How Long Do Bravecto Side Effects Last?
People treat pets as a part of their family. The love, warmth, and happiness they bring into our lives are uncountable. This is why we should return their love with the same amount of care and by giving them treats, playing with them, and taking care of their health.
Animals require a different type of health care. They can have ticks and fleas. It can be irritating for them. Hence, being a pet owner you should have an appropriate flea and tick strategy to keep your pet healthy and happy.
Fleas can irritate your pet and can lead to serious issues if not treated. Ticks can transmit deadly diseases to you and other animals. So, it is necessary to keep them off your pet.
Back in the old times, there were not many solutions to remove ticks and fleas from animals but now, there are many sprays that were designed to kill fleas. This remedy wasn’t much effective and modern dog owners use other preventive medications to repel these biting bugs.
In this article, we will talk about one of the newer medications to remove fleas and ticks named “Bravecto”, what is it, what are the side effects and how long do Bravecto side effects last. These all will be discussed so that you can decide if it is a good option for your canine friend or not.
What Is Bravecto?
Bravecto is a flea and tick killing medication, approved by the FDA and has shown a positive effect when it comes to eliminating these biting bugs. It provides up to 12 weeks of protection.
The main active ingredient in Bravecto is Fluralaner. It is a systemic insecticide and acaricide given orally to dogs. This is an ectoparasiticide as it kills the bugs which are on the outside of your pooch’s body.
When this active ingredient comes in contact with the dog’s blood the fleas and ticks die. It takes 2 hours for the medication to work, within this time your pup will be free from fleas, and in 12 hours’ ticks will die too. In cats, fleas will die within 12-hours after ingestion. Just one dosage will keep your pet happy and irritation-free for 12-weeks.
Bravecto comes in two forms, chewable tablet for dogs only and which most of them find toothsome and the other one is a topical liquid that is hard to give to dogs and cats
This medication is found effective for fleas and many types of ticks like black-legged ticks, American dog ticks, Brown dog ticks, and Lonestar ticks. As afore-mentioned, it provides tick and flea free body for 12 weeks, for Lonestar ticks, it is found effective only for 8 weeks.
To some extent, Fluralaner can protect against mosquitoes, but it is less effective. If you solely want to treat the problem of mosquitoes, then fipronil is a good option.
Bravecto comes in 5 different dosages according to the size of your dogs. The dosage is as follows:
- Toy dogs – 4.4-9.9 LB (112.5 MG)
- Small dogs – >9.9-22.0 LB (250 MG)
- Medium dogs – >22.0-44.0 LB (500 MG)
- Large dogs – >44.0-88.0 LB (1,000 MG)
- Extra-large dogs – >88.0-123.0† LB (1,400 MG)
How Does Bravecto Work?
Fluralaner is the key ingredient that prevents flea and ticks’ infestation in cats and dogs. As soon as the medication enters the bloodstream it is distributed throughout the body.
When ticks or fleas bite the dog or cat, they are exposed to the medicines and die after ingesting the blood as it inhibits their nervous system.
The company claims that there is no harm if you give Bravecto alongside commonly used medicines. Still, you should consult a vet before starting your pet.
Side Effects Of Bravecto
Bravecto is not a harmful drug for cats and dogs. Yet, the news is doing rounds on the internet that there are many side effects of this medicine and it can be lethal as well. But, Bravecto was tested on much higher dosages before it was approved to be introduced in the pet care market, so there might be something else that leads to severe side effects.
This drug provides an extensive margin of safety in dogs who weigh at least 4.4lb and cats who weigh at least 2.6 lb and puppies and kittens of 6 months or older.
Yet, some side effects can occur due to Bravecto:
Vomiting
There are very low chances of your pet throwing up food if you mix the chewable tablet with their food. This can occur if your cat or dog is having an upset stomach before having the medicine and due to its ingestion the reaction has caused vomiting. If your pet has vomited within three hours of having Bravecto, it is recommended that you re-dose them but after 24 hours.
If your dog or cat wasn’t able to chew it properly it can also cause an obstruction which can also cause vomiting.
Diarrhea
There are also very slim chances of diarrhea in dogs or cats. Every animal has a different digestive system, some might be able to digest while others start to face issues. Most pets are also very picky when it comes to food.
So, if you had something else in their diet, chances are they might get an upset stomach. But, it doesn’t happen in every animal but it happens, it is temporary.
Loss Of Appetite
Like every other medicine, Bravecto might also cause your pet to be uninterested in food. It may induce a change in their diet and your pet might reject food most of the time.
The medicine in their bloodstream tends to change their behavior and it will take some time for your pet to get used to it. This side effect also depends upon the size of your pet. Larger dogs like Samoyeds will get over it soon while small breeds can have extended periods of side effects.
Increase In Thirst
Thirst changes can also occur in some of the animals. Like other side effects, this one also depends upon how well your pet can digest the medicine. In most cases, pet owners saw an increase in thirst after 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Weakness
This is one of the most severe and rare side effects which can occur in animals. Even though Bravecto is tested to be safe but if your dog is having any pre-problems, adding another medication can cause unwanted distress.
This isn’t extreme and the chances of weakness are quite less.
How Long Do Bravecto Side Effects Last?
Side effects like vomiting and diarrhea can last 1 or 2 hours which you shouldn’t worry about and, after that, your pet will be free from biting bugs for the next three months.
Appetite and thirst changes and last around 3 hours or less after that their diet and thirst will come back to normal.
If your pet is experiencing weakness, it will regain its strength in an hour or less.
To be on the safe side, double-check with your vet before giving this medicine to your pet so that you can avoid other unforeseen circumstances. Your vet will have the history of the pet so, it will recommend whether or not Bravecto is safe or not. If your canine friend has a history of seizures, the vet might discourage Bravecto.
Why is Bravecto A Good Choice For Your Pet?
Despite all the bad news doing rounds over the internet regarding how bad is Bravecto, it has many benefits and has no recurrent costs except for the money you pay at the time of purchasing.
To avoid any of the side effects, it is your responsibility to consult a vet beforehand, so that your canine buddy can have a happy, healthy, and irritation-free life for 12 weeks straight.
It is readily available in many stores and if your vet has prescribed they will sell it to you. You can also find it online. But, you cannot legally purchase it without a prescription from your vet. Even though it has been declared safe for collies and MDR-1 (those dogs who have the genetic mutation), still you need to have a prescription for your furry friend.
- 12-weeks of flea and tick free lifestyle.
- FDA approved
- Safe for Collies and MDR-1
- Expensive as compared to competitors
- Can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and other side effects.
Final Verdict:
To sum up this article, we can say that being a pet owner, it is your responsibility to give the best lifestyle to your pets. Animals don’t have the same system as us, but they do have emotions.
These loving creatures need as much attention as we give to other humans. If you have a cat or a dog at home, ensure that they have a healthy lifestyle free from ticks and fleas.
For that, Bravecto is one such medication whose target was to eliminate the problems of biting bugs. It comes in 5 different dosages for every dog’s size that will help you give the right amount to your pet.
Hence, this chewable and topical liquid is a good option if your pet is suffering from the biting bugs problem.
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