I'm not suggesting that your clients are dumb ( although I do think you have a few than put themselves into that catagory) but are these people also taking care of things around the house such as vacuuming, washing pet beds and sticking them into the dryer to kill any remaining flea eggs, ect?

I ask this because more and more people I talk to that have flea problems are not actually taking care of the entire situation. They seem to think that only treating their pet will wipe out the infestation around the house which is bogus logic and doesn't work. Fleas are going to continue to breed and just look for other hosts ( humans) to feed themselves.

I'm not a fan of drugs, but if people are only going to treat their animals and not take care of the enviroment their pets live in, yeah it would only make sense that products like Advantage and or Frontline are only going to do so much.

I haven't had a problem with fleas for years. I can't remember the last time I bought and applied Advantage to any of my pets. We had a problem when we first bought the house, but the previous owners were slobs with indoor/outdoor cats. Once every nook and cranny of the house was vacuumed and cleaned, the fleas disappeared. I have to use Frontline to give the dogs some added protection against deer ticks, but I don't use it year round as it isn't necessary. I also don't have things like wall to wall carpeting so if there are any fleas in the house, they are forced to hide in the crevices of the hardwood floors and since I vacuum a few times a week, their hiding places are disturbed and or sucked up often.

Stacy March 29th, 2008 10:47:00 AM

Ecellent point. Whenever a client expresses dissatisfaction with these poducts, we always address issues like bathing, proper application, making sure every animal in the household is treates, using environmental adjuncts like sprays, bombs and Borax powder, etc.

For us in Miami fleas seem more of a problem in certain neighborhoods. Knowing that the fleas cluster like they do in certain areas makes it easier for me to trust that the clients who fall into these zones are reporting the God's honest truth.

Dr. Patty Khuly March 29th, 2008 10:56:00 AM

Sometimes Advantage/Frontline don't work. I live in the midwest, by lots of trees, fields, parks...yadda yadda. Advantage doesn't do anything, Frontline works at first -- but then after the second application -- nothing. I'm a neat freak so I do vacuum and wash sheets and pet bedding (and my own). These products don't work for everyone and I think geographical location is a big issue.

ashleigh March 29th, 2008 10:59:00 AM

Here's an article from Scientific American on the power of the vacuum cleaner against fleas. http://www.sciam.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=31BB4C...

Moira March 29th, 2008 02:40:00 PM

I can't vacuum my back yard.
I guess I live in one of those South Florida neighborhoods which have flea infestation problems. My two neighbors across the street had such a bad problem two years ago that no one could walk outside. Last year it was my next door neighbor. They all resorted to spraying their yards by professionals with masks on. My next door neighbors last all their fish in their fish pond. Since I have some fifty-odd finches in a large cage in my back yard, I'm reluctant to spray. I can move the cage with difficulty to have the house tented for termites (a fairly routine operation in SF), but I don't know what I'd do if the yard were sprayed (which I don't like to think about since I don't drink the tap water as it is).
None of the topical medications seemed to do much. For a few weeks I was combing my two dogs twice a day, and there were still lots of fleas and eggs, especially on the thicker-haired black dog. It was clear they were picking up the fleas from outside.
I bought Comfortis from my vet and so far it has worked well - fleas gone within a day (as determined by combing) and no eggs.Scratching has significantly diminished, so the sores are gone. Neither of my dogs showed any side effects. Now I'm just waiting to see how the situation works out in the next few months. I still keep vacuuming etc. and hope the resistance cycle is not too short with this drug.

Heather

Heather March 30th, 2008 12:17:00 AM

I live in Broward. My Golden Retriever is prone to hot spots and will dig a hole in herself over any irritation. She had been on Frontline faithfully. While it used to work, we developed a terrible problem with fleas over the past year (and the hot spots I believe they provoked) until changing to Confortis. It has worked great. And yes, I did all the vaccumming, washing etc. We have LOADS of critters in the neigborhood with racoons, foxes, possums, squirrels and all manner of warm blodded critters in the yard, so I know they just kept coming in on the wildlife. Yay Comfortis! Strangely, my indoor cats never seemed to get infested from the dog even though they never were on flea treatment. Whatever.

kate7047 March 31st, 2008 05:32:00 PM

I’d third the observation of people being oblivious to the fact that proper pest management entails more than just treating the affected animal. It’s an issue that I’ve become all too familiar with in trying to convince my mother that giving the dog & cat a bath and a capstar every week isn’t going to solve the flea problem.

I’d also say I don’t believe anyone who says that their product doesn’t have an issue with resistance. If it doesn’t now, it’s only a matter of time. Why else would Bayer et al spend hundreds of millions of dollars in r&d to come up with new product? It’s evolution baby. It’s also worth noting that a lot of these flea & tick products have imidacloprid as an active ingredient. Imidacloprid is probably the most widely used insecticide in the world. For those in south dade familiar with the new white flies eating all the ficus, imdacloprid is what’s being recommended as a systemic to treat for that. If there’s not an issue of imdacloprid resistance currently in SoFlo, it won’t be long now.

Heather – Current pesticides are relatively safe to both man & beast when applied according to labeled directions and handled by certified and licensed pesticide applicators. Make sure you are only dealing with professional licensed pesticide companies.

Chip April 2nd, 2008 03:44:00 PM

We were at an impass with Frontline and its effectiveness and began Comfortis March 11th and the second dose on April10th. Please advise anyone that has a dog with any history of seizures to NOT give Comfortis to their dog! It does say in the literature included in the box to consult with your veterinarian if your dog has had seizures (our vet didn't know). A few years ago my dog began experiencing seizures and we were at a crossroads-phenobarbital or not. I asked for some time to research all options and after extensive research changed my dogs heartworm pill to Interceptor and the dog food to a high quality, poultry based dog food (and prepared my own also for a while) We have NOT had any seizures for five years. (The seizures were toxin based) For the past week my dog has seized at least twice a day that I am aware of. We checked the literature included with the Comfortis and realized that our dog was seizing due to toxins (again) in the system from the Comfortis. Blood work showed anemia -due to toxins-so at the moment the vet put our dog on a vitamin for the anemia and on phenobarbital to stop the seizures. The phenobarbital will be lessened and discontinued once we are sure the Comfortis has "run its course" in our dogs system. Scary to say the least and there isn't enough research yet about other side effects. Unfortunately, it really took care of the fleas!

Wayne April 25th, 2008 09:01:00 AM

our dog developed a flea problem after being flea free for 14 of her 15 years! We assume it was from the squirrels, and neighbor's cats and dogs. Our dog is an inside dog. We treated our yard, house and bathed her frequently. We use Sentinel, and Advantix and a flea comb. She was miserable until our vet got Comfortis and suggested it to us 2 weeks ago. Now our dog is FLEA FREE and we are so happy because she is playful again and does not wake up all during the night to scratch! It is great!

kathy May 14th, 2008 09:20:00 PM

beware of this product as it's so new on the market!! i have, so far, spent more than $500 in the past few days in hospital/vet visits for my dog. we gave him confortis for the first time on 5.15. we were told about benefits and the normal symptoms (vomiting) and figured that our 10 year old peke has been a pillar of health and decided to switch from advantage. in the past week, he has had uncontrollable stratching fits (so bad that neither he, nor we could sleep for almost two days), horrible panting (so severe we thought he was going to have a heart attack), vomiting and most recently body tremors coupled with the excessive panting. we were told by confortis to give him benedryl...hmmm...it's not working and nothing does; 6 cold baths in one day did little but calm him for an hour. no one can help us and we, too, like, wayne, are being told to let it run its course. come to find out, the product was tested on only 470 dogs. also, the flea actually has to BITE the dog before it is killed, it doesn't die on contact like the topicals. the old saying is true..."if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

lisa May 22nd, 2008 03:17:00 PM

I was going broke buying the flea treatment from my vets, buying Adams Flea spray & Adams Flea shampoo from my local pet store for my 90 lb. GSD, so this month when I was at wits end on spending the money on Advantage, or Frontline my vet told me about Comfortis. He said they just got it in & the people who tried it said it was the best flea treatment they have ever used. So I got one. I read up on it, getting the FDA approval was one plus with me. So I gave it a try. I had no idea my dog had so many fleas on her. She was on my bed and I about fell over when I saw what came off of her. My dog has no thad problems, in fact I called the vets and told them that for me this is a wonder drug. I went back a bought more. I live in NE Florida where fleas are all year round NO matter what you do and how much you clean. My dog hasn't scratched in almost a month.

nlc May 23rd, 2008 02:12:00 PM

Hi, Wayne again to let all know that our dog will be fine and that we are in the process of weaning him off of the phenobarbital at the moment with no more seizures so far. He will be completely weaned by mid-June and I will report in one more time at the end of June after we are seizure free. We may try Promeris (another new flea product) after that, any opinions on it would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Wayne May 25th, 2008 10:27:00 AM

My Viszla took comfortis 7 days ago, everything went fine flees are gone. 3 days ago a dog bit him at Kennedy-Coconut Grove-Miami (4 blocks from my house) and had to have 7 stitches on right-rear leg. A few days later his r-r-paw swells to twice it's size, Vet assumes it was an insect or something, gets the pus out and gives antibiotics and now 2am the dog can't walk! He uses his bad r-r-leg but can't use his LEFT-Rear_leg!!! Now I'll be googling all night to see if comfortis is the culprit, and tomorrow or shall I say later on today back to the Vet. Get informed. BTW neither frontline or advantIX where doing any good. Fleas HAVE adapted.

fernando May 31st, 2008 01:32:00 AM

I GAVE MY YORKIE AND MY SCHNAUZER COMFROTIS YESTERDAY AND FLEAS WERE GONE WITHIN 30 MINUTES. HOWEVER, MY YORKIES AS A POWDERY RESIDUE ON HER FUR, DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THIS IS COMMON WITH COMFORTIS?

Becky Hardee June 1st, 2008 04:22:00 PM

I just purchased Comfortis from my vet for the new pug I just adopted. I got him from an animal shelter and he was flea infested and I can't bathe him for a few weeks. I am going to give it a try because I have another housepet and I don't want those things all over the place. I live in the Tampa Fl area. We live on an acre which we keep mowed. About every six months or so we spray NYLAR mixed with malathion according to directions from the house out about 20 -30ft and this does the trick for adult and eggs and larae. We just keep the dogs off of it for a full 24 hrs.

g. dunkerley June 6th, 2008 02:16:00 PM

just a follow up. the comfortis has run its course through our dog. he is better, but i will be sticking to a topical. the pills now have me scared.

lisa June 10th, 2008 10:20:00 AM

After a bad infestion and alot more $$$not to mention the time spent with multi house, yard & dog treatments, I put my 2 female rotti /shep mix on Comfortis last month, they are flea free and no reactions to the drug...I checked a few web sites last month and you can buy online...but, as of this month a RX is now required..go figure!! I can also purchase at the SPCA for about $11.00 a pill, expense. yes....but well worth it.

