My dog has started biting at the air some days excessively also chewing on his feet. I brought him to the vet, they did not really know what it was, said could be seizue, gave a seizure med and told me to keep an eye on ii. I t started a week after applying frontline, they told me that would not do that, but last summer when on topical also did it but not nearly as much. Any input would be greatly appreciated!!
Hi @Phyllis The following link might be of interest to you. https://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedail...biting-it-seizure-or-digestive-disorder-33881 If I were sensing a correlation between frontline and a neurological condition in my dog, then on the basis of risk aversion I would try an alternative treatment for fleas.
@Phyllis are you looking for a product to treat fleas or prevent ticks? With fleas, you don't need to treat preventatively - just treat when you see a flea. (For me, in the last 15 years, that has been 3 times. How many pesticides I've avoided plastering on my dogs, I'm not sure...). And if you do need to treat for fleas, treating with Capstar (which kills all adult fleas) and then a few days later Program (which kills all eggs or developing larvae) should do you. With ticks, it's harder because the only oral tablets there are, are also associated with neurological issues and seizures - the FDA has a warning out at the moment about products like Bravecto and Simparica: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterina...-and-veterinarians-about-potential-neurologic The issue is that these products (including spot-ons like Frontline) work by affecting the nervous system of the tick. So, in some dogs, they can also affect the nervous system of the dog - causing seizures. Personally, if I had a dog prone to epilepsy or seizures, I would not use any flea or tick treatments for this reason. Especially if they first occurred after application of one of these products. You can try something like Wondercide sprays, which are natural and applied on the dog's coat every 2 days to deter ticks. If you're in the UK, there's Billy No Mates herbal supplement - I have zero idea if this is effective or not, but many people swear by it. But these products at best are going to deter or reduce ticks - not prevent them entirely. So you will also need to check your dog over thoroughly after a walk for any ticks, and remove any you find attached using a Tick Twister device. If ticks are removed promptly and without causing trauma to the tick, they do not have a chance to pass on disease (which is the main problem with them). So - you will need to be more proactive in checking your dog over and if using natural products. You may also want to avoid walking in locations which you know have a lot of ticks, in the summer months.
