Advocate for Dogs: The Pros and Cons

Advocate for Dogs

Advocate for Dogs (also sold as “Advantage Multi” and both manufactured by Bayer) is a topical product that is designed to prevent heartworms, fleas and other internal and external parasitic infestations in dogs. Just like any other product, there are pros and cons to Advocate. Before choosing which flea or heartworm product is right for your dog, you’ll have to examine the different aspects of the product and how it applies to you and your dog’s situation.

Bayer Advocate for dogs is a once-monthly topical treatment. The product is packaged in separate tubes that are pre-measured for the right amount to put on your dog each month depending on its weight. Advocate is a liquid and you have to put it on the skin of the dog for it to be effective. Advocate is the combination of moxidectin and imidacloprid.

The Pros of Advocate for Dogs

Advocate flea treatment for dogs combines two monthly products – flea treatment plus heartworm medicine for dogs, into one. Typically a dog owner would have to buy and administer two different products every month to accomplish the same thing as using Advocate. This allows for a potential for money savings and also less stress for the dog and owner.

In addition to heartworm prevention and also flea and lice treatment and infestation prevention, Advocate can also prevent and treat other parasites. The list of possibility includes lungworms, ear mites and demodex mites. Also, roundworms and hookworms which humans can catch if not prevented in dogs. Advocate also treats and prevents whipworms which can be difficult to get rid of if they infest the dog or dog’s environment. This is one of the biggest pros for this product – the ability to treat and prevent so many different internal and external parasites without having to administer several products to accomplish the same result.

Another benefit to this product could be to those dogs that have allergies. Dogs that have dog food allergies are typically on a hypoallergenic dog food that has minimal ingredients to lessen the possibilities of the dog food containing an ingredient that the dog is allergic to. Some people don’t think of the monthly heartworm chewable pill containing ingredients that the dog may be allergic to. Heartworm medicine for dogs that is in the form of a chewable pill such as Heartgard or Interceptor contains ingredients such as beef flavoring that some sensitive dogs may be allergic to. When on a minimal diet, it is easy to overlook this type of thing and trigger the allergies without thinking about it. Since Advocate is a topical instead of an oral product, it has the potential to eliminate a possibility for an allergy problem.

Advocate can also be helpful to those who have dog that are picky eaters. Some dogs just don’t want to take the monthly heartworm pill. Advocate can be beneficial in this situation because it is a topical – on-the-skin, treatment instead of oral.

Cons to Using Advocate

One of the cons to using any medication is the potential for side-effects and a negative reaction to the product itself. Some dogs may develop irritation at the site of the application. On the other hand, there is also the possibility that, although rare, a hypersensitive dog can have a neurological reaction. It is important to take the time to discuss this and all medications with your veterinarian before administering them and to make yourself aware of any possible side effects and their symptoms.

Another downside is that you cannot buy Advocate for dogs without a prescription. Since this product contains the heartworm prevention medicine, it is dangerous to give this to your dog without a negative heartworm test. Therefore, you will have to get a prescription from your veterinarian before you can purchase Advocate online or elsewhere.

A third negative to this product is that although it protects against fleas, it does not protect against ticks. Dogs that live in rural areas or those places where ticks are more prevalent may be better off to use another product that includes tick prevention. Alternately, you could add a different product like a tick collar to prevent the ticks. Be sure to discuss adding any other product with your Vet in order to avoid any problems with multiple product combinations.

One final potential con to Advocate for dogs is the price of the product. Because Advocate is the combination of 2 major and several minor products, it will be higher in price than any one of them. However, when the prices of the 2 major products in it (flea and heartworm) are added together, Advocate will likely be much cheaper than if you were to purchase the other two products separately.

In summary, Advocate (or Advantage Multi) can be great for many dogs and not-so-great for others. It just depends on each individual dog and their unique situation. The best thing is to talk to your veterinarian to get advice and other dog owners to get reviews on what they think about using Advocate.

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199 thoughts on “Advocate for Dogs: The Pros and Cons”

  1. My dog has has three doses for the slow kill of heartworms, I’m getting scared cause she doesn’t want to get up much and she doesn’t really drink much water and all I can get her to eat is beef or chicken and not dog food, any advice please.

    Reply
    • Hi Ashley,
      Thanks for your comment. I would definitely contact your vet about this to make sure she isn’t having a negative reaction that is causing her to not want to eat or drink very much. I hope all the best for you and you dog <3 <3

      Michelle

      Reply
  2. Our Shetland Sheepdog has reacted to Advocate. Vomiting, diahrrea, off his food. Extremely lethargic, not interested in walks. The life has just left him. Was applied 2 days ago.

    Reply
  3. 48 hours after Advocate my 4 month old Jack Russell is struggling to breathe, shivering, won’t eat or drink and has laboured breathing. This is the first and last time I use it but I am absolutely livid that they can sell that poison as medicine

    Reply
    • 36 hours after applying a half dose of Advocate spot on treatment for my 3 month old Pomeranian puppies, they were lethargic, vomiting, uncoordinated, couldn’t walk properly and showing symptoms of generalised ataxia. This is the second time it’s happened despite my vet recommending a full dose of Advocate spot on treatment for puppies and inspite my vet’s advice, I gave them a half dose instead of a full dose. Advocate is not safe for small breeds even if you adhere to the manufacturer’s dosage directions for body weight! I am a lawyer and I’ll will be instituting proceedings against both the vet and the manufacturer for misleading or defective and false labelling. Be warned : do not use in small breeds regardless of whether the manufacturer recommends the dosage as per the dog’s body weight

      Reply
  4. My boy is 3. Been using advocate since I got him. Around a year ago he started having random seizure like ‘episodes’, the vet tried to get him on epilepsy meds but I wanted more tests etc done. After taking him to queen mother Vetinary hospital and them watching his recorded episodes they are pretty Sure he has a ‘movement disorder’ which is apparently minor and not much can be done. He has these episodes once a month roughly. Today I noticed a flea, so I applied his advocate, since he has been sick and I notice swelling to his eye- so I’m booked in for a video consult- whilst waiting I came across this thread. I wonder if it was the advocate all along!?😠

    Reply
  5. Dont know if anyone is still reading these but I’m going through this now with my dog, is there anyway of reversing it?

    Reply
  6. Also not sure how old this post is.
    But I used advocate on my 11 month lab on a tea time, labs are very loving, always want cuddles etc, the next morning I let her out the front in the garden and a lady a few doors down strokes her every day without fail, dogs tail wagging away as usual, but today while getting a stroke she actually went for the lady! Luckily it didn’t pierce the skin, managed to tear her coat. I was speechless, shaken, couldn’t speak…… she’s just not the type to do this. Also after putting this treatment on she had wee’d on my floor which was were unusual too.

    Has anyone’s dog became aggressive? I’m scared to let her out now.

    May 2019

    Reply
    • Hi kylie

      I know this was a while ago but I totally relate to your post. Our collie has had significant behavioural problems since having advocate from 4 months to 10 months old. I did my own research and found out about the Mdr1 gene deficiency in Collies.

      Are you still having problems?

      Reply
  7. My puppy is 18 weeks old. Since her first application of advocate on Monday she has been very poorly.
    Listless, diarrhoea, vomiting and looks very low in mood.
    I am utterly convinced that this is down to Advocate.
    I’m scared to death as she is not herself.
    I spoke to the vet who said that this was perfectly normal!!!! Really?..
    NEVER EVER AGAIN WILL I USE THIS PRODUCT.

    Reply
    • My pup had her first application 2 weeks ago and has the same symptoms. I feel that I’m watching slowly dying in front of my eyes.

