The Great Trifexis Hoax: 6 Ways to Spot the B.S.
What if the “medicine” you were given to get rid of fleas, ticks, and heartworms in your dog turned out to be toxic and was causing poor Sadie’s liver, kidneys, and skin to go into overdrive, trying to keep that poison from bringing her to her knees?
Not a pretty picture, but there continue to be many reports of deaths and illness coming in from owners after the use of this drug called Trifexis.
What is Trifexis?
Made by Elanco (a division of Eli Lilly and Company, the global pharmaceutical manufacturer with sales in the billions), the drug is a combination of two drugs found in other products:
1. Spinosad, a pesticide sourced in the United States, the main ingredient in Comfortis, the flea killer, and
2. Milbemycin, a pesticide sourced in China (per Dr. Connell, the vet on staff at Elanco), and the main ingredient in Interceptor, the heartworm larvae killer.
Here’s a map of Lilly’s plants around the world:
Oh, my! Isn’t that China over there?
If you live in Canada, the UK, or Australia, your version of Trifexis is called Panoramis. And, if the name Trifexis scares you, you can get the very same product now under the name Comboguard.
What’s Happening to Real Dogs after Taking Trifexis?
Of course the whole idea of giving pesticides to animals is a bad idea, right? How could they possibly make an animal healthier? Well, some folks missed the memo apparently, as Elanco has sold well over 50 million doses as of November 2013.
Update: According the Indy Star’s report on veterinary pharmaceuticals (and how wildly unregulated that whole world is), the company said they’ve sold over 70 million doses. And that’s 2013 data. How many more have been sold since then?
Some of the most striking conversation is taking place on the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) website itself (this page has been taken down, sorry), though there is a a special Facebook page with lots of concerned pet owners who have lost animals or had animals sickened after taking Trifexis. In addition, Atlanta station WSB-TV has a couple of stories from late 2013 on problems post-Trifexis, including deaths, and Elanco’s response (“the drug is innocent, no correlation”).
Reports from real people with experience from their own animals include:
- Failure of the product to rid hook worms (part of its label claims).
- Refusal of the subsequent doses by dogs who got ill on the first dose.
- Blindness immediately post-Trifexis dose, from detached retinas.
- Death. (By some counts in November 2013, some 700 dogs were alleged to have died from ingesting Trifexis.)
- A vet who’s seen harm first hand in his patients, reported it to Elanco, and pulled the product from his shelves.
- Vomiting, a very common side effect by the number of reports.
- Pancreatitis.
- “Fly biting,” an air snapping behavior common in epileptic dogs.
- Seizures.
- Confusion, restless wandering.
- Weakness in rear limbs; paralysis.
- Heart disease.
- Lethargy.
- Hypersensitivity, acting as if suddenly bitten. Touchy.
What’s striking in all these many, many reports is that, while some of them came on after the first dose (including deaths), many came on after months of use or even a year.
How to Recognize the B.S. : Six Ways
Elanco, and the AVMA right along with them, are spinning the story that tries to tell all these people that their animals who either died or got paralyzed or went blind right after taking Trifexis have no reason to blame the drug. This is largely based on necropsies (think autopsies on animals) reviewed by an “independent pathologist.” That’s a very good place to start.
The “independent” veterinary pathologist is Jeffery Engelhardt. He was hired by Elanco to review necropsy reports on three Visla pups who died within days of ingesting Trifexis. This man has a prior history of working for Eli Lilly, the parent company, for over 20 years.
Interestingly, there were seven pups in this litter. The three that got Trifexis all died, while the four who didn’t never even got sick.
Are you raising your eyebrows yet?
So, we have
- B.S. Point One: The “proof” was provided by someone with ties to the manufacturer reviewing the work of other pathologists.
- B.S. Point Two: Study samples to get a new drug labeled are by necessity small. Their findings (no deaths) don’t negate what hundreds or thousands of pet owners are seeing in their dogs (illness and death).
- B.S. Point Three: A necropsy on three dogs showing heart disease does not let the drug off the hook as the cause. A vet contacted at Elanco admits as much.
- B.S. Point Four: Necropsy results of a poisoned animal are “non-specific.” In other words, they could be anything. Organ failure would rank high but there’s no way to see a “footprint” of Trifexis poisoning, and, absent that, say it was not to blame. There’s an old saying, “You can’t prove a negative.”
