Okay, I am on a roll today. Since I got up this morning Ive had several people ask me and then tell me that Trifexis is completely unsafe and they would never give their dogs this killing medication. And some even stating they would never trust their DVM again because they recommended Trifexis. To set the record straight, veterinarians recommend products like Trifexis because they safely prevent diseases and lead to the long term healthiness of your pet. While they earn a profit for the sale or other medications, supplements, immunizations and medical services, the vast majority of them make the recommendations based on the well-being of the patient’s. I wouldnt deny your dog the disease preventive benefits of a product like Trifexis on the basis of unethical reporting and certain types of people who choose to believe it over the judgment of their veterinary. (Just like when a doctor recommends you an antibiotic but then you have an allergic reaction. - They cant always predict when or if someone will have an reaction.) So, Let’s look at the information available on the Trifexis Package, shall we? Trifexis has been demonstrated to be safe in pure and mixed breeds of healthy dogs when used according to label directions for dogs and puppies 8 weeks of age and older and five pounds of body weight or greater. You should discuss the use of Trifexis with your veterinarian prior to use if your dog has a history of epilepsy (seizures). Puppies less than 14 weeks of age may experience a higher rate of vomiting. Important point: Trifexis should not be used in an animal that has a history of seizures. Why? The makers of Trifexis don’t actually know if the drug is more likely to cause a seizure in an animal. However, one of their test subjects did reportedly have a seizure shortly after taking Trifexis and so this must be listed on the label as a potential side effect. So far in my years working with veterinarians I have yet to have an animal or an owner come in have a problem with Trifexis OR Comfortis, with the same medication, causing a seizure.. WHERE IT ALL STARTED FROM: In November 2013, Atlanta television station WSB reported a story about dog owners in Atlanta (and elsewhere) claiming that Trifexis had caused the deaths of their pets: Grieving pet owners and others across the country are coming forward blaming a popular pet drug for killing their dogs. Like owner Beth Timms from Gainesville. Her dog, Gizmo, died after taking Trifexis. The once-a-month pill made by Elanco is a combination pill for heartworm, parasites and flea prevention. (Elanco is the animal health division of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly.- you know them they make many HUMAN medication such as Prozac®, Cymbalta®, Quinidine® and many of your diabetic medications such as Humalog and Humulin and many others. ) Timms emailed consumer investigator Jim Strickland after finding a Facebook page titled Trifexis Kills Dogs. Owners from all over the country have posted on the page, blaming the drug for their dogs deaths. However, WSB noted in a follow-up report that a pathologist hired by Trifexis had found no causative connection between the deaths of dogs who had reportedly died after being given Trifexis and the drug itself: Consumer investigator Jim Strickland obtained documents from a pathologist hired by drug maker Elanco that said three puppies did not die from taking the drug Trifexis, made by Elanco. Trifexis played no role in the death of this dog, Dr. Jeffrey Engelhardt wrote. In the case of three dogs, Engelhardt said Trifexis involvement was unlikely. The dogs died of heart failure in September [2013]. Engelhardt did not examine the dogs remains, only their pathology reports. The three [dogs] that died had one dose of the drug and became weak and lethargic. Two of the dogs died three weeks after taking the pill. One died in six days. We have not been able to identify with all of these reports, any specific trends we can link directly to the use of the product, said Elanco veterinarian Dr. Stephen Connell. Certainly we want to investigate these cases. We want to get to the bottom of this as much as anyone does. Elanco insists any side effects are mild, not fatal. Necropsy reports on three of the dogs mentioned in the WSB news report as possible Trifexis-related deaths (Bishop, Tucker, and Jade) indicated that the canines died of heart-related ailments (myocarditis and endocarditis). Veterinarian Doc Cleland also posted on his College Park Vet blog that he had not seen any studies indicating a positive correlation between Trifexis and death in dogs and that he would continue to use and recommend the product: Ive seen and heard a lot of concerns over the past several days about Trifexis and how it kills animals. I even visited the Trifexis Kills Pets facebook page and looked around there. ELANCO has sent us a fax about their stance on Trifexis. So where do I stand? Plenty of animals receiving Trifexis die. However, plenty of animals receiving love and attention from their families also die. What has to be present with any medication or situation is a positive correlation between (a) and (b). If animals receiving Trifexis causes more deaths or problems than animals without, then there is a positive correlation between Trifexis and death. Cause — effect. With that said, I have not seen any PROVEN STUDIES to point to this positive correlation between Trifexis and death. ELANCO itself reports an increase in upset stomach in animals receiving Trifexis, and they warn that seizures may be positively correlated with Trifexis. However, there have been no other patterns of adverse events noted either before or after Trifexis was released onto the market. Correlation is everything. Will I continue to use and recommend Trifexis? Yes. Are you crazy if you dont use Trifexis? No. Make sure they are on some form of heartworm and flea prevention. I would also recommend that you educate yourselves with information, studies, side effects, and evidence based medicine for whatever product you choose.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Aug 2014 14:12:05 +0000
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