      Reply
  8. I & my family have had chihuahuas all our lives for the last 40+ years. In my younger years, my family (sis, bro, parents) and I, between all of us, had a total of 10 purebred chihuahuas & one chihuahua cross. None of the dogs had serious or unpredictable medical conditions, and all lived between 14 – 16 years. And none of them took Advocate or any other regular medication.

    In more recent years, I have had five chihuahuas – this time, upon new medical recommendations and information, all 5 dogs took ADVOCATE. ALL 5 of them have been diagnosed with mitral valve disease, seizures, arthritis! Three of them died before reaching 11 years of age! My last two (11 yrs and 12 yrs) are now critical and have been told they won’t live much longer!
    These odds cannot be a coincidence: Before, ALL 10 of my 10 chihuahuas NOT on Advocate or other meds lived longer, & did NOT have heart disease, or seizures.
    Now, ALL 5 of my 5 chihuahuas on Advocate have mitral valve disease, seizures, and arthritis! (And my 5 dogs aren’t all related).
    How can this be a coincidence!!
    I will also be happy to join a class action law suit. What these pharmaceuticals are doing is criminal.

    Reply
    • Hello Dee,

      I am so sorry to hear of your situation. I was wondering if you could please give me some advice if you feel you can. I have a 15 week old puppy chihuahua who prior to my visit to the vet a week ago was the most happiest playful, and beautiful little boy I could ever hope for, he loved meal times and would eat everything I gave him. I administered Advocate in the evening and by the next morning I noticed he was not the same. He did not want any food at all and was very lethargic. This has continued for nearly a week now, not wanting to eat and sleeping all day. I spend 5 hours a day trying to encourage him to eat, I am totally exhausted, he now barley eats less than a quarter of his food. The more I try to encourage him to eat the more he avoids the kitchen where is food is. He has also been sick so took him to vet who gave him anti-sick injection. The vet was useless and offered no help. I told her the only thing different was the Advocate they had prescribed for him. He was only 1kg in weight and 14 weeks old, I am terrified I am going to loose him. Please can you help me I am at a loss as what to do next.

      Reply
  9. Hi, we have a 5 month old Smooth Collie Cross. She’s had one advocate treatment with no side effects, but after reading these comments I’m very hesitant to continue using it.

    What alternatives are there? What are people using instead to treat worms, fleas and ticks, and how often?

    Thank you

    Reply
  10. I have cared for dogs for years and I had no problem. I bought this advacate bayer medication 3-4 months ago and I used it 2 times.
    the demodex on my dog ears came back. it was not treated correctly.
    Worst: our feets, hands, faces were burning, needle like effect after 1.5 month of not using it. Yes, us, the owners of the dog. We were affected negatively by this dog medication.
    Only antibiotic bath are effective for demodex. And we never had problem after the baths, nor 1.5/2 months after. With this medication, well. I can not say 100%, it s responsible. But it just happened fews weeks after using it 2 times. So…
    And this never, wver, happened to us, before. So 🙁

    Reply
  11. Hi,
    We were prescribed Advocate for our 18 month old Cavachon, as he refuses to take pills. I regret giving it to him completely. The first time was administered by a vet and, he had a poorly tummy and vomited and poo’d a lot. We just thought that he had eaten something horrid, as dogs do. So we gave him a second dose (well about a third) the month after. So, in NO WAY am I blaming Advocate and it could be completely coincidental, however. 7 days after we administered the spot on the following happened.
    We woke up one morning and noticed our dog had had what we thought was a Stroke. His eye was bulging and he couldn’t walk. He was doing crocodile rolls when we put him on the bed. We took him to an emergency vet and they said they needed to refer him to a specialist. I took him straight there and he was taken away for tests. It came back as encephalitis. His nervous system was attacking his brain. He spent 2 weeks in critical condition and was so near death that we thought the worst. Thankfully, due to the diligence and expertise of these neuro vets, we have our boy back. I have asked about this spot on we gave him and they seem to think that it isn’t the cause, however, reading about the ingredients for the Advocate it uses a insecticide imidacloprid, which kills insects by blocking neuro transmitters in the brain and attacks their nervous system. This for me is enough to NEVER EVER use it again, or any other tablet that contains this.

    Again, I am making it perfectly clear that this MAY NOT be related and could just be coincidental.

    The choice is completely up to the owner – I just regret deeply giving this to my baby…..

    Reply
  12. I use advocate on my dog.. and once put on the back of her neck she shakes her head and generally it sprays in the surrounding area.. what I haven’t read anywhere is the fact of what it does to the things it lands on if you don’t wipe it off straight away!!! It landed on my TV and TV stand and it literally has stripped the black membrane off the frame of the tv and left streaks on the silver tv stand.. Absolutely ruined it.. It has also marked my new white gloss kitchen unit door.. if it can do that to furniture, what the hell can it do to your dogs skin!!! Beware of this cos it just strips furniture like acid ???

    Reply
    • This has just happened to me too!!! I wish I had read your post. Why is it not in their info
      I have 2 ruined kitchen doors. I will be seeking compensation

      Reply
  13. Hi. Do you know at all if it’s dangerous or can cause an overdose of some sort to give this to a dog that already has her yearly heartworm injection? I have a horrible time giving my dog her working tablets. This would be a better alternative but I’ve just given her yearly needle to her.

    Reply
        • Oh, okay. I’m not sure, so it would probably be best to ask your veterinarian. However, as many have commented here, make sure you are okay with using this product on your dog because there have been some bad reactions to using this product. Especially on herding breeds, but others as well.

          Reply
  14. I have just come across this site as I was curious. I bought Advocate from the vets after the groomer found a couple of fleas on him. I put it on him and I am not sure of the time span but all of a sudden he started tilting his head. I took him to the vets ans was advised it was a neurological problem by doing routine tests and a blood test for infection. That was on 1/5/2017 and now he cannot walk properly, staggering, wobbling and falling over when he cocks his leg to pee. He is an 8 yr old maltese X and has been really healthy all his life. He used to jump on my bed but no longer can and I am virtually spending my day taking him out for his toilet time and then put him back on my bed where he sleeps most of the time. I am devastated and heartbroken my beautiful boy is suffering and the Advocate is the only thing that I did different and never used before. Two vets have said vestibular disease (like a stroke) or worse like a brain tumor. I am hoping and praying that in time he will recover but its looking that way at the moment. The vet put him on cortisone but it gave him the runs so I took him off the meds. I feel it was the Advocate that caused this. Any ideas anyone. I need the help please.

    Reply
    • Hi Linda
      Has your dog recovered?
      My Ricco is fine after the advocate got out of his system. No side effects for 4 months.

      Reply
  15. I give my staffy advocate on a care plan from my vets from 8 week old to her being 8 yrs when I gave it to her I never questioned it due to it being prescribed for her but once I administered it to her she would go crazy trying to rub it off and absolutely rubbing her back on anything she came into contact she must have been allergic to it I wish I had mentioned it to the vet sadly I lost her last week with spleen cancer I’m not saying it was that what caused her to die but I will never use it again on any animal

    Reply
  16. Having read some of the comments the first thing I did was give our Border Collie a good wash. Perhaps too much baby shampoo but wanted to make sure as much as possible of Advocate was removed. Her behaviour changed dramtically shortly after being given Advocate. Not her normal self. Last time it was put down to the fact I had just come out of hospital and full of goodness knows what and probably smelt totally different. This time after giving her Advocate, the next day odd behaviour that was most unlike her, and I was my normal self! She had had a reaction a couple of times before which was put down to something she had eaten out walking. Both involved trips to the vets and on one of them , 2 overnight stays. Now not so sure it was what she had eaten as haven’t done the maths to work out if timing fits. But no more Advocate and will being making sure that anything she does have does not contain Ivermectin.

