Vectra – Dangerous new product

Hi all,

I wanted to share my story regarding Vectra and it’s effects on my 12 lb. toy poodle, Princess.  My husband and I asked our vet for a product that contained tick preventative medicine as well as something for fleas, as we’d noticed a tick or two on Princess recently.  We were sold Vectra, and our vet said it was a newer product that would be no different from the Frontline that we normally use.  Unfortunately Princess had a very bad reaction to this new med.  We applied it on Monday night, and in less than a few hours she was acting like a different dog.  She became very hyperactive and wouldn’t settle down – her normal mood is one of perpetual relaxation – and I was very concerned.

I worried it was related to the Vectra but that seemed less than plausible, as she’d always been fine with flea drops in the past.  The next morning we awoke to find her even more hyper, and now she was clearly in discomfort.  She was crying intermittently, panting, trying to bite her tail, avoiding food/water, couldn’t sit still, and the area on her skin where the Vectra was applied was now bright pink.  I took her to the vet and they called the manufacturer – apparently this was the first adverse reaction they had seen.  She was given a shot of steroids w/Benadryl, along with an rx for muscle relaxants and Valium.  The vet explained that in animals who are sensitive to this med, it feels to them as though they have constant pins and needles going down their back.  I can only imagine how awful this must feel, and hate that she’s in so much discomfort.

It’s now been four days and she’s about 50% better, but has been on meds the entire time.  We lost our Bichon to cancer in the fall, and I was so scared that we were going to lose Princess as well.  If you have a toy dog, I would use caution and avoid this medicine if you can opt for something else.  If you are the owner of a puppy who is a victim of this, I hope this helps you and can be a guide for what your vet should give your animal to help with symptom relief.

Take Care,

em