# If you use Frontline - HUGE, IMPORTANT CORRECTION CERTIFECT



## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

A heads up about Frontline. I want to share what happened to my cousin today. Both of her dogs, huskies, got very sick. They were vomiting and extremely weak. She rushed them to the vet and had to have help carrying them in because they couldn't walk. One of the dogs bled out internally and passed away, the other was saved. the vet said it was the Frontline that poisoned them. The vet contacted Merck, and right away Merck offered to pay all the vet bills and wanted the lot number from the Frontline. It's sounds to me that Merck is aware of the problem because they were too willing to take responsibility. I don't use Frontline on Wolfie, but if I did , I would be stopping right away. RIP Maya.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Very curious. Frontline does not go systemic, so no idea how it would cause a dog to bleed out. I would want more answers. 

How long after application did this happen? 


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

She applied it the day before yesterday. The vet told her it permeated the skin and poisoned the dogs.


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

I just did a quick google search and found cases of dogs dying from Frontline in a very similar manner as my cousins dog just passed away.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

It's just curious. Are these medical cases or peoples stories? Is there scientific evidence that it was the frontline that was the cause of death. Necropsy results, frontline found in tissues? 

I am very very sorry for your friends loss. It's just horrible. And I am not saying that it wasn't the Frontline. I personally just need a lot more than a suspicion. I like science. But that is me. I am going to talk to my vets about this tomorrow. Scary if it's possible. 


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

There are blogs and posts from pet owners plus several news article from associated press and the like about dog deaths and side effects from Frontline and other spot one. There are several pending lawsuits against the company that makes frontline which is Meril not Merck .


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Wolfiesmom said:


> There are blogs and posts from pet owners plus several news article from associated press and the like about dog deaths and side effects from Frontline and other spot one. There are several pending lawsuits against the company that makes frontline which is Meril not Merck .



Ok. I will keep looking. So far I have found bad skin reactions and seizures. But no bleeding out. 

Again, sorry for your friends loss. I would be devastated. 


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

You have to be careful on dosage and timing with these tick and flea treatments. 

I was trying K9Advantix from Bayer which I didn't like to well as it required multiple treatment locations along the back instead of just one area between the shoulder blades like with Frontline. Anyways, I decided to switch back to Frontline but my vet talked me into trying Nexgard which is put out by Frontline. Nexgard is a chewable. So, I waited to the end of the required time for dosage and gave him (Cruz) the first dose of Nexgard. He almost immediately had a reaction. Though not serious, still a reaction. The Nexgard did not mix well with Advantix and caused a lot of itching and scratching. 

I know this probably is not the case with the OP. But one has to be careful when using these treatments. I have never heard of a dog losing his life because of a Frontline treatment. But who knows. Not saying it couldn't be. But maybe there is other things at play here too. Maybe wrong dosage from Manufacturer, dog got into something that didn't mix well with the Frontline. Could be a lot of things. 

Has there been a study on this?


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

Since two dogs were affected in the same way by the same frontline , I am thinking it is probably in the frontline itself. That and the fact the company offered to pay the vet bills no questions asked is suspicious in itself.


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

wonder what it is about this lot of frontline. I assume they had received frontline previously. I'm planing on going to Nexgard after I run out of frontline. But I have heard alot of negatives on Nexgard. Really, there are too many negatives on all these products. I have been looking for a while, the standards for animal meds are not the same as human meds. As a result, you see many more side effects than you should.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

Wolfiesmom said:


> Since two dogs were affected in the same way by the same frontline , I am thinking it is probably in the frontline itself. That and the fact the company offered to pay the vet bills no questions asked is suspicious in itself.


 An what are the chances of this happening very often? That's my point. There may be other things in play here besides just saying Frontline will kill your dog. I've used Frontline for years on numerous dogs without any problem until the problem I described in my first post which was one, partly my fault and two not a severe reaction. Just a loss of some hair from itching.

I'm in no way discrediting your account or truthfulness. There needs to be more information, like what lot number was it? Could be a bad lot. That's what I am trying to convey. Is there any more information on this besides the vet saying what he said? How many other dogs were affected? How often has he seen this? Has anyone run tests to confirm it was the frontline?