    Reply
    • Thanks so much for these blogs I have been using advocate on my dog Ted and he has been lethargic with odd behaviour trying to hide behind the sofa so unlike him but I didn’t realise it was a side effect from the advocate until I gave it to him yesterday when no sooner I had applied it Ted just wanted to hide was really lethargic and wouldn’t come anywhere near me so I googled advocate side effects which led me to this site and read these blogs I washed it off straight away but it was several hours before Ted was back to his normal self today he is back to my very playful happy affectionate pet I will NEVER use advocate again

      Reply
  17. My dog was given Advocate as part of a monthly pet care plan sold to me by my vets. Last April he collapsed suddenly whilst out on a walk and could not use his back legs. Fortunately we had pet insurance with More Than which paid for veterinary treatment and a “rip off” price of £1500 for an MRI scan but no one could give me a satisfactory answer as to why it had happened. It has been a long journey for recovery including lots of physiotherapy and he still attends weekly hydro therapy sessions. We are all used up on the pet insurance for this condition now and cannot make a further claim and have to pay for it ourselves. He regained use of legs but is still unsteady and cannot do basic stuff such as cocking his leg, scratching or jumping into car boot etc. Just recently about 4-5 months ago I discontinued Advocate as I had suspicions it was causing a rash with raised sores. After 4-5 months on non use his skin was immaculate. A few weeks ago I reapplied Advocate for the first time in a long time. Within 24 hours he was covered in heat lump type sores under his fur. I did some research and was horrified to learn that not only could the Advocate have done this but also caused his neurological problems last year. Advocate now in bin and plan being cancelled. Disappointed in Vets for not advising me appropriately but guess they are prob on commission with this product. AVOID at all costs.

    Reply
  18. We rescued Skywalker almost a month ago. He is negative for distemper and parvo but has some skin problems so we isolated him for 2 weeks as recommended by the Vet. Finally he joined our 2 dogs and a cat but we noticed the he is hot to the touch from the first time we brought him to the vet. We brought him to another vet and had to again isolated him for 3 days since he has fever. We had to give him medicines daily and water via syringe to make sure he will not dehydrate. We noticed that he has anxiety and fear everytime we carry him, he twitches and has muscle spasms…we attribute it to him being scared of us. So we stop giving him medicines via syringe and just through his food and slowly he is warming up to us again. But his muscle spasms still remains even in his sleep.He was already given vitamin B and iron for almost a week and still the same. We just went to the vet and he was just given again vitamin B injection and pain reliever for his muscle spasms. After reading all the post, Skywalker was given advocate when he was rescued and 2nd time when he has fever. That’s when we noticed he tries to regurgitate but no vomit and he trembles and with muscle spasms. his blood work only showed he is anemic and with urea problem. what do we do until he effect of advocate is removed from his system.? he hasnt taken a bath since he was given the 2nd advocate. in the meantime what we can do to alleviate his muscle spasms ?

    Reply
  19. how long is the effect of.advocate? we rescued a.dog aND he was.given an advocate. everything seems fine in the first 3 weeks. then he was given again an antibiotic because of.his fever and monthly. advocate (2nd), we noticed changed in his behavior, very fearful and anxious. he has muscle spasms in his lower back leg and now even while sleeping.

    Reply
  20. My beautiful spaniel cross retriever started having seizures when he was two. Five months ago the seizures stopped. Two weeks ago I administered advocate and the seizures have returned. I had no idea until I read all these comments. I feel absolutely horrified that I have caused my gorgeous Ricco to have seizures again. I will never use advocate on him ever again. Hopefully the seizures will stop when the drug wears off.

    Reply
  21. I can’t believe this product hasn’t been banned. I am also stunned that vets are prescribing collies with it! I’ve given it to my dog before (a Portuguese Water Dog) with very minimal reaction, a bit sore on his legs maybe. Then the day before yesterday I applied not even a whole dose, maybe 2/3 of a tube as it’s not flea season and yesterday he was lethargic and couldn’t stand up, he had to be carried to the vets as his legs wouldn’t work. The vet said it couldn’t be advocate but that his symptoms seemed neurological and/or like he had been poisoned. He has perked up a bit today and can stand up better but I certainly won’t be using it again and will be spreading the word that this stuff is a massive risk. This has been absolutely terrifying and reading the comments it seems he has had a very lucky escape.

    Reply
    • Argh! “The vet said it couldn’t be Advocate.” Heaven forbid! It must be something else! Something completely untraceable on all tests! These vets are covering themselves in the event of lawsuits and covering for Bayer. How many dogs have to have these reactions before it is acknowledged?

      Reply
  22. 2 years ago I applied advocate to my Yorkie, having done so for 8 years. He always used to scratch and be a bit off colour afterwards. I applied Advocate Saturday pm and by Monday his paw had swollen and he had lost a little fur, so took him to the vet. By Wednesday he looked like he had been skinned alive, the vet couldn’t believe it. He died on Thursday morning, the most horrendous death, all his organs had shut down. Please, please do. It use this product.

    Reply
  23. Unsure if anyone will see this comment but I want some advice if possible, on Sunday the 4th of September 2016 I applied a tube of this Advocate to my little 4 year old miniature foxy, Monday she started acting differently, displaying signs of nesting, guarding toys, whining for unclear reasons and just seeming in distress, Monday night she was very restless in bed, it’s now Tuesday the 6th and she’s very “clingy” and still acting differently to how she usually does, wondering if anyone else has had similar “phantom heat’s” possibly caused by a “spot-on” treatment?

    Reply
  24. I feel so sad after reading all these reactions! Nearly a year ago in spring, I applied Advocate to my 14 year old lab who I’ve used this product on previous Springs and don’t use it in winter generally.
    I put it on the back of his neck in the morning and rest of that day everything was fine, in the morning he was his usual self!
    I went to work and came back in the evening to find him in a trance like state of rapid breathing, eyes open but no response and couldn’t move. He stunk highly of the chemical Advocate. Rushed him to the vets, who thought he may have been bitten by a snake, I did tell her that I put advocate on his neck the morning before, she didn’t believe this would have don’t it.
    To this day I do believe it was this product that put my beautiful boy into an early death, it should not be on the market! Yes it definitely kills all the insects it should but also kills the host!
    So bloody mad about this product being easy to buy and readily available everywhere!
    What is safe to use, wish someone could assure me what is safe

    Reply
  25. We have been applying advocate to our 2year old Jack Russell girl monthly since she was a puppy on the advice of our vet due to having foxes constantly in our garden. She does not like having this applied , runs and hides before applying and after, she is constantly scratching under her belly and has a very pink skin under her belly, under her neck and inside pits of her legs, the worst of it all she gets a very bad throat, and seems to have differculty swallowing. My vet seems to think this is allergy, but said could be allergy to anything, after reading some of these other people’s experiences, I am now thinking it’s the advocate !!!! Not sure I should be using again, although do not want her picking up some of these diseases that the foxes carry including mange. Can anyone advise me on an alternative please. I have been looking into neem oil.

    Reply
  26. I forgot to add we stopped using the advocate a month or two after the biting incident last April and won’t be using it again.

    Reply
  27. Thank God I found this page. I’m sat here broke hearted.

    We first gave our 2 year old border collie advocate when we took him to the vets as a puppy for his first injections etc.

