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Flea and Tick Protection Severe Allergic Reaction

by Julia
(Ohio)

Is it true that Australian Shepherds and Collies have a susceptibility to a severe reaction to some flea and tick protection? My 9 year old female Aussie had a dreadful experience and was partially paralized for three days. She had just received her rabies shot, bortatella and distemper shot. I brought her home, she seemed fine and administered her flea and tick protection Frontline. After about a half hour I noticed she was acting rather odd and lethargic and asked her to go outside with me. She could not get up! Her hind legs were totally useless! I called the vet immediately and she told me to give her some Benadryl and keep a close eye on her and bring her in the next day if she did not show any improvement. My Aussie was an extremely active and fit frisbee and agility dog. We walked 4 miles every day as well. She recovered very slowly over the next three days but I took her in anyway. The vet was very non-committal about what happened. Saying only she had never had a dog react to the immunizations before. My Aussie was still very wobbly when she saw her, and she acted like my dog being unable to walk for three days was no big deal?

Since that time my Aussie has displayed several signs of nuerologic disorders in the form of weakness in her back legs (her hips have been checked out and are very sound) and mysterious fainting after moments of high energy or distress of any kind (a dog playing too rough with her in the dog park or thunderstorms) all new symptoms since her initial incidence. I researched that Aussies and collies have a susceptibility to some flea and tick remedies and they can cause severe allergic reactions and seizures.

Did I damage her by giving her the flea and tick remedy or was it because I gave it too soon after her shots? My dear Aussie went from a healthy active and robust athlete to an old dog over night. Has anyone heard of this before? I LOVE Aussies and will always have one in our family but I do not want to subject my dog to anything like this again! Please help!

Comments for Flea and Tick Protection Severe Allergic Reaction

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Allergic Reaction
by: Nonnie

Your Aussie is beautiful! We also have a blue merle, as well as a black tri.

I know that Aussie's should only use Sentinel heart worm preventative, but I have not heard of issues with flea and tick medicine. I am certain someone on this site will have the information you need.

Is there any way she could have gotten into some type of toxic plant or liquid some place that might have caused the symptoms? It could have happened just after you got home from the vets office ???

There are lots of breeders on this site. You may want to pose your question to them.

aussie
by: Anonymous

It is not a flea and tick medications.
Your dog had an allergic reaction to rabies shot like many dogs do!
My aussie almost died last year from it. It was horrible.
Read about rabies side effect and it will give you the answer.

there's hope
by: Anonymous

Aussie's are very sensative, an allergic to alot of things, but, aside from that, I would stay away from flea collars, and unnecessary vacinations. My dogs got their first year shots, and after that only the rabies by law. My old dog got an exeption because of her age, and my Aussie(who passed away last sept)got an exeption due to his seizures. My other two, get their shots in small dosages,at a holistic vet(hard to come by, but they are out their).
I am so sorry to hear about your boy, its not to late to undo it, but you need to find a real holistic vet, (not one of those enegry ones)you need one who has gone to school. You'll know by the way she answers your questions.
I hope this helps, take care and keep us posted.

reaction
by: Gayle-- Big Run Aussies

My question would be what kind of heartworm preventative are you using? You could have her tested for the MDR1 factor that will tell you if she has a sensitivity for ivermectin. One of my dog's littermates had gotten into ant poison which can contain ivermectin and had the severe reaction you describe. I never give shots and Frontline or heartworm pills on the same day. I try to spread them out over time. I don't use
Frontline every month either. It will kill fleas for 3 months. Where I live ticks are usually bad in the early spring and late fall, so I only put on frontline in April, May, Sept & Oct.& sometimes not that often.