Yvonne Phillips June 21st, 2008 09:13:00 AM

I have a 90 lb. . German Shepherd and 2 Pembroke Corgis and various cats. I had been using Advantix or Frontline until this year. My problem is that I live in central New Jersey where Lymes
disease is a real issue for both dogs and people. The shepherd has developed flea bite allergies and we find the Comfortis works REALLY well for him. What do I do about the tick issue? Comfortis only works on fleas. Can one safely use Comfortis with Frontline or Advantix? I can't seem to find anyone who has used it. The drug insert on the Comfortis says it can be used safely with other flea & tick products, but that is a bit vague for me. Any body know?

Lindsey Taylor June 29th, 2008 10:40:00 AM

I Nematoade my yard and use Flea Busters in side. Nothing toxic in or on my girls! Guess what no fleas either. I brush them everyday to check and have a bottle of 50/50 lemon juice and water next to me just incase I do see one.

Billie Danford July 7th, 2008 08:38:00 AM

I had been using Advantix with a Capstar tablet once a week on my Penny,a Rhodesian Ridgeback for awhile. We live in Ocala, Florida in a rural area (on almost 4 acres) with lots of fleas and ticks and lots of feral cats and other critters. On a monthly basis I would have the groomer bathe/dip her and I would fog the house---I tried very hard to keep our home and surrounding area pest free. On June 2, 2008, my vet recommended Comfortis, since it seemed that the Advantix was not as effective anymore. The fleas were gone immediately and she was no longer scratching. On July 3rd, she had a seizure --- the first ever and within an hour she died. I do not know if Comfortis had anything to do with this, but after reading the different comments regarding Comfortis, I am beginning to wonder. Penny was an indoor dog, she was approx. 120 lbs and was approx. 11 years old. Ironically, On July 2, I purchased another Comfortis pill, but never gave it to her. Any thoughts/comments would be appreciated.

Margaret July 8th, 2008 01:11:00 PM

We have a 22lb Weiner dog, a 58lb Basset, and a 56lb mixed Rodesian-hound. We have a SUPER-VET, and we have used most of the flea/tick prevention/killers that everyone else has mentioned. We have used it for 3 months on the 2 larger dogs with not negative results. It is the VERY best thing we have found. And, it makes life tough for mosquitos as a bonus! We live in Ocala, Florida and our property is adjacent to a nature park that has raccoons, possums, and field mice. COMFORTIS has STOPPED our flea problem.
I found that it is offered for sale from EntirelyPets.com, a Canadian site. It is about $11 per month for the chewable Comfortis. It also come in a 120lb sice for about $11 per pill, and since it is a chewable we should be able to split one of the 120's and give each of our 50+lb dogs a half, which cuts the price to $5.50 per month. We called Lilly about spliting them, and a "Vet" there said you couldn't do that. I took into account that he is more likely a sales person, because how could we stop our dog from chewing in half a pill for a 60 pound dog before swallowing it????
I'm going to clear that concept thru my SUPER-VET, but my instinct says the Lilly guy was really a salesman!
We plan to order from EntirelyPets.com and continue on the wonderful medication until we have reason to stop - and only after our SUPER-VET says to stop.

Rusty Justin July 16th, 2008 02:09:00 PM

Not so fast!

http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/jul08/080715b.as...

Stick'n To Frontline July 16th, 2008 04:19:00 PM

To Lisa and Margaret:

Please read another part of this website about the effects of Comfortis when given to dogs taking ivermectin. It's titled something like "Two Titans clash"... I found these sites when I did a search on comfortis on Yahoo.

Apparently the effects can be serious. Lots of people give ivermectin for heart worm control.

Nancy T.

Nancy T July 17th, 2008 11:12:00 PM

We now use Comfortis for our Pomeranians. We DO vacuum, sweep wash and clean....and live in central Florida. We and our vet had tried everything - and yet the fleas continued. We do have a cat - it has NEVER been outdoors - and had a tape worm related to the fleas we could not clear from our dogs. Our dogs are bathed weekly. The fleas problem here is NOT due to our lack of cleaning, vacuuming, bathing, etc. Our yard is treated for fleas and other pesky varmints! So - we are thrileed to have found COMFORTIS. Our dogs have no ill effects when the medication is administered.

Ali July 21st, 2008 08:06:00 AM

I have four dogs.My yard and my dogs were infested with fleas.I have used frontline and advantix and didn't get good results.I do mow,vaccum,and bathe them regularly but nothing was workin.A friend of mine suggested comfortis said she had great result with it and absoutely loved it.She said it was expensive but worth it.So I just started my dogs on it 2 days ago,so far no side effects but it is still early.I can say that the fleas are gone. I am absolutely amazed at how well it is working.One of my dogs is white and I could see the fleas everywhere so bad and now I can't see any.I am happy with it right now if anything changes I will update.I have read some bad things about it and hope that nothing happens in the future.Like the person who lost their baby a month after taking comfortis,I am so sorry for them and pray it doesnt' happen to my babies.

daneenys August 8th, 2008 06:25:00 PM

Hello, I promised that I would update in June but didn't realize that it would take longer to wean our dog off of the phenobarbital. He is doing great and has not had a seizure for some time. He has been off of the meds for over a week now and is doing great. We got Promeris BUT hesitate to use anything at this time other than bathing and since we survived Hurricane Dolly here in south Texas the ariel spraying for mosquitoes has killed almost eveything unfortunately but no fleas. It appears that dogs that are seizure prone or hypersensitive are more likely to respond in a negative manner to the comfortis. It is unfortunate that we cannot use this product ever again because it definately took care of the fleas. Good luck everyone, on your comfortis journeys!

Wayne August 10th, 2008 09:54:00 AM

We just started using Comfortis in our clinic last week. We gave it to our hospital dog, (5 years old, mixed breed, NO history of any health issues.) This weekend he had a severe seizure. He is not on Ivermectin, and he is not epileptic.
I have been searching online all morning regarding the prevalence of seizures as a side-effect of Comfortis, and cannot find anything in "official" literature, only anecdotal cases from clients. But I am now extremely wary of Comfortis, and will not recommend it to our clients, even though we now carry it instead of Program.

Leigh September 8th, 2008 01:00:00 PM

I gave my dog comfortis this summer for the first time and she had a seizure, her first that i know of, about one week later. I took her to a vet and she did not think it was caused by comfortis, and did not find anything wrong with the bloodwork. I will not give her comfortis again. So for no more seizures.

barbara September 17th, 2008 02:29:00 PM

I started this summer giving my Brittney Spaniel (2years) and Springer Spaniel (14 years) the comfortis flea pill. The Brittney throws up within an hour (website says this is an ok side effect) and continues to do so after 4 months of treatment. After treatment on the 4th month my Spingers health is worsening each day. The side effects are almost killing her. Before the 4th treatment she was showing minimal normal aging problems. The side effect after taking comfortis is heavy panting 15 - 20 minutes after any little bit of movement, blank stare, excessive drooling, major weight lose (14 pounds in 3 weeks). I will never give it again. Maybe there should be restrictions for older pets.
The website does not report the side effect on my older dog but other website do. The vet does not understand nor knows what to do and can only blame the dogs age.

teresa October 30th, 2008 07:58:00 PM

that comfortis is a horrible thing when causes distress to small dogs. My yorkie was so sick for two days each of the two times i tried it on her. although it did get rid of the fleas, and did not make my 85 lb lab sick I will NEVER use it on my little dog again. not worth it, and it makes me angry when all you read on web says it is so great, the fact that it was not fully tested really makes me angry. Never again.

anna November 19th, 2008 12:14:50 AM

BAD BAD REACTION TO COMFORTIS FOR MY LITTLE MALTESE, I THOUGHT SHE WOULD DIE. MY VET SAID IT IS COMMON FOR LITTLE DOGS TO GET SICK, VOMIT, DIAHERRA, ETC AFTER IT BUT TO SEE YOUR33fwb SMALL BABY SHAKE AND SHIVER IS JUST NOT WORTH IT AND YOU WONDER WHAT IS IN IT AND WHAT PAIN THEY ARE FEELING. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE. BACK TO FRONTLINE OR ADVANTAGE FOR ME.

jacklyn November 19th, 2008 12:18:49 AM

I gave this horrible Comfortis to my English Mastiff 8 month puppy and he has never been so sick! He has vomitted, has experienced very low energy, loss of appetite....HORRIBLE My dog is sick. Never again. They need to take this product off the market until they study and fix the horrible side effects.

lili November 23rd, 2008 09:14:00 PM

I have been giving my 10 yar old mixed breed dog compforis since September. She underwent a minor laser surgery, changed her dog food and started taking comportis all in the same month. We have ruled out the surgery as a factor to her vomiting. We have not completely ruled out the food or the comportis. As we have been reading here, a lot of others are experiencing the same vomiting that we are. I know that this sound gross, but could somebody please explain what the vomit looks like. Our dogs' vomit is almost orange color and thick, the thickness kind of like what syryp looks like. Could this be the comportis causing this? She vomits about every 7 -10 days, and when she does, it's usually about 2 times during that occurance. Just looking for some info as to if we should stop the comfortis.

Toes November 30th, 2008 03:39:45 PM

Hello, I adopted a black lab 2mths ago, Roxy. Roxy is now 7mths old (about 36lbs) on Nov 14 we gave her the first dose of Frontline Plus. She must've picked up fleas somewhere b/c early December we found fleas in our home. On Dec 6 we gave her the 2nd dose of frontline (with Vets permission) along with a Capstar. We believe we picked the fleas up from a relatives house, their dog hadn't been on any flea control. Now my relative is going to babysit my dog and she has given her dog Comfortis. I'm trying to find out if it is too soon to give my dog Comfortis. Again it's been 2wks since her last dose of Frontline Plus. I don't intend to give her both monthly, it'll be one or the other and being that Frontline isn't doing the job I want to try Comfortis. Any advice would be welcomed since I'm a new dog owner this is all new to me. BTW, We have done borax around the house, constant vacuuming, washing her towels and things. Thanks! Sandy

sandy December 19th, 2008 09:14:34 AM

We have been using comfortis for about four months now.  We have a ten year old Yokie who was miserable with fleas.  We tried Advantix, Frontline, nothing worked and now he is flea free and no scratching.  We live in Bayou Vista Texas 4 miles from Galveston and the fleas have been horrible since hurricane Ike.  Everyone here is using it and no bad reactions that I know of. Our little guy can sleep threw the night without scratching himself crazy.

