Is it okay to switch my new adopted dog from Sentinel to Trifexis?

Hi and thanks for your post! Yes this is okay. Sentinel does not kill adult fleas, just the eggs. Sentinel also does not prevent ticks as you mentioned in your question. Advantix does, however. I hope this helps!

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, there is no harm in using a a topical flea treatment along with sentinel. Advantage II, K9 Avdantix, or Frontline Plus or Gold for example would all be okay. I hope this helps!

One of the active drug ingredient in both meds is milbemycin, so if the allergy or reaction to was that specific drug, it would be better to avoid it. Of course we can't know that for sure. It may be that Rexy is allergic to one of the other active ingredients in trifexis, or to one of the inert ingredients. However, I think the best recommendation would be to use a prevention that does NOT contain milbemycin or praziquantel (the ingredients in Trifexis). Heartgard is a good alternative. Make sure that he is up to date on his heart worm test first. I think its fine to go ahead and get him started on a different heart worm prevention ASAP, even though he just had surgery. I hope that helps you ! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hmm - it's odd that the Trifexis doesn't seem to be working as well, because it actually has the same active ingredient as Comfortis. The only difference is that it has an added ingredient for heartworm prevention, otherwise it's exactly the same drug. In my experience, both are extremely effective for fleas. I wonder if perhaps Tessa is continuing to pick up fleas from somewhere in the environment? It does take a few hours for a flea to die after biting her, so if she is continually being re-infested from the house or yard, it's very possible that you might see live fleas on her even if the medication is working properly. If you think this might be the case, I would recommend treating your house and yard with a premises spray such as Knock-Out. If you still want to get her something else for fleas, I would not recommend giving a Comfortis dose on top of the Trifexis, because this would just be giving a double dose of the same drug - I would be concerned about possible side effects from overdosing this medication. Instead, you could consider using a topical flea medication this month such as K9 Advantix, since this is a completely different medication that doesn't interact in any way with the Trifexis.

It is ok to give trifexis and simparica together (staggered by 2 weeks is great). Both of those medications will protect against fleas so there is some overlap with that. If you want to streamline how many medications you are giving Dakota monthly, Another option would be to use sentinel or interceptor instead of the trifexis and give with that with simparica monthly. These products contain the same heart worm preventative (milbemycin) as trifexis but do not contain any medication to kill adult fleas. (Trifexis contains both the milbemycin for heart worm prevention and Spinosad for fleas). That way you would be giving one medication for heart worm prevention (sentinel or interceptor ) and one for flea and tick prevention (simparica). Another option is to continue trifexis and add in a tick collar (such as the preventic collar or the seresto collar). I know there are so many products and options it is confusing ! Let us know if you have any other questions. And great job with preventative care.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, these medications are safe to give together. I recommend offering a small meal or treat beforehand so that there is a little food in her stomach before getting these medications. She can also get a small tasty treat afterward so she knows she a good girl! I hope this is helpful - she is VERY cute!

It is generally not recommended to use two oral products together. It's not to say it's impossible but many of these companies have not done the testing to know if there are interactions. You may discuss this with your regular vet to see if they have any experience with this. Most topical flea and tick products are expected to be safe to use with Trifexis. There is also a collar called a Preventic which is fine to use with oral products. Most people only put the collar on the pet when it is going out to tick areas and they remove it when the pet is not in those areas. Another option is to ask your vet if they would exchange the product for something like Simparica and Interceptor which would get all your parasite concerns. Some clients will also switch products when ticks are in season or when exposure is expected and then switch back once the exposure time is over. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.