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Skin Issues?

Open 7-Days a Week, 6:30am – 8:00pm

727-738-2273

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There are a half dozen reasons your pet is scratching, and today, there is NO REASON it should be fleas.  Most dogs are scratching due to dry skin, allergies, like

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Flea Prevention

In the 1990’s, there were very few solutions to fleas.  If your dog got them, you either learned how to live with them, or got rid of the dog.  Today, dog’s should NEVER have fleas; There are too many affordable, long term solutions to have fleas in your home or on your pet.

Here’s what we recommend at DAMC, and what we use on our own pets:

BRAVECTO

A single dose of BRAVECTO lasts about 12 weeks, to prevent fleas and ticks, compared to other products which must be given every month. That makes BRAVECTO  the most cost-effective option for for flea and tick prevention.

• BRAVECTO Chew and BRAVECTO Topical Solution for Dogs is recommended for puppies and dogs 6 months of age or older who weigh at least 4.4 lb.
• BRAVECTO Topical Solution for Cats is recommended for kittens and cats 6 months of age or older who weigh at least 2.6 lb.
• BRAVECTO Chew is approved for use in breeding, pregnant, and lactating dogs.
• No adverse effects have been experienced with Bravecto Chew for Dogs in MDR-1 gene-deficient collies at 3x the recommended dose.

Q:  HOW DOES BRAVECTO KILL FLEAS AND TICKS?

A: After you give your pet BRAVECTO, it quickly reaches tissue fluids just under your dog’s or cat’s skin. When fleas and ticks feed, they ingest BRAVECTO and die.

Q:  HOW QUICKLY DOES BRAVECTO WORK AND FOR HOW LONG?
A:  BRAVECTO Chew starts killing fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) within 2 hours, and kills ticks (Ixodes ricinus) within 12 hours.* BRAVECTO Chew kills fleas, prevents flea infestations, and kills ticks (black-legged tick, American dog tick, and brown dog tick) for 12 weeks. BRAVECTO Chew also kills lone star ticks for 8 weeks.

BRAVECTO Topical Solution for Dogs reduces fleas by ≥99% and 100% within 24 and 48 hours, respectively, post-infestation for 12 weeks.* It kills ≥93.3% of black-legged ticks, American dog ticks and brown dog ticks after 48 hours for 12 weeks* and kills ≥90% lone star ticks 72 hours post-infestation for 8 weeks.

BRAVECTO Topical Solution for Cats kills 100% of fleas within 8 hours. Applied to the base of the skull, your cat will have full-body protection for 12 weeks*-killing fleas, preventing flea infestations, and killing black-legged ticks. BRAVECTO Topical Solution for Cats also kills American dog ticks for 8 weeks.

Trifexis

Trifexis is a chewable tablet that kills fleas and prevents infestations, protects against heartworms, and treats and controls adult hookworm, roundworm, and whipworm infections. This tasty, beef-flavored tablet is easy to give your dog to protect against multiple parasites with one medication. Trifexis chewable tablets are for monthly use in dogs and puppies 8 weeks of age and older and 5 lbs of body weight or more. Trifexis requires a prescription from your veterinarian.

for Dogs (8+ weeks of age, weighing 5+ lbs)

What is the most important thing I should know about Trifexis?

Trifexis is a prescription medication FDA approved for use in dogs 8 weeks of age or older and 5 lbs of body weight or more. Trifexis contains spinosad and milbemycin oxime and is indicated for the prevention of heartworm disease. Trifexis kills fleas and is indicated for the prevention and treatment of flea infestations, and the treatment and control of adult hookworm, adult roundworm, and adult whipworm infections. Trifexis is available in a Pink box for dogs 5 to 10 lbs (140 mg/2.3 mg), Orange box for dogs 10.1 to 20 lbs (270 mg/4.5 mg), Green box for dogs 20.1 to 40 lbs (560 mg/9.3 mg), Blue box for dogs 40.1 to 60 lbs (810 mg/13.5 mg), and Brown box for dogs 60.1 to 120 lbs (1620 mg/27 mg). For dogs over 120 lbs, give the appropriate combination of tablets. See Trifexis label for complete safety information.

Benefits:

• Provides 3-in-1 parasite protection against heartworm, fleas, and intestinal parasites.
• Begins killing biting fleas within 30 minutes
• Kills fleas before they can lay eggs
• Prevents heartworm disease
• Treats and controls roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms
• Artificial beef-flavored tablet
• Easy-to-administer chewable tablet

How does Trifexis work?

Spinosad, an active ingredient in Trifexis, starts to work within 30 minutes to kill fleas and has been proven to kill 100% of all biting fleas within 4 hours. Trifexis prevents heartworm disease by killing microfilariae and larvae from maturing into adult heartworms.

