Flea and Tick Treatment = Diarrhoea?

Hi has anyone else had a problem with Flea and Tick treatments and really bad Diarrhoea? I think it was Advantage.. just trying to find out whether there is a link and Rosie's recent toilet troubles...... or whether I should look for another cause. We collected her from her 'holiday' at a very lovely doggy boarding place.. she had her treatment on Friday as prescribed by the vet.. We collected her Sunday and app she had had very very bad diarrhoea.. which started on Friday. No other dogs have a problem so I think I can safely rule out anything catching... any ideas anyone? Thanks.

Do you mean Advocate?

If you do, we have been using it recently on my boys because they have been suffering something krool with mites and lice and it seems more effective than other skin preparations such as Stronghold.

Every time we use it, they are poorly. It clearly is pretty toxic and although I don't know for sure as I am not a vet, it would seem to me it is perfectly possible that it could cause an upset tum.

Tupac would be a good person to ask ... yoo hoo Tupac, can you help the OP?

Ha Ha! yes, I mean Advocate ... having a distracted moment there......

OK, in that case I would say it could be perfectly possible, bearing in mind how it clearly makes my two temporarily feel quite poorly. A necessary evil though, and it is the best product for keeping these wretched mites and lice at bay.

Touch wood - and I am frantically crossing my legs here - we think the Advocate plus weekly baths in Vetzyme flea and lice shampoo may just have done the trick ... it could also have something to do with the change in weather, but I am sincerely hoping that the boys can have their beds back!

oops sorry G,u called?

did u weigh your dog and use the correct tube?

if you have done this the likeliest reason is your dog had a worm burden which the advocate has dislodged...this can often lead to a slightly upset tummy...but it shouldnt persist.

Yes, she had the correct dose and I won't be using Advocate again... She was not suffering from a slight upset tummy, more of an out pouring... just over a week later and she is almost back to herself .... She has had a reaction to it , but having looked up Advocate ( and other preps like it) in extreme cases dogs have been known to die due to reactions. The last time I used Advocate she just had, as you say, a slight upset tummy which I would expect.. but this time was something else and her reaction although severe will undoubtably be worse IF she were to have another dose. I really feel that although Rosie is probably in the minority, vets should let owners know of the possible side effects and risks before dispensing. It has been a horrible experience for us. Fortunately she is ok.

it is because it is not the normal 'reaction' if it was actually connected to the advocate at all,

the effects you are talking about are 'neurological' as with any systemic parasite product.

[QUOTE=Rosiemakes7;2357262]Yes, she had the correct dose and I won't be using Advocate again... She was not suffering from a slight upset tummy, more of an out pouring... just over a week later and she is almost back to herself .... She has had a reaction to it , but having looked up Advocate ( and other preps like it) in extreme cases dogs have been known to die due to reactions. The last time I used Advocate she just had, as you say, a slight upset tummy which I would expect.. but this time was something else and her reaction although severe will undoubtably be worse IF she were to have another dose. I really feel that although Rosie is probably in the minority, vets should let owners know of the possible side effects and risks before dispensing. It has been a horrible experience for us. Fortunately she is ok.[/QUOTE]

I had the same problem when I first used it but my dog was a puppy back then, and the vets have now put a note on her records saying she is not to have Advocate again, she can only have Stronghold which has no detrimental effect on her. My dog didn't just have diarrhea though, she was in a bit of a state for 24 hours or more and although they kept fobbing me off over the phone, telling me it sometimes has this effect for 48 hours, I eventually took her in and they confirmed it was probably the Advocate or Advantage can't remember which now it was so long ago!

Having done like you, I now stick to Selemectin based products only, as they appear to be a lot safer but that's just me, I like to stay safe! Good luck with your dog now I hope it all clears up and she gets over it.

Hal had a similar reaction once to Drontal ... I think it was, as Tupac says, as a result of a worm burden. Since then, I switched across to Panacur. For what it's worth, Tai and Ben's reactions to Advocate were similar ... both go into a low level of respiratory distress, and although it is hard to tell, I would say that it makes them feel sick, as their mouths get that "rictus" that frequently precludes a vomiting attack. But it soon passes - 1 hour max - and then they are back to normal. I personally feel that it is a case of the benefits outweighing the side-effects, because it does seem to be the only medication that has finally cleared (touch wood) these wretched lice and mites from my house.

[QUOTE=Helena54;2357328] Sensible post, H. I agree with you about Stronghold, it seems to be very safe. However for an infestation of lice and mites, I do believe Advocate to be the best, nay even the only, product.

Before anyone thinks I must be a real skank having such a problem I need to explain that my daughter brought her cat into our house a year or so ago with mange mites. She took the cat to a vet, who failed to diagnose mange, so the mites really took a hold not just on the cat, but in our house generally. Daughter left, taking cat with her, but we were left with this severe problem which has taken us all this time and a huge amount of money and effort to get rid of. Where the lice came from, I have no idea, but they had a mix of mites and lice ... both of which affected us humans as well. We started off with the burrowing mites which cause mange, and then we went on to surface mites and lice. It has been a nightmare, especially as the boys are both heavy coated and therefore a parasite paradise!!

Pics of the boys to demonstrate heavy coat:



Coupled with the advocate, they had to have weekly baths with Vetzyme flea shampoo in the garden, and we left a good amount of shampoo on their coats to dry off naturally. We then gave them a jolly good rake each to get rid of any dead critturs and hopefully eggs, and although we don't have carpets, we would vacuum the whole house regularly and wash all hard floors with dilute bleach or disinfectant. It has been a nightmare, but hopefully, touch wood, they will be able to have their beds back now.