Adverse Reaction to Promeris (Flea Control) - Page 5

I am the mom of a 7 year old Golden Retriever and a 5 year old Siberian Huskey.  Last month my husband returned home from the Vet with thier flea medication and instead of our usual Frontline, he was given ProMeris.  He was told that this was the best product on the market. HA! I beg to differ....

The first time we used it, we didn't see any problems except the horrible smell. We were told that it would only last for half an hour if we administered the product outdoors; which we did. Unfortunately, it lasted much longer than 30 minutes. Try all day and part of the next.  This is not my main concern, however.

This month I made the trip to the vet to purchase the product. I was asked how much Zeek weighed (he's our Huskey) and I told her that he was around 48 lbs last time we were here (a month ago). She had just finished with another customer before me who was having a flea problem and explained to me that it is better to have more medicine than not enough; she then gave me the 55-88 lb dosage for both of my dogs. Now, Zeek's weight has been known to fluctuate because of the medication he is on to control his seizures. I should also explain that the only side effects of his seizure medication has been excessive hunger and thirst. But I digress...

Since applying the second dosage of ProMeris yesterday morning, Zeek has been extremely lethargic, disorientated, and has had a strange twitching in his back left leg. He must think this is strange too because when his leg begins to twitch, he looks at it with utter confusion. He is still eating and drinking water which is good. Today he is better although, he is still quite lethargic. He doesn't seem like himself at all. Normally, he is hyper and very vocal when my husband returns from work; this has not been the case since yesterday.

I asked my vet if they were going to continue selling Frontline and they said no. Today I went in for a visit and was told that they have been getting a lot of complaints about adverse reactions on some of their clients. My question is this, why continue using a product that you know is causing the animals to become ill?? 

From what I have read on this site, I will never use ProMeris again and I will be shopping for a new vet. I have called ProMeris and placed a complaint. (HA! While typing this post, a ProMeris commercial just came on t.v.) I was told that he could have ingested the product by licking it off my other dog. They apparently are getting a lot of complaints as they have an entire department devoted to adverse reactions.

I would like to try a more homeopathic flea control.  I have read your posts about garlic etc...thanks for the information and I'm glad I stumbled upon this site.

All I can say is NEVER AGAIN!!

I found an interesting article about Amitraz overdose in children, one of the active ingredients in promeris.

<a href="http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/449342">article</a>.

Dont feed nor uses any insecticides on them unless you are willing to do it yourself..just my two cents.......

Add me to the list of people who assumed something being sold at the vet's office was safe.  I didn't take the time to research ProMeris and am very sorry.  Unfortunately, my dog was the one to really suffer.  I have made a webpage of what happened in an effort to warn others.  Am also switching to more natural flea control methods.  (Links included).  http://hometown.aol.com/janey1098/ProMeris.html

Janey Darnell, Forsyth, MO

I have 2 dogs that have reacted adversely to promeris.  One is an Austrailian cattle dog, and the other something like a Carolina yaller dog.  They exibited classic symptoms to pesticide poisoning.  I will never put this product on again.  I thought I was going to lose them both on the day it was applied, unfortunately a Sunday so no vet available. There isn't much you can do for it anyway other than supportive care.  Like many of the other instances on this subject the problems resolved in about 24-36 hours. 

I absolutely love Promeris!  I have 2 gsd, 3 great pyrenees, a collie (who has demodex) and a pomeranian along with various foster dogs. I also have 16 cats (including foster cats) which I have used it for.  I have no luck with Frontline Plus for fleas and it doesn't kill ticks until they bite. Promeris paralyzes their mouths so that they can't bite. I have had no adverse reactions.  When Frontline Plus came out, there were problems with it too. 

What "medication" doesn't have some sort of a side effect in at least some people.  Animals are like people.  Some are more sensitive than others.  When a person begins with a new medication the side effects are more apparent and then gradually go away. 

Promeris also works miracles for demodectic mange!  My collie (collies can't be treated the old fashioned way with ivermectin because they are sensitive to it) had to go through dips of amitraz (which is in Promeris) weekly and then biweekly.  She was beginning to have it come back and Promeris has kept her cleared up.  I also have used it on 3 foster dogs for demodex and it has cleared them up. 

If anyone gives heartworm prevention to their dogs, do you know what Ivermectin is?!  If Promeris is poisonous, then Heartguard should be considered so too... As should wormers.  But who wouldn't deworm their animals? 

I used promeris on my two pups, (4 &13 years old). Within an hour all 3 of us were knocked out for hours, followed by days of feeling ill. As far as the company using the excuse of "the animals must have ingested  it", I can assure them that I in no way licked my paws, or ingested promeris in any way.  I  have used advanage and frontline for years, with no reaction whatsoever. I always apply without gloves.  I feel blessed that my babies did not suffer more then they did.

A little mutt (probably part Shiba Inu) took up with my dad 6-7 years ago. This dog was feral, so Dad hired a professional trainer to help him socialize the dog and teach her basic obedience. The trainer fell head over heels in love with the dog, and when Dad died, the trainer took the dog.

Yesterday the trainer called, devastated, to let me know that the dog had died. At her vet's recommendation, she had switched from Frontline to ProMeris. She applied ProMeris for the first time on Tuesday afternoon. Wednesday morning, while she and the dog were taking their first walk of the day, the dog suddenly collapsed, seizing violently. She convulsed hugely for about a minute -- seizures so strong that her body actually came off the pavement. Then she died.

The trainer has worked with dogs, breeding and training, for more than 30 years. She absolutely knows how to apply flea medication properly. She presently has no other dogs in her home, so the dog didn't lick ProMeris off another dog. There is little chance that the dog ingested the drug. The proper dose was used, it was applied properly, and less than 24 hours later an otherwise healthy dog was dead.

It's possible ProMeris was not at fault, that this is just coincidence, but given that this dog had no history of seizures yet died from a seizure soon after receiving a drug known to cause seizures, it's suspicious. The dog's body has been sent to a medical school for necropsy.

Please let me know if anyone else are experiencing similar symptoms and how did you treat your babies. Thank you.

www.pedigreedatabase.com/gsd/bulletins_read/214687.html#214746

I don't care what breed it is my vet still won't recommend it and won't carry it and won't even give a prescription for it.  There have been too many issues with toxicity that don't involve ingestion and they include lethargy and death.  What they didn't include to his satisfaction was an acceptable reason such as an issue with the dogs health.