- B.S. Point Five: Poisoning (with anything) is most often the presumed diagnosis based on history of ingestion and symptoms showing up as a result. Pathology could vary widely. So, somewhat like #4, necropsy findings alone cannot be used as a defense in a poisoning case.
- B.S. Point Six: Elanco set out to look for another cause of death. An Elanco vet is quoted as saying,
What we look for are underlying causes, pre-existing conditions – any other indication that the dog had any other reason for dying.”
So, the very starting point in interpreting the necropsies, as you can well imagine, is biased. They sell this drug, they would rather not incriminate it as the cause of illness or death. They’d rather avoid the cost of pulling it off the market and reimbursing the likely thousands of people who would make claims against them.
So, What to Do?
The clear take away from all of this is simple. You need to be a smart consumer. Keep your ear to the ground, and if you hear hoof beats, and you don’t live in Africa, expect they were made by a horse, not a zebra.
Just as you’ll never convince a mother who lost a child to vaccine induced autism by telling her there’s no conclusive proof, neither will you be able to dissuade thousands of animal owners who’ve seen illness or death after giving a drug, that the drug was not responsible.
You need to raise Vital Animals, who can withstand the vagaries of life, and you won’t get there by using pesticides to kill fleas, worms or heartworms.
Why?
Pesticides are poisons.
For a drug-free alternative that’s been working to prevent HW safely for over 20 years, click here.
Picture attribution: Wikimedia Commons
Map attribution: Wikimedia Commons
I have not read through all the comments, so forgive if this is redundant. Had a rescue with ‘celiac disease or something similar to it.
Dr.s orders to keep him on a homemade organic diet. Mostly Chicken, sweet Potato, pumpkin, peas, ground eggshells, chicken bone broth.
I also put a capful of ORGANIC Apple Cider Vinegar in his drinking water. This kept his mouth bacteria free, ( very little mouth odor or gum disease), MOSQUITOES at bay, TICKS at bay therefore if heartworm is mosquito attached parasite, never EVER gave him a heartworm pill.
I gave him one full squeeze of that smelly topical flea stuff, while reading it’s warning label (keep away from children, etc.) asked myself WHY in the world would I subject this poor guy to more crap? Needless to say the next morning his breath stunk of that chemical, and he was lethargic and mopey. You all DON’T NEED a Dr. to SEE… I never gave him another chemical soup again. Clue, when in doubt DON’T.
Also I use a natural peppermint spray which I keep by the front door, before we go out, my new pooch gets a spritz and rub-down.
Easy Peezy. BTW my first guy lived to 20 years of age. NO MEDS.
Alternative for fleas in the deep south? I don’t want to give my animals poison. The last dog I had lived to be 18 I adopted her when she was nine. I’ve never been one didn’t want to keep them on heartworm medicine because we don’t go out a lot My dogs are indoors and I’m not a big outdoor person they play in my house they exercise in my house we go to the dog park occasionally. I have been alternating months with comfortis. But I don’t feel good about it. But you know when my older dog died now I have two more I could I couldn’t even get another dog because the shelter lady over the small dog shelter wouldn’t let me adopt one because I didn’t have my older dog on heartworm protection and she didn’t die from heartworms she died from kidney disease and she was 18 years old. They even go back and look at your record it prevents you from even being able to adopt another dog. But what is an alternative for heartworms and fleas what can we use that’s going to work here in the south cuz the fleas are bad. And I’m leaving an apartment and I like to take my dogs different places I can’t treat everyone’s yard. Just wondering.
Fleas: non-toxic control and HW: without drugs.
I’ve used topical Revolution flea/heartworm Rx on my dog for 9 years (in Santa Cruz, CA and we have wicked fmeas here). It’s always worked great for me.
My vet told me the topicals work as well as the pills that are ingested, but topical Rxs don’t expose the dog to as much chemical/s as pill flea Rxs do.
Here’s the question you all should be asking yourselves if you think all these “drugs” are just fine and “safe” to give your innocent animals, and I’ll assume you all love your companions. Would I ingest these drugs myself? Don’t go further than that. Just answer the question. Would you? If you would, then may I suggest you do so and see how you fair but have pity on the animals. Big pharma doesn’t care about your companions; only the money. Scripture tells us that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.
