UPDATE on “Corrosive burns on a dog caused by Frontline (anti-parasite agents)”

chemical burns on a dog by Frontline (anti-parasite agents) in the comments to our article , we have decided to write this additional article to point out the problems of discussing such technical topics - especially because it's about health.

We would like to clarify in advance that we neither want to recommend the product nor advise against its use. We also do not tell anyone whether they want to use the medication on their pet.

Everyone can decide for themselves. We would simply like to provide as much information as possible based on the inquiries we have received about the article, because its form and presentation is more likely to spread panic than to provide information.

First of all:

Just like us humans, animals react differently to medications. Some show reactions, many others don't. For example, I (Rüdiger, the author of this article) personally cannot cope with a certain painkiller. Result: malaise, headache, nausea. Nevertheless, I am not calling for people to avoid this drug, nor am I suing the pharmaceutical company, nor am I complaining about my doctor. It's just side effects that PERSONALLY cause ME to take a different medication.

In terms of public perception, a report about an allergic reaction like the one in the example here seems correspondingly “louder” than all the reports and studies, the years of experience of veterinarians and animal owners who have had good experiences with it. As always and everywhere, you have to hear or read both sides. If someone has been using Frontline supplements on their pet for a long time without any side effects or reactions, there is no reason not to continue doing so. Whether that person wants that is another matter. However, we can neither answer these nor decide on the comments on the article and the advice given therein, which is certainly well-intentioned.

When it comes to health (whether of humans or animals), there is exactly one group of people who are suitable for qualified statements: professionals. You don't have to look at your Facebook profile to see whether some of the commentators are “experts”. If the animal is feeling bad, there is only one reaction that makes sense: go to the vet. (More on that later)

As far as the allergic reaction shown is concerned, the package insert for this product states:

“Among the very rare suspected cases of intolerance after use were temporary skin reactions at the application site (skin discoloration, local hair loss, itching, erythema) as well as generalized itching or hair loss. Increased salivation, reversible neurological phenomena (hypersensitivity, depression, other nervous symptoms), vomiting or respiratory symptoms have also been observed. After licking, increased salivation may occur temporarily, mainly caused by the carrier substances. Overdoses should be avoided.”

So it is a known but very rare side effect. If this occurs, stop using the product. And if you don't want to use the product on your animal in the first place, you can do so or leave it alone.

What always leaves an aftertaste in these discussions is the fact that people often rail against the veterinarian, that the drug is placed under “general suspicion”, and that it is not uncommon for some of the discussion participants to not tolerate different opinions.

The term “natural” is also often equated with “healthy”, just as “chemical” is perceived as “unhealthy”.

In principle everything is chemical. Natural active ingredients also have a biochemical effect. They just occur in nature.

But “natural” doesn’t always have to mean great or healthy: fly agaric is also natural. But no one would claim that fly agaric is healthy. Some of the most potent poisons (e.g. from snakes or monitor lizards) are so natural.

Whether natural substances work or not is not the subject of discussion here. But they can trigger allergies in exactly the same way. Any hay fever allergy sufferer will confirm that even “pure nature” can lead to reactions.

It depends on the quantity!

It also depends on the quantity: Some active ingredients (including natural ones) help great as long as they are not overdosed. Then they can even be fatal under certain circumstances.

Hence the note in the package insert: “Overdoses should be avoided.” We cannot say with certainty whether, for example, in the example above the dose was too high and this had an impact on the result. The packaging shown in the pictures is for dogs weighing 20-40 kg. The dog shown there could be in the 10-20 kg weight class, for which Frontline, for example, has a different dosage. Of course, an overdose increases the chance of a reaction. However, these are only speculations, but they are intended to show that one should not hastily generalize: “This drug does this and that, therefore it is bad and dangerous”.

Every pet owner can decide for themselves what they give their pet. The only thing you should keep in mind is that you are also responsible for the consequences. The fact is that diseases transmitted by ticks can be very dangerous for the animal. That's why you should get comprehensive information from your trusted veterinarian. And if that's not enough for one person, then there are more than one. That's what they're there for: to help animals. They have studied for years and deal with sick animals every day. A level of expertise and experience that the average pet owner cannot possess that will benefit the animal in treatment.

We also don't know whether the dog's owners delayed going to the vet and thereby made the situation worse because they initially wanted to deal with it with their own home remedies. In the event of allergic reactions - whether in humans or animals - doctors know ways and means to provide quick help. But this information as to whether this is the case is not conveyed. However, this would be interesting for a reliable assessment of this case.

Finally, we would like to emphasize again that this is not an advisory article on veterinary topics. We cannot do this at all. We at ZDDK are experts in OUR field, for other fields there are other experts who we are happy to consult, as in such cases. However, this does not remotely replace a visit to the vet.

As a precaution, we would like to point out that we are not paid by Frontline or other pharmaceutical companies.

We had questions about these images as to whether they were real (in the sense of: “The injuries were photoshopped”, as is currently the case with many shock videos). We have given the answer to this and also tried to provide information in order to be able to see the article in an objective light.

That's why we ask you not to verbally bash your heads in the comments here AND, ABOVE ALL, NOT TO GIVE ANY ADVICE ON THE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS!

–> This can potentially be fatal: https://www.facebook.com/Tierarzt.Jonigkeit/photos/a.557389487614620.123985.277383682281870/794977170522516/

Author: Rüdiger, mimikama.org