Possible Adverse Reaction to ProMeris?
News update from Veterinary News Network
A flurry of activity from message boards and emails are repoting severe adverse events assosiated with the product ProMeris®. Although the emails and message threads describe different names and breeds, the warning derived from a single adverse event reported to Ft. Dodge, the manufacturer of Promeris®.
The case involves six Siberian Huskies and one mixed breed dog living in the same household. The symptoms exhibited by the dogs in this case are similar to those observed in dogs following oral exposure rather than topical exposure. (ingestion instead of skin application).
ProMeris® for dogs is a topical, waterproof spot-on product for the control of existing flea and tick infestations, as well as the prevention of re-infestation, in dogs and puppies 8 weeks and older. ProMeris® contains amitraz and metaflumizone as active ingredients.Clinical signs described in this case are similar to those seen with oral ingestion of amitraz.
Research is on-going as to the validity of the claims on the message boards.
As seen in the past, any pet may be sensitive to any topical product. If your pet appears to experience any adverse event with topical products or an medication, seek the advice of your family veterinarian,
It is important to follow label instructions and your veterinarian’s advice precisely on any product. Be sure not to apply medications intended for dogs on cats and verify the weight of your pet with the recommended weight usage of the product. Although these products are generally considered to be safe, improper application can lead to serious adverse events.
All veterinary topical products are tested rigorously and adverse events are rare. Unfortunately, some pets are more sensitive and may experience these atypical reactions.
I will continue to keep you updated as more news arrives, exagerated
Filed under: pet health on April 24th, 2008
I’ll tell you our experience — just over an hour old now.
Our 15 lb mixed breed cat had a very light flea issue. We were given ProMeris for large cats (9 lbs and up, 0.054 fl oz of 18.54% Metaflumizone, lot 10714801 — package right in front of me now). I cut her hair down almost to skin between her shoulder blades and applied the doze as prescribed in the literature that’s in the box with the applicators.
Within five minutes, the cat was observed to be foaming at the mouth, eyes dilated and dashing around our home from one hiding spot to another. She may or may not have vomited — haven’t found proof of that (yet). She was coaxed out of one hiding spot for a few cat treats, and allowed me to examine her. When calmed down, her respiration and heart rates were normal. Eventually, she took a little water.
I called our vet to report the issue. She said that there haven’t been many reactions she’s observed in either cats or dogs. She asked if the cat had licked the substance. Well, it’s between her blades, but I suppose a hind leg could reach it, then get licked. The fur had little of the substance on it, but as with any spot application, the entire dose doesn’t readily absorb into the skin — some will stay.
So did the cat lick a wetted paw? I don’t know. I’ve just bathed the animal (insult to injury for a cat) to rinse any residue. She’s not amused, but she’s alive. I suspect any new product will have some kind of adverse reaction percentage — but our normally docile cat certainly gave everyone a scare. I’ll be reluctant to use this on our dog. That’s a shame. I know meds for any animal can have a percentage that react badly, and perhaps our cat had some minor ingestion. But I can’t be sure that happened and I’m not willing to experience this again.