Trifexis

[kgunther]

Has anyone here used Trifexis? Was pondering trying it but wanted to check and see if others had experience with it. I get nervous anytime I think about trying a differnent "poison."

Kristy

[MollyATL]

I have used Comfortis for some time - only issue is that Lilibit gets a touch of an upset stomach. I give it to them with their evening meal for that reason. Just switched to Trifexis once it came out, since the Comfortis was going well and the HW drug used has been around for some time (in Interceptor, Sentinel).

I will say that it only works for 3 weeks on Opal, but also that topicals only worked for a couple days on Opal. So, something is wrong with Opal

Also, it is not recommended for dogs prone to seizures (such as epileptics), interacts with off-label dosing of ivermectin (such as for demodex), and of course doesn't deter ticks.

Overall, tho, I've been happy with it, and boy is it easy to administer.

[kgunther]

Thanks Molly. I am concerned about ticks this year. So can you use Trifexis and then still use a topical like K9 Advantix? I wish I could use the tick collars but my dogs do too much rough housing and biting each other. I would be nervous about them biting the collars. So, I guess if I am going to use the topical anyway, there wouldn't be much point in paying the extra money to have Comfortis with Interceptor.

I am having a tick panel run on Lillie tomorrow because I am concerned that she just isn't herself. I had thyroid panels and complete blood work done already. Her thyroid was low. But she has been on meds for almost 3 months now and no real change in behavior (and she has not lost the amount of weight that I had hoped she would lose). Her blood work also showed slightly elevated liver enzymes. So I have had her on milk thistle for about a month. Again, no real improvement in her attitide and energy level. So the tick panel is kind of my last resort to figure out what might be going on with her. In general she seem okay. But at agility and flyball events she has been very slow and has had no energy. It could just be old age which is hard for me to accept since I still think of her as a baby!

Kristy

[crazy cat lady]

Kristy, How were the test results you had done for Lillie?

As far as Trifexis, I think cost needs to be a factor too especially if you own several large dogs. For HW prev., I have been saving a huge fortune by diluting Ivermectin with propylene glycol and giving that orally. I used to use Frontline for flea prev. because that was safe for cats too, but the fleas in my area have become resistant to it. Now I apply Advantage to cats and Advantix for my own dogs, and Revolution for foster pups. Looks like the Trifexis should help with ticks, Spinosad-" Spinosad must be ingested by the insect, therefore it has little effect on non-target predatory insects. It is highly effective used as an oral anti-flea medication for dogs, and apparently has the potential for killing any blood-sucking insect." but if it is not listed as tick prev. I guess it is not. Doesn't look like it helps with tapeworms either. I am just stunned by the # of apps. we receive from people whose dogs have cancer. I know they are living longer, better diagnostics, food ingredient issues, etc. but I can't help but wonder how much of a factor all these preventives are as well. But as far as flea, tick, HW prev. go, the benefits outweigh the risks in my opinion. Really leery about trying something new, esp. as down the road, the spinosad might be the only thing in my area to which the fleas have not built up a resistance. Looks like they are selling Trifexis at vets like candy, superior product, good marketing?, don't know.

[kgunther]

I won't have the results on Lillie for a couple of days. But thanks for asking.

There is a conversation taking place today on FB (with some friends of mine) about whether Trifexis has any impact on ticks. It is not marketed as a tick product but apparently a couple of folks who are using it feel like it is helping with the ticks.

I guess I had been living under a rock lately becaues I did not know that Interceptor was essentially unavialble right now. My vet doesn't have any and I have not been able to find it on line either. So it looks like I am not going to have a choice and will have to try something new. But I am worried about over-medicating my dogs. If I give them Trifexis and use a topical for ticks, I feel like I am putting twice as much poison on them and in them than is necessary. Not happy about that at all.

Kristy

[MollyATL]

Honestly, I would not give them a topical and Trifexis. The discussion re: ticks might be true. I'm not in a high-tick area now that I don't have anyone I can take to the woods (too many off-leash dogs). But I can tell you that it isn't labelled for tapeworm, but I know for a fact one of mine had tapeworm when I switched to Trifexis (I missed a dose of topical and we had a "surprise" warm-up that awakened the fleas), and it resolved without me needing to give anything additional.