    At that time he expressed a slight discomfort after we applied it in that he would run into the room and roll around on his back. As the months went on his reactions became progressively worse to the point my husband had to hold him in a corner while I put it on his neck.
    Around may last year when our BC was a year old he went to bite someone who bent down beside him to get into their bag. He ripped their jeans and made a surface mark on his leg. Me and my husband were absolutely devastated. Other than when administering advocate we had never seen him like that.
    Thankfully the man was a family friend, was fine about it and accepted our apologies and a drink.
    A few weeks after that things got progressively worse in that he started to growl and bare his teeth at me when I went to direct him away from the gate at the top of our drive and direct him away from places or things he shouldn’t be near.
    I made the decision to look online for clues to his behaviour and came across a website about advocate and adverse reactions in BC with a build up of toxins in a dogs brain who had a certain gene deficiency.
    All of our dogs behaviours were listed and we couldn’t think of anything else that could be making him this way so I contacted or vets to question them about it and ask why we hadn’t been told of the possible risks to BC .
    Lady there told me she had no idea about it but would get back to me. She did a day later and said she had spoken to the manufacturer who said that these claims were unfounded at the explanation for my dog was behavioural.

    I didn’t believe this and 10 months on he has just gotten worse. We can’t even turn over in bed on a night without him running him from the landing growing and Barking. This morning my 12 year old went to the top of the drive to him and he turned on him jumped up and ripped his new hoody.
    This afternoon he has just turned on me because i put my hand on his hind quarter and said ‘move over Bracken’. He jumped in the sofa.. something he isnt allowed to do and become really aggressive baring his teeth, growling and lunging forward. This went on for a few minutes until I went to get his lead and he came down thinking I was taking him for a walk. I put it on him, got his soft muzzle on him (something we bought after he bit our friend) and put him in the other room out of the way . I’ve rung my husband to tell him and told him this needs sorting. I wasn’t frightened , I was shocked and upset if I am being honest.

    Could it be the advocate toxins are still built up in his brain or that they did their damage already? I have no idea. My husband is devastated and we have no idea where to go from here

    Reply
    • The drug has an extremely long half-life. It may take a very long time for it to get out of your dog’s system. If you look on Facebook at the page “Does Trifexis Kill Dogs” they have a recommended detox protocol that you could try. Trifexis is different than Advocate, but they have one shared ingredient and it may help.

      Reply
  28. I have an Alaskan malamute
    Who became ill after applying advocate he went down hill quick no response layed on his bed he’s eye swelled up looked really ill at 9 months old he was not our bouncy little chap that was running every where and happy
    He spent 4 days at my vets on a drip steroids antibiotics and ant inflammatorys they thought it was
    Meningitas an talked about MRI
    But my suspicions are the advocate
    As they were not sure what it was
    He’s good now
    But won’t be using it again

    Reply
  29. This is really weird. Our dog is heartworm positive, and because of that she cannot use ivermectin. Ivermectin can cause the heartworm to aggravate and cardiac arrest will follow. She was given Advocate once a week and she is so much better now.

    Reply
  30. Actually, I been giving my dog this for years and found it much more effective than Revolution or FrontLine.

    I have tried all three Bayer solutions and all are effective: Advantage (and advantage multi) , Advocate and Advantix; the latter I would only bother using in bad mosquito areas and make sure it is nowhere near cats.

    The difference is Advocate is the most broad spectrum.

    THE ONLY REASON you need a prescription is like anything else in the US, profit, nothing to do with your dogs welfare; and no reason to need a prescription each time.

    Don’t bother, buy it from overseas, that’s what I do. I paid about $56 for my “large dog 6 pack; but it took about 3 weeks to arrive. It was shipped from Singapore and smelled and looked the exact same as what I used to buy in New Zealand and in Europe.

    Reply
  31. I live in Thailand and ticks and parasites are unavoidable here. We have no choice, but to use a chemical treatment. I have been using advocate on all 9 of my Chihuahuas and my Rottweiler for years. I use it once a month. I have never had any issues. You have to use the right dose for your dog. I only use a tiny bit for my Chihuahuas and about a half a dose for my Rottweiler. Don’t use too much. Unless you own a great Dane there is no need to apply the full amount. You should also apply it where your dog can’t lick it. Close to the neck in between the shoulders. Licking it can cause your dog to get sick. If you live in a place that doesn’t have a lot if fleas or ticks I advise rose geranium oil for tick and flea prevention and raw pumpkin seeds for parasite prevention.

    Reply
    • You should use all of it, because you don’t use the same version on a Chihuahua as a Great Dane. You might notice on each pack it has a weight range? The only time you would not use all is maybe if your dog is at the low end of that weight range

      Reply
  32. Please can someone advise me of a proven and safe alternative to Advocate to prevent Lungworm. My dog eats everything he finds outside, lots of grass too, and I know he is high risk of contracting Lungworm. He’s been ok on Advocate for years but after reading this forum I’m scared to use it on him again!

    Reply
  33. I’ve just got a prescription from my vet to buy another year’s supply of Advocate from PetMeds online, which I have been told by another vet is a ‘safe and trusted’ website. My dog, a Greek Hound mix, has been having this product every month for the past 4 years, as he does eat anything and everything outside. So far, the only side effects he’s had is an occasional vomit, but this is few and far between and may not even be related. Now after reading all these posts I’m worried about giving it again to my boy. What would be your advice – should I or shouldn’t I, and if not, what are the alternatives for preventing Lungworm?

    Reply
    • Yep, thats what I do for med, treats and toys; either Ebay, Amazon or the millions of online pet stores across the globe;

      I WILL NOT BE RIPPED OFF ANYMORE BECAUSE EXPLOITATION OF THE LOVE FOR MY DOGS 🙂

      Reply
  34. Hi – I have just given my flat coat retriever this product on Wednesday night 11th Jan. By the 13th he had severe diahorrea all day and all through the night. Every hour to hour and half through the night. This is the first time we have used this product as we have just come from the UK and didn’t use it there. I know he isn’t heart worm positive as he had all this medication to come through quarantine to get into Australia from the UK. After reading this I’m glad he only had diahorrea and not neurological symptoms. He had laboured breathing and was panting a lot. My dog won’t be getting this product again and I hope he has no further systems.

    Reply
  35. My 7 yr old shihtzu had advocate lungworm treatment for the first time this summer as recommended by the vet when taken for yearly booster. Initial treatment all ok, but 3 days after second treatment his back came up all in sores exactly where the liquid was applied. As he was 11kg in weight the vet gave him 11-25kg pipettes, I think this was way too much As he is still a small dog and he had also been recently cut and groomed his fur was shorter so it absorbed quicker, hence causing this skin reaction. Vet took a biopsy and lab results came back with dermatitis caused by a alllergic skin reaction which in my opinion was caused by the advocate treatment as he had nothing else to cause this, lab didn’t speculate. Been on antibiotics and various creams and gels off vets, still having treatment but vet removed all the scab, over 50 stitches! All so unnecessary , will never use again.

    Reply
  36. My chiweenie was given Advantage II and exhibited signs right away. She became lethargic, frightened, and had labored breathing. She later did not eat any food or drink water. The whole day she had small tremors. I didn’t know what was happening until I went online and saw others had similar experiences with their dogs. This stuff is very toxic to small dogs under 9 lbs. Please do not Poison your pets with it. I now believe that my chihuahua/terrier sucumbed to complications due to this type of medicine. She had balance/neurological problems from what I believe now was from topical flea prevention applications.