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

eddie1976E said:


> wonder what it is about this lot of frontline. I assume they had received frontline previously. I'm planing on going to Nexgard after I run out of frontline. But I have heard alot of negatives on Nexgard. Really, there are too many negatives on all these products. I have been looking for a while, the standards for animal meds are not the same as human meds. As a result, you see many more side effects than you should.


What type of negatives have you heard of with Nexgard? 

I don't disagree that there are probably negatives to any kind of chemical type treatments. 

I'm also not saying Frontline didn't have anything to do with the OP's friends dogs. I hate to hear any dog lose it's life unnecessarily. Especially when it has to do with something I have used for years and is recommended by my vet. I will be asking questions when we take Cruz in to get his stitches removed next Saturday.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

Oh and to the OP, I appreciate the heads up, thanks.


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## alexg (Mar 22, 2013)

jafo220 said:


> You have to be careful on dosage and timing with these tick and flea treatments.
> 
> I was trying K9Advantix from Bayer which I didn't like to well as it required multiple treatment locations along the back instead of just one area between the shoulder blades like with Frontline. Anyways, I decided to switch back to Frontline but my vet talked me into trying Nexgard which is put out by Frontline. Nexgard is a chewable.
> ...


 I think a chewable med to deal with the pests that get in contact with the skin must be extremely strong to be effective. I would be very hesitant to use something like that. K9Advantix worked way better for us than Frontline.

and applying to 4 spots instead of just one just adds about a minute to whole process...


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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

It sounds like they got into some poison. We just had news stories here on poison being put out by thew county that tastes like peanut butter and are the size of M&M's. Dogs bleed out when they get into it.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I use the Nexgard without issue and haven't heard anything bad about it. Just wondering what I'm missing?


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## Colie CVT (Nov 10, 2013)

Bleeding out honestly sounds more like they got into a rodenticide, but since the Frontline was applied within a short amount of time, it couldn't be ruled out. 

Generally speaking, I have found that products from Merial are generally safer than most other products out there. Frontline Plus is one of the medications that stays within the oil glands on the skin rather than go systemically, which is what keeps it from being dangerous generally. Not to say that things cannot happen, but I would be looking at other potentials truthfully. Dogs get into rodenticide without owner knowledge a lot.

And I would not say that because the company had no trouble paying for the vet bills that they're obviously knowing that there is a problem. Merial is a company that I have found actually cares about the products they put out and the animals who are affected by them. They are willing to cover bills that potentially are the fault of their product because it is the RIGHT thing for a company to do. They even told us once how to get around the company not believing in paying for cremation so that we could get it covered when we ate the bill for a cat who had a very severe reaction to vaccines and died within minutes. It was a freak accident. We've never seen anything like it before. 

Not to say that you shouldn't be cautious with medications, but you also have to understand it does not instantly mean that a company or product was instantly bad. I had a very severe reaction to a vaccine that most people have no problem with. Was it the company's fault? Of course not. Individuals are individuals. Circumstances can make a big deciding factor in what happened. 

Nexgard we have not seen many troubles with, but again, every animal is different and some spot ons (like Advantix) go systemically. It's like mixing two NSAIDs together. You increase risks, but don't necessarily cause severe effects. 

So sorry for her loss.  It never is fun to see your pet in that kind of situation.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

I am so sorry for the loss of Maya. thank you my dogs are supposed to have been treated last weekend. Illl stop by the vets and pick something else up.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Thought you may find this article interesting: "Despite manufacturers’ claims to the contrary, the ingredients of commonly used topical treatments *can and do enter the pets’ internal systems.*Merial’s website states that fipronil (the active ingredient in Frontline, Parastar, EasySpot and the new over the counter Sentry Fiproguard), is absorbed into the sebaceous glands of the skin which provide a natural reservoir, creating the impression that it does not migrate into the dog’s body. Dr. Dobozy of the EPA’s Pesticide Division took a look at fipronil and *found that it does in fact enter the body and was **contained in the fat, organs, urine and feces of dogs. Laboratory tests have shown that with long term exposure at low doses, fipronil has the potential for nervous system and thyroid toxicity, thyroid cancer,** altered thyroid hormone levels, liver toxicity, kidney damage, convulsions, whining, barking, crying, loss of appetite, locomotor difficulty, reduced fertility, fetus mortality, smaller offspring, loss of hair at or beyond the point of application, moist inflammation, chemical burn and itching.*" Read the whole article on page 24 here: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/2012/May2012.pdf


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

*Update To My Frontline Post*

The other day, I posted that my cousin's dog died due to using Frontline. My aunt had called me right away after the dog had passed to make sure that I didn't use Frotline on Wolfie. My cousin lives in Florida, and we live in Massachusetts, so all this info was relayed over the phone under very emotional circumstances. My cousin's husky had run off, and was gone for 23 days. They found her covered in ticks and brought her to the vet. The vet also treated her other husky in case there were any ticks brought home. Here is the story of what happened from my cousin..

