Went to the vet today for our annual check up and learned that we can no longer get Interceptor for HW control. Vet recommended Trifexis. Trust vet but after a little research at home came across several accounts of terrible side effects. Anybody with any history with this stuff? Btw we had been using Interceptor and frontline. Thanks!
Most common side effect is vomiting, and the likelyhood of that decreases with each dose. Only big contraindication is in dogs with seizures, because it can decrease the threshold a little.
It is Comfortis, with Interceptor added in, and overall the side effects and safety are VERY similar to Comfortis, so try looking that up since it has been out longer, you may find a good balance of side/effects benefits. Overall we have had great success with it in our practice, and for anyone who doesn’t have a tick problem it is our go to product.
Thanks that’s just what I was looking for
And the company is one of the best to deal with, if your pup vomits within 30 minutes of getting their pill call them and they replace it for free. They REALLY want to stay on top of and track any potential reactions or side effects, so they’re happy to answer questions and take down info. Honestly, I thin kif more companies did buisness like they do we would have a lot less issues with medications and interactions.
PS, the 30 minute vomiting rule applies to Comfortis too. AND as an added bonus they made sure to get Trifexis labeled for 8 weeks and older, which by proxy means Comfortis is as well. The vet flat out told me the only reason they haven’t changed Comfortis’ label is because of the massive expense involved with the additional trials.
my two are on it, one is a 8 mo German Shorthaired who has been on it since 12wks and the other is a 4-5 yr Dobie and neither has had any problems, the Dobe has been on it for 2 months as that is how long we have had her
I had my Husky on Trifexis all of last summer, and then I do Interceptor only in the winter when it’s not flea/tick season. I’ve never had problems with Trifexis and actually really liked it. Please be aware that it does NOT protect against ticks, that’s not well advertised with it.
Incidentally, why can’t you get Interceptor anymore?
I have been giving my dog, now 2 either trifexis or comfortis all of his life. Unfortunately, he does get effected by the side effects. He will spike a fever, throw up, and generally be down in the dumps for a day or two.
Yet, I still give it to him. I started splitting the dose and doing half one day and the next half the next day. He then stopped with the side effect, I told the vet I was doing this and I got a slap on the wrist. It is ineffective when you half the dose and give both halves within 24 hrs 
YET, his HW test always comes back negative and I have never seen a flea on him. ???
This is an interesting topic for me today as I just had a sort of bad experience with this pill. My tiny 5 pound yorkie mix who usually has a reaction to meds was 100% unaffected by Trifexis but my 10 pound yorkie mix started having a weird reaction. She acted like there was something wrong with her throat and holding her head straight up and opening and closing her mouth like she couldn’t breathe. She was breathing normally though AMD I watched her eat and drink normally after administering the pill in a pill pocket. Rushed her to the emergency vet and were told that this was the second case they had seen of a dog (other was also small) having mild to moderate neurological issues after taking Trifexis. We have always used heartguard and comforfis but this was our first time using a combined medicine (yes I know not heartguard but a heartworm preventative none the less). I don’t know that I will ever use Trifexis again or any other combined med since we’ve had no issues with giving them separately. Our may have been just a rare and unique issue but again we didn’t have this issue before so will be going back to our tried and true method. Just my $0.02.
two months ago I had given Riley his Trifectix and he had, on top of throwing up, a reaction similar to your york’s reaction. I would do this weird thing with is head. He kept lifting it up and over his back like he was trying to get away from something, I know I am not describing it correctly, but you know how a dog will reach for your hand with the top if his head to get petted, it was like that but he kept reaching. He has not done that since.
Its the first of the month and I am supposed to give him his pill today. I am having second thoughts.
That is exactly what Bailey was doing. Weird and scary to my husband and me. Let us know if any reactions arise if you go ahead with this dose.
I have my “big” dogs on Trifexis and my chihuahua on Advantage Multi per my vet’s recommendation - has worked well so far. I have had 1 of the big dogs, my corgi, yak up the Trifexis, but just once. I grind it up now and mix it in their feed as they will NOT eat it - even in cheese or coldcuts or hotdogs.
I have mixed feelings about giving it - the fact that they really do not want it bothers me, and that it is so powerful. But they definitely need something - dealing with a flea infestation in the house now and the vet says lots of folks here in Central FL are due to the mild winter.
My 5.5 month old tick hound got her first dose of Trifexis last night. I let her eat half of her dinner, gave her the pill, then let her finish eating. No vomiting or any other side effects noted.
I posted a thread about the Trifexis vs Sentinal and if you think Sentinal my be a good product for you, I would try it.
I gave it to Riley last night and he had no problems with it. No fever, vomiting, depression, chills, nothing.
It is something else to look into.
It does fleas, heartworm and intestinal parasites. I am not sure on the tick part, and its not a concern for me.
So there are other options other than the one your vet pushes.
Someone on FB posted other day about using Trifexis flea and heart worm treatment on their dog for a few months and then dog had a reaction. My three small dogs have been on it for three months. My smallest, Zane, 6lb Havanese had a reaction to his pill given last night this morning. I am sitting with him. He is very depressed, listless and watery eyes kind of zoned out. He is just laying next to me on couch, temp of 101.3 (normal range), did eat canned food, but was shaking all over like tremors. Seems it take at least almost 24 hours for this to take it’s toll through their system and there isn’t anything they can do. I am watching him and if needed will rush to ER vet in since it is Memorial Day weekend. . Everything I have found on this medication says there isn’t anything they can do since it is in his system. Just google it lots of forums and people talking about spending thousands and their dogs dying after they had been on it six months. No counter measures available. I am hoping and praying he will be fine. Here is a video I found on youtube. I will never use this again. That is my opinion.
Barn Diva, sorry about your little dog having a reaction. Trifexis is definitely pretty strong, especially on smaller dogs. I personally would avoid Trifexis in dogs as small as yours.
I always feed breakfast, go on our morning walks and let Panda rest for a while and drink plenty of water. Then I give another half serving of food with the pill and make sure to keep her inside and just chilling out for the rest of the day. The only reaction she has ever had was I took her running in the heat 2-3 hours after administering the pill and she threw up. I love never having fleas!
Trifexis seems to be hardest on the small breeds (just based off of the stories I’ve heard). I tentatively put my 16 lb schnauzer on it last year. He did not experience any negative side effects and it kept him parasite free. I switched to heartguard and comfortis because I had a bunch of HG left over but I will go back to Trifexis in a few months.
I always give his medication with a nice fatty snack like a meatball following a modest sized breakfast. I also give his meds in the AM so that if he has a reaction we can get to the vet during normal hours instead of using an E clinic at 3 am.
If you’re avoiding Heartgard because of the MDR1 gene, just know that Washington State has said that Heartgard (in the recommended dose) is safe for all breeds…and they do not recommend combination products.
We use it for my 20 lb JRT, and have used for a year or more. The only bad reaction she ever had was throwing up once early on. We now have a routine that works, giving it with breakfast and not letting her get too active for the first hour or so…then she’s fine. I wasn’t a fan of the topicals with her as they made her itchy, greasy, and she gets baths and plays in the water often.
Our clinic sells a lot of Trifexis and it is only rare that we have an issue. The dog must be re-dosed if they vomit within one hour after administration. We have had no reports of any client neuro issues with using Trifexis. It is the Spinosad part that causes the vomiting issues. It also cannot be used on dogs under 5 lbs. I use it on my four JRTs with no problems.
The Novartis plant was shut down to manufacturing irregularities with other drugs made there. The plant shutdown had nothing to do with Interceptor. It’s my theory that they brought Sentinel back first to compete with Trifexis.
