trifexis is still considered a safe product by the majority of the veterinary community. If Trifexis end up like a 'Jerky treats from China' case and it is recalled, I will admit I was very wrong about it. I hope with all my heart this will not be the case but right now, I don't see enough validity in the majority of the cases that were blamed on Trifexis. Some cases yes, but the majority, no. It's nice to have a discussion/debate like this without people getting ugly with each other personally. Not a lot of forums can pull that off.

01-21-2014, 08:51 AM	#44
Sienna Wright YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Vista, CA USA Posts: 7	Trifexis makes dogs sick. My adult male Yorkie Vinny was prescribed Trifexis as a flea preventative, 2 years ago. Several hours after the initial dose he vomited frank red blood and had frank red blood stools. This is after having the medication with food. As soon as possible Vinny and I returned to the Vets office. I thought of every possiblity of why he could be bleeding internally. I keep really close watch of him so, when I mentioned to the Vet- Do you think it might be the flea medicine, she stated " oh no this medicine has even in use for awhile and the only real side affect has been normal vomiting (not blood)." So of course all of his labs had to be checked, xrays taken of his GI SYS, everything necessary to rule out any possible acute problem, and then medications to help stop the bleeding. All the tests came back normal. Thank The Lord Vinny was okay. I being the trusting soul I am continued to use the Trifexis as the Vet ordered. Well, problem was the following month after giving Vinny the Trifexis, the same identical things happened!!!!!! Plus all the tests, meds ects. But this time no matter what the Vet told me I knew in my heart - the BEST thing for my sweet baby. The sight of seeing your sweet Yorkie throwing up blood, pooping out blood.... All the tests, all of the informative rhetoric are really just empty words. I believe it is a gamble no one should take with their precious loved one now..!! Just between you and me why would someone spend so much time defending a product as this. This is a Free Country, and I would tell anyone who asked or that has a dog not to use Trifexis. Plus, I think alot of the flea topicals, prevent fleas by disrupting the fleas ions outside their bodies. According to my Professor/Scientist of Physiology.

01-21-2014, 10:33 AM	#45
Wild Blue Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 25	[QUOTE=Sienna Wright;4379004]My adult male Yorkie Vinny was prescribed Trifexis as a flea preventative, 2 years ago. Several hours after the initial dose he vomited frank red blood and had frank red blood stools. This is after having the medication with food. As soon as possible Vinny and I returned to the Vets office. I thought of every possiblity of why he could be bleeding internally. I keep really close watch of him so, when I mentioned to the Vet- Do you think it might be the flea medicine, she stated " oh no this medicine has even in use for awhile and the only real side affect has been normal vomiting (not blood)." So of course all of his labs had to be checked, xrays taken of his GI SYS, everything necessary to rule out any possible acute problem, and then medications to help stop the bleeding. All the tests came back normal. Thank The Lord Vinny was okay. I being the trusting soul I am continued to use the Trifexis as the Vet ordered. Well, problem was the following month after giving Vinny the Trifexis, the same identical things happened!!!!!! Plus all the tests, meds ects. But this time no matter what the Vet told me I knew in my heart - the BEST thing for my sweet baby. The sight of seeing your sweet Yorkie throwing up blood, pooping out blood.... All the tests, all of the informative rhetoric are really just empty words. I believe it is a gamble no one should take with their precious loved one now..!! Just between you and me why would someone spend so much time defending a product as this. This is a Free Country, and I would tell anyone who asked or that has a dog not to use Trifexis. Plus, I think alot of the flea topicals, prevent fleas by disrupting the fleas ions outside their bodies. According to my Professor/Scientist of Physiology.[/QUOTE I am so sorry your baby got sick from Trifexis! I absolutely know what it feels like to see blood like that. My four pounder has has two boughts of HGE totally unrelated to Trifexis. I do not understand what this being a free country is related to other than the fact that we are free to debate on a public forum such as this. I defend Trifexis because I have seen a lot of GOOD it has done for dogs with severe flea allergies. By me defending Trifexis by no means belittles the experience you had with it. See...this is where an emotionally charged response clouds intentions.