Remember that ProHeart injection that was supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread? Heartworm preventative for 6 months instead of monthly! That is, until dogs started dying, then it quickly got pulled off the shelves.

To answer your original question, no, I don't know much about this medication. They do have a website though: http://www.comfortis4dogs.com/ I don't like the listed side effects much...

Advantages: chewable tablet that dogs like to take... starts killing fleas within 30 minutes and kills 100% within 4 hrs... Comfortis kills fleas before they lay eggs and It is supose to kill newly hatch eggs before they go through their 3 wk life cycle. (All this info is on the insert in the pkg of pills.) Now, I did see a scattered 3 or 4 fleas after the first month of use but after the second month of use ... no fleas. Best of all COMFORTIS does not wash away when you give multiple baths within a month...

In Alabama cost is around $73. for 6 pills. I was looking on line for an alternative supplier for purchasing when I came across this site... So far I have not found it at any of the regular canine vet suppliers... Please let me know if anyone has found it for less...thank you

Silly

BTW, Program, aka Sentinel for fleas, does not kill fleas. It just makes them sterile.
It's used because it's less toxic to the pet, but for animals that have fleas, it offers no relief from the bites.

We live in north Georgia and the fleas are REALLy bad here this year for some reason. Lucy is an inside dog but goes out to do her business. Usually after we would bathe her, the next day she would be covered in fleas again the very next day. I can't believe she has none on her today. Comfortis has my vote. :) Please feel free to email at rachelpennington@gmail.com if you have any questions about it. :)

Oh, and she also tolerated it VERY well. No vomiting, no anything. She was sleepy for most of the day, but continued to eat, drink, and play. :)

(I really dont know much about comfortis at this point, I cam referring to the topical solutions)

Pyrethene is in most all anti-flea shampoo's and most likeley in advantage and frontline. It is a pesticide AND a contaminate. It contaminates ground water and the planet. It's not good for our pets our the planet we live on.

Dogs and cats have had fleas for 100's of years before these companies started getting rich off of making poisons to put on our pets.

Humans get mosquito bites and flea bites, yet we dont put pesticides on our bodies that last 2 months. Probably the only time we would apply something like this would be if we were camping, but not on a daily basis.

So, the point is, if we wouldn't put this on ourselves why are we putting these harmful chemicals on our pets?

I agree with someone's post about diatonomous earth. Brewers yeast also works quite well. Vacuum (alot), clean alot and flea comb your pet.

A healthy animal most likeley will have very little fleas.

Fleas are attracted to animals who have weak immune systems or a poor diet.

I did buy the 6 pack, but have only had to use it twice since January. If/when it becomes a problem again I'll have it on hand. I also want to try the diatomaceous earth. Does anyone have a good source for that? We've tried a few feed stores in the area and they don't carry it.

Thanks

I have many dogs and the tablets are expensive, even when buying larger doses and splitting accordingly.

I have a bottle of Green Light Lawn & Garden Organic Spray..which is Spinosad (Spinosyn A & D) 0.5% Solution, 16oz for $12.00. I've seen studies that have used Spinosad in cattle etc.

Wondering if there's anything besides propylene glycol in this solution? It says "other ingredients." Through research I found that propylene glycol was one other ingredient. Is this something I can use in place of the Comfortis? How would I figure the equivalent dosage?

Most of our cats and dogs were "dumped" in the country due to irresponsible pet owners not wanting to take them to the Humane Society. Many of these sweet animals, unfortunately, I have had to take there myself, due to "no room at the inn." And, to keep these pets all healthy ... costs a lot. I'm up for anything that is safe and will make them healthier and happier.

Thanks

I wish there was Frontline, Advantage, etc. years ago when I had my two little dogs who both had severe allergies to fleas. I'd bathe, comb, spray, powder, get cortisone injections, etc., and still the poor things were miserable.

I personally have not used the Comfortis because I do not have a flea infestation. Like others, I do not trust new drugs and wait a while before I give them to my aniamls. However, my friend whose dogs are not responding to the Frontline, Advantage of Revolution, has had to resort to the Comfortis and is very happy. I guess you have to do what you have to do to keep the animal healthy and pest free.