The best topical I've ever seen for ticks is Vectra 3d. Pulled a ticky dog and put some Vectra on him - they started falling off in droves. But of course you'd still need a HW preventive in combo, and with the Interceptor/Novartis plant closing mess..... I personally have never had issues with Heartgard, but I know that has to be an individual comfort-level choice. Clara is the closest to PB BC I've had, and she's always been on Trifexis.

[ajones]

Thanks for starting this thread, Kristy. I have been curious about Trifexis and people's experiences with it, too. Sorry not to have anything to add to the actual subject of the conversation, but I am appreciating people's replies.

My vet doesn't have any [Interceptor] and I have not been able to find it on line either.

I was a little late getting to my vet to stock up on the Spirit-sized Interceptor, but I was able to buy it from Doctors Foster and Smith just 2-3 weeks ago. I did call first to see if the size I needed was in stock (before going through the steps of having my vet fax in the Rx), so you might want to double-check. But the whole process was very easy, although shipping did take a little longer than I'd expected.

Here's the Interceptor part of the website, if you want to check it out: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=23279.

ETA: Oops! Sorry about the outdated information...I just clicked further into the ordering process and saw that Interceptor is now listed as "unavailable for order at this time." I should have done that before I posted.

[kgunther]

Thanks Angie. I guess I am just a late in trying to get it on line. And from what I have now read on line, it sounds like the shortage is here to stay since the plant is still closed.

I ordered the mdr1 test today so that perhaps I can consider using Heartguard. I have never used anything except Interceptor with all 3 girls and would be a little too nervous to just change without all the information I could possibly have on hand.

My gut feeling at this point is that I will have to use Trifexis plus something for the ticks. I hate that option but I am not sure what other choice I am going to have. I wish I could use the tick collars. But because of the way my dogs play with each other, I don't think that is an option either.

Kristy

[BayouBCR]

They're selling Trifexis like crazy BECAUSE of the Novartis plant still being closed. It's the only alternative for people that don't want to use Heartguard/Triheart or a topical HW preventative. It's also the only one (without Interceptor or Sentinel) that has whipworm coverage. It's not really "new" either, so there's not much of a concern with regards to safety. Milbemycin Oxime (Interceptor) has been out forever, and the Spinosad (Comfortis) has been out for at least four years.

It's also a long standing misconception that Interceptor is safer to use with MDR1 affected dogs. Milbemycin, along with Moxidectin (Advantage Multi, or remember Proheart, anyone?), Selamectin (Revolution), can all result in a reaction in a dog with the MDR1 mutation if given at high dosages, just like Ivermectin. They are ALL safe, including Ivermectin, in a normal heartworm dose. The reason Proheart caused so many problems was because it was a large dose meant to last 6 months. Aside from that, the MDR1 mutation is almost nonexistant with the BC breed.

And in case anyone's interested, I spoke a Novartis rep last week, and they still don't have an estimated date for when the plant will be reopening. If you don't have Interceptor and your vet is out (most seem to be), you're definitely going to have to pick an alternative.

Edit: I take that back. I forgot that Advantage Multi also covers whipworms.

[crazy cat lady]

My local vet had never heard of Ivermectin and collie problems. A vet that trials BC says it is fine, the vet the rescue uses says Ivermectin is fine in the low doses/concentrations given for heartworm preventative and when it is a problem for the dogs with the MDR1 gene mutations is at higher concentrations for mange treatment. Lots of opinions, I respect everyone's decisions about whether they would give it to their dogs or not. However, if it is HW preventative, I want to give it orally! That's my personal decision.

[BCMama]

I've been using Triflexis on my aussie and my bc since October. They both seem to do fine with it. I've seen no signs of fleas even with our very mild winter. The vet did tell me that it was most effective in tick prevention during the first couple of weeks after application.