After reading all this input I am still left with questions. I have 2 Chihuahua’s (mother 12yrs & daughter 10yrs) and have been giving them both Trifexis for years. In the beginning the med worked very well overall and including as a flea defense. The last few years I have noticed that my older dog becomes very loopy and disoriented with lack of appetite within a couple hours of administering the med. Also I notice that the flea protection seems to wear off after 3 weeks. Mind you we live in SOFLO so the weather and bugs are on 1000 throughout the year (especially during spring and summer) .. I expressed my concern of the older one’s side effects to my vet and he stated he does not believe it is related to the drug and suggested that I try 1 called Simparica… I guess I am just looking for more input.
Simparica is a pesticide. You would not give that to your dog. Even the FDA says it is associated with neurologic adverse reactions including muscle tremors, ataxia, and seizures. Traditional vets are playing with fire at the expense of our dogs. Please use nontoxic parasite products, there are many you can google online.
THANK YOU so much for this! My dog is supposed to take this once a month (and the dosage is for dogs 20-40 lbs. (my dog is 25 lbs and now I wonder if that means he’s getting even more than he should since he’s 15 lbs less than 40).
He’s been taking it for a year and hasn’t thrown up yet. But he detests it. He’s also a very anxious dog. More so than any other dog I’ve known. He’s always on high alert and constantly moving. He’s not big on being touched. This might explain it.
My husband takes him to a well-known pet store, with their own vet, as that’s where his parents took their old dog (and they liked that veterinarian). They used to have a Cavalier King Charles (in the same family as Cocker Spaniels) and somewhere around 9 or 10 years old, he started losing his vision and became confused a lot. I believe, towards the end of his life at 11, he was having seizures as well. I’m pretty sure he was taking the same medication since he went to the same vet.
This sheds A LOT of information on everything. I’d be willing to bet that the vets do this to make more money for themselves. How sad.
As for my own experiences- I’ve never taken that drug but I’ve taken something similar when I had a bacterial infection a few years ago. My Dr gave me Metronidazole which is not only used for bacterial infections but it can treat parasites as well. Even though they aren’t the same drug, Trifexis and Metro both kill parasites. I can say, from experience, that Metro is a HORRENDOUS medication. I’ve never taken something that made me feel so sick. It made me weak, tired, nauseous and gave me headaches. There were a few times at work that I had to hold on to a counter because I was dizzy that I felt like falling over. That drug is considered to be carcinogenic (cancer causing). I’d be willing to bet that Trifexis is too. Its basically squashing everything out of your stomach. That can’t be a good thing to do 12 times a year for life. This is terrible!
Thank you for your wonderful information! I wish more ppl knew about this.
To all those who argued that big Pharma and the FDA removes harmful medications from the shelves here is a perfect example why they do not:
If aspirin was just discovered today you would need to have a prescription due to the side effects. Since aspirin has been used for over 200 years they will not remove it from the shelves.
Many children have died due to complications while infected with Chicken Pox….aspirin for their fever caused multiple deaths (Reye’s syndrome) Now it is listed on the box or drug information not to use for reducing fever if a child has chicken pox.
There are other numerous reactions due to aspirin there is a long list, but this one should raise a question of why this medication should be by prescription only: “during pregnancy may have adverse effects in the fetus. It should be used during pregnancy only when the benefits outweigh the risks. Aspirin is excreted into breast milk and may cause adverse effects in the infant. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.” https://www.rxlist.com/aspirin-side-effects-drug-center.htm (this link shows other side effects on this drug.
When the first heart wormer became available the medication had adverse affects on certain breeds such as collies. Thus, having a mixed breed dog with collie bloodlines may or may not result in an adverse reaction to the drug; thus the dog owner should have a frank discussion with their veterinarian regarding the risk potential.
SPOT ON! This is why Drs always recommend Tylenol over any other pain killer. None of them are technically safe if you use them too much, but Tylenol is considered the safest. Also- Aspirin isn’t meant for children at all.
One last point (which is a BIG one)- is it’s link with the Spanish flu of 1918. It’s been documented that many ppl who were sick, took Aspirin and died. Aspirin may have caused their death due to it being a blood thinner (which affects your bodies blood-clotting ability). After the 1918 ‘flu’, ppl were considering suing Bayer over these Aspirin-related deaths. But somehow the lawsuits disappeared and everything was forgotten about. This shows EXACTLY how much Big Pharma is protected and should be considered unethical!
