What are the side effects of Simparica?
We all want to protect our pets from fleas, ticks and the diseases they carry, but some treatments can come with nasty side effects.
Every good pet parent wants to keep fleas off his dog, but many worries about the side effects that can accompany various flea and tick treatments. Fortunately for conscientious dog moms and dads, Simparica offers a once-a-month chewable treatment that is FDA-approved and safe for Fido, taking the guesswork out of fighting fleas and ticks.
Like other oral treatments, Simparicaworks by entering a dog’s bloodstream immediately after ingestion. When fleas or ticks bite, they are exposed to its FDA-approved ingredient sarolaner, the insecticide, and acaricide that kills parasites fast. Sarolanerstarts fighting fleas within three hours and begins to kill ticks after 8 hours—including the lone star tick, black-legged tick, brown dog tick, American dog tick, and Gulf Coast tick. Because this ingredient works differently on invertebrates than mammals, however, Simparica for dogs has been proven safe during field trials.
Simparicaworks by impacting the nervous system of invertebrates such as fleas and ticks. The innovative formula disrupts gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate receptors, which both play a role in nerve transmissions. GAGA-gated channels help to calm nerve transmissions, which sarolaner alters, creating an influx of nerve transmissions. At the same time, it opens glutamate-gated channels, which adds to the flood of nerve communications. The results are fatal for fleas and ticks but safe for mammals such as your dog.
Three-month field trials found side effects from Simparica to be rare, with the most common adverse reactions being vomiting and diarrhea—both symptoms related to Fido’s digestive tract, rather than his nervous system. In isolated cases, however, dogs displayed more serious reactions such as tremors, muscle twitching, and seizures. Simparica is available by prescription only, so discuss any history your dog has of seizure disorders with your veterinarian when determining the best flea and tick treatment for your pet.
In addition to killing fleas and several kinds of ticks, Simparicais effective in preventing and treating mange and ear mites. Thanks to its innovative formula, the treatment continues to work for 35 days, providing long-lasting relief from parasites and the diseases they carry. Simparica is available in different doses for dogs 2.8 pounds and over, but has not been evaluated for use in pregnant, breeding or nursing pets. Discuss Simparica chewable treats with your veterinarian when looking for a safe, effective way to arm your dog against biting parasites and the diseases they carry.
Comment(s)212
7 days later (today) he experienced his first seizure. gulping and eating everything in site for 15 min. scaring both of us, and scaring him during this episode. We read articles and watched available videos and found this was exactly the same situation we had just gone through.
I fear we will need to keep him caged for about another month until this Simparica Trio stuff wears off.
We are hoping that this is now NOT a permanent issue that will impact him for life.
At $500 for a years supply it seems like more of a sales job by the vet/pharma team more do than a safe treatment fit our pet for protection from ticks and further lyme issues due to our geographic area.
I will attempt to return the years supply i purchased and go back to a safer solution.
Nothing else has changed in his environment other than this. Her has been on standard Simparica and Interceptor for 5 years with NO issues at all.
Now 7 days after taking Simparica Trio he has started these seizures....
Please be careful out there.
Sometimes a mixed martini like this TRIO is more dangerous than individual treatments.
I gave my Dog 1 dose and he's been Uncontrollably Shaking with Tremors, NO MORE!!! I will go back to Nexgard and Heartguard!!!
And idiot. I suppose it’s better to let him wonder the house and eat things that could lodge in his intestines and require either either surgery or euthanasia. You’re 100% right… due to no fault of the dogs or myself, we should take the risk of letting him run free. Whatever happens will be after all… meant to be! Great idea.
Our pup of 10 years made it through about 40 days woth multiple episodes. Thank god he wasn’t impacted by this that we can tell. We put him back on previous meds and everything is ok. He is back to 100% normal (for him!! ☺️)!
This trio fiasco could of cost us our pup. Please don’t go with the flow… anything “New and Improved” is t always better. Good luck to everything out there…
everything else. The results were exactly as I expected, no infection! So they gave him the steroids and yesterday he did great, no pain, eating, but today he’s crying a bit from pain even with the steroids and pain killers :( did you experience this with your dog? Did the meningitis type pain come and go even after steroids. My god what is this awful drug?!?! It has wrecked my dog. Also did you let the company/FDA know? I feel like the more we tell them the more likely they are to help others. I kept telling them I know of others who said meningitis but they would not tell the neurologist to just give the steroids and forget the diagnostic tests. I swear it’s also a money making thing for them. Argh. I know your pup is better! Would appreciate any feedback you can give me on how he did on the steroids.
I am sorry for your loss....I am so devastated too.