The three year old threw up the next day, and the 12 year old developed diarrhea for roughly 3 days. I fed him rice and boiled chicken with mashed cooked carrots to combat it, and the problem did go away.
The fleas DID come off at a rapid pace and for that we were appreciative.
However, I am concerned about the company's response? The original person I spoke with was personable and professional, took our information and then gave suggestions according to the information posted for her.
I appreciated the obvious sincere concern and the information she shared. (Such as if the dog throws up w/in the first hour after taking it, they would require re-taking the medication; however, since it was the next day, such a requirement was not needed).
However, a week(?) later, I received a phone call from supposedly a vet. At first I was appreciative of the follow-up call checking on my dog and thought "How wonderful!"
But then this same vet starting going on about how the 12 year old getting sick was probably just a coincidence and had nothing to do with the company or the medicine, that it would be hard to prove or disprove. She sounded like a company executive only worried about the company, not the animal or the effects of the flea medication.
I found this extremely discomforting (no pun intended) due to this being a new medication. Would this vet's response be the company's held position? Should something need to be told to the consumer, would they?

There is no doubt we need an alternative to Frontline that no longer works.

I do not think it is good for much older dogs, only due to my experience and the so-called "follow up".
Everything is fine, he is fine and never at any time did I hint or even think of their so called culpability, I was just trying to find out information in order to do what was necessary for my dog.
The response of this vet has lead me to wonder why the defensive and attack attitude when it was not necessary or called for. He was already doing well when she called and I stated this right off the bat.
Makes you wonder....

P.S. My older dog did not want the comfortis. I had to break it down. Canine Intuitiveness?

While I was at the vet office visiting my still gravely ill dog I asked them if the Comfortis might have been the cause. The vet said she doubted it but would research it. She came back and told me that she could not eliminate the Comfortis as a cause since the group studied was so small. Additionally, because the study group reported no cases of death it was immediately labeled as safe despite the fact that there are NO studies that have been dedicated to the long term affects or the adverse reactions in a larger study pool. I was shocked to find out that the safety standards used to measure pet products safety is substandard at best. I have spent almost $800 dollars trying to save my dogs life. The more I research this product the more I am finding cases of adverse reactions similar to Sassy's.

Here is my caution to anyone who wants to try this (because it does work for some dogs) be very careful. Don't assume that because your dog took it a few days ago with little or no reaction that you are out of the woods. The Freedom Information Act on this drug states that adverse reactions can occur as late as 7-14 days after administering the drug. If your dog starts to vomit and it turns pink get your dog to the hospital immediately and have them run a pancreatic enzyme level test, it could very well save your dog's life. My dog isn't out of the woods yet but she is slowly getting better. I know Frontline is pretty much useless but it does offer some protection and it's better than risking another adverse reaction.

1. Comfortis is an organic product, but it is ingested and stays within the body for the entire month or longer. Frontline TopSpot is not systemically absorbed- it stays within the sebaceous glands. Advantage IS systemically absorbed and then redistributed to the skin within a couple of days.

2. Some dogs vomit the first dose, but rarely vomit subsequent doses.

3. It is labeled for dogs older than 10 weeks and greater than 5 pounds.

4. It is transferred through breast milk, which may cause puppies to vomit. The drug rep acted like this wasn't a huge problem, but I've seen too many puppies aspirate and die after vomiting, so to me it IS a huge problem. They don't know how much of the drug gets into the breast milk, and therefore cannot guarantee the puppies are not getting an overdose. And remember, it's only labeled for dogs 10+ weeks and 5+ pounds, so who knows what it does to younger and smaller dogs?

5. 100% of the fleas die within 4 hours. That is VERY impressive since Frontline takes up to 24 hours. Since the fleas die so quickly, it is impossible for them to lay eggs and continue the flea life cycle. Frontline Plus has an insect growth regulator which accomplishes the same task.

6. Comfortis does not kill ticks, leaving your dog susceptible to all of the tick-born diseases unless other measures are taken. The drug rep recommended the PrevenTic collar (amitraz) along with Comfortis. The PrevenTic collar is VERY effective against ticks but is a very potent insecticide and has adverse effects on people and cats.

The dermatologists and parasitologists at school have been recommending people rotate their flea/tick control products monthly to prevent resistance. Comfortis allows another tool in the belt to accomplish this.

Lauren

I am not sure that your vet's office was giving you correct info when she said that if you order online you are more likely to get the generic version of Comfortis. I have referenced a site for you to read about the pros and cons of this medication.

http://www.1800petmeds.com/Comfortis-prod11039.html

I got this from 1800PetMeds and I have ordered from them before. I have gotten "the real deal" on many things and not received generics as a substitution.