This is why a lot of ppl don’t know what to make of the pandemic we have right now (that started late 2019). We are repeating the same mistakes again and no one knows what works and what doesn’t. It’s all a guessing game at the expense of ppl’s lives.
Tylenol kills the liver cells and it is highly toxic, not to mention it is made with human embryo cell line.
My beagle has been taking Trifexis since 2013 so she would have been 5 at the time. Now she’s a healthy and still very active 12 year old. The question you need to ask yourself is if my dog is an outlier or the norm.
This entire article is a bunch of bs. Very similar to vaccinations cause autism in kids. Certainly your right to believe a Facebook page. We all know how reliable that is.
I like your site, well written, nice format. Only thing that has me wondering is if this is all true why are you charging so much for a .pdf, the Heartworm Prevention Guide, over $50 for access to your .pdf? I don’t disbelieve you just it makes me wonder when you are grossly profiting from your view points. I guess we all need to make a living so it’s understandible. But I’d be more confident in what you were saying if your guide was more reasonably priced. Frankly, if it was me and I care deeply for animals, I’d be giving that guide away for free to everyone, and shouting about it from the rooftops. Lets see if you publish my comment. And no I don’t work for Eli Lilly or something, I’m a retired environmental scientist.
Hi Richard,
I’m in business and have expenses like anyone else who is. It takes dollars to keep a site running, pay my staff, and invest in the innumerable pieces of tech that I use. You always have the option to consume a ton of free information here on the site and you have the option to buy products from me. 100% your choice.
My bichon died in 2014 after Trifexis. I wish I’d never given it to her! She started having seizures and the vet said brain lesions. She had been very healthy prior to taking Trifexis. After she died I started hearing of the other dog deaths. I miss my sweet baby.
So my dogs been on Trifexis for about 2 yrs now. She has had some of the side affects mentioned in the comments so I’m taking her off of the medication. It didn’t help her flea problems anyway because she continued to itch even after I gave her a dose of Trifexis. So my question is…. what is a safe alternative for treatment of fleas? We live in Texas so the flea problems are ridiculous. I also want to protect her from other parasites including heart worms. She lives inside full time with the exception of potty breaks outside of course.
Thanks for sharing,
Rusty
Rusty: flea control without poisons: http://vitalanimal.com/non-toxic-flea-control/
What do you think about food grade Diatomaceous earth brushed into carpets and lightly rubbed into backside of the fur coat and feet? I use borax for many cleaning and foot soaks. As a halide compound, it help kicks out fluoride from the body. Personally, I give my dog the same mountain valley spring water and distilled water that I drink…never tap water. But my question is: because my little guy is a Dachshund, hound family, he sniffs constantly. What are the complications of sniffing up borax or Diatomaceous earth after it’s been applied to carpeted areas? Both can be ingested rather safely, my main concern is those fine powders into the lung tissue, through inhalation.
Hi Virginia,
I’ve never been a fan of DE except in the garden. As it kills its insects by etching their chitin exoskeletons and causing dehydration, imagine how that might feel rubbed into skin. Ouch.
My understanding is this is not an inhalation risk, though concerns seems to persist on the internet. The old saw about “food grade” vs “pool grade” I think was even laid to rest some years back. Particle size is such that DE is cleared from the lungs normally, unlike asbestos fibers, for example. And borax is even larger, so I don’t expect any lung issues at all with it.
Very interesting article. Even though I live in Southern CA my latest dogs have never had fleas not one time. Yet when the dogs went for their annual checks we were offered many of these kinds of products and all these toxic substances never made sense to me. My dogs are 9 and I just recently lost Desy. In the late 90’s I did use some topical flea products but that was before I learned about big pharma, our food, water etc. I research a lot of things and I have tried to be the guardian of my Maltese dogs as they are vulnerable to the greedy stupid actions of humans. I personally haven’t been to an MD in 10 years and I am done with vetrinarians. They poison your pets and you are left blaming yourself for their illness or death. They all have this little cliche thing on their bills about how they understand your pet is like family. That is a lot like the IRS apologizing for any inconvenience you may have experienced.