Bad reaction to Frontline
by: Steve

My Aussie, who would constantly go running several miles a day with me, had a severe reaction after I applied Frontline. Her left hind leg shook that first night, both the next day. Three days later, she went paralyzed in her back legs and became incontinent. The regular vet was useless and said it was sudden arthritis. I took her to a specialist and they originally they diagnosed it as a slipped disk. But after an MRI and a Spinal Tap, they concluded it was an auto-immune reaction due to unknown circumstances. She can walk now, but she wobbles and the specialist has her on cyclosporine to subdue any auto-immune attacks. But the cyclosporine pills are insanely expensive. The whole incident drained my bank account and I can't afford to take her to another neuro-specialist, as they want a couple grand to do another whole workup. As far as flea and tick, I spray her with Cedarcide and it seems to be doing the trick. It is a liquid cedar spray that is all-natural. It was created by the army corp of engineers for personnel in the field. Can I say it was 100% frontline? No, but she was fine beforehand. Vets will say they never heard of a case of frontline hurting a dog - but the internet has scores of stories identical to mine. Flea and tick prevention, like frontline, are low dose poisons. Who is to say a bad batch didn't affect my dog; or other dogs? I give my dog brewer's yeast as well. But is stinks when a once active dogs falls down just to walk across the floor.

severe reaction to Frontline
by: Anonymous

it was the Frontline, our 11 year old Golden Retriever had the same reaction, she was in earlier the day for toe nail and chiro treatment. Later that morning i put the Frontline on her and our other girl,and within 4 hours I was getting her in the car to the vet. She was lethargic, throwing up every where, by the time she made it to the vet she throwing up bile. As soon as doc saw her from the door way he told the vet techs to get here in the back and immediately wash her off and said a severe reaction to Frontline, and that if I did not bring here in she most likely would have died. That was in May and it is July, she sometimes still collapse if she runs to fast in the rear legs, as neurological damage in the rear, but our vet has her doing swimming exercise to help strengthen her back area but Frontline will not admit and not talk to people as then they have to turn this into the EPA, but the Food and Drug does have a claim against them for our girl. There was one of the vet tech that found out that this year in May they already had around 2000 reactions to Frontline.

It was the Frontline
by: Labergerebasque

Our vêt here in France said Aussies have something in their neuro logical make-up (which ALSO makes them so smart!) tha ONE must considère before certain flea/tick medications such as Frontline. She said Aussies have a "perméable" living around their brain which does NOT protect them like other breeds. Thank GOD she knew to warn us!!!! I forgot what the dangerously "molécule" is called, but the vêt is Dr Marchand in Cambo les Bains. EXCELLENT vêt.

Julia-Ohio Dec.2013 Severe Allergic Reaction
by: dana -Saugatuck, Mi

Your dog suffered the same Neurological reaction as the others to Frontlin e Plus. am omsectocode tjat affects tje neuro system of fleas and their host. The same thing happened to my dog,a Standard Poodle and we are getting a group together to go against Merial the Chemical Co. please email me huffe2@att.net. hope this reaches you

Steve-Bad reaction to Frontline, neurological damage
by: dana -Saugatuck, Mi

Hi Steve read your answer to Julia- this is my comment , I have read hundreds of statements on the animal forums, especially Amazon, and all that used Frontline and Insecticide and kills the Neuro system in fleas, and then the host. They all start out with back leg weakness, lethargy, seizures, and later death. Join us in our effort to attack Merial Chemical co and email huffe2@att.net If you don't fight for youir right when you can states Winston Churchill, then you fight with your back to the wall.

Frontline Plus and Revolution
by: Anonymous

I am wondering if flea/tick can cause adverse reactions too and would it effect how well it works too or fleas just getting immune? Currently have used Frontline Plus and Revolution. Wondering if my German Shepherd can use K9 Advantix 2, bravecto, seresto collor or Advantage 2 as we can't keep using these, too many fleas around and had bad reactions to Heartguard plus so suspect mdr1.

Sorry to hear
by: Anonymous

I now have an Aussie but almost a year ago I lost my welsh corgi within a month of giving her Advantage Flea meds the day before her shots. She has the same symptoms you described and a severe neurological demise. She was almost 11 and I am heartbroken still to know I was responsible for her early death. They told me at the vet it was ok I had given it the day before but they were wrong. I'm so sorry.