Dawn December 27th, 2008 12:55:03 AM

We live in Alachua florida and love to go hiking thru the woods. We used Frontline for our Rhodesian Ridgeback until she had to be put down at the age of 13 and it worked fabulously for her, no fleas or ticks EVER. But now we have rescued 2 chocolate labs and couldn't seem to control the fleas. The vet tech suggested Comfortis, and oh my gosh the fleas are just gone. No bad side effects, they have been on it for 2 months. But as someone else questioned can we use Frontline along with Comfortis, I ask because since we hike alot we just pulled off a tic off of each dog, grose! Frontline would protect against the tics but we don't want to give them too much drugs. I can't seem to find any other tic prevention. So any suggestions, we don't want to stop the Comfortis but taking tics off the dogs is just too grose. We brush and bath them but they keep getting attached.

Karen December 28th, 2008 09:13:38 PM

Those of you who think that "resistence" is just owner noncomplaiance, I assure you it's not always, if at all.  For a few years we've been treating occasional flea invasions with *just* Advantage or Frontline, no heroic measures, and they cleared up right away.  June 2008 was different; we hadn't seen fleas in about 8 months, but they popped up fast in June.  Tried Frontline: NO response.   Vaccuumed every surface in our house, washed every piece of cloth, bathed all the dogs thoroughly and bought the dogs flea collars, and bought Frontline from a different source.  Still no improvement.  Tried Advantage.  Nothing.  The fleas this year were unconquerable.  I'm still fighting them. 

I think it might be the feral cats who keep bringing fleas back now, but I don't know how to deal with that.  Or maybe they're just having a terrible infestation themselves similar to what we're dealing with in the poor dogs.

Galadriel January 9th, 2009 10:31:55 PM

This product works wonders, I have a black lab with flea allergies. Before this pill my dogs skin would flake and he smelled horrible. According to the vet it was all caused by fleas. Since comfortis I haven't seen a single flea on my dog or in my house. He smells better and has time to play rather than scratch and chew on himself all the time. I definately reccomen d this product to every dog owner.

Cassandra Pickell January 14th, 2009 08:46:24 AM

My dog, a 3 year old Affenpincsher, had a very bad reaction to his second dose of Comfortis. I will not give it to him ever again. The first month he vomited the day after dosage was given. It wasn't completely clear that is what caused it, but it was likely. The package insert said that's a pretty common side-effect, and usually diminishes with subsequent treatments. 

Well, the second time I gave it to him (about 3 weeks ago now), he had it at about 8 AM with breakfast. At 11:30 AM I was stepping out of the shower, and he walked up to me slowly and layed down at my feet. Never had he behaved like that. He's a toy terrier, so usually so energetic and playful and scampering around playfully. He then stretched his neck and raised his head up high, sort of looking at me and then at the ceiling. He was very lethargic, but still responsive. He lay in my lap listlessly and kept stretching his neck and raising his head. He didn't seem to be having trouble breathing, but I was alarmed by this strange behavior, and his general manner. I paged the vet (it was on a Sunday) and she said to give him time, but if he became unresponsive to take him to the emergency room (which is less than 5 minutes from our home). 

He lay on my lap and I was reassuring him and cuddling him, and about an hour later he seemed to be getting better, and by midnight he was almost back to normal. The next day he seemed fine. 

Two weeks ago my boyfriend said "he's getting FAT!", and indeed I had noticed that he'd seemed heavier... we weighed him several times (standing on my scale with him and without him in our arms), and he weighed 13 pounds. That is 2 pounds gain in less than a month. And it coincided with the Comfortis treatment. Now, two weeks later we weighed him again and he is back to 11 pounds. So, I think that he had a bad reaction to the Comfortis and maybe it damaged his kidneys or liver, and he was retaining fluid... food and exercise would not do that in such a short time, and he has not had any different amounts of either. I am taking him to the vet next week and will relate this entire episode to her, and will not be giving him Comfortis ever again. 

Please let me know if any of you have experienced anything similar...

Jennifer January 18th, 2009 05:29:56 PM

i live in ne fl with the year round flea problems. topical seemed to loose there punch about a year ago. i started using comfortis worked great. then about the third month (i have two rescues)mysmaller dog had a severe reaction hives swelling and vomiting called the vet was able to control it with benedryl but i am to nervous to use it again not worth the risk. but my other dog does fine wonder if it to much for smaller breeds?

susie February 7th, 2009 09:05:22 AM

Don’t trust Comfortis. I had 2 dogs of different breeds that developed a small flee problem. One dog (golden retreiver/labador mix) was 11 years old and the other 10 1/2 years old (doberman/german shephard mix). Both dogs in very good health other than a newly developed small flee problem. In fact, other than the newly developed flee problem the vet said verbally that these dogs are healthy and will live forever. They suggested a new flee product called Comfortis. I bought 6 treatments for each dog. The flee problem did seem to go away quickly HOWEVER this is when many other health problems developed. The first signs from both dogs was a lack in appetite. Then one dog developed a very bad salivation problem. I was just into the 3rd dose for each dog when the problems became worse in both dogs. Both dogs had a very significant weight loss and became very lethargic, vomiting, excessive salivation. I looked for answers from every direction, the dog food manufacturer to see if any change was made in their recipe to something that could have gotten into the yard to any new medications. This is where I discovered that Comfortis could have been the major problem in their rapid declining health. Both dogs, of different breeds, developed 7 of the possible 10 listed side affects listed on the Comfortis warning. I was told by the vet that I had to let the dose run its course as there was no way of getting Comfortis out of their systems. All I could do was just watch their health decline as the vet told me they could do nothing. I called the 800 number for Comfortis and was also told that the medicine just had to run its course. 2 different dogs developed the exact same symptoms listed on the Comfortis warning list at the same time. The vet actually still did not admit that Comfortis could even be a possible reason for their declining health and said they must have gotten hold of something in the yard like a squirrel or a rabbit or something. One dog developed what I’ll call seizures near the end and died just after the 3rd dose of Comfortis. The other dog died just 4 days later. The day before the 2nd dog died I took him to the vet where they ran blood and urine test. I’m not a medical person and don’t remember the exact terms but they compared his blood work from just 3 months earlier and the decline in the blood cell numbers were unbelievable to even the vet. In my opinion, Comfortis is a POISON. Be very careful about this product. If your dog has flees, give your dog a good old fashion flee dip. Flees are on the outside of your dog, NOT on the inside of them. pbloom@northgeorgiaauto.com

Phil February 15th, 2009 02:12:19 PM

We live in south florida and have had a hard time with fleas on our two chihuahuas, they are 11 and 12 years old. Have tried the outdoor and indoor spaying and house cleaning and Frontline spray on them. We were excited when our vet told us about Comfortis 5 months ago. They had good results with it and said it was safe and the fleas weren't resistant to it. Was great at first-fleas just disappeared. They did seem sleepy when they got the pills with food, but perked up in a couple of days. That was until the dose in the 6th month. The 11 year old dog coughed so badly I was up for two nights with her. She has a foamy white salivation around her mouth when she coughs and seems to be out of breath very easily. She also has increased thirst and more vocalization. That would be many of the listed side effects. The male dog is also more sleepy, barks more, and had diarrhea after the last dose. I could just look at them and see they do not feel well. I WILL NOT BE GIVING MY DOGS COMFORTIS ANY LONGER. WILL HAVE VET DO BLOODWORK AFTER READING THESE OTHER REACTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE POSTED. PLEASE BE CAREFUL IF YOUR PETS ARE SMALL DOGS (mine are about 7.5 lbs) AND THEY ARE OLDER. I HOPE WHEN THIS DOSE CLEARS THEIR SYSTEM THEY WILL BE OK. I PLAN TO ASK MY VET ABOUT OTHERS WITH PROBLEMS AND IF THEY ARE REPORTING IT TO LILLY WHO IS THE MANUFACTURER!!!!

cynthia February 17th, 2009 02:52:52 PM

I live in South Carolina where fleas seem to have become immune to all the topical treatments including monthly drops, dips, shampoos and sprays.  After a year they even conquered powerful indoor insecticide sprays for the rugs.  Tired of watching my two dogs suffer and being bitten myself, I decided to try Comfortis which my vet had finally decided to try in his practice.  Since it is fairly new, I decided NOT to give it to my 13 yr. old,  40lb. Husky/Spaniel mix for fear that she may not be able to handle any potential side effects.  I did decide to try it on my 2 yr. old, 50 lb. Lab/Rotteweiler mix because of his excellent health and because he was the one so infested with fleas that nothing else could control.  After the first dose on October 23rd, 2008, he thankfully had no serious side effects, only some dry flaky and itchy skin, which was relieved with a shampoo that contained a moisturizer.  His fleas disappeared in a day or two and most were gone from the house after thorough vacuuming and machine washing the dogs' bedding.  I could finally control the few fleas on the older dog by removing them daily with a narrow toothed flea comb.  Given the high cost of a 6 month supply of Comfortis, and the fact that winter was coming, I decided to WAIT until fleas re-appeared on the male dog before buying and giving another dose.  It is now 4 months since his first dose and he still has NO fleas.  I comb 8-12 fleas daily off the female, who he sleeps next to, but I find none on him.  I have not treated the yard, and we walk nightly through our subdivision and through some brushy areas, which is where I know the female picks up her fleas, but they don't come home on the male.  I am not sure how long this preventive medication will last, but I am beginning to think it is much more powerful (and may build up in a dog's system) than a monthly dose would require, which may account for the above mentioned more serious ill effects on dogs given successive doses in the 3rd and 4th month.  Why give another dose if the drug is still in their system and still working to kill or deter fleas?  While the drug company nor the vets will make as much money using this approach, I think it is safer for dogs in the long run.  I am making that recommendation to my own vet.  I will NOT give this drug to my older dog.  I did buy another dose, but based on what I've read above, when fleas finally do re-appear on my male dog, I am going to give him the tablet a little at a time, maybe only 1/4 or 1/3 over a few days, until I notice it has taken effect, so as not to overload his system with more than he may need.  And then I will wait and observe again - hopefully several more months - until I notice any more fleas - before I give him any more of the drug.  This drug has really solved my flea problem, and a $14 tablet that lasts 4 or more months is very affordable, but I do think it is something that needs a slow initial dosage over a few days to avoid shocking a dog's system and then observation of flea management over time to avoid more drug in the dog's system than is needed for adequate flea control.  The company also needs to look at adjusttments to the potency of the weight-based tablets to prevent the tragic results pet owners shared above.

