Why Vectra 3D is Better Against Ticks Than Frontline

I am pretty concerned about ticks since all three of my dogs run free in fields and forests every day which are crawling with ticks – and each of them tests positive for a different tick-borne disease. So I was excited to learn that Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins — the Official Vet of Cat Chat — went to work for a company making a new topical “anti-tick potion” called Vectra 3-D. Elizabeth is one of the most honest, morally centered people I know, so I immediately had trust in the company she chose to join which makes Vectra 3-D. My dogs had not been getting protection from Frontline and I wanted to change to a product that would give me real protection — beginning with repelling the ticks so they can’t even get a chance to attach. But I was worried about the recent EPA concerns about some of these products (Frontline was mentioned where Vectra was not) and also worried whether Permethrin – the ingredient in Vectra – istopical are dangerous to the pets Dr. Elizabeth’s reply put my mind at rest enough that all of my dogs are now Vectra 3D dogs, safely running through fields of ticks that leave them alone!

Few dogs react to Permethrin, but clearly some do — just as some will react to virtually any other product. The thing about Permethrin is its potency and repellent properties for ticks especially that other popular products do not have. There is a reason that it is used to “tick-proof” soldier’s uniforms and “mosquito-proof” netting in places where ticks and other vectors are such a problem and threat to human life. Permethrin is almost always the active of choice for these purposes. In Summit’s studies, the big problem with other tick actives was potency fall-off before the end of the month. We also saw more rapid and thorough tick kill at the beginning of the month with most tick species with Vectra. We know that localized reactions are not a consistent problem, because there are many vets using it out there and we are not hearing back that 3D is causing problems other than the very occasional. As you know, the EPA has recently issued a warning about spot-ons (Vectra was not mentioned incidentally). This warning came from the numbers of adverse events reported to the EPA. Now these can range from “my dog looked at me strangely after I put the topical on him,” to “my dog had to be rushed to the vet for emergency treatment.” But the most popular topical spot-on has its share of reactions, without question. The important thing to remember is that every health care product out there, from antihistamines and laxatives to antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs can (and have) caused reactions in the target species (pets, livestock and/or humans). There are no exceptions to this rule. We use these drugs anyway, despite the small amount of risk involved, when the benefit outweighs the overall risk. In the case of permethrin, its effectiveness against vectors of debilitating and even fatal human and pet diseases is so great, and the risk of serious reaction to the treated animal is so small, it is obviously an excellent active for preventing tick-transmitted diseases. The efficacy and safety studies of all of Vectra’s products are available on the company’s website atwww.summitvetpharm.com.

Tracie