You might have heard there has been some discussion in the media about the safety of some tick medication. The medications being discussed are all of the same type (Isoxazoline Class A) but are made by different companies. These include Bravecto (Merck Animal Health) (Simparica (Zoetis) and Nexgard (Boehringer Ingelheim).
This class of drugs has undergone extensive testing and has been used for many years with few reported side effects. However, when any drug is administered there is always a risk of adverse reactions. The most common ones associated with this drug class are lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea. The risk of neurological events including seizures is less than 1 in 10,000 cases (0.0001%).
Our area is now endemic for ticks. Ticks are living and reproducing here which means that the chance of your pet encountering a tick is increasing each year. And due to the hardiness of ticks, we are seeing them attached to dogs as early as February and as late as December.
Talk to your veterinarian about your lifestyle, and we will help you to choose the right tick prevention for your pet.
Written By: Jennifer Merry – BSc(Agr), DVM
