My nursing dog took Comfortis. Is it safe for 6-week-old pups?

Yes, Capstar (nitenpyram) is labeled as being safe for use in pregnant and lactating dogs. Just remember that Capstar will quickly kill adult fleas, but will not provide lasting flea prevention against hatching flea eggs or maturing flea larvae. K9 Advantix II is also labeled as being safe for pregnant and lactating dogs and will provide month-long flea prevention, but you would need to closely monitor the puppies to keep them away from the areas of medicine application. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

So this medication contains a combination of Spinosad and Milbemycin. Milbemycin is used in dogs as a heartworm prevention, and can safely be given at two to four times the normal dose used for heartworm prevention. Spinosad is used for flea prevention, and it is a relatively safe drug. The most common side effects seen with its use include a decreased appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy. Studies on research dogs showed no long term effects on dogs that were given ten times the recommended dose. More than likely, Molly will be just fine, but if you see any of the side effects that I mentioned above, have her seen by a vet just to be safe. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Legally, we are unable to recommend this in the absence of a patient-veterinarian-client relationship and physical exam. You should contact your veterinarian. If your vet gives the okay, treat all your pets for at least 3 consecutive months, preferably year round. Your vet can dispense Capstar which will rapidly kill any adult fleas on your pets to get a jump on treatment. You will also need to treat the environment. This will include vacuuming everywhere the dogs have been, washing all bedding and using an area treatment, such as Knockout ES, to prevent reinfestation.

Hmm - it's odd that the Trifexis doesn't seem to be working as well, because it actually has the same active ingredient as Comfortis. The only difference is that it has an added ingredient for heartworm prevention, otherwise it's exactly the same drug. In my experience, both are extremely effective for fleas. I wonder if perhaps Tessa is continuing to pick up fleas from somewhere in the environment? It does take a few hours for a flea to die after biting her, so if she is continually being re-infested from the house or yard, it's very possible that you might see live fleas on her even if the medication is working properly. If you think this might be the case, I would recommend treating your house and yard with a premises spray such as Knock-Out. If you still want to get her something else for fleas, I would not recommend giving a Comfortis dose on top of the Trifexis, because this would just be giving a double dose of the same drug - I would be concerned about possible side effects from overdosing this medication. Instead, you could consider using a topical flea medication this month such as K9 Advantix, since this is a completely different medication that doesn't interact in any way with the Trifexis.

Hi, The truth about expiration dates is that they are usually not based on any studies and the drug is likely to be just as effective years after. I can't say for sure, but it's likely that Comfortis will work. However, the fleas should all be dead within 24 hours, so if you are still seeing live ones jumping around, then it likely didn't work well. You can definitely use the flea collar with Comfortis and this may help to rid her of the remaining fleas. I recommend waiting another week after applying the collar to assess if the treatment worked. If you are still seeing fleas crawling around, then you can try a different flea product like Frontline. Avoid any products that contain ivermectin or any other avermectins for at-least 4 weeks after giving the Comfortis - you can check for this by looking at the active ingredients on the package...any name that ends in "-mectin" should be avoided. I hope that helps and Maggie if flea-free soon.

Pyrantel (roundworms, hookworms and whipworms) and Drontal plus (also effective against tapeworms) are safe for nursing female dogs. Intestinal parasites are zoonotic/transmissible to humans by fecal/oral contact so be super diligent about hand washing after handling her or her pups. It is likely that all her pups have worms now too but they should be at least 6 weeks of age before deworming with its pyrantel. Good luck and congrats on the puppies!

IF they vomited within an hour of the medication, then the medicine did not digest to work for them. This is the most common side effect of Comfortis and seems to be so often, I have quit recommending it. I have had great success with flea control and no vomiting side effects by using Nexgard for monthly or Bravecto given every 3 months. I would recommend changing products and if redosing them immediately if they vomited under an hour of getting the Comfortis.