    Reply
  37. My dog has been on Advocate for two years. It seemed alright at first but over time I noticed that his behaviour was changing. I would notice he was missing and go and find him. He would hide himself away and sit or stand fixed to the spot shaking all over .It would take an hour or so to get him over it. My vet just told me to keep an eye on him. I decided to start a diary to see if I could link it to any particular thing. This morning I gave him his monthly Advocate and later found him hiding behind the sofa trembling all over. One of the listed ingredients of Advocate causes tremors. I will not be using this again.

    Reply
    • Apparently it is more common for the other bayer product called Advantix and that the active ingredient of that will make cats froth and shake; didn’t realise some dogs too……like human meds, it is just luck of the draw, some get side affects , most don’t

      Reply
  38. My dog, Speckles, is very small, under 3 lbs. The vet prescribed Advantage Multi after she had a reaction to ivermectin. He said it would be a safe option for her.

    Advantage Multi is the same product of Advocate, just with a different name.

    48 hours after I applied the drug, Speckles began to act differently. It started with aggression and lethargy, but then she lost the use of her back legs. By 60 hours after administration, she was on her side, screaming, shaking, having tremors, and unable to properly use her legs.

    Obviously, she went straight to the vet. She has been tested for everything the vets can think of. She has had MRIs, blood tests, abdominal ultrasounds etc. Nothing has been found.

    This is what is really scary – if you look on the website for Advantage Multi, you will see that it has a 35 day half-life. Regular ivermectin products have a 48 hour half-life. This means it is going to be about 6 months before the product has even left her system.

    She remained incapacitated for months, then slowly started to regain functioning. Now, she can walk again, but has not regained full control of her bladder or bowels. This has led to repeated bladder infections that have threatened her life.

    She had this reaction four months ago. We are still struggling to pay for her care and keep her alive until this drug is completely gone from her body. Bayer refuses to provide any support.

    Do not use this product. If your dog has a reaction, there is no way to get it out of your dog’s system. Bayer will not help you.

    Please contact me if your dog had a reaction to Advocate or Advantage Multi. Also, please share your story on twitter with #afteradvantage and #bayer hashtags.

    You can email me at savespeckles@gmail.com

    Reply
  39. We use advocate on our gsd each month-I had no idea of the problems it could cause till reading here-I was looking for info as I accidently got it on my hand didn’t notice and put my hand to my mouth-did not taste nice-wondering if I should seek medical advice -feeling fine although my lip went numb/tingly/burning for a few minutes-but is ok now. After reading here I will not be using on my gsd again . What other flea treatment is recommended please?.Thanks

    Reply
  40. We have a Staffy who also reacts to Advocate. He hates it going on and then becomes depressed for a couple of days. His personality changes completely. We have discussed this with our vet but she does not think it is the Advocate. We stopped giving it to him for a few months but tried it again today. He is totally lethargic and hyperventilating so we will definitely be looking for an alternative. If it is neurotoxicity to fleas then what is it doing to our dogs?

    Reply
  41. I’ve never used Advocate before, all my previous pets have had frontline but I was advised that the fleas were getting immune to this and recommended Advocate instead. The next morning my Llasa Apso had terrible diarrhoea, with quite a jelly like appearance. Within a few hours he was vomiting, also jelly like, and looked very forlorn. He sat in the kitchen for an hour and a half just staring into space. After reading this page I decided to wash him. Within an hour he was as perky as usual and after a few more hours he was hungry. Going to the vets in the morning and telling them I’m not happy with their suggestion and will try to get a different one. Very worrying experience to say the least

    Reply
  42. I have a 4yr old Westie, I have been giving him advocate for 3 years. Every other month, he’d act like he was really spaced out. I mentioned this to my vet and was told it has nothing to do with advocate and how unusual. I just gave him his monthly dose and for two days he has been crying and gong to toilet in the house, won’t let me go near him and has hardly slept. Called my vet….. ‘ no dogs have issuses with advocate’ what a load of rubbish !!!!!! I will deirect him to this site. I am devestated, my darling pet seems back to normal now but I will NEVER EVER give him this poison again. The vets must benefit from the sale of this drug, why else would vets say that they have never heard of dogs getting sick, that is surely a blatant lie. I have now sourced natural preventative meds for my boy, however, I can’t seem to find anything that will protect him from Lungworm….. Can anyone help me?

    Reply
  43. My garden has a serious snail and slug problem, i took my 8 week old bichon for his first injection and the vet gave me Advocate which i applied yesterday, he slept a lot and kept whimpering. He seems a bit better but woke up with foul smelling breath which fills the room. Has anyone heard of this? I’m very worried after reading these blogs as he’s so tiny and young.

    Reply
  44. I have a nine year old cairn terrier who up until last year has always had advocate which was issued by my vet with no problems. However, due to it being very expensive, I decided to buy some from a company on the internet. As I needed a prescription, I asked my vet to write one out which they did and I sent it to the company as requested. I purchased 2 boxes as it was half the price from them but as soon as I used it, my dog developed very itchy spots all over his back. The next month the same thing happened so I bathed him and didn’t re-apply more until his back cleared up then started again and the same thing happened so I got in touch with the company I purchased it from who assured me it was the genuine product so I again bathed him and waited for it to clear. I have just re-applied it again and guess what…… it has flared up yet again!!! I am wondering if it really is the genuine product as I never had this happen when buying it from the vet. I have a box which I haven’t started yet and am thinking of sending it to Bayer to see if they could test it.

    Reply
  45. I have used Advocate for years on my dogs – Catahoula, AM Bulldog, Flatcoat Retriever, Border Collie/Lab – I’ve seen no reactions ever…

    I’m so sorry everyone is having reactions with your pets…now I’m paranoid LOL gonna watch mine closer after application !

    Thank you all for your comments 🙂

    Reply
  46. I came to this blog because I was going to give Advocate to my Afghan, and the previous times she had a bad reaction – listless, and obviously unhappy. It took three days for her to return to normal. I’m so glad I read all these comments, I will never give her this product again, it’s going straight down the toilet.

    Reply
  47. I gave my dog a dose of advocate as I usually do without any problems an hour or so ago, she came and curled up beside me while I was asleep on the sofa, my was resting on the dogs back when I awoke and my arm and hand were smelling badly of the advocate and my dog does not seem to have any left on her, she normally has signs of the stuff being put on her for a couple of days afterwards she does not even smell of it. I wondered if I should give her another dose or not or whether it would be dangerous like an overdose or not.

    Reply
  48. Advokate has just flattened my 4 year old male Dobermann. He is a big, fit and healthy dog, however within 6 hrs of his treatment he was a whimpering wreck, sat in front of me pawing at me and crying. He could not walk without assistance, his back was hunched, his heart rate, temprature and blood pressure were through the roof – he stopped eating, drinking, pooing and weeing. 48 hrs, 2 sleepless night, four vets visits and various medications later, (including Tramadol!), he started to show signs of improvement (he was on the point of being taken in for scans, bloods, rehydration etc). The only change to his routine was the advokate, we’d used it twice before – first time he had a slight reaction of 24 hrs of listlessness & excess salivation, second time I dropped the dosage and noticed no real change. This time he went back to a full dose and it almost killed him. Its taken him 5 days to get back to something like his normal self – I’ll never, ever use it again. Both me and the vet are content that his ‘illness’ was a reaction to the advokate. Scary stuff.

    Reply
    • Hi Pete,

      My dog is experiencing the exact same thing right now! Vets are no help at all and he is still lethargic, sleepy and unbalanced 2 weeks after having the Advocate. It would be great to speak to you, could you give me an email on amyheighton@hotmail.co.uk.

      Thanks.

