Flea Tablet

[Jimmay]

Alright, so I was going to come on here to ask about the new flea tablet my vet had told me about, see if anyone has used it and how safe it is etc. but I decided to do a bit of googling instead.

I found this site http://elms.xh1.lilly.com/comfortis-product-label.pdf.

I've got to say I am pretty distrubed by the sorts of tests they did to determine it's safety.

In a margin of safety study, COMFORTIS chewable tablets were administered orally to 6-week-old Beagle

puppies at average doses of 1.5, 4.4, and 7.4 times the maximum recommended dose at 28-day intervals over a

6-month period. Vomiting was observed across all groups, including the control. Increased vomiting was observed

at elevated doses, usually within 1 hour following administration.

In a reproductive safety study, COMFORTIS chewable tablets were administered orally to female Beagles at 1.3

and 4.4 times the maximum recommended therapeutic dose every 28 days prior to mating, during gestation, and

during a six-week lactation period.

One dam from each treatment group experienced early pregnancy loss and one additional high dose dam aborted late term.

The treated dams experienced more vomiting, especially at one hour post-dose, than the control dams. Puppies

from dams treated at 1.3 times the maximum recommended therapeutic dose had lower body weights than

puppies from control dams. Although puppy mortality between treated and control dams was not different, the

puppies from the treated dams experienced more lethargy (4.4X group only), dehydration, weakness and felt cold

to the touch (4.4X group only) than puppies from control dams.

Needless to say, I don't think i'm going to be using it. Its use it restricted in the US but it's freely available here in Aus.

[OSoSwift]

That does not sound nice at all.

[stormie]

Animal testing is unpleasant, but its necessary to determine the safety thresh hold and learn of possible side effects. Every product is tested on animals - all flea products, heartworm medicines, vaccines, drugs. It's a legal requirement in order for the product to be registered.

Even food companies have testing facilities.

When people accidently double dose their animals and call up to ask if it's ok - this is how we know. Because we know what the toxic doses are because of testing. It's also how we know how to treat them.

Edited January 5, 2011 by stormie

[megan_]

I agree with Stormie. I don't like it but I wouldn't want to use any product on my dogs that hadn't been tested on other dogs.

[Danois]

I agree with Stormie.

I expect that any such product I use on my dog has in fact been tested on dogs to ensure it is safe.

Its not a pleasant reality but ensures my dog is safe.

[Christina]

The tests disturb me too.

While we do need to know it is safe would anyone be stupid enough to give pups 7 times the recommended dose or give to pregnant females at over 4 times the dose so many times.

I can understand a one off test at double the dose, people can make a mistake but no one would dose in the tested amounts or so often. The dogs & puppies must have suffered so much.

Many substances that are safe in the small dose would be toxic in constant overuse & big doses including natural substances.

The rabbit test of baby shampoo makes me vomit. Who would hold their baby & tip 100 times the normal use of shampoo in their eyes every day.

Needless & useless suffering for so many animals.

[stormie]

People may not give them that much, but the chews are flavoured. It's not uncommon to get a call saying the dog has found the box of something and eaten it all.

The vaccine tests are just as bad, if not worse. It's why I find it frustrating when people complain about the current vaccines still being registered for annual use. The process needed to increase the time is not a simple matter of titre testing. They need to do a proper scientific study which involves a control group. That control group needs to have absolutely no contact with any pathogens etc for the period they're trialling for - so a 3 year registration study involves dog in isolation for that period of time (no vaccines, no human contact - nothing) and then given Parvo virus. It's unpleasant.

[WoofnHoof]

Research on animals these days (at least in Australia) has to fulfill a lot of criteria, it has to be the minimum number of animals possible but still provide a statistically viable result, it has to be absolutely necessary for the project to show a result, and it has to be something that cannot be replaced by another method (eg computer modeling) in order to be approved. It's not pleasant but imagine the problems were the product not tested for overdose and people were to find that an overdose is potentially fatal after the product has been approved for use.

The results of these tests must also be put into context, the implications of an overdose are harmful but not fatal so the only way to compare the safety of this product is to compare the result of similar tests of the other flea control products.

[Crisovar]

Overdosing of medications and products is very common, people don't read labels, or simply are in too much of a hurry to do something, and animals helping themselves happens a lot too. How many people do you know that split large doses down for small animals??? Lots of accidents happen there too.

Without thorough testing products do not get registered and we do not get the benefits of having the info at hand when we need it.