Hi
I have a 12 almost 13 year old pug that I started on Trifexis 7 years ago. I didn[‘t put the two together but about a week into it he was spinning in circles,loss of appetite, etc. My vet assured me it could NOT be the Trifexis since her animals are on it and she has had no problems. Well, I took him (pug) off the Trifexis after about 6 months and also…. the spinning stopped. The appetite came back, his labs were better…..
I cannot prove it but my gut told me that the Trifexis was a problem. We live in Texas so the fleas/mosquitos are horrific. Ya’ll are not crazy. I know two folks whose elderly dogs both died after being given TRIFEXIS. …………………. Again the vet said it was a coincidence. REALLY???????
My pug also has not had anymore seizures since I stopped the Trifexis and he is no longer on Valium for them.
I realize this is not concrete proof but sure does make me wonder if the Trifexis is safe???
Thanks.
My 17 year old chihuahua has been taking Trifexis for 5 years. That is about the time she developed deafness and lameness in her back end and I thought it was a sign of old age. After her last dose on 11/5 she has had 6 seizures and developed pancreatitis. Of course the dr’s say it is unrelated and offer no help. They just say she’s getting older and they want to give her more drugs. Also her lameness in her back end, confusion and restlessness are getting worse. I of course have discontinued use of that poison. How do I help her with her seizures and other symptoms?!?! HELP!!!!
So .o only came on to find out if it were safe to give my dog comforting plus. He was recently diagnosed with pancreatitis. I have learned so much. He has been taking comforting for years . But the comforting plus only about a year now. All his organs are normal not likeany dogs with pancreatitis. The vet was surprised at this. Any advise on a safe flea heart worm med for dogs with pancreatitis ?
Absolutely: safe flea control & safe HW prevention that works w/o drugs.
vaccine induced autism, really, so now all on the anti vaccination wagon too just because a few more kids are coming out on the spectrum, certainly nothing to do with all the garbage in human foods these days…..let’s blame the vaccinations that have been fine for however many years hmmm
Preach, Jack, preach! Statements such as those in the article are both harmful and ignorant. As an autistic mama with an autistic son, I’m appalled by the comments.
Hi, I live SW Florida and feed my German Shepherd raw food. I was told by my vet that there are so many cases of Heartworm Disease in this area. He basically begged me to give him at least regular Heartgard every 45 days. But isn’t getting his blood checked 3 or 4 times a year a better approach? Thank you.
Ellen S.
My 3 dogs received comfortis plus last month. It is now time for another dose but not from me. My 2 dogs had bloody stool for 2days and my 12 year old had BLACK watery stool for 4 days, and throwing up blood clots. Took her to the vet and they said she had very low red blood platelets, severely dehydrated & had to be given 7 different meds ( antibiotics) anti clotting agent & special foods. They said she had 7 – 10 days to live. I thank GOD we caught it in time. The vet says no it wasnt the flea meds but why did my 2 dogs have the same symptoms? I blame it on the flea meds because it happened the day after she took it. From now on I will be using a natural flea meds from our local feed store. …….NO MORE PESTICIDES IN MY DOGS( family)
So what do you give them to prevent heart worms then?
I would like to know a straight answer than having to read a book.
I have an Aussie that will be 2 in May, she was treated once with revolution when she was a year before I knew, haven’t done heart worm since, nor distemper as she tested immune did the dog park for Pavo but haven’t retested yet.
Thanks
Hi Dr,
My dog was just diagnosed with whipworm, she’s 2 years old. The vet suggests interceptor plus but is there a natural way I can treat her?
I just had a conversation with my vet about Trifexis. She had prescribed it for my 10 month old mini Dachshund(10 pounds) and told me over the phone about the side effect of vomiting. I was in the car, she was busy and I didn’t ask questions at that point, but something made me feel very uncomfortable at the moment about giving this to my Cooper. SO….I did a little research before giving him the medicine…and I did not like what I read. I have not given this to him and today I called her to discuss it with her and felt very cut short. She basically told me that I was ignorant (I know she meant no insult) when it came to side effects and after she talked on for awhile I finally interrupted her and said that I should have not said side effects but long-term effects. I told her what I had read to which she said everyone has an opinion. She did not have an answer for the death rate. I don’t even know if she is aware of it. I asked her about alternatives and she said the only alternative to treatment for fleas, ticks and heartworms was to keep Cooper in a bubble. We take him lots and lots of places. He is a very social dog.
