Leaps tall building in a single bound
Thanks Robert for sharing your experience with Comfortis
by Robert Westfall
A word of caution on flea medications for your dog. Be sure to do your research on flea preventatives. In late October 2009 we put our 10.4 lb Jack Russel/Chihuahua male dog on a new flea medication called Comfortis. I read the product disclosure included noting the research result trials thinking I would know what side effects to watch for. In late December we noted a pronounced limp of the front right leg on walks and took him to our vet. The resulting xray showed clean joints of the leg and no reason for the limp except perhaps muscle strain. We continued to use Comfortis as well as his heart worm med (ivermectin) Tri Heart as the Comfortis totally controlled his flea situation. By late January his gate was off and he was having problems with both front legs and we returned to our vet for another xray of his spine which showed some compression of his spine between his front legs which was then thought to be the problem but was not considered operable resulting in a steroid script. In February he continued to weaken walking in a drunk like fashion and then in March was unable to stand up. I made the observation that he walked in a fashion like my wife had in her illness of 2007/8, a condition called Ataxia. We then had the realization that his condition had worsened after each application of Comfortis. In researching ataxia on line we found two web sites that contained video of dogs with ataxia research and canine genetic diseases and confirmed that our dog had the same symptons. We then went to and reviewed the Comfortis client information sheet under important safety information finding a reaction to ivermectin resulting in coordination problems but the real issue came when we read the” full product label” post approval experience June 2009 which noted Ataxia as number four in decending order of effects. We with held Comfortis for March after having given our dog this product for the prior four months. In late april he was able to walk but would have his front legs give allowing him to nose dive on his head during a walk. It is now mid May 2010, he is able to stand and walk with an obvious personality change. He still will occaisonally stumble or his legs will give but normal walking gate has returned. We suspect that just as my wife has worked on her ataxia for the last tw0 years daily, our dog is in rehabilitation. Now the point here is had we known what to look for this condition might not have gotten ar far as it did. Lesson learned is to thoroughly research and understand what reactions can occur from any medication and be vigilant. True for humans and dogs.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
It seems like a good vet would have nipped this in the bud. Was she or he aware of the use of comfortis?
In response to Chad’s question, the vet that we took our dog to twice after observing his condition was the same vet that had suggested Comfortis in 10/2009. When my wife and I discussed the vet’s comments and relooked this dog’s condition we had prior knowledge of ataxia from dealing with her rehabilitation. Once we realized this it was not a great leap to research dog ataxia and neuro disorders. We however intend to continue with this same vet as they had not been confronted with anything like this at that point.
As A follow up to my original posting, our dog showed improvement in May and around the first of June was able to return to his long walks,playing with our other small dog and has his full personality back. He only displays a very slight limp once in a while and that seems to be fewer and fewer. It took four months application of Comfortis to get him into the condition he was in and four to rehabilitate him.