awful experience with Flea/Tic medicine

I am posting this message on any/all message boards as I can find. I am trying to spread the word about using K9 Advantix on your dog. My husband and I were given this product from our vet a few months ago. We have a ten month Golden Retriever that weighs 55lbs. The first two doses were fine. On the third dose we noticed that she began breaking out in sores on her face and along her neck. We were switching dog foods at the time and thought this might be the cause (since she had no prior reactions the first two administrations). We brought her to our vet who diagnosed her with a secondary skin infection. She said it could be an allergy to anything- most likely something in her new food. She gave us a round of antibiotics and never even suggested it could be due to the Advantix. One month later we put the Advantix on again. This time it was far worse- as though her body just could not tolerate this again. Within 36 hours we had to bring her to the vet. Our's was on vacation so we called around to others in the area. After describing her symptoms (severe scratching at the ears, leaking of puss behind the ears and swelling along the throat and neck) they asked if we had given her Advantix recently. We said yes and we were old to bring her in immediately. She was having a severe reaction to this and she almost died. They had to sedate her and they shaved around her ears and neck to expose the affected area. We were shocked at what we saw. In addition to her neck being about five times its normal size, her skin was literally burned from the Advantix. You could see where we had administered the Advantix at the base of the skull because there was a burn hole. Then you could see the path that the liquid took down both sides of her face down to her neck and throat. It had literally burned her skin right off. She had a major infection in these areas that had also crept into her ears and her right eye.
The next 24 hours were awful. We stayed up with her all night and were not sure she was going to make it. It has been about a week now and she is almost fully recovered. The company that manufactures this drug will only acknowledge that in rare occasions, some dogs to have a "sensitivity" to this. Although, they gave us little resistance to reimbursing for our vet bills. (We also learned, via a middle of the night phone call to our emergency vet clinic, that there was another dog going through this very experience- they thought we were the same people).
Since then, I have been reading other people's experiences with Advantix on various message boards. It does not appear that these reactions are as "rare" as the company claims them to be. (I also think they have a very distorted version of what a "sensitivity" or "minor reaction" really is).
I am writing this because had we known that this was even a possibility- we never would have put one drop of this on our dog. Our hope, since the company takes no formal responsibility in better communicating the risks associated with Advantix that someone may read this and spare themselves and their dog, the agony of this experience.
If you are reading this and you have experienced similar effects from using Advantix on your dog, PLEASE contact the Environmental Protection Agency. They are required to investigate every complaint against this product. Who knows, if enough cases are documented, they may take this awful poison of the market in the future and spare the health and lives of other dogs.

 

Thanks for letting us know. I just saw the K9 Advantix's ads in the AKC magazine yesterday and was wondering if it's any good. Well, now we learn that it's something we better stay away from.

Best of my wish to your dog.

 

my 85 GSD used Advantix last year after her surgery (didn't want her system compromised by ticks) and she was fine with it. She never had a problem. But I won't use it again cause it is highly toxic to cats of which I have 3. I figure anything that'll kill cats isn't going on my dog - but due to her surgery last year we had to use precaution from any ticks

 

thank you for the posting. I hear that is nasty stuff. Even my vet doenst like to use it because because you are putting so many chemicals in the body. So I Just have mine on sentinal which is a heartworm/flea product and when tick season comes I put a collar on. as for mosquitos. they are protected by the sentinal if they get bit.

I am so glad to hear your dog is okay. Someone recently posted here about warning of the 6 month heartworm shot, unfortunately their dog didnt make it.

I really think we need to take a good look at some of these products they are coming out with.

honeybear

 

Speaking of which, I would take a good look at the tick collar you are using, honeybears. Any of those products sold in pet stores can be even more dangerous than the stuff sold by vets. Which kind do you use?

 

i use advantix on my girl scout. let me share a few experiences with you. when i got scout last year she came from florida with a few fleas. i started her on advantix because advantage is the best for fleas and i wanted tick protection also. she started scratching and chewing herself all the time. i had her checked for everything that could cause itching and she was cleared. so after trying many different foods for possible allergies nothing worked. then winter came and the scratching lessened. of course at that pint i had stopped using the advantix. now this year when spring came i started using it again and also used it on my pyrenees. my pyrenees had such a svere reaction to it. constantly scratching and chewing at herself. i mean INSANELY scratching and chewing. i talked to the girls at work and several of their dogs broke out in skin rashes or got burns in the spot where it was applied. so just last week i spoke to the bayer rep. about the itching. she says the chemical in the advantix causes their skin to get the same feeling we do when our feet or hands fall asleep. you know that tingly, pins and needles feeeling? so that is what causes them to itch and scratch so much. she also said that just because they reacted that way once it may not happen again. well since my pyrs reaction was soooo bad i am not willing to test that theory out. but i still do use it on scout and she does not itch and scratch like she did this time last year so i do not truly know if it is the advantix that caused the original itching, the food change cause she is on pro plan sensitive skin and stomach now for the past 6 months, or , if like the bayer rep said, she has gotten used to it. everyone else in the house is on frontline. and i only put them on that stuff in the spring and fall when ticks are the worst because i HATE putting chemicals into their system.

 

Jimiya, I get the preventic brand sold by the vet. I actually didnt use them much this year and and became more proactive in lookng them over in picking them off.

and is the bortadella vaccine for kennel cough? because I am stopping that one since I think Wylie had a reaction to it

honeybear

 

My vet also told us about the problems with K9 Advantix. Thank you for posting this!!!

 

thanks for the info i use frontline but i love the commericals for k9 advantix they use the cutiest puppies. My son runs around signing the song all the time.

 

Thanks for sharing. My co-workers one dog had a bad reaction too to Advantix...it actually burned a large area on the back of her neck. Her other dog was not affected though. I only use Advantage for mine and only as needed. This spring I did use Advantix on Natalie once because I was taking her camping and she had not started her heartworm meds yet. Luckily, she did'nt have a bad reaction to it.

 

Yes, bordatella is kennel cough. You don't need it unless you are boarding him. If you do ever get it, get the nasal drops instead of the shot. If Wylie had a reaction to it, I would not give it again. Maybe if you ever need to board Wylie, your vet would certify that the shot is a problem and he cannot have it.

 

Jimiya, it was a shot, they do the nose drops anymore. Wyl;ie is never kenneled, we dont go to dog parks, etc, so I think her risks are low for it

honeybear

 

Yep, agreed. No more bordatella for Wylie!