Severe Reaction to flea/tick tx
by: Anonymous

I wrote at a different time about my black tri's severe reaction to her flea/ tick medication, Advantix II. A few years back, it was touted as being safe for even MDR1 aussies, but for my dog, not so much. She got SUPER anxious and started panting and going into " panic mode" drooling and quivering. I immediately took her to the bathtub with DAWN dish detergent and warm water, scrubbing down to the skin and rinsing her completely. Dawn immediately cuts the oil base and the water dissipates the rest, and quickly ! She was totally fine 20 minutes after getting the stuff off of her. Sadly, the best advice I can give is ALWAYS observe your dog / cat for signs and symptoms right after getting shots, and right after giving any kind of OTC treatment. This is the best way to catch something before it really does permanent damage. ( that, and keep some Dawn on hand at all times..LOL) Sure, trust your vet, but remember not all otc rememdies work for all animals, and YOU know YOUR DOG BEST !

seizures
by: Anonymous

My black tri died from seizures after giving flea and tick medicine. He was a very active dog before.

MDR1
by: Anonymous

50% of Aussies have a genetic mutation called MDR1 which makes them vulnerable to certain medications that are easily tolerated by other breeds. Read about it at URL http://vcpl.vetmed.wsu.edu/. The University of Washington has a test they will perform for $6 to determine if your dog has the mutation, as well as a list of medications that are harmful to Aussies that will not bother other breeds.

idiopathic vestibular
by: Anonymous

Have you looked into idiopathic vestibular disease" I've had this occur to 2 of my dogs now, one was a 10 year old Newfie and the other was my 11 years old Aussie girl. I thought at first my Aussie girl had a stroke, eyes were twitching side to side, couldn't stand. I did some quick research and decided to wait it out based on the symptoms. I didn't want them to blame it on age and put her down like my with my Newfie. Just like the sites said 3 days later she was wobbly but recovering. She recovered ...but she was extremely active before and the experience aged her 5 years. She was never the same but still had a good life till 15.

1.5 yr old aussie sick from rabies shot
by: Anonymous

My little Aussie got really sick w her 1st rabies/distemper. I attributed to anxiety but the next set she was laid there, no walking, vomit, legs weak: just like the first time, ran into a chair got concussion and brusied shoulder and mouth. I give her tick or worm meds a week separate from anything else. Very scary. I thought about just having antibodies run next time, but she is quite social and goes everywhere with everybody. As it was just a month ago, I do not think she is back to energetic self and has pains in places she did not before. The other Aussie does well if we do separate vaccines, but had a seizure w/in 15 minutes after Vectra for ticks.

Aussies and flea and tick medicine
by: Anonymous

I am so sorry this happened to your Aussie. Yes, it was most likely the flea and tick medicine. Australian Shepherds have a genetic condition that some have that others do not (See: MDR1 Gene Mutation). It causes some types of medicine to build up in their system and cause neurological problems and even death. I have a female Aussie that nearly died after the flea and tick medicine we were using for years finally built up to a toxic level in her system. We use Sentry. It was what the safe for Aussies that have this genetic problem. And we have been using it safely on Alice our Aussie for years. No more issues.

Reaction to flea/tic meds in Aussie
by: Nancy I.

This rear leg paralysis happened to my 4 year old Aussie after my yard was sprayed for fleas and tics. She was in much pain and had to be carried to the vet. Earlier she had limping reactions to various flea/tic collars, but nothing this serious. The vet didn’t know what was going on. He kept her overnight and treated her with steroids, which I continued at home. She could walk some the next day but still limped, cried and moaned. Since then and after research into Aussie health issues, I have avoided any flea/tic collars/applications. I also online got help with healing dietary supplements from Nature’s Farmacy in Georgia. It has been 2 long years since that horrible experience. It took that long for Pepper to get back to her normal energetic, happy self.

Fleas
by: Nikki

We have two 6.5 year old Aussie mix siblings. Previously we had a male Aussie mix who seem to react with lethargy after using flea and tick meds, so I stopped using it and switched to mint lavender shampoo. I am not inclined to use the frontline plus our new vet suggested, but I do believe they now have a light case of fleas after visiting a park. What do you all do to treat when faced with this? Thank you!

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