Caryn February 23rd, 2009 11:00:36 AM

I agree with Caryn,last comment... My lab almost 3 was put on comfortis on the last day on Dec.31.of last year 08. He also has bad skin problems an topical flea meds made things worse,thats when we gave this drug A try. He did throw-up,(real clear an fomie)also,did sleeep alot the first few day,Had alittle shortness of breath..but,thank goodness the fleas are gone!...I agree, that the meds should only be give to your dog when you begin to see more fleas. My lab has been flea free with only the one dose given on Dec-31-08 it is now Feb-28-09 and I will also do as Caryn had said, I will give my lab 1/4 to 1/2 A dose over the course of A few days,when and only when I begain to see the pest(fleas)again. Buddy,is A very health 97lbs yellow lab an takes A very high dose,so I will be very very carefull. As should you. I am also very thankfull for all the helpfull comments, but..So Sorry for the heartbreaking losses.

kimbo February 27th, 2009 07:36:29 PM

I live in Clearwater FL and gave my 14 yr old Sheltie his Heartgard on a Monday, and his Comfortis on Thursday, not knowing anything about any of this. . I was told this was a very safe flea preventitive, he is allergic to fleas and will chew himself bloody if bitten, the following Thursday he had uncontrollable seizures off/on for 2 days, back/forth to the vet - we stopped them with pheno and volume - but, he was unable to walk and layed panting on his dog bed until Tuesday when I took him to a neurologist who has now put him on pred and an antibiotic for brain swelling - within 2 days he was able to walk again. His bloodwork, urine, stool, xrays all come back perfect. They want to do a $2,000 MRI because they said he probably has a brain tumor OR a spinal tap because it could be Meningitis and gave him 6 - 8 months to live - that was 1 1/2 weeks ago. He is now almost back to normal . . still swerves when standing still a little and is panting off & on. ?? Now, I find this website @ 11:43 at night and can't call my vet or the neurologist. . .NOBODY asked me about Comfortis . . I purchased it at my vets - 1 pill - so I would think it would be written in his file? I have spent almost $2,000 in the last 3 weeks and taken 4 days off of work - UNPAID - while he couldn't walk. . . I almost put him to sleep the following Monday after the seizures when he was paralyzed. . . Then the neurologist informed be that because of his age he is not a candidate for any procedure for a brain tumor - so the MRI would just be so I would definately know. I am horrified and extremely angry that this FLEA preventative could end my dogs life! He is in perfect health - they can't find anything wrong with him except arthritis . . . This dog has been my "child" for 14 years. He was 6 weeks old when I got him and has eaten holistic food his whole life, had his teeth done, I didn't over vaccinate. . etc. . . I am shocked at finding this! And, so sad that my poor, perfect boy had to go thru this. . .

Jill February 27th, 2009 08:37:58 PM

Has anyone given comfortis to their cats? I have a multi-cat household and this would a lot easier to give to 22 cats some of them live outside as they are rescued and fixed strays - some are just mine that choose to live out in the backyard- the neighbors all have dogs they dont take care of so any toms that wander near their yards bring fleas back but i live in sandy north central florida and it has been years since i had a serious flea problem i can't remember when i saw a flea running on my cat though i do see them scratch from time to time i try to give advantage to everyone at least every other month it's just a long morning of panic and i end up half poisoned throughout the day because every cat has it on their neck and it never fails i stick my face in it at some point during the day i have 2 21 year olds in the house i am nervous to give this to my vet said it would be okay to divide the pills up for the cats but i need some reassurance that this has been given to cats successfully i dont care about fda approval just someone who has done it to their own cats thanks also to people with neighbors with flea ridden pets i have offered to give flea stuff to my neighbors just to help keep the fleas down but that usually causes then to feel bad and run out and get flea stuff so so far so good but it is still an option if you know someone with a bad flea problem every dog that has a product on them is out there killing fleas so it's all good

Robin March 10th, 2009 01:17:41 AM

I bought Comfortis from Allivet.com and haven't had any problems. I've been using it for 5 months. I don't understand why the article said we shouldn't buy from them? 

It's the only place I can buy it from and it's the only thing that has worked...especially b/c I live in an apartment complex that won't take care of the grass (barely mows and definitely won't treat it). 

Karin March 12th, 2009 04:35:10 AM

First off I am deffinatly not dumb but I have a full blooded german shepard and a shep/belgian mix and the female shepard has major flea allergies one flea and she will chew herself til she bleeds, the problem here is its such close quarters that despite the fact I have treated my yard with lyme and had professionals come out the fleas wont go away I can't use topical flea meds on her as it only compounds the problem. Until I found this product last summer ( our vet got some samples to try as well and figured she would be a good one) I was at my witts end our beautiful girl looked horrible for months every year we would literally have to slather antibiotic ointment over half her body on a daily basis I think that comfortis may have saved her within weeks of administering the pill her hair was coming back and she was looking and feeling better than ever, apparently hers is a very severe case. also I only treated her 1 time and it lasted through the entire season til january 09 when I started seeing the same symptoms again and now I con't find a vet that carries it so I have no choice but to buy online.

shellyfrom FL March 12th, 2009 08:35:05 AM

DO NOT USE COMFORTIS! I have a pug and gave her a first dose of Comfortis two weeks ago. That night she swelled up all over and was having trouble breathing. I took her to the ER and they gave her a shot of Benydryl and a steroid shot to counteract the effects. Also 5 days of steroid pills. The swelling went down but she has not seemed quite the same since then. I am still concerned. Anyone know how long the POISON stays in their system? I feel so bad.

Susan from TX April 4th, 2009 12:10:39 AM

Caryn,

I much appreciate your comments and suggestions. I will divide up Daisy's dose over 3 or 4 days. I am trying Comfortis after noticing for myself what everyone else is saying about the decreasing effectiveness of Frontline Plus.  Also after lack of progress after daily vacuumings, multiple daily flea combings, indoor spraying with Suspend SC (following the label directions for application rates,  and taking the dog to town for dinner while it dried with the A/C running) and laundering of pet bedding. 

MK in southern Louisiana

MK in Louisiana April 16th, 2009 07:08:51 AM

my email will change to estge081@bellsouth.net on 4-25-09 please make comfotis available on line i have a dog and two cats all resques can't afford $86.00 for 6 months for only one cat. 561-381-4036 5095 van buren rd delray bch fl 33484

elaine st george April 16th, 2009 10:51:06 AM

I purchased Comfortis last July 08 before researching this product, at the time I could not find enough info however I took percautions before giving it to my 3 Boston Terriers ages 7,8 &9 by only giving them 1/2 dose & my 4 year old mixed hound a full dose (he's twice their weight) no immediate side effects. My decision to do this was because I was afraid of the side effects as the year before April 07 I had given my 14 year old cat Advantage Plus for the first time, as I could not find the plain Advantage. That day my cat was herself; very playful, very heathy never any health problems. Within 1/2 hour she was in distress. She cried, it sounded like she was saying "help me" she had difficulty breathing too. I rushed her to the Vet ER. The vet said he had never seen a cat in such distress & he would do everything he could for her. He was sure it was some type of poisoning but would not agree with me about the Advantage Plus. She died 3 hours after the flee treatment. Needless to say I did not give my dogs the Advantage Plus that year, did all home remedies such as garlic & brewsters yeast, no dip but just flea shampooing. This took up a lot of time daily pills & a weekly bath)& my dogs are inside dogs and didn't have any fleas that summer. So when I heard about comfortis I thought it would be great saving me time. My oldest Boston had a few seizers when we got her as a pup (she was a rescue, previous owner had given her alcohol when she was about 8 weeks old and she had fallen down a flight of stairs) she had about 3 seizers the first 2 years of life and they finally stopped until last year. 2 months after giving her the 1/2 doze of Comfortis she had her first siezer in 7 years, then a second siezer much worse 5 months after the 1/2 doze, which I though she wouldn't make it. I can't prove it was the Comfortis due to the time laspe of giving it to her and her past seizer history; but I will not give it to her again. I have not made up my mind if I will use the remaining dozes I have on the 3 other dogs or not. I may go back to the home remedy routine as I don't trust the topical stuff either. I did purchase Frontline Plus yesterday but may return it to my vet.

Cat April 25th, 2009 09:49:02 AM

OK so BIG dogs... good.

SMALL dogs... bad.

I have two outside dogs in South Florida and could NOT get rid of the fleas until Comfortis.  No reactions.  But they are 50 and 60 lbs.

I hope it's not causing any long term side effects that I can't see yet.  But for now, they are flea/itch free.  

Katharine April 28th, 2009 12:43:22 PM

Re:  Elaine St George

    Comfortis is for dogs only, please do not poison your cats!  If you are having a flea issue with your cats, I have found that Cat Revolution is the safest most effective flea killer on the market for them.  Also kills a lot of other bugs for a reasonable price.

Feline Lover May 4th, 2009 05:55:43 PM

Is it safe to use Comfortis with Frontline?

Richelle May 5th, 2009 02:01:14 PM

I just got a recued Maltese (4-6 Months old) and he keeps scatching his paws and neck and tail all the time. I wan to give Comfortis a try but I am not sure if I should. I keep reading two extream possitions on Comfortis. I have read that it does not harmfull to mammals, but then I read that it can poisen a cat. what the deal? 

New Pet Owner May 7th, 2009 12:09:03 PM

     I put my beautiful and good pomeranian down in late March after he began having uncontrollable seizures, first two a night, and then to the point of one every two to three hours, even on phenobarbital.  I couldn't bear to watch him lose his quality of life and his panting was too unbearable to watch.  He was miserable, and couldn't even do the thing he loved the most: taking walks.   He was 10 years old.

     He was on his third dose of Comfortis when this all occurred.  This is the only website that I could find that is addressing this problem and I found it because I became suspicious of the Comfortis after I read the insert that comes with the meds about seizures.  I don't think this problem is being watched enough and of course the manufacturer and the sales reps who sell to our vets are in complete denial about this problem.  I wonder how many people are losing their pets to this? 

