Tick medication makes dog sick

[Weezer]

My Australian shepherd looses her appetite when she is on tick drop medication. Her loss of appetite lasts 4 weeks until the tick drops wear off. I’ve tried Advantix and Zodiac with the same results. Tick density is quite high where we live and Lymes disease is active. With past dogs we stopped using Bravecto because we found the dogs tended to bring live ticks into the house, which then jumped off the dogs onto our wall and furniture to later bite humans (yuck!).

Our Australian Shepherd is about to turn 3 years old and this problem has been consistent for as long as we’ve had her. I have tried isolating enough variables over time to know for sure the tick drops are the problem. The breeder where we got the dog is adamantly opposed to tick medication but offers no effective alternative. I’ve tried various herbal oils as repellants but it’s not effective. Does anyone have any suggestions for alternatives that they find work in a tick-heavy environment? After watching the dog eat so well for the last week I’ve decided not to continue with the tick drops.

[Zu_Zu]

NEXGARD

^ this recommended by Aussie breeder

Protocol of
Nexgard
and
Sentinel (heartworm ; worms & flea)
^ this to cover all • once a month •

• one of these meds at 1st of month and one at 1/2 mark • every month

Breeder recommended and vet approved/ recommended for horse/ wooded/ pasture environment • Good Luck

• always check with your vet for your specific situation.

[Simkie]

I use the seresto collar and find it very effective in our tick heavy environment.

[hoopoe]

you may want to test your dog for the MDR1 mutation which is somewhat common in Aussies and can cause issues with drug processing and toxicity. Once this is determined you will have access to list of drugs to avoid.

A test for the MDR1 mutation is available through the laboratory that first discovered the mutation, the Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Laboratory at Washington State University (vcpl.vetmed.wsu.edu). The test can be performed with a cheek swab test kit or EDTA whole blood

[DiamondJubilee]

I use Nexguard on my Swissy pup. We also live in a high tick area and so far it has worked well for her. The Swissy breed is notable for seizures but her breeder said a lot of her pups were on it with no adverse effects.

I’m not a fan of the flea/tick/heartworm/dewormer though, so I stick with the Nexguard (flea/tick only).

I’ve also added a natural collar with essential oils when we go for a hike, as well as an essential oil spray that I coat her in from head to tail. She smells lovely lol! Its from Waggle (collar) and Lyme Defense (spray)

[Weezer]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I have read about the MDR1 mutation. May be worth looking into more.

[Zu_Zu]

The breeder should inform you if either parent carried the MDR1 - that said some Aussie breeders advise treating all Aussies as if they carry - just to be extra safe. And this includes telling one’s vet to treat/ make recommendations in accordance to the necessary protocol; to ensure the Aussie’s safety.

[Weezer]

I’m pretty sure both parents tested negative for MDR1. I think that’s why I didn’t consider it. I’ll have to dig up her papers and confirm. The dog came from a very reputable breeder.

[Zu_Zu]

Perhaps contact the breeder and ask about your Aussie and what she recommends for your situation.

My Aussies’ breeder stated she did Not / would Not use Seresto collars •

[trubandloki]

@Weezer

Our Australian Shepherd is about to turn 3 years old and this problem has been consistent for as long as we’ve had her.

I think it is time to discuss this with your vet.

[S1969]

@Zu_Zu

My Aussies’ breeder stated she did Not / would Not use Seresto collars •

Why not? Because of MDR1 or for some other reason?

Seresto is hands-down the best tick preventative on the market for heavily tick infested areas. The downsides are really only that the collar leaves a collar mark, so for people showing their dogs (who generally may not wear collars) it’s something to consider.

As with all medications - some dogs may be sensitive to the active ingredients or the carrier ingredients. I know my sister tried a Seresto collar on a cat and it burned his skin. So no matter what you use, you need to watch carefully for the first few days.

