What’s new in tick prevention?
Everyone knows someone on the Northern Beaches who’s dog has died or become very sick from tick paralysis. Only a decade ago hundreds of dogs were presenting with tick paralysis at every Northern Beaches vet, every year, despite the spot-on products. Then came Bravecto® in 2014. Since we started giving dogs Bravecto® and the other brands available, the number of dogs paralysed and dying from paralysis ticks has decreased dramatically. But the medication needs to be given regularly to be effective.
Since it’s launch in 2014 over 300 million doses of Bravecto® have been given to pets worldwide.
PAH has been a mainly Bravecto® hospital. We find the long-acting formulation helps make sure more of our patients are up-to-date with tick prevention. Thousands of dogs under our care have taken Bravecto® and we have found very few side effects apart from difficulty giving the chew to some dogs.
Before the end of the year a new formulation will be released. A super-low-dose slow-release Bravecto® injection will become available. The injection uses well established technology and has gone through rigorous testing. It has shown amazing results using less than one-quarter of the yearly oral dose, protecting dogs for an entire 12 months!
Research shows that less than a quarter of pets on oral tick control have 100% protection year round. (People forget to give the tablets, dose the wrong size or the dog spits the tablets out.)
What does this mean for your dog?
If you give your dog a Bravecto® chew now it will be protected for the next 3 months and we will hopefully have the long-acting injection by October. Then a single treatment at the vet will protect for the whole year!
It is an old, trusted medication given in a new way at the vet, for much more dependable protection.
What about the cost?
We are not sure of the cost yet but hope it will be comparable to four Bravecto® chews. The cost of treating your dog for tick paralysis usually exceeds $1000 and the anguish and upset of suffering this life threatening paralysis is really best avoided.
Watch this space. As a Pittwater Animal Hospital client you will, of course, be the first to know.
Sadly we have been waiting all year for the long acting injection to arrive.
ETA is now March 2024.
