EPI * Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

Just posted about heartworm med shortage from Novartis. We use Sentinel, but now I am not sure if I will be able to get it for Maya (don't have a script from vet yet). Has anyone used Revolution for dogs, and what is your feeling about it? My only concern with it, as it is a topical and you need to get it down to the skin. With all the collie fur, this concerns me that if I get more on the fur than the skin, it will effect how well it can work.

Thoughts?

Lisa

http/www.ehow.com/about_6645452_revolution-dog-medication-problems.htm

http://www.petshed.com/petcyclopedia/all-about-revolution-for-dogs.html

here was a lady on this forum for a short time and she lost both of her collies on this drug

the company are very sensitive but i understand in small print there is a disclaimer

jeanxx

Jean,

Thanks for the links. Interestingly, the breeder that I got my collie from uses Revolution. She says she has never had a problem with it, because I too had questioned it's use in collies (because it is from the Ivermectin family). My collie is MDR1 normal (that is the gene that causes the problem with the meds they were speaking of in the article). I did use it briefly with Maya when she was a pup because the breeder sends home a few doses with all her pups to get them started. She seemed to tolerate it ok....I have never been a real fan of the topicals (or chemicals on our pets in general....we had a poor experience with Star with Frontline). When I was doing some research, it appeared there was some discussion whether it was as effective in large dogs as other heartworm meds....I guess it works great in cats because of the way they absorb the drug, but dogs absorb differently / less of it per dose so some vets weren't recommending it. As I mentioned, I also wonder about my ability to apply it correctly given the coat of the collie. But I was just curious if anyone else had used Revolution and had experience with it...good or bad. It is disturbing that someone that had 2 collies lost both of them while on it......definately put that in my mind, so thank you for sharing that.

Lisa

Hi Lisa,

We've used Revolution for a couple of years now without any problems.  Our pups aren't collies however.  I actually found it harder to apply this year to Griffin who has thick fur but it's much shorter than Bree's and Cedar's.  I found it was hard to get a clean part to expose the skin.  That's easier to do I find with the girls who have longer fur and my bridge guy Toby was a retriever x collie with long wavy fur and his was also easy to part cleanly to expose the skin below.

While not being in the habit of sticking up for pharmaceutical companies that first article seems a bit alarmist, headed '...Problems' and then basically just listing rare side effects, got me all worried and I had to dash off on the internets to check up. The second link includes some useful advice and is cited albeit in-house; the info on collies is interesting, thanks Jean, Ithat might be a game-changer...

Lisa, we use Revolution (Red natch) as some other products haven't agreed with Lulu, here it's not a prescription product. We've not had a problem applying it and Lulu's coat is kind of similar to that of  a collie, at least behind the neck. Using the tip of the tube we just spread the fur where it naturally parts and give it a few squeezes. It's the last 'pfffft' sound of air escaping that Lulu doesn't like so we have to pay out in liver treats afterwards so usually do it at dinner time.

The good thing about Revolution is that it covers her for sarcoptic mites which are spread by foxes  feral to Australia. Sarcoptic mange is not a nice thing and most similar products didn't seem to have it at least when I was looking when we got Lulu. The downside is that it doesn't cover for a number of worms but here it comes with Canex All-wormer tablets included in the pack so I don't have to buy a sperate product.

https://www.pfizeranimalhealth.com.au/products/340/canexreg.aspx

Interesting that different countries market the same product to cover different parasites. In the US, Revolution (Stronghold) is not marketed for covering roundworms, but it does cover heartworm. And vice versa. Is heartworm not a problem is Australia? And to be a prescription product one place but not the other.

Lisa

Yes, the Revolution covers Heartworm (and fleas/mites) but not tape/round/hookworms etc. For that we use the Canex tablets that ship with the Revolution, both are made by the same company.

i have to admit to being nervous of anything going into an animal

but talking to Joan (finally remembered) made me very nervous of this and i havent got a sheepdog well not a collie anyway

i think we just need to do as much research as we can but heartworm and lungworm are potentially fatal

we only have to remember Gillians Wallace last june and how scared we were but he made it thankfully with a" liitle help from his friends"

hey ho

jean

I have been using Revolution on Addie for about a year with no problems. I too, just part her hair behind her neck until I can see a tiny patch of pink skin & squirt it on. We have a terrible flea problem here so it has really helped.

Lisa,

Hi!  I don't have a Collie-breed nor do i use Revolution, but this is all very good information. My old vet told me that it is good to switch around the meds once in a while.... so thanks for starting this thread!