I felt cut off and unheard. I would prefer a holistic vet, but there is none in my area. I have tried to read about alternatives, but do not feel educated enough and confident enough in the products that I read about to feel I am keeping my dog safe.
Another issue is that this vet is a member of the church where my husband pastors and I am Children’s Ministry Leader and take care of her children. She is young. Recently graduated. BigPharma educated. About 4 years in practice.
What do I do?
My neighbor said her dog got sick from Comfortis but I’ve had my two on Trifexis for at least a couple of years and have seen none of the symptoms described above. Is it possible that some dogs tolerate it well and others do not? If I’ve had no problem in all the time I’ve been giving it to them, should I still worry that something terrible might happen in the future?
I’m sure it’s possible many tolerate it, Ben. Just like the alcoholic smoker who makes it to 90 years old, we all have different levels of reactivity. I’d be concerned to continue use though, certainly. Pesticides don’t make one more healthy, right?
My Vet gave our new puppy her first free dose and after this one I am no longer going to allow her to give her anymore of this medicine. I am so scared at this point and going to monitor my dog. This is very concerning and I hope im fortunate that I decided to read reviews, unfortunately she already had her first dose and I was planning on purchasing more but nevermind.
Hey Brandon,
If this just recently happened, if you want to be proactive, preventing potential illness, grab my Homeopathic Detox Report. Cheap insurance.
I applaud your decision not to bite the hook that would have you keep buying this stuff. Eesh.
Sammy is Gone!!! He’s been a guinea pig for Trifexis. We have been giving him this toxic poison for over 5 years to treat ticks and fleas, after it was recommended by the humane Society. We did read the side effects, but nothing was mentioned about about paralysis. We started him on this poison when he was about 2 years old. There were periods of vomiting. During his first year of being on Trifexis, he was constantly thirsty, always drinking water. He started to suck on his tongue, and he became fatigue. He would gnaw on his paw. The tongue sucking never went away. He became paralyzed. It happened rapidly. We noticed him missing a step when walking about a month before he became completely paralyzed. We took him to the animal hospital, hoping that the vet would recognize the symptoms, but instead was hit with all types of recommendations for testing which would have resulted in thousands of dollars and no guarantee. In fact, the vet did not even acknowledge our statement about Trifexis.
Hi Ray,
I’m so sorry you lost Sammie. Drugs that poison by way of paralysis of the pest (which all the HW “preventatives” I’ve studied do) won’t surprise us when we see nervous system symptoms in our beloved animals.
Those could be mild, like tics and tremors, to severe, like seizures or paralysis. And, as Sammie showed us, the interval of when the side effects show up can vary all over the map. Some right away, even some deaths after the first dose.
Sammie held out for 5 years (strong, vital animal!) until he no longer could. I’m so sorry for your loss. And hope Sammie can inspire you and many others to think differently about truly protecting our animals from pests. The key is how we choose to do that.
I wish I had been more informed about trifexis last fall – my daughter was watching my two puppies (9 & 10 months) while I was going through some health issues, the vet recommended trifexis because they had such thick coats (Chow Chows) – they were both dead within hours of taking it – (I have a new puppy due in June/July and will not make the same mistake again-and am looking for a new vet!!). You can be sure I am reading every email you send
I gave my Yorkie his Trifexis at 4:30 this afternoon, he woke me up at 2:00 trembling and holding his head back and wanting me to hold him. I took him outside and he was acting really anxious, kept licking my face. So I gave him a Benadryl. It is 3:15 and he has settled down! I have 3 Chiweenies I give this to also! I am afraid to give Trifexis to them now! I will stay up to watch my baby! What to do about this? Stop all this poison that are hurting our babies? They have no fleas or heart worms ! They love to dig in the dirt!
I was right with you. The entire way. Then you mentioned something anti-vacc, and immediately it made me want to just disregard everything you said. I know for a fact flea medications for pets are dangerous and most likely lethal – I will not put that crap on my pets, even though they are itchy and miserable, because I’m not cruel- but the problem is you are discrediting the entire argument against the pesticides by saying something that has no basis in reality at the end. That harms everyone, because I know a lot of people who would feel just like I did, and probably disregard everything you said based on that one statement.
