Veterinary News

It’s a Snow day, My Wedding anniversary tomorrow and Valentine’s Day. So what’s news in Veterinary Products?

As a child growing up in Wake County, snow days meant no school, sledding, test rides on my parent’s old skis, plywood jumps, sitting by the warm fire, TV marathons selecting from (gasp!) only 4 channels, and plenty of junk food. As a small business owner, it means the re-scheduling of appointments & staffing hours, walks in the snow,  sitting by the warm fire, TV marathons selecting from 600 channels ( my son and I picked House of Cards), and plenty of my Sister Joanie’s Coffee Cake.

For those recently at the clinic, she is the one that makes the dog biscuit samplers, including now a gluten free variety at the front desk.  Taco Belle only comes out from under the blanket twice a day, settling in for the duration lying beside my son Jason, back from Hong Kong for the week.

So since we all have some time on our hands, let's chat about an exciting new product coming soon to Creature Comforts. 

What is the news about a new oral flea/tick control product, NexGard by Merial? Are there any cautions?  

NexGard is the first oral veterinary product labeled for adult flea and tick control in dogs at 8 weeks of age or older.  It is NOT labeled for use in cats nor in pregnant, breeding, or lactating (nursing) dogs.  It is administered once a month, with or without food, year round.  I would use it with caution in dogs with a history of seizures. It is for dogs 4 lbs and up and does not contain heartworm preventative at this time.

Why is oral prevention such a revolutionary approach for control?

In the south, frequent water exposure through weekly bathing or swimming has the potential to dilute out topical flea/tick control concentrated in surface oil glands and thus lose its efficacy. By administrating orally, and concentration of the product in the bloodstream, not the oil glands, it remains effective even in water exposure.  For parents with children and the concern of topical product exposure, NexGard offers protection against the diseases carried by fleas and ticks without concerns of children touching pets after recent administration.

How quickly may I switch to this product if I recently applied a topical flea & tick control product and am still noting fleas?

Since it is a totally different method of action, there should be no adverse interaction to switching products within a week of each other.

In other products, insect growth regulators are important to control hatching of flea eggs? What makes this product different?

NexGard kills fleas within 24 hours, before they have a chance to produce eggs, thus breaking the life cycle from a different manner of action.  This dramatically reduces repeat infestation in the environment. In homes with chronic flea issues in carpeting or bedding, it will reduce fleas by 98% within 3 months of monthly oral treatment.  A female flea can lay 40 to 50 eggs a day that morph into adult fleas within 3 weeks thus monthly treatment is critical to lower risk of environmental contamination by fleas.

I am disgusted by the appearance of fleas on my dog. Where do pets get fleas and what diseases do they carry?

 Fleas are not only gross in their blood sucking leading to anemia pets and subsequent “flea dirt, bloody poop found on pets”, they also carry a variety of illnesses: plague, cat scratch disease, and tapeworms among others. Feral cats and wildlife such as opossums, foxes, and raccoons, infest the environment around pet homes with fleas  that ride into the home on human clothing or pets themselves. In addition, any place dogs congregate can be a potential exposure site such as dog parks.

Why does the label indicate 98% control of only one variety of ticks for a month Dermacentor variabilis?

Stay tuned, the process to have labeling across all species is time consuming and expensive for product manufacturers.

For dogs that have food allergies, are there any concerns about the mentioned beef flavoring?

No, it is not a labeled concern.  In my dog Taco Belle, who is beef intolerant, I have witnessed no GI Signs.

May it be administered with other medications such as pain meds, steroids, dewormers, vaccines  and antibiotics?

There are no labeled contraindications.

When will it be available to Creature Comforts Patients?

I would like to use NexGard one more time in my own dog and then make it available after the first of March 2014.

I have no concerns with my current use of frontline for topical flea control. Do I need to switch?

No, if you are happy with your current product there is no need to change.

Enjoy the moments with your family,

-Dr. Betsy

Side note: Taco Belle reminds owners of indoor dogs , especially the small ones to make a tarp cover so "tush" does not contact snow during bio breaks. She also warns of toxic ice melts and to watch licking of paws and outdoor water on sidewalks after snows. When possible, use non-toxic ice melts on your own sidewalks such as  calcium magnesium acetate (CMA). This biodegradable  material is one of the safest deicing products because it has very low corrosive potential, meaning less damage to cars, vegetation, sidewalks etc. It costs more than salts such as sodium chloride (rock salt) or potassium chloride(potash), but you use less.