He is having profuse diarrhea, urinating constantly and he is supper agitated
My vet did not tell me anything about the side effects
He is never EVER having this again.
Can I ask how long the diarrhea lasted? I gave my 6 month old pup this medication on Monday morning and he’s had diarrhea since yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon.
They put her on Phenobarbital to stop the seizures but cause her to be very wobbly and she’s been throwing up over the last two days and stopped eating today. How can I help of the manufacturer’s of Simparica responsible for causing so many dogs to experience these adverse and most likely permanent side effects.
It sure how it works on dogs but maybe do some research?
After a vet visit, he was put on a good gastro food and probiotics and he seems to be back to his old self. In his case it was all a digestion side effect but a nasty one also with diarrhea.
BUT...
I want to know, what was the size of the test group, and how many dogs had each side effect? Is there a way to find this out? And, is a 3 month trial really long enough for a drug that is basically an insecticide?
My pup has had zero adverse side effects to Simparica Trio and I hope that continues.
For those asking about the trials -- I found the information here https://www2.zoetisus.com/content/_assets/docs/Petcare/simparica-trio-pi.pdf?_ga=2.223688731.1016898103.1608045514-861822939.1608045514&_gac=1.160980559.1608045516.Cj0KCQiA2uH-BRCCARIsAEeef3m64ho1RNpYyKyE2TXamcOK-YEQbZcN9yaWL1OjRk_nlhnVZfLfDv8aApb9EALw_wcB
Few questions
- have you guys asked for these issues to be reported by the vet to company & FDA?
- how long does the symptoms last? A little concerned & worried about the little puppy
Additionally she is having urination problems. She goes like 50 times a day and it is long and slow. I told the vet about her first dose and they said "oh that's a good medication" and attributed her symptoms to her age and possibly a heart condition. Tonight after her second dose she is having significant tremors and now loss of balance. I am now CONVINCED it is from this medication and she will not be taking this nor any other flea meds for the rest of her life. It's not worth it. What a shame that we only research meds after something goes wrong. We should be able to take our vets advice. Rallye will make it through this.
Watson threw up and continued to a couple more times -and seems ok now but Frazier a day or so later had a gran mal seizure lasting almost 2 minutes he had another one the next morning a small
One - he has not been the same since - he has tremors has fallen down is confused and appears to be blind in one eye now and just paces over and over
He does eat and drink comes when you call him sits lays down when told and still loves his treats but does not seem to enjoy his chew bones any longer and is just not the same loving silly active boy he has always been -
We are on day 13 and I want to know has anyones pup had improvements as time went on getting this poison out of their system?
I have been giving him blueberries bananas and cognitive therapy treats - to help with clearing the toxins and such
Are there any other suggestions or methods that have worked on healing their pup successfully from this poison besides time?!
My husband is convinced that the damage is irreversible and we should let him go but I am having a hard time and trying everything I can research or think of to pull him out of it.
Like all of you I am so heartbroken over this and so angry - why is this poison even scripted to fur babies?!
I have not been able to get a hold of the manufacture. can you share with me any contact information. I filled out a form online (no reply) and sent an email but it bounced.
is there a group to help pet owners through this process?
Going to call the FDA on Monday to give them a report, the pharmaceutical company and the vet. I spoke to someone at the emergency vet office last night, they suggested the chicken and rice for today. I'm hoping that works.
A terrible way to start his life with me. He is ok for now though. He is just sleepy.
In lieu of a class-action lawsuit, this seems to be the appropriate method to get Simparica out of vet offices and suffer some sort of consequence.
Just as I was writing this, my vets office called to check on him after getting the emergency drs report. I raised my issue about this medication as a reason but because the er dr said it’s a neurological and spinal issue they don’t want to think that. The girl said she hasn’t heard of issues like he has being a cause of symptoms being from that medication. She said she would have the doctor call me to talk about it.
Years ago when the new proheart came out I was talked into using it by a different vet. My six yr old pug immediately started foaming at the mouth, had seizures and got wished away by the vet. Long story short my beloved Emily died hours later when all her organs shut down. I had an autopsy done and it was because of that medication that she died. I swore I’d never try another “new” medication again but was told this medication we are talking about had been out for awhile so I stupidly said ok to it. If I’ve caused an early death to another pet I won’t forgive myself.
The only "new" thing in her environment/diet is sipatico trio. Hell of an investment we made just to hurt her.
He already had idiopathic vestibular disease and I am very angry I wasn't warned that this should be used with caution in dogs with neurologic problems.
It's really too bad that vets are so easily swayed by pharmaceutical companies and don't listen to clients like us.