It saddens me to have to write this but on Tuesday June 24,2014 , I brought my beloved Maya to the vets for a check-up after being gone for 23 days . I wanted nothing but the best for her well being. Maya check up was good except she had quite a number of ticks on her. The vet administered a topical medicine called CERTIFECT to get rid of the ticks she also sent me one home to put on Maya's brother as they were rebonding in the same room. Within 24 hours Maya had, diarrhea and was very lethargic. We thought it was because of all that she had been thru. On Wenesday afternoon Maya's brother teddi was given his CERTIFECT so he did not contract tics from Maya, within 12 hours Teddi was exhibiting all the sysmptoms that Maya had. But it got worse . I rushed them immediately to the vets on Thursday . Teddy was given an antidote and scrubbed to remove the poison from CERTIFECT and given IV fluids . Unfortunately it was to late for Maya after all she went thru to find her way home she died in my arms a slow and painful death due to a product made by MERIAL company the same company that produces Frontline.Merial has been aware of this for sometime and has kept this product on the market knowing it can kill our beloved pets. Please Pass this on and save a life in honor of Maya After this ordeal, I did a tremendous amount of research on both Certifect and Amitraz. As it turns out, Amitraz can be incredibly toxic to some dogs, even at "normal" canine topical dosing amounts. Mortality is reported at < 5% if proper treatment is rendered.... MORTALITY! That means for every 20 people who's dog gets ill from this medicine, one of our precious animals will die. Symptoms of Amitraz toxicity are often cardiovascular, GI and neurologic. They include frequent urination, hypersalivation, depression, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, shortness of breath, ataxia (stumbling), collapse, loss of consciousness, seizures and death. There were several case accounts of acute and chronic liver failure, kidney failure and paralysis.


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## David Winners (Apr 30, 2012)

So terribly sorry for your loss. I hope Teddi pulls through fine.

Hopefully your post will reach the eyes of many and potentially save some lives.

So sad...


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## KaiserandStella (Feb 27, 2014)

I'm very sorry that you all went through that.. It's literally gambling with a dogs life and well being using these products.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

Wolfiesmom said:


> The other day, I posted that my cousin's dog died due to using Frontline. My aunt had called me right away after the dog had passed to make sure that I didn't use Frotline on Wolfie. My cousin lives in Florida, and we live in Massachusetts, so all this info was relayed over the phone under very emotional circumstances. My cousin's husky had run off, and was gone for 23 days. They found her covered in ticks and brought her to the vet. The vet also treated her other husky in case there were any ticks brought home. Here is the story of what happened from my cousin..
> 
> It saddens me to have to write this but on Tuesday June 24,2014 , I brought my beloved Maya to the vets for a check-up after being gone for 23 days . I wanted nothing but the best for her well being. Maya check up was good except she had quite a number of ticks on her. The vet administered a topical medicine called CERTIFECT to get rid of the ticks she also sent me one home to put on Maya's brother as they were rebonding in the same room. Within 24 hours Maya had, diarrhea and was very lethargic. We thought it was because of all that she had been thru. On Wenesday afternoon Maya's brother teddi was given his CERTIFECT so he did not contract tics from Maya, within 12 hours Teddi was exhibiting all the sysmptoms that Maya had. But it got worse . I rushed them immediately to the vets on Thursday . Teddy was given an antidote and scrubbed to remove the poison from CERTIFECT and given IV fluids . Unfortunately it was to late for Maya after all she went thru to find her way home she died in my arms a slow and painful death due to a product made by MERIAL company the same company that produces Frontline.Merial has been aware of this for sometime and has kept this product on the market knowing it can kill our beloved pets. Please Pass this on and save a life in honor of Maya After this ordeal, I did a tremendous amount of research on both Certifect and Amitraz. As it turns out, Amitraz can be incredibly toxic to some dogs, even at "normal" canine topical dosing amounts. Mortality is reported at < 5% if proper treatment is rendered.... MORTALITY! That means for every 20 people who's dog gets ill from this medicine, one of our precious animals will die. Symptoms of Amitraz toxicity are often cardiovascular, GI and neurologic. They include frequent urination, hypersalivation, depression, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, shortness of breath, ataxia (stumbling), collapse, loss of consciousness, seizures and death. There were several case accounts of acute and chronic liver failure, kidney failure and paralysis.


