What NOT to Use

Conventional medicine, dictates the use of pharmaceutical drugs and chemicals that have proven harmful and/or fatal to many unsuspecting pets and pet owners. New Beginnings encourages the use of natural products for the control of fleas and ticks.

If you currently have a dog who has taken Bravecto (fluralaner), Nexgard (afoxolaner), Trifexis, Simparica (sarolaner) or other chemical flea and tick preventatives and suspect ANY adverse reaction, check our resource links for information on what you can do.

BRAVECTO

Bravecto (Merck USA) is a chewable tablet which contains the active ingredient Fluralaner. This product is used in the treatment of fleas and ticks. This tablet is taken every 3 months.

Facts:

  1. Fluralaner is spread via the gastric and intestinal mucosa and then spread through the bloodstream into the rest of the body of the dog. Parasites need to start feeding on the host to become exposed to fluralaner; therefore the risk of the transmission of parasite borne diseases cannot be excluded.
  2. Bravecto is not a repellant so an additional substance must be used adding additional toxic exposure to the dog.
  3. The active substance is stored mainly in the adipose tissue, followed by the liver, kidneys and muscles. Overweight or obese dogs are more at risk of toxic accumulation than dogs with normal weight. A toxic load of the brains in the dog with Fluralaner cannot be ruled out clearly. Fluralaner has an inhibitory effect on the nervous system of fleas and ticks, with which it blocks the nerve impulses from the cell membranes. The parasites become paralyzed and die from it.

REPORT ABOUT BRAVECTO AND FLURALANER
By Dr. Frauke Garbers, biologist
September 28, 2016

Warnings:
Not for human use. Keep this and all drugs out of the reach of children. Keep the product in the original packaging until use, in order to prevent children from getting direct access to the product. Do not eat, drink or smoke while handling the product. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after use of the product.

Reported adverse reactions include vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, lethargy, increased thirst, and flatulance.
MerckUSA Product Information Sheet

Bravecto is a neurotoxin that kills fleas. Reports of seizures should’t be a big surprise!

NEXGARD

Nexgard (Merial) is a chewable tablet which contains the active ingredient Afoxolaner. This product is used in the treatment of fleas and ticks. This tablet is taken once a month.

  1. Facts:
    Nexgard works by causing uncontrolled hyperexcitation of the central nervous system and death in fleas and ticks.
  2. Nexgard is not a repellant so an additional substance must be used adding additional toxic exposure to the dog.
  3. Afoxolaner only kills ticks & fleas after the dog has already been bitten.
  4. Nexgard is a neurotoxin that kills fleas. Reports of seizures should’t be a big surprise!

Special precautions to be taken by the person administering the veterinary medicinal product to animals. Wash hands after handling the product.
Summary of Product Characteristics
ec.europa.eu/health/documents

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION:
Reported side effects include vomiting, itching, diarrhea, lethargy and lack of appetite. The safe use of NexGard in pregnant, breeding or lactating dogs has not been evaluated. Use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures.
nexgardfordogs.com

TRIFEXIS

Trifexis (Elanco) is a chewable tablet which contains the active ingredients Spinosad and Milbemycin Oxime. This product is used in treatment of fleas, heartworm, hookwork, roundworm and whipworm. This tablet is taken once a month.

Facts:

  1. One of the active substances in Trifexis, spinosad, interferes with receptors in the fleas’ nervous system (nicotinic acetylcholine receptors), resulting in subsequent paralysis and death of the fleas.
  2. The second active substance, milbemycin oxime, causes paralysis and death of worms by interfering with the way signals are passed between nerve cells in the parasites’ nervous system. (Trifexis Information Sheet)
  3. Trifexis is not advertised as a repellant so an additional substance must be used adding additional toxic exposure to the dog.
  4. Trifexis kills fleas after the dog has already been bitten.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION:
Serious adverse reactions have been reported following concomitant extra-label use of ivermectin with spinosad alone, one of the components of Trifexis chewable tablets.
The safe use of Trifexis in breeding males has not been evaluated. Use with caution in dogs with pre-existing epilepsy.
The most common adverse reactions reported are vomiting, depression/lethargy, itching, decreased appetite, and diarrhea. To ensure heartworm prevention, observe your dog for one hour after administration. If vomiting occurs within an hour of administration, redose with another full dose. Puppies less than 14 weeks of age may experience a higher rate of vomiting. Like all medications, keep Trifexis out of reach of children.
The following adverse reactions are based on post-approval adverse drug event reporting. The adverse reactions are listed in decreasing order of frequency: vomiting, depression/lethargy, pruritus, anorexia, diarrhea, trembling/shaking, ataxia, seizures, hypersalivation, and skin reddening.
Trifexis.com

SIMPARICA

Simparica (Zoetis) is a chewable tablet which contains the active ingredient Sarolaner. This product is used in treatment of fleas and ticks. This tablet is taken once a month.

  1. Facts:
    Simparica is the newest of isoxazolines (Bravecto, Nexgard and Trifexis) to receive approval in February 2016.
  2. The active substances in Simparica, sarolaner, works at the neuromuscular junction in insects. This results in uncontrolled neuromuscular activity leading to death in insects or acarines. (Simparica Information Sheet)
  3. Simparica is not advertised as a repellant so an additional substance must be used adding additional toxic exposure to the dog.
  4. Simparica kills fleas after the dog has already been bitten.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Simparica is for use only in dogs, 6 months of age and older. Simparica may cause abnormal neurologic signs such as tremors, unsteadiness, and/or seizures. Simparica has not been evaluated in dogs that are pregnant, breeding or lactating. Simparica has been safely used in dogs treated with commonly prescribed vaccines, parasiticides and other medications. The most frequently reported adverse reactions were vomiting and diarrhea.

Simparica.com