      Reply
  49. My 10 year old Shih Tzu suffered severed seizures 2 days ago. He is otherwise a very healthy dog for his age, with no major health issues prior to this episode, At present he is recuperating at home, having been treated for his seizures and is currently being given drugs for epilepsy. What I couldn’t understand is if he was epileptic he would have shown signs of it a lot sooner than now. the vet asked if anything had been different for him before the seizures, of course we racked our brains as to what it may be, then I remembered treating him with Advocate 5 days before. Sad thing in all this is he has never used this product before, we were using another well known brand, which we have done so all along, this was only used because my vet recommended it to me, I now feel that I am in away responsible for his condition, the treatment was given to me as a single vial, no box and no warnings and I do feel that the vet should have been aware of possible side effects and informed me of them. Looking at packaging on the web, it doesn’t state these effects either, so its the manufacturers fault. How can so many people who love their pets, be allowed to use this product on them if there is a slightest possibility that they could be harmed, I know deep down what has caused my dogs seizures, proving it is another thing, does anyone know of any other sites about this issue where pet owners can record their stories to help make other pet owners aware?

    Reply
  50. We have been using Advocate on our puppy basset hound for 4 months now, luckily no major side effects like some but I have noticed that whenever we put it on him he eats grass and vomits. He did this the first time the vet administered it but the vet did not seem to concerned. I did the monthly treatment again this morning and sure enough he is eating grass and vomiting. The worst part is here in Australia this product can be bought at any pet store over the shelf no prescription and no questions asked regarding the dog. I have since washed my beautiful boy and will no longer be using this product. Thank you.

    Reply
  51. Wow im so pleased i read all these comments.I was recommended advocate by a freind.I have two gsd’s .I wont be touching this product with a barge pole .Thankyou all for your information.I’m sorry to read some of your stories but you’ve saved my dogs ..

    Reply
  52. Our Border Collie was 20mths old when he had his first seizure. He had 2 Grand Mal fits a month later. He’s now treated with bd Epiphen 60.
    Our vet had previously prescibed painkiller Carprieve & Ronaxan 100mg antibiotics for a sore split paw.This delayed the flea treatment for a couple of months.
    Our usual flea treatment is Stronghold, containing Selamectin-this is very fiddly to apply (via a tiny lml opaque tube) & our dog hates it but doesn’t appear to have side effects. I was thinking of an alternative flea treatment but am aware of Collies’ sensitivities & trust our vet. Always communicate concerns with your vet & vet’ nurse- he/she should listen & reassure/advise.The cause of the seizures remains unknown.

    Reply
  53. My Yorkshire terrier is 6 months old he has had advocate applied twice now once by vets & once by myself but on applying it yesterday for the third time within an hour he was running around looking for places to hide and shivering. This was so out of character for him he wouldn’t even let me pick him up to passify him! After reading these reviews I immediately shampoo him and washed it off. He was back to normal within minutes thank god. I will never use this product again.

    Reply
    • The same here today, just applied it to my yorkie and same happened. Washed it off and fingers crossed she is ok now. Never again! I distressing for her. My other yorkie fine but I won’t take the risk again.

      Reply
  54. I have just been reading the comments on this blog and found it very interesting and useful. I have two Toy Poodles (a black and apricot one both age 5) and have been using it since they were puppies every three months. Last year in June 2013 my black toy poodle starting having what seemed like seizures. She couldn’t stand up, she was salivating and very sleepy afterwards. She has had a few more since then and had two in July this year. Took her to the vets again and said seizures were common in certain breeds and poodles were one of them. She had a blood test to rule out anything else that could be causing them which came back negative. The vet wanted to start her on medication for her seizures but I wanted to wait and see what happened. Now looking back at dates it seems to be happening after the Advocate was put on. My other dog seems to be fine other than when it is first put on she races around everywhere. Reading some of the above comments it says that this should not be used on herding dogs and Poodles descended from herding dogs. I will not be using this again and hopefully my dog will not have any more seizures, just hope the damage hasn’t already been done. Surely the Vets should make people more aware of the side effects. Reading these blogs if it is so prolific why is there no mention of it whatsoever in the drug company’s side effects sheet which comes with the treatment.

    Reply
  55. My dog also had a very bad reaction to Advocate. He is a Lhasa/Poodle cross. The product should be banned!

    Reply
  56. I am so upset for the dogs and owners who have sufferred as a result of Advocate. My vet was so sure it was right for my Lhasa/ poodle cross. He had a bad reaction immediately. He ran and semed to panic .He salivated and looked like he was going to have a seizure. I thought I would try again while he was asleep. Within minutes he was awake and doing the same thing. I washed the Advocate off both times and will never have my dog near it again. Vets do not always read blogs and see the result of these poisons or they don’t believe the reason is Advocate. I have asked for a refund and have been told I will receive one from my vet. How many other beautiful pets and loving owners will suffer I wonder before this product is banned.

    Reply
  57. Advocate 100% brings on seizures.. My chihuahua was prescribed advocate as a puppy for 4years he suffered seizures all along while i was giving him advocate drops. We thought he kept dislocating his legs when he was having a seizure. Not until we watched a youtube video of a chihuahua having a seizure we realised this was in fact what was happening to him. I stopped giving him advocate 7months ago and no seizure since i asked my vet and she confirmed that advocate is known for this in certain breeds. Since i wash him in flea shampoo and worm him with a tablet (not from the advocate brand) and he is perfectly fine!

    Reply
  58. I am almost sure that I have seen somewhere on here that one of the ‘ingredients’ of advocate is counted as a carcinogen. Perhaps someone with more knowledge than me could clarify this please. Why vets get so uptight when they are questioned about something I shall never know!
    Luckily I have a wonderful vet and
    her attitude is that usually a good
    owner knows their dog better than
    she does. She is there to give a
    medical diagnosis.Bless you Jenny.

    Reply
  59. Gave my 17 year old jack russel the advocate, never used it before but was informed by our vets its ok, it didn’t come out like a liquid but a blob of jelly then exploded all down his neck within an hour he was running around rolling over and crying in pain and couldn’t stop panting ,got to our vets within 10mins by then all his neck was glowing red she said it was deffinately an allergic reaction gave him pirriton, I got him home and showered him for a full 20 mins, after a couple hours he settled, he had pirriton the following day, a month later I noticed he has lumps come up in his throat the vet thinks he’s got lymphoma cancer when I asked if it was possible if the advocate caused it she got quite funny with me, it just seems he was ok before then after using it this happens, he has a heart condition so we are always monitoring him closely, and only found these lumps after using advocate.
    Also used this on our dachshund at the same time and he has suffered with weepy eyes since, would not recommend this to anyone

    Reply
  60. Further to the demodectic mange and advocate saga with my 12year old greyhound. My vet has now said that the flare up last year and this year of demodectic mange is definitely due to her immune system being lowered by having her yearly
    booster. As I have already said she can not have advocate put on her
    and I am using the aludex wash to clear the mange up. My vet has now
    advised that Ziggy does NOT have
    the booster in future as its doing
    more harm than good. I hope by
    letting you all know that anyone with
    a dog with the same problem it
    might be worthwhile just checking if
    any flare up of mange is close to
    when the booster has been given.
    Please note your insurance may be
    affected by no booster but in my
    case my dogs health is far more
    important than whether or not an
    insurance company will try to get out
    of paying up anyway. Hope all your pets are improving now Marie