It’s rather disconcerting, the amount of evidence there is & scientific proof about vaccinations, while there is virtually no unbiased data or evidence that flea/tick meds are indeed safe, and there is a fairly immediate reaction in most cases to the medication. Everything I’ve read leads to the conclusion they are unsafe, and the fact that one of the chemicals in this Trifexis is sourced from China is the biggest red flag you could ever have. There are virtually no regulations there about anything, and even the ones that do exist, are practically never enforced. They don’t give a crap about animals, obviously. Why a company sources an ingredient from a country that makes it illegal to sell cosmetics & medicines without rigorous animal testing, to use in a medication for animals, is beyond me. The only reason that makes any sense is the company is a sham, all about profit & should be shut down immediately, because they are purposely poisoning pets for profit.
Try to leave the anti-vaccination crap out of an article that has absolutely nothing to do with it. More people will be willing to listen & use this important information to them. We need to not focus on other things while informing them, keep it about the animals. Inserting nonsense (whether you agree it is nonsense or not) that is widely not accepted by those in the medical or scientific community, and has a clear bias, when it has no place here, is just damaging to your site, your mission, & the education you are trying to share with people.
If you are unaware, John Mercola is a fraud, and at the forefront of the anti-vacc nonsense. Look it up. He is just profiting off of people’s fear & lives in a multi-million dollar home from it. He tells you things are terrible, but for the “low” price
of 5x more, you can totally buy something that is much safer, directly from him! Give me a break.
He has been told multiple times by government authorities to stop spreading propaganda & lies, particularly under the guise of being a doctor, and peddling his products. This guy is worse than any evil company selling poison, believe me. He makes you trust him with his fear-mongering nonsense, and uses it to take advantage of you! He pretends to be the alternative solution! I’ll take science-backed, rigorously tested, peer-reviewed information any day over the obvious pandering, fear-mongering, fake doctor telling me to buy his products…
People need to use their heads, instead of letting emotions control their decisions like this. These fake doctors rely on people only depending on emotion & feeling. It’s how they make bank. Frankly it should be illegal, punishable by several years in jail. Even that wouldn’t be enough for these criminals.
By saying that at the end, you just made it a lot harder to fight the battle against these companies poisoning our pets…. 🙁
I just have to give you this link to a recent youtube video of a vet before the courts with information about vaccinations that I think you might find interesting. Thank you for your time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc6E8eqXyOk
That comment is directed towards Bob the Builder. I apologize for not posting that properly.
I am a sociologist and an owner of two dogs who are on Trifexis. The original post by the DVM is wroth with inflammatory remarks meant to induce the masses into irrational decisions. 1st he uses DOSES sold. The boxes contains 6 pills. So take his “dose” estimate and divide it by 6 which will give you a better, statistically accurate, approximation. I’ll touch on some of the bullet points that I feel are inflammatory.
1. “failure to get rid of hook worms”…. I thought you were posting that the product is a pesticide…how does pointing out that it doesn’t kill hook worms (which are some of the easiest internal parasites to kill) advance your argument?
2. Refusal after first dose.. Neither my Maltese or my Doberman have EVER just
“taken” meds, I always have to do things the old way (open mouth, put pill in mouth, then hold head up rub neck, then blow in their nose and hold till they swallow.
4. The fact that you even wrote the word “alleged” means that even you know there may or may not be any connection.
5. “A vet”… No source? No way we can verify? This is a logical fallacy at best.
6. Vomiting I was told by my vet the first time I bought Trifexis that they need to take it with food. The first dose I gave (immediately after eating) DID make my Maltese vomit. Now I feed the dogs, wait about 45 minutes, then give the pill. Haven’t had an issue since…..
7-14. Can ALL be symptoms of hundreds of underlying conditions!!!!! One of the BIG ones being improper nutrition! *** People, think a minute before you by the “good” food with veggies for added nutrition… Dogs DO NOT need vegetables!! They are OBLICATE CARNIVORES!!!! In fact, since their bodies do not quite know what do with vegetables, they may activate food allergies!!!!! Food allergies, as we know, are critical, front of the mind conditions, when a human has them. Why would they not be as critical if your dog has them. There are some bad pet parents that spend the very minimum money on there dog as possible. For example, in my state, the only test a dog has to pass to get a Trifexis, is a negative heartworm panel…..Another thing is all of the line breeding done in the 60s and 70s. The Backyard breeders that continue to pollute the bloodlines of our AKC dogs. A MALTIPOO WILL NEVER BE ACCEPTED BY AKC! IN FACT, all it is, is A MUTT! Some breeds have been so wrecked that they are have malformations and underlying (silent killers) when they are born.