Spinosad may be the generic form of Comfortis who is made by Lilly. I am assuming it is Eli Lilly because they are famous for human medications too. Actually, if you click on the link you will see the actual box of Comfortis and note that the name "Spinosad" is right next to it in parenthesis.

I did some research and wasn't able to find any other product name that could be used for a substitute so I am inclined to think that the vet's office just wanted you to buy from them. When I started ordering my cat & dog flea/tick/heartworm meds online my vet said that I couldn't get them cheaper than what he sold for. I told him that it was much cleaper online and I had him write a prescription for Wesley (dog) and Lucy & Lola (cats) so that I could just reorder when needed.

Anyway, good luck with your research and decision. There is so much to take into consideration.

Robyn

Lauren

I get no kick-backs from the drug's manufacturer (unfortunately) but as with any drug (even aspirin, folks!), there are outliers to the bell-curve: some will have no reaction, some will have an extremely severe reaction (like the story of the Boston Terriers in the above post) and some will have minor nausea/vomiting... Same is true with human drugs: my doctor prescribed Ambien for sleep and instead of sleeping, I began to hallucinate; even though I saw little green people, the FDA hasn't been pulling Ambien off the shelves since it helps more people than it harms. Dogs tend to throw up if anything is amiss - even if they simply ate some grass - so that has to be taken into consideration. That and you have to weigh the risks against the benefits - and only you and your vet can do that, keeping in mind your animal's medical history and needs. (I'd also add that people are more likely to discuss their negative experiences than their positive ones...) It's also silly to argue that spraying your yard with poisonous chemicals (which then seep into groundwater and contaminate our rivers and oceans), putting flea collars on them, or spraying them with solutions that clearly say - RIGHT ON THE BOTTLE - avoid all contact with skin is a "safer" method...

In any case, I'm not advocating the use of this or any drug - I'd prefer never to give my animals anything they cannot find in organic foods - but it worked for us and for that, I'm grateful.

Also, I couldn't NOT respond to "concerned-parent" - I doubt that by calling you to discuss your concerns, the company was trying to avoid any "culpability" (read: liability) as to the reported ill-health of an older dog more than a week after ingestion of their product... Proving A caused B is hard enough when it happens in the same day -- proving it after a week has gone by is next to impossible, keeping in mind the fact that your dog is older (more likely to be ill, unfortunately) and a million other variables that he/she has come in contact with during that time. And as to whether the company will warn you about side effects - it's in their best interests to do so because, otherwise, if they don't, lawyers (like me!) will sue their pants off... to put it nicely. What they do is disclose all the POTENTIAL benefits and POTENTIAL harms and say something like, "the decision is between you and your veterinarian whether Comfortis is right for your pet, considering his prior medical history," etc. That way, there is no "culpability" for them unless they lied. (See, corporate greed working in your favor!)

As an owner of 4 dogs and someone who has rescued animals for many years, I strongly urge you to read all the literature you can find about vaccinations and their true benefits versus harm and decide accordingly, and not based solely on what everyone does.

I also wanted to note that my youngest was due for his next pill this past Sunday -- by Thursday, I noticed that he was missing a patch of hair on his right flank (I assumed it was from playing with other dogs) and by Friday night, he'd developed red, swollen areas from where he had been bitten by whatever wayward flea was alive in this cold (it's around 50 degrees here). So, in our experience, the pill wears off before its 30-day "due date."

www.dolittler.com/2008/03/29/cat.dog.flea.vet.pet.veterinary.veterinarian.Ihrke.Comfortis.Lilly.html

DE (diatomacious earth (sp?) - food grade only) works well inside the house & isn't harmful to the dogs or to us. The non food grade DE seems to work OK outside. It's a lot cheaper, too & very effective.

We just put our dogs on Comfortis. Our vet also gave them a shot of Medrol to help with the discomfort from the bites. They were VERY subdued for a couple of days & I don't know if it was from the Comfortis or the shot. It took them about 2-3 days to stop itching, though. It certainly wasn't instantaneous.

Six months ago I started him on Comfortis and in the last month have observed some radical changes in him. He has become unresponsive, does not always obey commands, does not always respond to my voice and clings to me. I am told these are symptoms of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Disease also known as old dog disease. This is like the onset of Alzheimers in human beings. From what I understand this disease comes on slowly not in 4 weeks! I have had him to the vet twice in 3 weeks for this and the vet does not say anything abourt Comfortis causing it but he is concerned.

