Revolution, Preventix collars and Amitraz
I wanted to share the following post from a friend regarding his recent experiences with his dog’s flea treatment…….
It’s Flea, Tick and Heartworm season and your veterinarian may prescribe Revolution and a Tick Collar called Preventix which contains Amitraz a potent MAOI (Monoamine Oxidate Inhibitor. We just went through a terrible experience with this product.
Since our dogs believe themselves to be hunters they disappear into the brush perimeter of our backyard, returning at times with ticks. We applied the Preventix collar Sunday evening. Within an hour one of our dogs, Jack began vomiting. Deciding that the collar might have been the problem we removed it and the puking stopped. Our daughter’s Yorkie Charlie did not demonstrate the vomiting so we thought there was no problem. Within 12-24 hrs he became listless, seemed drowsy, then clumsy. Barbara was sharp enough to note the changes and removed the collar. The drowsiness proceeded to ataxia, and confusion. We gave him a bath to wash off all traces of the Amitraz, called the Vet. Apparently we did the right thing and he is starting to come out of it.
The real problem is that there is a paucity of information on the web about this drug. Most of it says to call your vet. The problem is that our vet (who is excellent) couldn’t give us much information on this himself.
Amitraz is a potent neurotoxin that is used for tick and mange but is in effective against fleas. It is deadly to cats. If you have cats and they are anywhere near your dogs, they are in danger.
If you use this collar or dip and see any signs of the reaction. Get the collar off your dog. Wash off all traces. Keep him or her warm and supported. There is an IV antidote Yohimbine.
I’ve attached the only valuable resource we could find on the web: http://www.peteducation.com/article_print.cfm?articleid=2230
My advice: we are staying away from both Revolution and Preventix. We are going back to Heartguard and a more homeopathic tick/flea repellent. The company’s website, when you look carefully says that only three reported deaths occurred from this agent. That’s too many for us.
Good Luck & God Bless
John & Barbara
Bar-John Cavaliers and Shih Tzu
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What is the homeopathic methods you are using for ticks and fleas? Have they been effective? My dog is an older, spayed female and is just encountering bladder incontinence. Our vet has recommended giving her Pro-in (Phenylpropanolamine). This drug states it should not be given with amitrax or NSAIDs. Although she gets Revolution as a monthly drip on her neck (fleas, ticks and heartworm), I still want to be overly cautious.
Hi Ann, I personally dont use much of anything for flea treatments on my dogs as luckily it has not been a problem in years. In the past we did have an infestation of our home when we took in a dog via rescue and it was a horrible experience. Since then my two dogs are fed a raw diet, are much healthier and therefore have a stronger immune system. One important thing to know about fleas is that they prey on animals with a weakened immune system. Puppies, dogs fed a low quality diet, etc are the dogs most likely to have fleas.
Some natural remedies recommended for fleas are:
garlic & thiamine (B1)
eucalyptus (you can even spray some eucalyptus oil around your doors & windows during the summer to prevent fleas from entering)
Skin So Soft.. this on I learned from growing up around horses, many people find it effective to help repel fleas, flies, gnats, etc
FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth
I have also found some great natural sprays, one of my favorite being Quantum Herbal Products Natural Coat & Conditioning Spray. This is a wonderful product Ive used on both my dogs & my family for years and is made only a few miles from my home by a company I trust & respect:
http://www.quantumherbalproducts.com/pets.html
After reading through this article, I feel that I need more info. Can you suggest some more resources please?