    Reply
  61. I did my dogs treatment and 2 days later was woken to him whimpering at 6 in the morning. When I checked on him the sight was horrifying. He was in obvious pain and had scratched at the back of his head so much that it was bleeding and all the fur was off. He had literally scratched his fur off. He was lethargic, off his food and water, and eating grass so much when he was out so he vomitted. He was obviously trying to get it out of his system. The vets couldn’t help, PDSA hospital said I was in the wrong postcode (remember this when they ask for funds and refuse to treat an obviously ill dog because they are 5 miles out in locality). In the end the chemist was the best person to ask. We treated Dave with Savlon First Aid Wash and then with Savlon Spray Antiseptic. He had a Dermopt bath every day to soothe the itching. He eventually started taking water and a couple of days later started on his food. Never again. I would rather he had fleas than put him through that again. And I realise Dave got away lightly compared to some of the horror stories I have read on here. No animal should have to suffer like these dogs have. Dave is more or less recovered 6 weeks later although he still has a bald patch on his neck and hair loss on his haunches and tail. Love my pup too much to let him suffer like this again. So sorry to hear about the dogs on here xx

    Reply
    • My greyhound has been having advocate for some time now. She also appears to be reacting to the product: lethargic and sickness. This has happened for the last three times after applying it. After reading the comments I shall no longer be using it. Thank you everyone for your comments it helps other dog owners to make decisions on these products

      Reply
    • Hi Roberta my greyhound also tended to suffer from diarrhoea on a regular basis. That could be the moxydectin (the wormer) in the advocate. I had to use the advocate monthly to keep demodectic mange at bay but I haven’t used the advocate for 7
      weeks now and she hasn’t
      had diarrhoea once. So is that a coincidence, I don’t think so! Marie

      Reply
  62. Further to my comment concerning my greyhound. She was ill for about a week after using the advocate. She has thankfully now recovered and was due to have it administered again which I have not done. She has therefore NOT had the sickness( she couldnt even keep a drop of
    water down), lethargy and
    staggering. She has had to have herr
    annual booster and this can be a
    trigger for demodectic mange to
    reoccur especially in an older dog
    like her, shes nearly 12. I have gone
    back to using the Aludex wash which
    i used when she was a puppy and
    nothing else had worked It is
    obtained from the vet and the mange
    is clearing up again. So anyone who
    is using advocate for demodectic mange iand their dog is having a reaction it may be worth trying aludex wash Marie

    Reply
  63. Hiya !! Hope your dog will get better ;(
    CAUTION : Guys , Border collies and few more dog breads are NOT supposed to be administered ADVOCATE !!

    Reply
  64. We have just spent a very traumatic week with our 3 year old toy poodle. She suddenly had spasms in her back legs, an arched back and shaking. This was the day after giving her Advocate. She has had Advocate since she was a puppy and thinking back may have suffered more minor symptoms before after using it. We took her to the vet and mentioned the Advocate the vet said usually only side effects would be a rash/itching at the site.She told us to bring her back next day she saw another vet and was kept in while they ran blood tests, these came back negative so we were told to take her to a large Vet company for a scan.The vets and she saw at least 4 there kept her in for a day ran more tests and decided to treat a brain disorder. The vet a neurologist specialist explained about small dogs having a smaller space at the base of the skull and sometimes causes the problems she was suffering. She said if she does not recover she will do a scan (£2500).
    When we got her home we decided to do some research ourselves as the area the vet was indicating was the exact place the Advocate was applied, we are now convinced it was the Advocate and are very worried we have caused her irreversable problems. The vets are all in denial………………

    Reply
  65. Hi there. I have been reading your page with great interest. My lovely 9 month lab/collie cross has been diagnosed today with SR meningitis. She has been through a very difficult week. After a false diagnosis and treatment of a vaginal infection, her condition became worse. Difficulty moving, stiff back and neck, reluctance to eat/drink, increasing fatigue. We had to put her through the ordeal of a lumbar puncture to get a clear diagnosis so that she can get the right treatment.
    We have stressed over why a young, healthy dog can suddenly get this disease. Having found your page it is becoming more likely that Advocate is responsible as I had treated her with it only 2 days before she became unwell. I am very saddened that I was not made aware of the potential side effects of this drug by my vet. I am also disheartened that we are advised by our vets to put our pets onto these regular plans and annual vaccinations to ‘protect’ them and they are doing quite the opposite. I think the relationship between healthcare organisations and drug companies needs to be evaluated as the health of both humans and animals is being threatened by the dominance of big pharma.

    Reply
  66. My greyhound has been having advocate for some time now. She also appears to be reacting to the product: lethargic and sickness. This has happened for the last three times after applying it. After reading the comments I shall no longer be using it. Thank you everyone for your comments it helps other dog owners to make decisions on these products

    Reply
  67. My beautiful bouncy eight month old Irish Setter is currently in a vet hospital having fluids from a drip and being fed through a tube. His temperature has been too high for a week, he has excessive mucus or saliva in his throat and is drowsy, unresponsive, shaky and depressed – doesn’t seem to know or recognise anyone – even me. I read all these messages and phoned my vet to query whether his condition could have been caused by Advocate. Needless to say she said there were no problems associated with the use of Advocate. I am going to arrange a referral to get a second opinion. Don’t know if he has brain damage or if he’ll pull through.

    Reply
  68. It’s been of real interest to read all the posts. My 9yr old pug is currently extremely lethargic and weak. He has had time at the vets and in hospital on a drip and undergone extensive tests including bloods, ex ray and ultra sound, all to no avail. No answers and no improvement. He has periods of improvement followed by relapse and it’s driving me crazy trying to think what’s causing this. I had a suspicion it may be Advocate as it’s a new drug to him and the time scale corresponds, but my vet thinks it’s unlikely. I will now write to Bayer, but meanwhile we play a waiting game. So brutal.

    Reply
  69. I used Advocate on my 1 year old Miniature Labradoodle – she was sick, lethargic and starting itching & scratching her belly at the bottom – & came out in a red, spotty rash a few days later which took 3 weeks to clear up. I didnt connect the Advocate at this stage – I gave her a second dose & the same thing happened again — rash flared back up & same symptoms.I knew then it was the Advocate. I rang Bayer & they advised me to stop using it & get a refund from my vet. They were very concerned about Lilli & called me back twice over the next few weeks to see how she was doing. Yet Bayer would not admit to me there were any ‘serious’ concerns or know side effects. its makes me suspicious how these companies manage to ‘restrain’ the negative side effects. yes it might work fine to many dogs but side effects are more common than Bayer & your vets makes out.

    Reply
  70. Decided to check on this site to see if there are any reactions to Advocate as our King Charles Cav’ seemed very lethargic after a dose of Advocate-lying under tables, stretched out and generally disinterested in food and sleepy. I had thought there had been similar reactions to previous applications of Advocate -now I Have read all of these comments I’m convinced it’s having a adverse reaction on our 3 year old!- so will be speaking with vets about this !

    Reply
    • Hello Brian, I put Advocate on my Cavalier King Charles puppy, 5 months old, on Tuesday and yesterday ( Wednesday) he refused all food and water and slept all day. I had to encourage him to take water off my fingers but that only happened a couple of times. I won’t be using Advocate again although I have enough for 3 months. Thankfully, this morning he’s back to eating and drinking and playing. This is the second application although the first seemed OK. After reading through this site I think it’s more than likely to be the answer. Good luck everyone!