After reading this message thread and some other online reviews, I have decided to not give this to my dog. I believe insecticides should be used to control pests in the environment local to the dog, and only on the dog herself as a last resort. Keep the yard clean, grass cut low, eliminate standing water, stay indoors during dawn and dusk, and commercial pest control will greatly reduce fleas, ticks and mosquitos. Talk to your neighbors, especially if they have pets or children that play outside. Outdoor pest control is a community effort.
Our vet prescribed this medication and after reading this thread I asked them to exchange it for just the heartguard. I can’t believe that the Number of incidents here are a coincidence.
Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences- my pup and I are very grateful.
How is your dog doing now?
I wish I would have known about this. I’m worried about her.
The manufacturer said that the medication has a half life of 11 days but can stay in their system for 55-60. I hope it wears off and she makes a full recovery
I feel so bad for everyone going through this.
He started with vomiting about 8 hrs after his 1st dose, then diarrhea started. I had to make him chicken breast and rice, (bland) because he won't eat his food. When he goes out he eats grass. All he does is cuddle in his blanket. No more of this for him. He isn't his playful self.
I see that the active comments were over a year ago, but PLEASE, anybody who reads this and can inform me on any insight they have, please let me know asap what you think the deal is. I am so scared for my puppy. I just wanted him to feel better. Not worse
Vets are recommending this.
And there should be an alert for dogs with seizures, but vets are missing the connection or the history.
Mmm
The first dose was also given to my two other Shih Tzu's and a Chihuahua and they have not had extreme reactions but are also not themselves. Threw up a couple of times, seemingly lethargic. May be too early to tell. This is so tragic
I have a German Shepherd 1 1/2 years old. She started having seizures 24 hours after her second dose of Simparica Trio in June. She continues to have them about every 2 weeks and we are still in the process of finding the right medication to stop them.
When I spoke to the manufacturer, they said it takes 55-60 day before clearing the system completely. I hoped they would stop when if wore off but so far they have not eased up.
I know it’s different for everyone but that’s the same answer I was searching for when all of this started.
How is your dog doing?
My girlfriend was told by her Vet to take these Simparica Trio pills that were meant for 44 lbs dogs and up and break them up to give to our three shih tzu dogs and one chihuahua. So one pill was split in four to give to them all. This was given to them in their food around 4 PM on September 7th. Within 5-6 hours one of the Shih Tzu's, Ozzy, started showing very unusual symptoms. We took him out to go potty and Ozzy was trying to go but couldn't. He then got very lethargic and was moving very slowly. He did not want to eat food or treats whatsoever which was very usual for him. This was all a very quick progression. He then started throwing up occasionally and then continuously throwing up after everything he drank. This was around 10 PM at night. By midnight he would just stand over the water bowl, drink water, then throw up. We felt so helpless. The next morning he was taken to the vet and passed away at the vet's office. We're looking back and wondering if taking him to the animal ER would have done anything, but after reading these experiences from dog owners who's dogs passed away from this, the doctors wouldn't have been able to do anything. What mechanism this drug is inducing on the dogs or what complication it's causing is completely unknown to veterinarians, not just the dog owners. We randomly, yes, RANDOMLY came across someone else at the vet's parking lot two days after who had a dog that had permanent neurological damage from this drug and was compensated thousands of dollars from Simparica Trio.
We were in complete shock, sadness, and anger for a 10 year old Shih Tzu to go from being a happy, healthy, quirky dog to being buried within 24 hours. It wasn't until towards the end of his life we looked up this new medication we gave them and realized that Simparica Trio was most likely the cause. Nothing else has changed in the dogs' lives. How can a vet recommend this knowing the side effects and high chance that your dog can die or have lasting neurological issues? How much are they being paid?
As for the other three dogs (2 Shih Tzu's and 1 Chihuahua), it's currently August 9th and they are showing mild unusual symptoms such as diarrhea, throwing up every other day, and coughing with occasional heavy breathing. I'll be updating on how they're doing over time. I'm reading through everyone's comments and everyone is dumbfounded on how something like this can exist and how easy it is to trust your vet when they recommend something as seemingly innocent as tic/flea/heartworm medication. Our dog was stolen from us.
I'm sorry I started a bit of a rambling and rant but I have been very emotionally effected by this.
Fleas and worms need to be managed but not like this.
Last summer, I began giving her Trio. Sometime later she had trembling, leg spasms, and
pain. She was up all night crying and shaking. The next day, I took her to a veterinary hospital
and she had all sorts of tests-to know avail. Her back legs have continued to have spasms. I
did not know to connect her symptoms to Trio until I saw these entries. She has knee issues,
so I thought that was the cause. I hope stopping the medication will allow her to return to her
previous health. None of the veterinarians even asked about what flea meds I was giving her.
