However, a few patients seem to be more likely to suffer seizures soon after the administration of a particular preventative. The government agency warns against drugs in the Isoxazoline class, saying they can potentially cause seizures and other neurological side effects. Medications for Mental Health Disorders. Absence seizures, for example, involve brief periods of staring. In these cases, it is recommended that they switch to a different product. Ask Christie Long, DVM Now I have never heard of fleas causing seizures in cats. With atonic seizures, there is a loss of muscular tone or strength. In fact, I have seen small dogs and cats have fatal seizures from some of these over the counter products. Health officials are warning pet owners and veterinarians about certain flea and tick medications that could cause seizures and other neurological effects in cats and dogs. Atonic seizures, also known as drop seizures, cause a loss of muscle control, which may cause you to suddenly collapse or fall down. We are trying to find cause, at first we thought it was food change. The causes of this condition are as follow: Sensitivity to the medicine; Medicine clinging to hair coats ; Unusually low body temperature; Overdosing of medication; Ingestion of topical medication; Medication not being used as directed; Close contact to another pet being treated with medication; Top. These seizures usually affect muscles in your back, arms and legs and may cause you to fall to the ground. Cats are especially sensitive to pyrethroids. Note, I also bathed her in mild dish soap when symptoms appeared. Although most dogs and cats handle this powerful pesticide just fine, others can have severe reactions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. As a matter of fact, there are some dogs that are quite sensitive to flea medications. Seizures are also known as convulsions – but not all seizures produce convulsive behavior – that is uncontrollable muscle contractions. No, it’s not! Another possible cause of seizures in dogs is heat stroke, which is an emergency and requires immediate veterinary treatment. Advantage II manufacturer Bayer would not acknowledge problems but you will find similar cases on the web. FRIDAY, Sept. 21, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Flea medicines protect your pet, but some animals can have serious side effects from products containing isoxazoline, U.S. health officials warn. Seresto was the cause of my dogs seizures. If a person suspects that her medications cause her seizures, she needs to talk to her doctor first before discontinuing use. Symptom and Types. The causes of this condition are as follow: Sensitivity to the medicine; Medicine clinging to hair coats; Unusually low body temperature; Overdosing of medication; Ingestion of topical medication; Medication not being used as directed; Close contact to another pet being treated with medication; Top. The FDA is warning vets and pet owners about a particular class of flea and tick products, but that doesn't mean your pup or cat should go without. The flea and tick medicines are in the isoxazoline class. I never thought the flea drops would be the cause. By Ashley Welch September 21, 2018 / 4:27 PM / CBS News The seizures could not be controlled. Flea and tick pills made using isoxazoline can cause neurological problems in cats and dogs, the FDA says, and labels need to warn of the risks more clearly. My dog had been seizure free for 4 months after stopping Trifexis. Flea and tick medication, sprays, dips, and shampoos can contain a chemical called pyrethrin that can cause a cat to have a seizure. Clonic seizures. Using the wrong type of flea medicine can cause twitching, seizures and, in rare cases, even death. Yes, it does sound like the flea meds. This past summer there was a flea epidemic, we used the flea drops as advised. FDA warning: Pet flea and tick medications could cause seizures Four oral medications have caused neurological injuries in some cats and dogs. As dog parents we are always trying to keep our dog safe and happy, but a new report by the FDA states we may be doing more harm than good when it comes to flea and tick prevention.. If you would like to learn more about how it affects dogs, check out Flea and Tick Medicine Poisoning in Dogs. The flea … Four flea and tick products may cause seizures, tremors, and lost coordination in some cats and dogs.. Food and Drug Administration officials have received thousands of reports of adverse events connected with three products—Bravecto, Nexgard, and Simparica—containing drugs in the isoxazoline class. Some flea and tick treatments increase risk of seizures in pets, FDA warns. Advantage II is not a safe flea treatment option (nor did it work). (Please see note on Proheart 6). Tonic seizures. Keep reading to learn about their sometimes deadly side effects. I am surprised that the vet did not suspect