Trifexis

For prevention of Heartworms, hookworms,  whipworms , roundworms and fleas

Many products are available to prevent heartworm disease in dogs.  The majority of these products also incorporate intestinal parasite control.  Check out the information below as we evaluate and explain one such product, Trifexis by Elanco.  This is a great product that we highly recommend. 

Trifexis is a once a month pill for the prevention of fleas, heartworms, roundworms, hookworms and whipworms.  Made by Elanco, Trifexis combines several medications to achieve its broad range of protection.  The flea control medicine is called Spinosad.  It is now a synthetic, but was naturally derived as a by product of the rum industry.  Milbemycin Oxime provides the heartworm and intestinal parasite control.  The chewable tablets come in a range of sizes to cover the various sizes of different dog breeds, from the 5 pound teacup Yorkie to the 120 pound Great Dane.

Heartworm disease: Trifexis kills the first stage of the heartworms, called the L1 Larva.  This stage lasts for 45 days, which is why there is a little leeway in the administration.  This occurs before any damage can be done.  It is important to kill this stage, as the other stages can not be treated.  The other stages can not be prevented nor detected until 6 months after the original infection. 

Roundworms:  The most common type of intestinal parasite,roundworms infect nearly every newborn puppy. Roundworms can both cross the placenta and be contained within the mother's milk.  These parasites can be contagious to people, especially the young and immunocompromised.

Hookworms:  Hookworms are the second most common parasite.  Hookworms are another  zoonotic risk , which means that they can also infect people.

Whipworms:  Whipworms are a little less common than roundworms and hookworms, but prevention is critical.  Once whipworms establish themselves in the soils, the worms are difficult to get rid of.  Some studies show the parasites living in the soil for up to 9 years.

Fleas:  Combining flea control with the other parasite control is what makes Trifexis a very unique product.  Unlike Sentinnel, Trifexis actually kills the adult flea.  It begins working within 30 minutes and achieves a 100% kill rate after four hours.

Trifexis is administered once a month, all year round.  Three are two reasons for this interval and the year round control: The first is that the weather in Medina County and Northeast Ohio is so variable that parasites remain active longer into the colder winter months than one would think.  The second reason is that some of the parasites have an extended life cycle.  AN example is the aforementioned whipworms, which have a 90 day life cycle from infective stage to mature worm.  This means that simply "deworming" at the sign of the first frost is not enough to keep the parasites at bay.

If you have further questions, please call one of our staff members at the Seville Wadsworth Veterinary Clinic.  Our phone number is (330)336-5823.  Along with our partner clinics, we are proud to be a trend setter in the Medina and Wayne County regions of Ohio.  We can also be reached via email: info@sevillevetclinic.com.  Check back to this article in the future for links to other products that are similar to Trifexis.  We will list those links below as the articles become available.

Written for Seville Veterinary Clinic by Jeffrey R. Fink D.V.M.