Julberg Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Hi, My Topaz, age 7, seems to be ill from Frontline. I applied it to his skin, between the shoulder blades one week ago. He typically runs with me on trail, shaded woods, each day and gets a zillion ticks. I decided to use Frontline and now am regretting in. He is extra drooly, panting and just 'off'. His regular oddities are magnified! He usually skids upon our wood floor kitchen, the past few days he is afraid of the wood floor in the kitchen! When I took him running last night he seemed fatigued-he never shows fatigue, he seemed more thirsty and hot than usual. It was only 65F and we were on a shaded dirt trail. He laid in the water ponds more than usual. One of his eyes is watering and the ear on the same side seems to have dropped. He seems off. All that has changed for Topaz is that I applied this Frontline. Anyone else notice anything? I gave him a bath last night and scrubbed him well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 It may be worth a visit to the vet for some bloodwork just to make sure there's nothing serious going on (i.e., liver or kidney involvement or allergic reaction that could be treated). Problems of the sort you describe have been reported with a number of the different spot-on treatments. Here's a recent short thread on the subject. Probably if you did a Google search you'd find all sort of stories--the trick would be sorting out the sensational from the scientifically valid. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvw Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 If truly is the Frontline the bath won't help. Them chemical is already absorbed into his skin. See your vet! Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailrider Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Frontline topspot and frontline plus are on a warning list. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is evaluating the safety of spot-on pesticide products to control fleas and ticks for pets following a sharp increase in adverse reaction incidents. In a statement released Thursday, EPA reports that it is intensifying its evaluation of whether further restrictions on the use of these products are necessary to better protect pets. In 2008 alone, more than 44,000 potential adverse reactions were reported to EPA, ranging from skin irritations to seizures and, in some cases, death. Although incidents with flea and tick products can involve the use of spot-on treatments, sprays, collars and shampoos, the majority of the incidents reported to EPA are related to flea and tick treatments with EPA-registered spot-on products. Spot-on products are generally sold in tubes or vials and are applied to one or more localized areas on the body of the pet, such as at the base of the neck, in between the shoulders or in a stripe along the back. This advisory pertains only to EPA-registered spot-on flea and tick products; these products have an EPA registration number on the label. EPA recommended that pet owners take precautions when using these products. Specifically, the EPA urged pet owners to carefully follow label directions and to monitor their pets for adverse reactions after application, particularly if using a product for the first time. EPA advises pet owners to take precautions when using spot-on products, adding that they should follow label directions and monitor their pets. The agency also suggests that pet owners should consult a veterinarian about how to use flea and tick products responsibly and effectively. EPA plans to “meet shortly” with spot-on product manufacturers to address the issue. The meeting will be held in conjunction with Health Canada, the Canadian health department, which has identified similar concerns about the use of spot-on flea and tick products. For a complete EPA release statement and a list of the products and their manufacturers, see here: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/flea-tick-control.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julberg Posted June 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 Oh my god. I'm calling the vet. Now. Thanks for the responses. I appreciate your help. I feel sick to my stomach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted June 3, 2009 Report Share Posted June 3, 2009 I appreciate your help. I feel sick to my stomach I know what you mean. I used frontline last year. It wasn't working. On the advise of more than one vet I was told to use it more often than the label recommended. It still didn't work. I finally switched to Comfortis for one dose. It did work but I didn't like giving a pill to kill ticks and fleas. So I finally switched to Advantage. I've used it once this year without incidence. Again before I knew about the warnings. During that time, my senior girl started having seizures. First one was in the middle of the night while she was sleeping. The others all started when i put her in the bath and sprayed her with water. I thought is was just coincidence but on 3 occasions when I sprayed her with water at the start of a bath (she's never minded a bath but was stressed a bit) she had seizures. During that time, the news on frontline had not come out yet. I had blood work done on her that was inconclusive but did not indicate thyroid which is what I suspected. She has not had a bath, nor any frontline applications and has not had another seizure. I won't be treating if I can help it. Does anyone have any ideas as to what they will do for fleas or ticks if these pesticides get taken off the market? Or does anyone have any remedies that they are currently using and that are truly working? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 After you get the Frontline issue dealt with... If your dog is collecting "zillions of ticks every day", you should probably get a Preventic collar on him. I had a similar problem with one of my dogs (the other seems to collect far fewer ticks on the exact same trails - different coat is the explanation, I think), and this was the conclusion I reluctantly reached. As my vet said, "The risks from tick borne disease for a dog who is regularly collecting that many ticks are far greater than any damage the chemicals in the collar might do to him." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted June 4, 2009 Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 Julberg, Please update us and let us know how the vet visit goes. Good mojo coming Topaz' way. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julberg Posted June 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2009 After you get the Frontline issue dealt with... If your dog is collecting "zillions of ticks every day", you should probably get a Preventic collar on him. I had a similar problem with one of my dogs (the other seems to collect far fewer ticks on the exact same trails - different coat is the explanation, I think), and this was the conclusion I reluctantly reached. As my vet said, "The risks from tick borne disease for a dog who is regularly collecting that many ticks are far greater than any damage the chemicals in the collar might do to him." Yes, that is exactly what I will do. I will no longer use Frontline. I just can't believe all of the problems that I have seen reported now that I have looked for them. Topaz is having trouble with his coordination. His eye, ear and side of mouth are all drooping and weeping. He is eating, this is good. He does collect a zillion ticks every day, except for the last 7 since I used Frontline. I'd rather have ticks than the problems he is now having. I will try the collar after he feels better to see how he reacts to that. Thanks so much for the help. Julie www.julieberg.blogspot.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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