     Yes it worked, it worked so well it killed my dog......

DP in Florida May 7th, 2009 02:09:44 PM

I gave all 3 of my dogs their first Comfortis chewable last night with their dinner.  so far NO reactions or side effects.  one dog is a 1 year old 7 pound Chihuahua, another is a 3 year old mix hound about 80 pounds, my other dog is over 100 pound 3 year old mix pit and lord knows what else.  The pit mix and chihuahua have flea allergies something terrible.  nothing else has worked for them.  so I am desperate.  we live in south Florida, on 1 and 1/4 acre with fish pond, wild life, pet goose and various other critters.  no cats for over a year now.  the chihuahua still will scratch, not sure if from habit or what.  the larger dog had to get a steroid shot also yesterday because of his scratching and sores.  the two dogs with flea allergies have been on allergy medication for over a year and not helping.  so?  I am crossing my fingers and praying all goes well with all three of my babies.  Good luck to all of you who try Comfortis, and those with adverse reactions?  I am curious about that.  I suppose it's the same with most medications for humans as well, some seem ok, others have problems.  who knows? 

Ada May 8th, 2009 09:12:02 AM

We buried our 10 month old beagle, Casey, yesterday.  I gave her the 1st dose of Comfortis on April 6, had no reaction till about 2 weeks later when she had terrible diaherra, and vomitting.  She wouldn't eat and seemed so depressed.  We thought she had just gotten ahold of something in the yard that made her sick.  After about a week she pulled out of it and we never gave it a second thought.  On May 6 I gave her another dose of Comfortis, she started the vomitting, couldn't even hold down water.  She died yesterday morning.  We are heartbroken and I can never forgive myself for poisoning my own dog.  Something needs to be done about this product!

Joan May 11th, 2009 06:17:06 AM

To Joan (above).

I'm sorry for your loss.  Please dig deep into your heart of hearts and know that you did not intentionally poison your dog!  You were most certaintly trying to help her - not hurt her.  You trusted the medicine to help her flea problem.  Rest assured, she knows that you loved her very much and would never have hurt her. 

I too will never use Comfortis again.  I gave Lacey, our 7-month old Cocker Spaniel, Comfortis at the urging of my vet who swears by it and has never seen any serious adverse reactions to any dogs in his clinic.   Lacey was so so sick.  I expected her to vomit 'some' because I read the package insert regarding side effects.  I could have even dealt with it if it were just lethargy.  BUT this dog was SO sick.  She barely lifted her head.  Would not eat for days.  She threw up every day at least once a day and at night in her crate.  It was awful - - clearly as if she had been poisoned.  It took almost 4 days of this before we noticed an improvement.  I too felt I had poisoned her, crying myself to sleep with worry that she would die in the middle of the night.  She did slowly improve after the 4th day.  She is back to normal now, thank God.

When I read these reactions in the above posts, I'm just sickened that so many people are not aware this is happening.  I sent my vet this link and he took a very matter-of-fact position that there are bound to be some dogs that don't tolerate any type of treatment.  In fact, he basically suggested that since Comfortis failed for Lacey that we should not use anything, even topicals.  Hmmm.  I'm switching vets.  His attitude stinks. 

I do understand why you would take a chance on the medication and try it - especially those who are at their wits end with flea infestations in their homes.  A LOT more research needs done on this flea treatment.  So sorry for all of those who have lost pets as a result of using this flea treatment.  SO hard to accept, I'm sure.

Karalie May 12th, 2009 12:51:50 PM

I Gave confortis to UT my collie shepard mix. Three days later he started having seizures. When I took him to the vet he could hardly walk. The Vet ran blood work on him and he was severely anemic and his white blood cells were attacking his system. For two months He had to have blood work run on him twice a week. He was getting iron shots and all sorts of medicine plus I was feeding him almost raw liver and beef when I could get him to eat. My Vet could not figure out what was causing the seizure and anemia and why his blood was attacking his body. He ask me if I had given him anything different or used anything to treat my yard the only thing different was the Confortis. I finally made the decision to  have hm put to sleep to stop the pain. My vet said he could not say his death was or was not caused by Confortis only that it was a new product and that not enough was known about it yet. Confortis took a report and talk to my vet and got all my vet records. I never heard any more out of them. They could careless about the loss of my beautiful best friend tnherring@yahoo.com

PLEASE DO NOT TAKE A CHANCE ON THIS PRODUCT TILL MORE STUDIES ARE DO!!!   

nancy May 19th, 2009 09:09:10 AM

i bought comfortis the other day, hopeful that it was a "green" product.  so glad i have read this before giving it to my dog.  i am going to return  it.   maybe i will just move to canada to avoid fleas altogether.

there MUST be a natural, holistic remedy that works.  lakota is off the charts alergic...

becca May 21st, 2009 10:49:11 PM

On Monday, Memorial Day, my perfectly healthy mixed breed dog, Maybelle, suddenly died.  She was the picture of health and so full of energy and playfulness.  She loved everybody and every dog she met.  I got her about 2 1/2 years ago from a rescue organization.  Rescue is a good word, for she rescued me with her unconditional love and boundless energy!  A little less than two months ago, I decided I should try a different flea medicine on her because the Frontline was not working at all.  She was covered in fleas.  My vet suggested Comfortis.  Now she is dead.  I'm still in shock.  It happened so quickly.  We were in the back yard reading the paper and Maybelle was just being her usualy self - chased a few squirrels for a minute or two, lounged around a few minutes, came over to the fence to bark at the neighborhood dog walking by, barked about four times yelped and fell over on her back with her four legs stiff in the air and her head turned sharply to the side.  She whimpered twice and died.  Just that quick.  Jim was sitting not six feet from her and immediately was at her side trying to do something - anything!  She was gone is less than a minute.  We are devasted and have been crying since her death.  I just don't understand.  Maybelle was so healthly.  She just had her yearly checkup the day I got the Comfortis and I had given her the second dose exactly a month later on May 11, as instructed.  The Comfortis is absolutely the only change in anything given to Maybelle.  She was only about 3 1/2 years old and weighed 24-25 pounds.

I WISH I HAD FOUND THIS SITE BEFORE I EVER GAVE HER THE FIRST COMFORTIS.  SHE WOULD STILL BE HERE AND WE WOULD NOT BE FEELING THE PAIN OF A BROKEN HEART!  DON'T EVER USE THIS PRODUCT!

JG.BOOKWORS@GMAIL.COM

Judy Harrison May 27th, 2009 05:36:09 PM

I live in Central Florida, and this is the first year I have noticed that Advantage is not controlling the fleas on my dog.  I was given a trial tablet of Comfortis by my vet a few months ago, and it is still sitting in the cabinet.   I have been battling the fleas, and several times have been tempted to give the Comfortis to my Shih-Tzu, but each time I think back to this web site, and I can't bring myself to give it to him.  If he were to have a severe reaction to it after me giving it to him knowing what I know, I could never forgive myself.

Donna May 30th, 2009 01:47:42 PM

My dog almost died last night about 2 hours of taking Comfortis.  She was being treated for Demodex with ivermectin.

About 2 hours after taking the Comfortis she became very weak, started having tremors was losing her balance.  We rushed her to the emergency room.  The ER doctors said she is seeing more and more dogs coming in with problems from taking Comfortis and Heart worm medecine together.

If she lives she won't get Comfortis again.

Janis June 1st, 2009 01:56:28 PM

Jennifer,

We too noticed that our female pomeranian gained a lot of weight after starting comfortis but that only lasted a month or two then she returned to normal weight--she's been on it for about a year now with no problems and we also give her heartgard.  No side effects other than not liking the taste of comfortis and spitting it out-(so I have to put it in the back of her mouth and hold her mouth shut and stroke the outside of her neck until she swallows.)  We figured the weight gain was from her being so relaxed and comfortable--the frontline plus and everything else we tried had stopped working and she would dig and bite herself and yelp and cry cause the fleas were so bad --they also would bite our ankles--we treated our house vigorously, etc --nothing else helped until comfortis--the dog got so relaxed ---we thought that was why she gained weight--that and the fact the fleas were no longer sucking her dry.

Carolyn June 8th, 2009 12:14:04 AM

I gave the first dose of Comfortis to my 6 lb. chihuahua and w/i 3 hrs he began having seizures, agitation, and moaning. Took him to emergency overnight vet and left him. Treatments included phenobarbital, valium and other sedatives to control seizures. So far in 15 hrs have spent close to $500 for treatment and still have to return to regular vet for follow up treatment and diagnoses. I had no warning when prescribed Comfortis. Please beware of this product! Apparently it is unsafe!

Connie June 9th, 2009 08:15:43 AM

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences, I'm not going to take a chance with comfortis for any of my dogs.  I also have found that Frontline & Advantage seem not to be effective while still being expensive, so I did some research on my own.  I was shocked to learn that SOAP KILLS FLEAS !!!  I somehow missed this all my life but I know it now.  Palmolive green, and Dawn were recommended to me by a dog rescue lady because they lather well and that's what kills the fleas, non toxic and so cheap by all comparison.   WE also used CAPSTAR on everybody, cats and dogs, with wonderful results and no ill effects.  WE have 9 dogs and 9 cats.  Over the years we have taken in some homeless animals who were abandoned by their owners and they just stayed on when we couldn't find homes for them.  They live outside and do no harm, we just have to spray the yard regularly, clean like crazy people, and disinfect everything every few days or week. 

The only problem we are having is a puppy of over 2 months, soon 3 months but so tiny that she doesn't even move the scale one pound, so she can't take any of the flea shampoo nor a Capstar.  Minimum weight is 2 pounds.  I am trying to fatten her up, food is always availble for her, and we bath her with Palomolive or Dawn.  She got an URI so we had to not bathe her for a week or two.  When we did we actually saw the fleas die and fall off in our hands using just soap.  I'm not going to be using the topicals Frontline nor Advantage for a long time, money wasted for me, I do think the fleas have become resistant to that stuff.