The biggest problem I have seen with Trifexis is that the fleas are building an immunity to, as they do with all…”treatments”. Remember the original versions of Frontline and Advantage….
Just to add I live in a HIGH flea area.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Seriously.
My dog was prescribed trifexis a week ago. He has been taking triheart with no problems but the vet insisted that trifexis is better.
When I told the vet that my dog has health issues along with episodes of vomiting and seizures, he again reassured me that trifexis is safe but I could cut the pills in half to lessen the chance of vomiting.
When I mentioned to my groomer of the change in medication she told me NOT to give it to my dog. She cited numerous deaths attributed to this drug and it is not recommended for breeding dogs. She has been the groomer for my little guy for over seven years and I trust her implicitly.
We went to our vet and got Leo on triheart and he has no reaction to this medication. I contacted trifexis and they said the medication is safe and refused to even discuss the amount of money I spent on something I now refuse to give my dog.
Not only am I disgusted with this company and their non-concern for the well-being of our fur babies, but their company line makes you wonder how many animals have been harmed by their lack of concern.
My puppy is 8-weeks old today. My previous Dobie, was on Trifexis. Yes, I didn’t experience any issues with his health, etc. However, I traveled to Colombia to visit my father and asked around for Trifexis. All the vets advised they did not carry this product because of the repercussions. Now, I’m curious – What should I give my baby for heartworm, fleas, and other worms? Are there any suggestions?
Hey Stephanie,
A great sign that we are a world wide community, caring about our animals!
Here’s what’s been working for decades to keep heartworms out w/o poisoning: my Drug Free Heartworm Prevention.
Ditto for fleas: Non-Toxic Flea Control
Other worms have never been an issue in my patients, and I think that starts with good food.
You’re at the cusp of a new life, so those wise decisions you make now will have long term good consequences for your new pup.
Trifexis tablets eventually lead to the death of my perfectly healthy 96lb black labrador retriever who suffered a seizure 7 days shy of his 9th birthday and having had his last Trifexis dose 24 hours prior to his death.
1 hour after consuming on that fateful morning, he threw up all of his breakfast and a semi-digested Trifexis tablet.
I have video evidence time-stamped to support this.
Trifexis kills dogs.
Check the MSDS reports on Spinosad the active ingredient in this medication.
it is not flattering.
This medication should be removed immediately by the FDA from all veterinarians’ offices and clinics statewide. They do not sell this in UK or AUS or CAN. Many other countries have outright banned this stuff.
I gave my dog Trifexis this summer twice and he got very sick so I stopped. His health deteriorated after that and I took him to the vet, who said he he so many illnesses reported and pancreatitis that he stopped carrying it! And now guess what? My dog has pancreatitis! Please do not use this medication!!! I’ve never seen such adverse effects in my many years of owning pets. The company should be held accountable for not testing this properly.
I concur Cody. I’ve been rescuing/adopting and treating all kinds of dogs – but mostly large and giants as they are harder to find homes for – for decades (no I shall not divulge my age hahaha) I’ve been using products such as Program and an ivermectin/pyrantel med for heart worms since 1985 (when I graduated from med school … people med, bc I love animals more!) and was able to have dogs in my own home. I’d used the same vet from ’89 until his recent death in 2015, and he was always amazed at the longevity of all of my large breeds! egs. Gr Dane lived to 13 yrs, Newfie to 14, etc. Maybe it’s luck/good karma/love I don’t know, but I have had no reactions to any flea/heartworm meds (including Trifexis) – that would be in 21 dogs. When I was in med school and the pharmaceuticals were cost prohibitive I did use garlic etc. but I did not know of a heart worm substitute.
Now I do continue to use meds for fleas and heartworm, but I am SO sad that these kind dog lovers and owners have had such tragic events! I wish I could figure out what I am … I guess, what I’m doing right … and/or send my good fortune to you all!
And to those people who have not experienced any untoward effects – that’s awesome! As an MD I do use medications, however if someone shows me an alternative therapy that works, I’m all ears!
Thanks!
Vanessa