First of all, I am truly sorry this happened. I can't say that my reactions would not have been any different if this were my dog. 

Second, thanks for updating with more information. 

I have a couple questions. Was your cousins dogs already being treated with Frontline when the vet treated them with Certifect? 

What did the vet say or do after all this? If there is such a morality rate using Certifect, which this is the first I have heard of it, then why are they still using it? Did anyone "grill" the vet over this?

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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Update on this post found here

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/general-information/465185-update-my-frontline-post.html


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

I remember talking about amitraz some 25 years ago when I was taking a course in veterinary assisting... and that was the last I'd heard of it. Apparently it has not been widely used in small animal practice for some time, and I assume there is a reason for that. Surprised to see it being used in a new product. I'll have to do some research on that.

I also wanted to point out that this has nothing to do with Frontline, which is a totally different product. Same company, but different product. Frontline is not totally benign either, but please don't freak out if your pet has been on it.

If the dog was gone for 23 days, and had that many ticks attached, it's unlikely any kind of tick preventative had been given within the last month or two. If the dog had been given Frontline, say, the day before she disappeared, she wouldn't have had that many ticks. But even if she did get Frontline applied, 23 days later is long enough that toxicity shouldn't be a problem. So I'm guessing this has more to do with the Certifect itself, not necessarily in combination with Frontline.


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

Ok, so it wasn't frontline that caused the issues, but rather Certifect? Just trying to clarify so that I know for my own benefit. Nontheless it is tragic.


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## jafo220 (Mar 16, 2013)

alexg said:


> I think a chewable med to deal with the pests that get in contact with the skin must be extremely strong to be effective. I would be very hesitant to use something like that. K9Advantix worked way better for us than Frontline.
> 
> and applying to 4 spots instead of just one just adds about a minute to whole process...


Depends on the dog with the ease of application. Lol!!! 

I didn't use the advatix long enough to say whether it's effective or not. I can say that Frontline is extremely effective as is Nexgard. I have found 3 ticks on Cruz this year and they were all dead and easy to remove. I think Frontline was the better choice as when it was used, it seemed like I never came across ticks on the dogs. I'll probably switch back to Frontline when the Nexgard runs out.

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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

eddie1976E said:


> Ok, so it wasn't frontline that caused the issues, but rather Certifect? Just trying to clarify so that I know for my own benefit. Nontheless it is tragic.


Yes it was the Certifect that caused the issues.


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## Colie CVT (Nov 10, 2013)

Based upon what we had seen about that particular product when a rep brought it to us, we decided as a clinic that we did not want to carry it. 

It is good to know these things, but I am going to add in a little something that I have noticed when it comes to spot on insecticides and choosing them based upon the kind of warnings that come with them. There is always going to be exceptions to the rules, however this has generally helped me. 

I look at the age in which you can start using the product and if it says to keep your cats away from your dogs. Products that can be placed upon very young puppies tend to be safer, and products that don't have a specific warning saying to keep your cat away from your dog for a period of time tend to be safer. 

We had a friend who wanted us to put a spot on she had bought at CostCo onto her dog while he was staying with us. I looked at it before my roommate put it on and said if we put it onto him he would have to be in a crate for two days and our cats could not get ANYWHERE near him or what he touched. 

The product was listed for dogs 6 months or older and had a big do not use with cats symbol on it also. 

I am sorry that your cousin lost her dog.  Sadly being gone as long as she had been also could potentially have had a factor in it also. I am always wary of products and want to read the small print before I use it, I also prefer to use a product on my personal pets before I will recommend it. But that is just me. :/ RIP Maya.


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## Juliem24 (Jan 4, 2014)

I think I remember that huskies are particularly sensitive to these products. Has anyone else heard this?


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