My son asked me how the olden times people took care of their dogs, like in Middle Kingdom Egypt where there are drawings of dogs on the hieroglyphics that look much like Miniature Pinschers and I said, ''Great question''  That started my studying and learning that soap kills fleas.  Clean, clean, clean and it doesn't have to be toxic stuff.  There is also a citris bath you can make with oranges and limes that kills fleas.  I was so amazed at what could be done without expensive, toxic stuff.  We are doing it and trying everything and it's working.  I used to feed my dogs garlic and brewers yeast from the health food store and for some reason I just stopped but now, again, we are doing this.  I swear, it makes a difference also and fleas just aren't on the dogs who will eat those tablets by the handful.  Some of them love it.  We did a quality control test, 4 dogs on garlic and yeast and the rest not.

Regina June 21st, 2009 12:32:48 AM

Well, I gave my Whippet his first dose of comfortis and then found this website.  I Immediately threw a teaspoon of salt into the back of his throat to "upchuck" the pill and his breakfast.  I am sorry for those who have lost their dogs, but thanks for sharing your stories.  His fur is so thin that I'll just find another way to deal with the fleas - he doesn't have many anyway. Lisa in North Texas

lisa in North Texas June 21st, 2009 12:08:20 PM

I give my 20lb Terrier mix her first dose with no noticable side effects. 2 weeks later she was palying with my firends dog in the backyard while we watched, suddenly she seemed to not be able to control her back leg. I thought she got stung by a bee or maybe broke a nail. I couldnt find anything obvious when she threw-up while in some kind a siezure. She was puking and pooping at the same time, then just went limp, laying right in her vomit. I picked her up and brought her inside the house. Her head was hanging/legs were limp. I was sure she was dead. My son(12y.o.) was with us, he has a very strong faith in God and said we should both pray very hard for her to live. So we did, begging for help. Guess what? As i was on the phone to the Vet, my son yelled, shes moving! I ran in and sure enough, she was looking at us, still very sick. My Vet was closed and im hours from the emergency Vet, so we just sat comforting her and within half hour she seemd ok, just very worn out. About 10pm I gave her a bath as she was covered in puke/poop. After she ran down the stairs happy as always. I have been trying to put some perspective to this attack she had by searching the web and found this site. Not sure if its the Comfortis or something else, but as i read these posts, I had a strange feeling there might be some relationship. Im not positive what got her sick, or why she got better, but I just wanted to share our experience. Thanks for this blog

Craig June 22nd, 2009 09:03:27 PM

I have 3 dogs;2 Bichons and one Brittiany. We started all 3 dogs on comfortis in January of this year. My older Bichon, Button began having seizers about 6 weeks later. At first they were mild and maybe one a month, then he was seizing about once a week. When I took him to the Vet, the first thing she did was to call Comfortis who said that they had done a very small study , four dogs, concerning the seizures. They say it only affects dogs already prone to seizures. Button is 10 and he never had one before. She took him off the comfortis and put him on frontline.  We're taking a wait and see approach right now. If he has another one then we'll do the bloodwork and look at an anti-seizure medication.

The drug company was obviously wanting to get this product on the market without adequate studies. Studied with 470 dogs and 4 dogs is just plain irresponsible!

It killed the fleas but at what cost?

Ellen June 23rd, 2009 02:21:53 PM

Did not realize how many other dogs had a bad reaction to this.  Our 2 yr old 60 lb Springer Spaniel threw up after the first dose.  The next month after his second dose he experienced excessive drooling, lifting & stretching his head, blank stares and was very listless.  We thought for sure he was going to have seizure, but luckily did not.  The medicine was given after a full meal too. Our vet advised us to give him some Pepcid.  We called the company to register our reactin and received a full refund from our vet.  NEVER AGAIN will we give this to our dog. 

Kristine June 24th, 2009 09:56:13 PM

My vet has recommended Comfortis for my 9 yr old Springer Spaniel due to lack of results with Frontline and Advantix.  We have always had good luck with those products in the past but, I guess the fleas have become resistant to them.  After reading some of the horror stories I have decided not to try the Comfortis - it is not worth the risk of losing my precious child.  I am so glad I found this website.  Maybe I will try the dish soap and flea comb method.  

Chris June 25th, 2009 09:17:42 AM

My mother is a vet and I work at her hospital.  There is a huge sign behind the Receptionist Desk I sit at that says "COMFORTIS IS NOT FOR CATS" and then has a list of information and requirements for the drug.  

Last night, my boyfriend, who has been using another vet that is closer just for flea medication so he doesn't have to drive all the way to my work, asked me about Comfortis FOR HIS CATS.  His other vet, who also recommended a capstar a day for 14 days, told him he should consider Comfortis for his cats. Clearly, she's an idiot and after reading all these reviews, what kind of vet would prescribe it for dogs even?

Olivia June 30th, 2009 09:51:02 PM

I have a 12 year old Sheltie mix. The vet prescribed Comfortis to control fleas. About two weeks after the first dose my dog lost its appitite, drank excessive water, and was lethargic. I delayed giving the second dose of comfortis because it is to be taken with food. About five weeks after the first dose, the dog's appetite improved and other symptoms were reduced. so a second dose of Comfortis was given. The original symptoms came back and I looked online and saw that they could be a side effect of Comfortis. I took the dog to the vet and blood work was almost normal, but a small amount of blood in the urine. An antibiotic was given and the dog taken home, but no improvement noted. Three days later the dog would not wake up but was still alive. The vet ran more blood work which came back normal, so the vet could do nothing but uthanize my dog. My dog was 12 years old but in perfect health before taking Comfortis, then six weeks after starting Comfortis she was dead. I still feel guilty for giving the second dose, but I did not associate the symptioms with Comfortis until the second dose. I will never give a dog Comfortis or any other flea poison again.

Mondshine July 6th, 2009 03:48:33 PM

I am sooo glad I found this website!  I have 3 dogs that are my husband and my "children".  Thank you to all who took the time to post something.  I am sorry for those of you who lost your precious babies.  But take some comfort in knowing that you have helped several others who have found this website. 

Maddy July 15th, 2009 03:52:29 PM

After moving to Texas, we experienced a severe flea infestation. Nothing worked. Until I found Comfortis. Now I only give it to my 4 dogs when I see a flea or when I know they are going to be kenneled because the fleas are gone. Completely disappeared. None of my dogs have ever experienced any ill side effects from this product and we have been using it on and off for well over a year. My dogs are 20lbs up to 100lbs.

Ramona July 16th, 2009 11:44:55 AM

I have 5 dogs. One is over 40 lb (looks like Benji), one is a mixed dachshund (he probably weighs 20 lb), and three are related, are very old, not sure how old, as I inherited them from my mother, and are mixed, possibly part chihuahua and maybe jack russell terrier. The smallest one - 7 lb - had one dose of Comfortis and is now invalid. Seizures, strokes, you name it. We have to treat her like a newborn, baby bottle included. She can't walk, either. The other one weighs maybe 11 lb. - one dose of comfortis gave him a seizure with white foam coming out of his mouth and extreme shakes. He seems ok now, but I won't give it to him again. No fleas for 3 months, though - I haven't repeated the dose on the small ones. I skipped a month because no fleas, so I figured I would be conservative about repeating the doses. The larger ones seem to be fine after 2 doses. After reading this blog, I may not give it the larger ones any more, either.

Janine July 18th, 2009 07:57:02 PM

Dear Dr. Khuly,

Have you experienced any bad reactions to comfortis in your practice.  We are suffering in southern Louisiana, but I'm afraid of poisoning my dogs given the reported experiences here.  

Thanks!

noladog July 25th, 2009 03:18:11 AM

I've been using comfortis on my terrior, half dose every few months for a year. He did develop sinus problems as of this summer. I gave him bennadryl and he is better. Can someone tell me what is wrong with mixing it with his heartworm pill which contains ivermectin?? I also give comfortis to my nieces 25 lb yard dog, with no problems. But I read in earlier comments about ivermectin interacting with comfortis! Anyone PLEASE?????

john July 31st, 2009 08:20:18 AM

We used frontline on our 2 cats and 1 35 lbs dog for years but got lazy about it and wound up with fleas earlier this year.  The vet told us to switch to comfortis for the dog and gave us a 1 time pill for both cats (I don't remember what it was).  2 months later 1 cat had congestive heart failure and after 2 sonograms and 2 blood clots had to be put down.  My dog now has severe skin peeling like a sunburn on both sides of her only in the hind leg area.  I am not saying that comfortis is the cause for my cat but after reading stuff on the www to try to figure out what is wrong with my dog I have to wonder.   I am going to stop the comfortis on my dog to see if her dry skin goes away.  She has been to the vet 3 times for it twice they gave her an anitbiotic and temaril for the itching.  She stopped itching about 2 mths ago but the dry skin is terrible.  We have moved to a much cooler climate about 2 weeks ago and I have not seen any improvement yet.

Cecily August 22nd, 2009 12:41:09 PM

I am so glad my fiance found this site! After reading all the posts I am very wary of giving this drug to our 2 dogs. One is 160 lbs white German shep f/10 yo. The other is 60 lbs Australian cattle dog (?) f/6 yo. They have both been using Frontline and this year seems to be not helping. My fiance went online to find something that might help with the fleas as they seem to have become immune to the Frontline now. We also have 3 cats that come and go as they please through a kitty door in a basement window but spend most of their time inside. The dogs are inside dogs and go out for walks and to do their business only. We have also done the cleaning etc that others have stated above. After reading Regina's post about the soap, I am going to suggest to my fiance to try the soap instead of this drug. I feel really bad for all those that have lost their pets because of this drug. Those that have lost their pets have any of you thought of putting together a website with photos of your beautiful babies and what you feel has caused their deaths? I think that would be a good way to get the word out more to warn others about this product. Of course, I also know that there are many here that haven't had any problems with this medication. Which I think is great. I think the public should be made aware of the downfalls of this drug as well as the benefit to those that it works well for. The studies definitely fall short for giving the public a full spectrum of what this drug can do to ones beloved pets.

Kaycy September 1st, 2009 01:12:48 PM

I adopted a stray kitten who was covered in fleas.  I had never had a problem before but suddenly my 6 year old German Shepherd was scratching too.  I mentioned it to the vet when I took the kitten in for her shots and the vet allowed me to purchase a single Comfortis pill.  Needless to say, because I purchased a single pill I did not get any packaging with the warning that clearly says not to give this pill to seizure prone dogs.  My shepherd had a very minor seizure causing disorientation when she was about 18 months old and has never had any other seizures.  About a week or possibly two after taking the Comfortis she had a grand-mal seizure while I was at work (which I did not realize at the time but now in retrospect I know she did because I found her covered in her own urine which is completely abnormal for her) and then at the beginning of August she had two major seizures within a 6 hour period.  I never thought of the Comfortis until I started doing some on-line research into dogs with seizures.  I feel horrible that I gave her this pill.  She is now on phenobarbital to prevent further seizures and has not had any other problems.  I think alot more research needs to be done on this product and that veterinarians should not be so quick to recommend this "wonder drug". 

