FDA receives 1,000 reports of dogs dying after being given flea med

If you’ve been giving your dog a once-a-month pill for fleas and to prevent heartworms called Trifexis, stop immediately!

For the past eight months, reports have been pouring in about more and more dogs collapsing and dying or going into organ failure and having to be euthanized after being given this drug.

For some dogs, all it took was one dose.

Since the story broke in November, the FDA is receiving reports of at least one dog a day mysteriously dying after being dosed with Trifexis.

The drug is described by its manufacturer, Elanco, as a “powerful 3-in-1 parasite protection.” But when you hear heartbreaking stories from dog owners, you know just how powerful it really is.

And the effects aren’t just limited to certain dogs. The reports of sudden canine death are for all different breeds and ages.

One pet parent, who lost her beloved Scottish terrier, Fergus, after giving him just one dose of Trifexis, said he first lost all muscle control and later went into liver failure. “The initial reaction from taking that one pill was horrible,” she recalled.

The FDA now has now received almost 1,000 reports of dogs that have died after being given the drug. And Elanco has received over 1,500 calls about dogs, just like Fergus, who also lost muscle control after taking Trifexis — a condition called “ataxia.”

Ataxia has now been added to the Trifexis label as a possible side effect — along with “seizures.”

One vet who dispenses Trifexis is naïve enough to believe that “the FDA is not going to allow a product out there on the market that is going to continue to hurt animals.”

But we know better than to think the FDA is going to protect our dogs from dangerous drugs any better than it protects us.

And if you’ve seen the commercial for the drug, it says to “observe your dog for one hour after administration.”

I guess that’s so we can rush them to the vet’s office ASAP.

Sources:
“More owners, vets claim dog deaths may be linked to Trifexis drug” Jim Strickland, July 31, 2014, WSB-TV, ajc.com