There have been reports of serious health issues with Seresto collars BUT there are also tons of counterfeit collars for sale on the internet, so I would not be surprised if many of the reactions were to the fake collars. I know many people who have used them, and none have had serious issues (other than my sister’s cat). Two of my dogs were extremely sensitive to the Advantix II drops, so I was really happy with the collars.

And I am in a very tick-infested area - we do tick checks 2x a day even with the collars and have been picking off 2-15 ticks per dog recently. Nothing will create an invisible force field around your dog to prevent ticks from getting on them, especially if they are running through long grass, as my dogs do. They sweep the ticks up versus the ticks seeking them out.

[Weezer]

We also do tick checks a couple times per day. With the Zodiac or Advantix we generally find one or two ticks per day but rarely any more.

My dogs don’t wear collars around the house and are only running through tall grass when I’m with them. I wonder if the collar would be effective when it’s on, or if the dog would need the wear it all the time?

I have a good friend whose dog suffered terrible sudden and prolonged health problems and my friend blamed it on a tick collar, but I don’t know if the link was supported by a vet. Regardless, it spooked me enough to be reluctant about them. Maybe I should look into that a little more.

[S1969]

@Weezer

My dogs don’t wear collars around the house and are only running through tall grass when I’m with them. I wonder if the collar would be effective when it’s on, or if the dog would need the wear it all the time?

My personal opinion is that they need to wear it at least most of the time to be effective. As I said - it’s not a magical force field around the dog that prevent ticks from getting on them. It does have some repellent properties compared to other tick preventatives, but I can’t imagine that it really works unless the collar has touched the dog and the active ingredients have spread through the dog’s skin (even for the repellent properties). Otherwise, most people would just prefer it for the walk and then take it off, but that is not how it is designed to be used.

If the ticks bite they die very quickly; but I believe they may be less likely to bite with the collar than with other preventatives. But “less likely” in heavily tick infested areas isn’t really “not likely”.

Here’s an interesting article about them: https://uk.mypetandi.com/parasites/fleas/why-seresto-collar-might-not-be-working/

[Simkie]

@Weezer

I wonder if the collar would be effective when it’s on, or if the dog would need the wear it all the time?

They need to be wearing it most of the time for the active ingredients to spread over the animal.

I don’t keep collars on puppies, so have my adult dog in seresto and the baby dog gets covered with Vectra. It seems to be working well, and she’s not picked up any ticks.

[Pico_Banana]

The Seresto collar works great. Do make sure you buy the real thing, not a counterfeit. And yes, some dogs are sensitive to it so just watch carefully in the first few days.

You can also buy a collar from Orvis that you can fit the Seresto collar into so you don’t have to touch the Seresto when you are petting your pooch.

In addition to this, try adding a topical when going out. I really like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Vets-Best-Treatment-Repellent-Certified/dp/B003QS6JL2?th=1

[iberianfan]

I couldn’t use the drops on my Aussie either. He crossed the rainbow bridge over a year ago, so I can’t remember the meds I had him on, but I did use the Seresto collar successfully for several years. It did stop working on him, so I went to a monthly pill and had good luck with those.

I’ve never had much luck with the drops on any of my dogs. The minpin acted like it was killing her - she cried and shivered. Another reason I just quit using them.

Good luck! love Aussies. Wish they had less hair.

[Simkie]

@Pico_Banana

You can also buy a collar from Orvis that you can fit the Seresto collar into so you don’t have to touch the Seresto when you are petting your pooch.

That’s pretty clever!

Conceal-a-Collar® Personalized Flea and Tick Collar

I do something similar for the barn cat. I don’t trust the break away ability of the seresto, so I glue it inside his actual break away collar. It works great!

[hoopoe]

I would test your dog no matter what the breeders results were. Labs can make mistakes, mutations can happen. Do your own due diligence, drug issues extends beyond parasite control .

[candyappy]

Have you tried Simparica trio?

I don’t like collars because dogs can chew on each others.