Cautions:

Serious adverse reactions have been reported following concomitant extra-label use of ivermectin with spinosad alone, one of the components of Trifexis chewable tablets. Treatment with fewer than three monthly doses after the last exposure to mosquitoes may not provide complete heartworm prevention. Prior to administration, dogs should be tested for existing heartworm infection. Use with caution in breeding females. The safe use of Trifexis in breeding males has not been evaluated. Use with caution in dogs with pre-existing epilepsy. Puppies less than 14 weeks of age may experience a higher rate of vomiting. Consult your veterinarian for pregnant or lactating dogs.

Sentinel

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Allergies

Apoquel

*Important Safety Information: Do not use APOQUEL in dogs less than 12 months of age or those with serious infections. APOQUEL may increase the chances of developing serious infections, and may cause existing parasitic skin infestations or pre-existing cancers to get worse. APOQUEL has not been tested in dogs receiving some medications including some commonly used to treat skin conditions such as corticosteroids and cyclosporine. Do not use in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs. Most common side effects are vomiting and diarrhea. APOQUEL has been used safely with many common medications including parasiticides, antibiotics and vaccines.

Cytopoint – injectible

 

Antihistamines

Allergies can be a very frustrating problem for owners, and veterinarians, because no one treatment works for everyone. Just like each pet’s allergies are a little bit different, individual pets also respond differently to each type of
antihistamine. Unfortunately, this makes for some trial-&-error in determining what is going to work
best for your furry friend to help keep the itchies in check. The good news is that antihistamines are
relatively inexpensive and most are readily available over the counter at human pharmacies.

As with any medication, talk with your veterinarian before giving your pet antihistamines,
especially if s/he is on any other supplements or medications. Antihistamines should be used with
caution in pets that are pregnant, have seizures, or certain other health conditions. When conducting an
antihistamine trial, be sure to give the antihistamine as prescribed for a solid week before deciding
whether or not it works. Generic versions are fine, but be *very* sure that the medication you are using
does not contain any other ingredients – some common “allergy medications” contain potentially
harmful ingredients, like pseudoephedrine. Hiding the tablets in a treat, like Pill Pockets, or bit of
canned food helps improve acceptance, but pets can also be pilled directly.

Benedryl (generic = diphenhydramine)

For many years, Benedryl was the antihistamine of choice for pets because it was inexpensive
and readily available over the counter. Side effects tended to be minimal except many pets become
sleepy. For this reason, it has also been used to reduce anxiety in pets that don’t travel well or are
nervous during storms, etc. With the advent of some of the newer antihistamines (like Zyrtec), Benedryl
has fallen out of favor somewhat because it often doesn’t work as well. The other down-side to using
Benedryl is that it should be dosed 2-3 times/day, at approximately 1mg per pound body weight. So a
75 lb dog would be getting 3 capsules (25mg each) three times daily – that’s 9 capsules a day!
Fortunately, this becomes much more reasonable for smaller dogs.

Zyrtec (generic = ceterizine)

Zyrtec has become the new first-line drug for dog allergy, largely
because of its convenient dosing schedule. Although individual response
to antihistamines does vary greatly, this year our clients are seeing a
higher response rate than with Benedryl. Side effects tend to be minimal,
although some pets do become drowsy. The dosing schedule is also
much more convenient, with dogs weighing over 10 lbs getting a
single 10mg tablet once daily. Dogs weighing less than 10 lbs
can have half of a 10mg tablet once daily.

Chlortrimeton (generic = chlorpheniramine)

Chlortrimeton is another excellent antihistamine for dogs, and is the drug of choice for kitty
allergies as well. It is approximately half the cost of Zyrtec per pill, but requires dosing twice daily
instead of once. The average dog would get 1/4mg per pound; for example, a 16lb dog would get a
single 4 mg tablet twice daily.

Atarax (generic = hydroxyzine)

This is one of the few prescription-only antihistamines used in veterinary medicine. Dosing is
very similar to Benedryl at 1mg per pound body weight 2-3 times daily. Less commonly used because a
prescription is needed, it is one of the most effective antihistamines available to us.

EPA (Omega-3 Fatty Acids)

Although certainly not necessary, we have found that giving Omega-3 fatty acids (specifically
eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA) to be very beneficial in treating allergies. Omega-3’s are mildly antiinflammatory and may work synergistically with the antihistamine to reduce the symptoms of allergy,
while Omega-6 fatty acids tend to be more pro-inflammatory. If you have questions about giving your
pet Omega-3 fatty acids, please ask us!

 

Apoquil

Cytopoint – injectible

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