Dog Lover in Florida September 1st, 2009 05:53:30 PM

My vet prescribed comfortis to my shih tzu when he was a puppy.  He took six doses of it.  I do recall him vomitting occasionally, but never associated it with the comfortis pills.  My vet said the pills were more effective against fleas than the topical treatments.  I am a first time dog owner and have never really done research on pet medications.  I just assumed I could trust that my vet would do the research and prescribe accordingly.  I was online looking to buy some more comfortis as I have now run out.  The price was so expensive I wondered if there was a less expensive alternative...so I googled: "difference between capstar and comfortis" and got to this blog.  I am utterly saddened by some of these stories of people losing their pets because they were attempting to make them more comfortable.  Certainly, I will not be purchasing comfortis again and risking exposing my little shih to seizures.  To my knowledge he has never had one, but I am away all day at work...I have never seen one.  Perhaps, like the one poster said, a little goes a long way and the 6 treatments already administered will last through next summer!  Regardless, I have purchased Capstar (OTC) for flea treatment until i can get some more of the Sentinel (Rx only).  Gosh, I hate to ask, but has anyone run into any anecdotal evidence that Sentinel is dangerous as well?  Again, I have already given 6 doses to my shih tzu with, what I can tell, no ill side effects.

Sorry for the losses.  

Margaret in TN September 1st, 2009 07:57:43 PM

I have 2 Shelties, 1 is 12 years old & has IBD, the other is 5 years old & the picture of health. I gave them Comfortis for 5 months. The first 2 months there were no problems at all. The 3rd month they both had mild diarrhea at the same time but I thought it was just coincidence. The 4th month they both had diarrhea & I connected it to the time of month that I gave Comfortis, but I had also given their heart worm meds about 24 hours after the Comfortis so I thought it might be the combination of the 2 medicines.

Last week I gave the 5th dose of Comfortis & my young Sheltie had vomiting & diarrhea (with blood in his stool) & the older Sheltie had an extreme case of diarrhea & loss of appetite. The symptoms last several days, my older dog is still suffering from the effects.

I would never recommend this drug for any dog, any size. I believe it builds up in the system & therefore can casuse a severe reaction even after being quite "safe" for several doses.

Betty September 9th, 2009 08:39:25 PM

I have a yellow lab and he is two. I noticed about four months ago he was covered with fleas. I have never had a flea issue. He is constantly in the pool and I found possibly the topical (Frontline Plus) was not working anymore. I went to my Vet begging for help as then I found he was reacting to the flea bites. He said to try Comfortis but did say it was new and they have not used the product on a lot of dogs but he had given several labs in his office this flea treatment. I tried it not knowing about the side effects and also trusting my Vet. My dog has since been in the ER vet 3 times. 1st episode was vomit and loose stool, but he was active. The 2nd visit was the same reaction. The third time I took him to a separate vet for him as his throat was closing, vomiting, and completely out of it. I never once thought it was his flea treatment... I always assumed he ate something as he is a LAB and he loves everything in his mouth. I have just found this website and am about sick to my stomach as I gave him another dose of his Comfortis. He took it three days ago and has been fine. Is it really the medicine or did he eat something? I am at a lose as I don't want fleas but I also do not want to loose my best fried How do these Vets and drug companies sleep at night, it is not right. If anyone has any other suggestions or a great true and honest vet in Clearwater please let me know as I can not hurt my dog if it is truly this flea medicine. My heart goes out to all the families that have lost their wonderful pets. Why can't they do a news show on this medicine to get the word out??? I never look on websites as I always thought they were just upset people. This site has opened my eyes. Please if anyone knows a better product let me know. my dog is always in the pool and I feel maybe the topical is not the best way. Thank you for your thoughts. Laura  

Laura September 9th, 2009 09:36:13 PM

My 13 year old vizsla Lucy, a very active healthy dog has lost weight and started vomitting since I started her on the comfortis flea treatment. ( She had 3 treatments) She won't eat her dog food any longer and now sleeps a lot. I wasn't sure the reason why she was getting sick, but the comfortis flea pill is the only change I made recently. I will let it wear off and not give her any more, I hope she makes it. She will only eat chicken and rice ( my Vet said to feed her that) now in very small portions and is still loosing weight. I do not think this drug was tested very well, it has too many bad reactions.

Karen from Florida September 10th, 2009 08:12:19 PM

Wow...I've just read through all these comments and am astounded at the reports on Comfortis....I started out just looking for the best price.  So now what do I do?... three small dogs [Schnauzers] with fleas which have been completely victorious over me.  This is what I have done: washed them in flea and tick shampoo, trim their coats, give them drops [ I've tried them all], washed all bedding and powered it, powered the floors and all furniture then vacuumed it up hours later as instructed, sprayed all hard floors and floor moldings, sprayed all 1 1/2 acres of fenced yard...twice [7 days apart].....they still have fleas.....all I can do now is take them on my lap and spry each flea with 'Hartz Ultra Guard home spray'...it works ...if I hold my finger on the wet flea until it dies.  These are clearly a resistant strain....I'm afraid if I don't get rid of them befor winter....they'll get a real hold on our home...if they haven't already...thus the interest in Comfortis which I heard of from the Clemson vets on their segment of the PBS radio show 'Your Day' ....just yesterday....my last hope...now what?

Gael September 11th, 2009 08:01:26 PM

I have a 5 year old, 27lb terrier mix. Her only noticeable side affect to comfortis is constant scratching. She is on her second dose of comfortis. She has hot spots on her legs and a rash an her chest, and her constant itching is driving crazy. Her scratching is worse than when she had fleas! I have bathed her recently and have not changed her diet. has anyone else noticed this reaction in there dog? I had such high hopes for this drug. If it is to good to be true, it probably is.

animal lover in california September 12th, 2009 10:53:57 PM

I got my dog a year ago.  She was 10wks old.  Before she arrived she had been treated with Frontline.  Since then I had given her frontline every month.  Then I noticed fleas on her in June. 

I called Frontline and they said it takes about 24 hours.  24 Hours after the call she still had the fleas. 

So, I bought spray, had carpets cleaned, flea-dipped her, put on more Frontline and bombed the house.  Things seemed fine for a few weeks, then I saw the fleas again.  Vet gave me Advantix which is supposed to repel fleas as well.    Nothing, still have fleas.  :-(

I have to assume that the topicals are not working.

This week-end, it's Capstar, flea bath,and rebombing the house.  I may use the capstar every week or so. 

I am hoping that once cold weather sets in she will be less likely to pick them up when we're outside. 

bansidhe September 16th, 2009 09:05:37 AM

Another potential Comfortis horror story:

My 11 year old Golden Retreiver, Levi, has never had a seizure in his life.  He was given two doses of Comfortis - one in May and one in late July.  Approximately four weeks after the last dose, he began having grand maul seizures, loss of coordination and vision problems out of nowhere.  Unfortunately, after a particularly violent series of unrelenting seizures two days after the first one, he was put down - we were heartbroken.  His blood work was normal (very slightly anemic) and he was very active up until two weeks before his death, during which time he was a little lethargic with a slightly depressed appetite, but functioning in such a way that we never saw this coming.  The vet's probable diagnosis was a brain tumor, but after reading the posts on this sight, I cannot help but feel that he may have been poisoned by the Comfortis.  His only health problems that he had was food / skin  allergies.  If your dog has a compromised immune system, be very careful about what you put on or in your pet!

Dawn September 16th, 2009 06:13:53 PM

I gave Comfortis Flea Pills on Sept. 3, 2009  to my 4 lb. Poodle 6 years old, then on Sept. 9, 2009 I gave her Inteceptor for heartworms,  on Sept. 13 , she was not herself, alway perky & full of life, never sick, she would not go outside with the other pups to use the bathroom.  at 2:30 A.M. Sept. 14 , she had a violent seizure, approx. a minute after that one, she had a second seizure which was more violent than the first, she was screaming as she had this one, not barking, we grabbed her up and carried her to the Emergency Clinic, she started screaming on the way and voided all over me, then she was just whimpering after this, when we got to the Clinic, the Doctor took her and she had another bad seizure, he gave her Valium to stop them, started an IV, and took her blood, her blood work was ok, showing a little dehydration,  he wanted us to leave her for the rest of the night for observation, and to pick her up and take her to our Vet at 8:00 A.M. , that was when they closed, we carried her to our Vet. , he wanted to keep her at his hospital to watch  and let the Valium wear off, we ran some errands and came home at 1:30 P.M. , he called us & wanted us to come to the Hospital, when we got there , he said the Valium had worn off, but she could not walk , eat or drink, she had to be fed by hand & given H20 with a dropper, he said during the seizures she had apparently had a stroke, and her Central Nervous System was extremely damaged,  She was like a soft stuff toy , but awake,  We carried the other pups,(3) Poodles, to see her as we had decided to put her to sleep, she would not be happy living like that, she loved life & was a fireball, when I brought her to the car to see them, she recognized us , and wanted to kiss us, she put her little nose to the pups , but could not like out her tongue, she was paralyzed, she also stuck her nose to my husband & I,  It broke my heart, I put her on the floor of the Vet's office to see if she might walk & she crumpled to the floor like a soft toy , she cold not get up, all the while saying UH,  I signed the papers to put her to sleep.  I cannot prove it, but I think Comfortis killed my baby.  I wish I had found this site before I gave it to her, now I am worried about all of them.  NEVER GIVE THIS MEDICINE , it is poison.

Merle September 20th, 2009 05:05:24 AM

I forgot to add on the above message that , Our little Poodle had been scratching on Sunday before we took her to the Emergency Vet. her sides were red and her right ear was blood shot from so much scratching, what make this such a tragedy, she did not have fleas at this time, it was just a preventive.

