Comfortis for Dogs and Cats

Elanco 

The active ingredient in Comfortis® is spinosad. When ingested by fleas, spinosad targets the flea’s nervous system, causing the flea to show involuntary muscle contraction and tremors. Spinosad-induced excitation leads to flea paralysis and rapid death.

While extremely toxic to fleas, Comfortis is safe for dogs and cats at the label dose. Dogs and cats do not have the same response to Comfortis.

Because you give Comfortis to your pet orally, you do not have to tolerate the mess and inconvenience of topical pesticides. Comfortis is rapidly absorbed in your dog’s or cats bloodstream, where it circulates and protects your dog or cat from flea infestation for a full month. Comfortis begins killing fleas within 30 minutes, so you know your dog or cat is getting fast relief and long-lasting protection.

Comfortis does not depend on your dog’s or cat's skin and hair coat to distribute across the body. That’s why Comfortis is a great choice for dogs and cats with skin problems, as flea protection is vitally important and cannot be compromised.

 Here are just a few of the features that make Comfortis an ideal choice for convenient flea protection:

    * Beef-flavored, palatable, chewable tablet
    * Easy to give with no mess
    * Starts to kill fleas in 30 minutes
    * Lasts a full month
    * Kills fleas before they can lay eggs
    * Demonstrated safe for dogs and cats from 14 weeks and old

Along with fast-acting, month-long flea protection, Comfortis offers these additional benefits:

    * With Comfortis, you can play with your dog immediately after treatment. No need to isolate pets. Just treat and play.
    * Because Comfortis is administered orally, there’s no risk of application site reactions.
    * Comfortis won’t stain carpeting, upholstery or clothing.
    * Comfortis can’t be rubbed or shaken off.

Dosage and Administration

* Administer Comfortis chewable tablets once a month with food for maximum effectiveness.
* If necessary, Comfortis may be administered like other tablet medications.
* Administer the correct dose of Comfortis as prescribed by your veterinarian based on your dog’s body weight.
* For best results, and in areas where fleas are common year-round, monthly treatment with Comfortis should continue the entire year without interruption. Ask your veterinarian about your pet’s specific needs.
* To minimize the likelihood of flea reinfestation, treat all animals in your household with an approved flea product.

Important Safety Information

* The most common adverse reaction reported is vomiting.
* Other adverse reactions reported in decreasing order of frequency are: depression/lethargy, decreased appetite, incoordination, diarrhea, itching, trembling, excessive salivation and seizures.
* Following concomitant extra label use of ivermectin with Comfortis®, some dogs have experienced the following clinical signs: trembling/twitching, salivation /drooling, seizures, incoordination, excessive dilation of pupils, blindness and disorientation.
* Post approval experience continues to support the safety of Comfortis when used concurrently with heartworm preventatives according to label directions.

Fleas in the environment

Female fleas that are living on animals produce eggs that fall from the animal into their surroundings. These eggs usually hatch within a week; larvae then emerge and spin cocoons to become pupae. The entire life cycle can be completed in as little as three weeks, with new adult fleas emerging from the pupae, to jump onto your dog. If conditions such as temperature and humidity aren’t perfect for flea development, the time from egg to new adult flea can take as long as two to four months to complete. Because each female flea can lay up to 50 eggs per day there is potential for a large buildup of eggs, larvae and pupae, resulting in a constant supply of new adults emerging in the dog’s or cat's environment[8].

Regardless of the product used to kill fleas, the dog or cat can continue to be exposed to fleas that live in the environment. When these fleas jump onto the dog or cat, they can feed almost immediately but will be quickly killed by Comfortis chewable tablets.

If you see fleas on your dog or cat within a month after your pet receives Comfortis chewable tablets, it is most likely these are new fleas that have very recently emerged from pupae and jumped onto the dog or cat. These new fleas will be killed quickly before they can produce eggs that contaminate the environment. Consistent monthly administration of Comfortis should be continued to provide continued protection for your dog cat against these fleas.

Talk to your veterinarian today about the only oral product that kills adult fleas and lasts for a full month – Comfortis chewable tablets.