this from the beginning. Depending on what flea medicine you used, some are more likely to cause seizures than others. FDA fact sheet about potential neurologic adverse events in dogs and cats when treated with the flea and tick drugs Bravecto, Credelio, Nexgard, or Simparica. Not only can this cause various neurological symptoms in pets, they are also harmful to humans. What Are The New Drugs? I know every dog is different, but my dog’s seizure threshold seems particularly sensitive to any systemic flea medicine. Using certain drugs, both prescribed and recreational, can cause seizures in some people. I have a 2 yr old Siberian Husky that started having seizures (3) after wearing the Bayer Seresto Flea Collar. I'm not consistent with the flea medication because we didnt have a flea problem in our area. The FDA is warning pet owners that some flea and tick medicine could cause seizures and muscle tremors for dogs and cats. When exposed to pyrethroids, cats may initially have muscle tremors, stumble, and start seizing. They have a dark side. Within a few days he had 4 seizures in 11 hours. If you got excited about the idea of a longer term chewable flea and tick medicine … hold your horses right now! I will monitor her behavior with the next application and hopefully determine if this is her seizure trigger. Also her seizures became more frequent. There are several causes of flea and tick medicine poisoning in cats. Atonic seizures. Certainly the over the counter spot on products that are based on pyrethrins are known to cause seizures in sensitive dogs. The FDA is warning consumers that some flea and tick medications for dogs and cats it previously deemed safe may cause neurological problems, including seizures, KRISTV reports.. According to the NRDC (Natural Resource Defense council), a non-profit organization that strives to protect the environment, many flea treatment products contain harmful pesticides that can increase the risk of cancer as well as neurological damage in kids. The Seresto flea collar works by slowly releasing an oil with the working slowly along the sebum layer of the skin (and spreading across this layer, not soaking into the layer). Over the counter flea meds cause this much more often than vet endorsed products but some cats are very sensitive to these meds, go into seizures and some will die due to them. This chemical is often used in over the counter flea treatments, especially ones that are designed for dogs, and can be toxic to cats. He is under vet watch and we monitor him and track all seizures so now no more nextguard for any of them. Read here for news on flea and tick product risks and recalls. When I thought it was out of his system I tried a Seresto collar. A “focus” occurs when brain cells don’t work quite right and seizures result. Local veterinarians says the mistake happens more often than you think. I had to put her to sleep. Diana says. There are several causes of flea and tick medicine poisoning in cats. Severe head trauma can also set up a seizure “focus” in the brain. But not only is it not candy, it’s unhealthy for everything but their bottom line.” Related: There are natural alternatives that work really well. Pet owners say it's causing their animals to have seizures. Some medications prescribed for mental disorders can cause patients to have seizures if they take more than the dosage recommended by … There are three drugs in the category of chewable flea and tick preventives: Nexgard, Bravecto and Simparica. There are some flea medications that contain ingredients that can be causative factors for dog seizures. Both are very safe for dogs at the doses present in the collar and only very rarely cause adverse reactions — and not seizures. Flea and tick sprays can be invaluable, so make sure yours are safe and working. You can find them here or check out our ultimate flea guide. Chemicals in products like some flea powders and insecticides (Organochlorines), Antifreeze (Ethylene glycol), Rat poisons and paints (lead), Chocolate and chocolate products (Methylxanthines) Heat Stroke. There isn't one heartworm preventative that's better or worse for dogs with epilepsy and the incidence of seizures is low for all of them. Started with 2 seizures, the following week 3 seizures and this week 2 seizures and the odd part is that ours also come in weekly basis also. Tonic seizures cause stiffening of your muscles. The most common reaction is dermatitis (inflammation of the skin) at the contact area. Don’t jump on these drugs. I have, however, heard of the chemical pyrethrin causing seizures in cats. However, not all dogs find flea medications effective. Dogs and cats treated with certain flea and tick products might be at an increased risk for neurologic events including seizures, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. July 28, 2016 at 1:23 am. 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