Merle September 21st, 2009 12:33:02 AM

Well, I did discuss the messages here about giving the comfortis to our dogs. I still would rather not because it scares me of what MIGHT happen. We did get the Comfortis from the vet. On 9/5/09 I went to the vet to pick up the Comfortis from out vet that my fiance put on hold. I was still worried about using it. I did take it home and hesitated to give it to the dogs but did. I put the pill(s) in a spoonful of canned dog food so they wouldn't taste them. 1620 mg for Sheba, our 60 lb. dog and the 1620 mg PLUS the 140 mg to our 130 lb dog. I went ahead a fed them their regular food as well. (the medication is supposed to be given with their meal.) Once they finished I took them out side to keep an eye on them for any vomiting or seizures. I was really worried because I did READ all these comments. I stayed outside with them for an hour and they seemed to be doing fine. I continued to watch them closely once we came back in and throughout that night and the next day. They were fine. I was very glad our dogs did great on the medication because their reaction to the fleas were so hard to keep watching. Our vet did tell my fiance that they do now have Comfortis for cats. Which we have 3. Of course this has only been the first administration of the Comfortis to our dogs. I will update after their second dosage. One thing that really got us about this medication is the expense! $15.00 for EACH pill! The smaller dosage was the same price as the large ones!. I will update what happens with out cats as well once we (inhales deeply) try it on our cats. All I can say is we all have to be careful with this drug. But we also want to give the best relief to our dogs as we can when it comes to these stronger strain of fleas. My heart goes out to all those that have lost their beloved pets to this medication.

Kaycy September 29th, 2009 11:33:33 AM

I have a 7 month old 19 lb pug female. I have been using Frontline Plus for about 4 months. The first month was great. After that I was seeing a few fleas. I kept using it. Then she started to develop bumps on and under her skin. Her skin started to flake a bit and she has rashes on her front and back "arm pits". Then the bumps started to get crusty. She now has a hot spot on her front leg that is super thick and red. I took her to my vet for a booster shot and told her about my concerns and she gave me a Comfortis pill. I gave her the Comfortis (made by the same company who makes Capstar, which I adore) in a piece of cheese and went about my day. That was two weeks ago and I found one flea laying on top of her coat a few days ago. I hurried up and grabbed it before it could get away but to my surprise it was completly dead. So far this product seems to work. She has had absolutely NO ill side effects or vomiting. The hot spot has now turned white and is starting to disappear. Im hoping this product is "the one". I have a 3yr old and its hard for her not to touch Lola while the Frontline is drying and I have noticed the Frontline also makes her fur hard and wiry. I hope that I am done with topicals forever..they dont work, are too messy, and cause too many skin problems. I have read the article about the Ivermectin reactions with Comfortis. Lola is on Nuheart, which is a generic Heartguard (she tested neg for heartworms so its working) that has the exact same ingredients and in the exact same measurements. I gave her her HW pill about 7-12 days before the Comfotis and I had no problems whatsoever. Maybe people should try to space out their pets meds bc 3-4 days is not enought time IMO. Try 2 weeks in between you pets meds. My vet charged $13 and some change for a single pill and around $70 for a 6 month supply (around $11 per pill). I think I will be going back to get a back up supply.

Aricka October 14th, 2009 07:54:56 AM

I am currently trying comfortis for my great dane. he is 5 1/2 months old and 72 lbs. He recently broke out in terrible hives; tons of them all over his body. He has been broken out in hives for two days straight. I have been told to give him benedryl, but don't know where the hives are coming from???!!!! Comfortis is the only thing that we have changed for him. he still eats the same food, ect. I got him a couple new toys, a kong toy, a rubber toy, and a bone marrow bone from the grocery store (all natural, from the butler guys in the back!). the hives appeared SUDDENLY and i didn't hear any barking or yelping, so it couldn't have been bee stings. DOES ANYONE have any idea at ALL what it could be?? or do you know or heard of a reaction to comfortis like this??? PLEASE HELP! my email is tarynds@gmail.com

I would appreciate any feedback tremendously! I love my baby!

Taryn October 18th, 2009 08:11:58 PM

Taryn: I would ask your vet what he/she thinks is causing the hives because benadryl is is for allergic reactions to something. If it is the Comfortis, you really need to know.

Kaycy October 19th, 2009 02:22:30 AM

Update on our dogs.  They were given their second dosage of Comfortis yesterday with their meals.  So far so good.  I'm glad we tried this medication to rid them of the fleas.  We have to keep the cats on the Frontline which seems to work best for them along with flea collars.  They all seem to be doing much better now.  Even so, we will continue to keep an eye on the dogs for any types of reactions.  For us, so far everything has been going well.  I would suggest this medication to other dog owners but would also remind them to check with their vet and read all they can.  What works for some dogs may not work for all, as we have seen here.

Kaycy October 19th, 2009 02:27:37 AM

I TOO HAVE LOST MY BABY GIRL TO COMFORTIS. I AM SO ANGRY THAT THE VETS ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT IS GOING ON. WHEN YOU BRING YOUR PET TO THEM AND THEY ARE HAVING SEIZURES ,THE FIRST THING THEY SHOULD ASK IS WHAT ARE YOU GIVING THEM FOR FLEAS AND TICK OR FOR HEARTWORMS. MY BABY GIRL WAS ONLY 3 YRS OLD. A BRINDLE LONG HAIRED CHIUAUA. MY HUSBAND SUFFERS FROM PTSD AND SHE WAS HIS LITTLE ANCHOR. I GAVE HER THE PILL 1ST IN AUG NOTICED HER WOBBLING AROUND AND WALKING INTO WALLS. I RUSHED HER TO THE VETS AND HE SAID SHE PROBABLY HAD GOTTEN SOMETHING TOXIC. HE GAVE HER A STEROID AND KEPT HER OVER NIGHT. THEN SHE PEED AND DRANK LIKE CRAZY FOR 2 WEEKS BY THE 3RD WEEK I TOOK HER TO ANOTHER VET THINKING THE 1ST WAS NOT RELIABLE AND HE SAID ,YES IT WAS PROBABLY THE STEROID CAUSING THE EXCESSIVE URINATION.HE SAID LET IT RUN ITS COURSE. BY 3RD WEEK SHE WAS GETTING BETTER.THEN ITS SEPT MY HUSBAND AND I HAS THIS CONVERSATION,SHOULD WE GIVE OUR BABY ANOTHER MONTH OF COMFORTIS OR START HER BACK ON BIO SPOT SINCE FLEA AND TICK SEASON WE HAD A BAD ONE THIS YEAR, WAS ABOUT OVER, HE SAID LETS GIVE HER ONE MORE MONTH,THIS WAS ON A THURSDAY,BY FRIDAY NIGHT SHE WAS HAVING SEIZURES AND COULD BARELY STAND, RUSHED HER TO VETS AT 10:00 PM .HE KEPT HER AT HIS HOUSE ON IV FLUIDS AND SUNDAY EVENING HE CALLED TO SAY SHE WAS DEAD. WHY ,WHY ,WHY ,DID NOT ONE OF THESE VETS ASK ONE ,WHAT WE USED FOR FLEA AND TICK. THIS MEDICINE DOES NOT HAVE ANY ANTIDOTE. IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE ON KILLING YOUR DOG GIVE THEM THIS POISON.  

brenda October 21st, 2009 05:20:29 AM

My Vet here in Tampa Fla recommended Comfortis for the fleas for my little maltese/shit-zu mix named Lacy and she just turned 11 years old in Sept.The first 2 pills were ok and now I gave her the 3rd one and thats when all the problems started.She had the pill and the next day she no longer acted like herself, she had a complete personality change , no more toys playing and running and playing,she laid in her bed constanly and would not even want to go outside.last night she wobbled and went around in circles and fell on her side on the grass and she could not get up.I picked her up and we went to bed and she was ok and now its night time again and she is starting to shake some, I have to call her Vet in the morning and see how soon can we come in..I am really mad , how could you as Vets and not knowing how this posion would react on ALL dogs, I am guessing it was all about the money you all stood to make off of us as our beloved pets suffer....My vet gave me a $42 refund on the 3 pills and look I have my beloved pet who acts like she had a stroke..and all they can think of is more money for another vet office call and all the testing ...COMFORTIS is a DANGEROUS DRUG and IF YOU LOVE YOUR DOG< do not give it to them..

Judy Oliver October 26th, 2009 09:51:03 PM

I've been using Comfortis for about six months on my five pound toy poodle. He gets the ProHeart 6 injection. So far he hasn't had any negative reactions, although he has whined a bit and his neck has seemed to hurt him afterward. I wasn't sure if this was the drug, though, or just because of the way I held his head back so he would take the pill. He's very tiny and fragile and doesn't like to take pills, so when he struggles a lot it's difficult not to accidentally strain his neck by holding him in place. :(

My three larger dogs just had their first dose of comfortis last week and none of them have reacted poorly.

I'm very sorry for all the losses on this page. It makes me hhesitant to give my dog any more comfortis, as I love him dearly and would be devestated if he were to pass away. However, he's had no trouble with it... and comfortis has been the only thing that's worked for him.

I work at a vet clinic and our clients all love comfortis. We've had no complaints; we've actually run out of it and many people are on a waiting list to get some.

Katie November 1st, 2009 08:38:52 PM

We've been giving Comfortis to our three dogs (mutt, min poodle, std poodle) for six months now.  They have had no fleas and no side effects.  Before, my family was getting eaten with fleas and it seemed hopeless and we didn't enjoy our dogs.  Comfortis has worked wonders for us.  We live in the Houston/Galveston area and fleas are horrible year round.  My sympathies go out to all who have suffered from this drug, but it has worked for us.

Patrick November 5th, 2009 08:09:35 AM

Caution about Comfortis! My 9 yr old Bernese Mountain Dog mix "Benny" began Comfortis, along with my other9 yr old Shepherd "Thea",in March 2009. Both dogs are vetted annually with heartwork prevention and usually have Frontline until Frontline became ineffective last year for the flea prevention.Benny was lethargic for 3 days after each monthly dose -I decided to remove him from Comfortis after his last dose June 2009. In late August he began having some minor coughing and some drooling that was not normal for him but would come and go. Then, by midOctober he bgan coughing more with a choking action on occasion and a week later severe vomiting and could not keep food down. Per a vet visit with a new vet , he has possible damage to the pyris of his stomach that caused his esophagus to become useless and thus the coughing/gagging/vomiting and loss of appetite. Thismost likely would be fatal without medicine to help the pyris work again, thus . Thea now has coughing as well, so must have her checked. The common link is the switch to using Comfortis and strongly believe it caused the sudden decline in at least one of my dogs to this date due to everything I have researched in the last 2 weeks about this product. Be careful! Alert the manufacturer and other dog owners of these occurrences!

Sarah November 8th, 2009 12:59:29 PM