Cain, my dog, is a service dog and brings much happiness to shut-ins. His diet is of holistic dog food, natural treats, plenty of fresh water, a daily vitamin and gluclosomin tab, and once a month heart worm medicine.

I do not know it is the Comfortis causing these symptoms but am taking him off of it as it is the only new thing in his environment for years. Hopefully my Cain will return to me. Unfortunately, the damage, if caused by Comfortis, is probably permanent which means he will not be able to interact with shut-ins anymore.

I so regret putting him on Comfortis and should have looked into it more prior to starting him on it. But even now I find little information on side effects of Comfortis on the web.

Can anyone shed an light on this?

Comfortis For Dogs - Monthly Flea Control Pill
There have been a few oral flea control products that have come out in the past, however, the comfortis flea pill is the first one that kills adult fleas for an entire month. Program and Sentinel are also oral flea meds, however, they are designed to kill fleas in the larvae and pupae stages only - they do not kill adult fleas like Comfortis does. Comfortis flea is just the opposite, it kills fleas in the adult stages only and will not prevent the hatching and growth of larvae. Like Comfortis, Capstar is also a chewable, given by mouth flea killer that acts on fleas that are on the dog at the time the pill is given, however, it does not offer the month long residual effect that Comfortis does.
Comfortis is made by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly with Spinosad as the main ingredient. Spinosad works by circulating within the dog's bloodstream where it targets the biting flea's nervous system to cause paralysis and death, but, it is not supposed to have the same effect on the dog's nervous system as it does on the biting flea itself.

Potential Side Effects And Adverse Reactions From Comfortis
It is important to know that some dog's have had adverse reactions and/or side effects from Comfortis including but not limited to vomiting, decreased appetite, lethargy, hyperactivity and increased salivation. In June 2008, the FDA released a warning that some dogs have had adverse reactions when taking Comfortis and Ivermectin concurrently. Ivermectin is a common ingredient in heartworm prevention medication including Heartgard products. Always discuss the use of any new product, including non-prescription meds, with your veterinarian before buying and administering them to your pet. Be sure to include all other food, supplements, meds and products your dog is currently receiving. For our pets, we often wait up to six to twelve months before trying a new pet health product just in case any unexpected problems with the product come to light that weren't discovered in the preliminary trial stages.

Wondering if there's anything besides propylene glycol in this solution? It says "other ingredients." Through research I found that propylene glycol was one other ingredient. Is this something I can use in place of the Comfortis? How would I figure the equivalent dosage?"

You should never, ever use a lawn and garden product on an animal. Propyene glycol is the ingredient in anti-freeze so toxic for animal ingestion.

I work in horticulture, and farmers know that insects get resistant to certain pesticides after continual exposure to them. That's when you change to a pesticide with a different chemistry. I imagine that's why frontline (fipronil) has become ineffective in so many animals. The flea population in certain areas have mutated, because only the resistant fleas lived to breed.

I have used revolution(selemectin) since it came on the market. Before that my dogs were on advantage (imidicloprid) Revolution not only is effective againt fleas, but ticks, some intestinal parasites, ear mites and heartworm. It has a 98% kill rate in 36 hours, and the surviving fleas cannot reproduce. My vet automatically changes his/her recommendations every few years because of the resistance pest populations achieve. He rx'd a different topical this spring. It seems to be effective but more expensive and then rx'd a heartworm preventive. I hated to give up the revolution, but like I said he seems to have his finger on rotating flea preventives to keep them effective.

My home has been essentially flea-free for many years now, ever since the topicals have been around. I lost a cat years ago, a little long-haired feral when IGRs were just coming on the market for flea control. My vet hadn't started using them yet. Rx'd topicals are about as safe as flea control gets, as far as I'm concerned. Both for the pet, the applicator and the environment. All animals who have taken those rx'd by my vet have lived well past their expected life expectantcies but one who was fourteen when she succumbed to FIP, since she was feleuk Positive since birth. Not bad lifespan for a cat, really who took topical flea tx all her life.

I have never hear of comfortis. Neither would I ever use an OTC topical skin application. It's nothing but pyrethrins. Fleas have been resistant to them since forever. Same stuff you got in flea sprays year ago.

I just wanted to know if there was anything other than the spinosad and propylene glycol in the garden product. I don't think there is...but betcha the company will begin to put something in the mixture that will stop us from using it as a cheap alternative to Comfortis.

Also, trying to figure the equivalent dosage.