Upsetting.
Since reading this forum we will not continue with this drug. And pray we don’t see anymore symptoms such as seizures, tenors, lethargy, loss of appetite. My question for folks in the thread is - did you see a delay in symptoms in your dogs? Is it possible she will worsen?
Thank you posting your lived experiences. Education is key. And will save both dogs and heartaches in families. To the owners who lost your dogs - my heart goes out to you. I know your pain.
for the last year. The rescue we got him from gave us a few months supply when we adopted him and he seemed fine on it. I gave him his monthly dose yesterday and a few hours later me had a siezure.
I’m sure it’s from that. Thank God he seems fine today. I will not be giving to him again!
I’m not going to give it to him after reading the info here
I do need to give him something
WHAT IS A SAFE ALTERNATIVE? If it needs to be more than 1 pill that is ok. Thanks
Med & started having seizures & had to get her dog on IVs . She warned about using it . I didnt renew my monthly dosage . Now, the side affects are hurting my dog Josey .
I know this is long, but please read.
It is with a heavy heart that I share this post today. Our sweet beloved Jack passed away on Friday while I was teaching at school. Our son was home and called to say that he believed Jack was dead. While I have no evidence or autopsy to support my theory, it is 100% what my heart and mind believes took the life of my dog. I am sharing this with everyone in case your dog is on the same preventative care medicine, Simparica Trio.
Of my own accord, due to the fact that topical flea medicine was not offered any longer at my vet’s office, I chose to purchase a heartworm/flea/ tick preventative medicine called Simparica Trio. As advertised to love your dog and give them the best preventative care. So, sure, why not try this out this year. I purchased a year’s supply of this medicine which was supposed to help my dog. I gave him his first chewable tablet the first week of May. At the end of May, Jack was exhibiting some strange behaviors of disorientation. He was stumbling and had some temporary loss of leg control. We immediately assumed it was an ear infection (as he was prone to get), so we took him to the vet. He did have an ear infection so we had medicine put in his ears and moved forward without much worry about the imbalance, which can come with ear infections.
This behavior progressively got more intense each time we saw it throughout the summer. I gave him his June dose at the first of June. Never relating or seeing that this medicine had a warning that it may cause neurological problems in SOME dogs. It was a preventative medicine so I never realized or even thought to look to see if it would be the cause. I proceeded to give our dog his monthly dose from May through this past week in August. He slowly continued to show signs of disorientation that was worsening to at least 1 time every week by the end of July which would result in what appeared to be a type of stroke or seizure.
We took Jack to the vet 4 times over the summer concerned about this. With each visit to the vet, we mentioned it and they were concerned too, suspecting that maybe something neurological was happening with him. We never discussed the possibility of his preventative medicine or that he was taking Simparica Trio. They were worried as well and were getting ready to do blood work and a possible mri if he didn’t improve this week. I was literally supposed to call on Friday to share how he was doing. I planned to share that he seemed some better, but that he had an episode on a Thursday night. Before I could make that call Friday afternoon, I received the call from my son.
After Jack’s death on Friday, I have been searching the internet for how in the world my 6 year old healthy dog could have passed away so young.
I truly believe that this preventative medicine is to blame. I only wish I had read the label and realized that he could have passed away from something that I had given him to prevent problems and to help him. The what if’s will always be in my mind of if I had realized it and stopped the medicine sooner, would he still be here with us? If your dog is using this medicine and exhibiting any strange behaviors such as disorientation or temporary loss of control of limbs- take him off this medicine and use a topical or something else.
Jack’s episodes were short at first and then lengthened. He was always “fine” afterwards, but apparently it was taking a toll and impairing his brain and internal organs to the point that it resulted in his death. Again, I have no “proof” other than these behaviors started with this medicine and then he died a little over 3 months later, as he got worse with each dose. I don’t want anyone else to suffer from the loss of their pet because they didn’t realize the preventative medicine they were on was actually harming them.
I am wondering if simparica has a side effect of sneezing. Gave my girl tablet today and all good for hours, but now she won't stop.
Has anyone had GI issues after giving your Simarica Trio? My dog has had unexplained bloody diarrhea and we suspect due to the timing that it could be the medication. She has had this several times and has been tested for parasites but none are ever found. It resolves and then it mysteriously comes back. This cycle has gone on for months. I’ve read that side effects include vomiting and diarrhea. She never vomits and her appetite is good. We are stumped.