      Reply
  71. My year old tebtian terrier becomes aggressive and snaps a week after having this product ,I want to know if there is an alternative that will protect from lungworm?tia Hannah

    Reply
  72. Hi.. I’ve just read through these comments, as I had to rush my 1 year old border terrier to the vets yesterday after severe vomitting and poo’s and bleeding from her back passage. This is the second time i’ve used this product and I’m very unsure as to apply it again as she’s ill for 2 weeks after application. Tilly is usually the most loveable, adorable, lively and loving dog and after 2 mins after application, she is running around the house very aggitated, skimming on the carpet trying to get this off of her.. She also loses her appetite and withdraws and hides under the kitchen table. I can honestly say, I thought she was dying yesterday afternoon. The vet prescribed injections to stop her vomitting, antibiotics and some paste for her stomach..at a cost of £60.00! Why are the vet’s not advising of these side effects and still prescribing this when it seems to me that these are common side effects. My vet has also said to continue to use it at 4 week intervals and she’ll probably get used to it..! Absolutely no way! This stuff is dangerous and I’ll be emailing my vet to advise them..

    Reply
  73. We have a 14 year old Rough Collie/Borer Collie cross. He has been on Advocate, recommended by the vet, for about 5 years now. He has suffered what we thought was arthiritis for years now, and last year he was on pain killers (big brown tablets that taste good for dogs) in the hope this would help him to walk better (got very stiff if walking for too long – i.e more than 20 mins) – he developed a terrible allergy, took ages to work out it was the pain-killers, vets thought it was unlikely. I stopped the pain-killers and the allergy disappeared. I gave him his usual Advocate dose recently, and within a few days he had a weird reaction, we thought he was having a stroke, but recovered well over the next 24 hours. I haven’t given him his Advocate for over three months now, to see what happened with his health (keeping a close eye on him that he doesn’t eat slugs or anything in the garden) and he is a different dog! Still and old man, but he has gone back to playing again, chasing my daughter around the house, bringing socks in to tease us with, trotting when out on a walk etc!!! He hasn’t done this for years!!!! Am absolutely astounded the difference in him. Am going back to the vets to se what they ahve to say – clearly he needs something to protect him from worms and fleas, but I really dont’ want to see him unhappy again.

    Reply
  74. I have been to my vets this evening my dogs mouth and nose became very swollen and the neck it was a allergic reaction both my dogs had advocate yesterday. Can a dog if it licks the other dogs fur where the advocate was put on get some reaction from this. I can not think of anything else as everything she has had today she’s had before It was very worrying. She had to have a steroid injection

    Reply
  75. My 14 month old cockapoo is behaving very strangely after having a treatment of advocate today. He never cries or whimpers but has been doing so all day. He is afraid of me and his food bowl and he won’t even eat his satin balls. He is usually the most affectionate, lively little fella, it’s horrible to see him like this. I wish I had read this blog before I gave it to him. I would be devastated if any permanent damage has been done. I had no idea advocate even had any side effects.

    Reply
  76. Hi all, just lost our beloved 12month old border collie/lurcher, she was absolutely fine and showing no signs of illness until she suddenly started to have a full fit, she then had re-occurring facial fits and salavating heavily until she eventually had to be put down after suffering re-occurring full fits, we were at a total loss as to what had caused this but after reading these blogs we now wonder if administering advocate 2 days before her first fit had anything to do with it, the advocate was advised/purchased from our vets who never mentioned anything about it not being suitable for this breed of dog. We are now even more upset thinking that we may have caused her downfall and cannot come to terms with it, surely this problem should be more widely known, and certainly by vets. We can’t get our Holly back but hopefully this might help stop someone else losing there loved one’s.

    Goodbye Holly – we miss you so much

    Reply
    • Hello Lain,

      I’m so sorry to hear about your sweet Holly. 🙁 Thanks for sharing your story. Hopefully it will help others.

      Sincerely,
      Michelle
      Thedoginfoblog.com

      Reply
  77. We have just given Advocate to our two lab puppies (7 months old) and one is having a bad reaction. Agitated, stressed, salivating, trying to rub it off, constantly pacing. Washing it off helped. He had the same reaction last time. Vet said they will speak to Advocate and seek their advice. It may be they say to put it on in smaller doses but after reading all this I am going to ask for a different product for him. I’d rather he got fleas than had a seizure or neurological problems. Thanks for all the advice on here.

    Reply
  78. My 21 month old working cocker spaniel had Domodex mites when he was a young puppy. Our vet of many years prescribed Advocate which we used for best part of year with no adverse effects. After this time we stopped the treatment as we were advised he should remain free of the Domodex mites as his own immune system would now be able to do the job. After 8 months the mites returned and we restarted the Advocate and my dog was ill for 4 days. The night after the application he was so agitated he had me awake on and off all through the night. I took him to one of the vets at the practice who told me Advocate was the only treatment available and to continue the treatment for six months. My own vet had been on holiday and upon seeing her on her return she advised me that if the dog had another bad episode then she would treat the Domodex with alternative treatment. I’m very annoyed that two very experienced vets have given me conflicting information and neither told me to cease the treatment.
    At this point I contacted Bayers directly. They were extremely swift and professional and advised me to contact my vet to discuss alternative treatment. My dog had transient behavioural response caused by the Advocate and Bayers have asked me to discontinue any use of their product which I have done. I have asked them if my dog is likely to have any long term effects from these episodes. I await their response once their report is complete. The good news is that he is much better in himself and working well. He does still have the Domodex mites unfortunately which I am going to research thoroughly myself before I take any further advice from a vet.

    To all of the people and doggies in these blogs I wish you very good health!!!

    Daisy
    xxx

    Reply
    • Hi Daisy,
      We have seen a lot of demodectic mange in our rescue as we pick quite a few dogs off the street. Most of them have weakened immune systems and a poor diet. In cases where they have a lot of hair loss, the treatment is usually oral or a shot of ivermectin. I’ve also found that a grain free salmon diet, helps the skin and coat as well as coconut oil applied after a bath.

      We have seen it come back even with good diet. I think some pups are just more prone to a reoccurrence. Just wanted to share what has helped in addition to the medicine, in case you hadn’t tried it yet.

      Good luck! I hope your pup feels better soon!

      Reply
      • Ivermectin is a killer for collie breeds and judging by the comments above it seems it can be the same for other breeds too. Why do they continue to use these dangerous ingredients!!

        Reply
  79. Today I gave me 5 month old Maltese his 2nd application of advocate and within 4 hours he has went from being an energetic little pup to being physically sick and looking for places to hide and generally lethargic not being himself. I read other comments in this site and immediately washed it off with shampoo. He is now back to his old self within minutes. I will never use this again. It was prescribed by the vets and I will be ringing them for advice.

    Reply
  80. My Staffy is 8 months old and has had advocate since 2 months old. The last 2 months she has had bad sickness and diahorrea 2 days after having the product applied. This reaction has happened at the same time and there cannot be any other reason for this. I will not be using the product again.

    Reply
    • My 2 year old Labradoodle had such bad sickness and diarrhea for 5 days after Advocate application then refused to eat at all, or drink. The vet did x rays, nothing, blood tests, nothing but when I suggested it may be the flea treatment he said no straight away. After £465 in vet bills she returned to health. I’m not using that again.

      Reply
  81. Pingback: Anonymous
  82. Thank you Michelle for your reply. I will try to contact Bayer to get their advice, it would be good to know if this wears off or is a condition that stays with the animal for life??.One thing my wife mentioned to me was that Maggie and Lilly are very close, Maggie never leaves Lilly`s side and maybe Maggie may have also licked the neck area of Lilly and possibly ingested some this way?.
    Thanks again for your concern. Cheers Geoff.

    Reply
    • Hi Linda my dog is in a vet hospital at the moment with the same symptoms and he has meningitis! He is coming around now but it is an autoimmune response to a chemical or virus. He too has been having advocate put on every month. He needs steroids and has had MRI, lumbar puncture and bloods. My dog is a Yorkie / Maltese x and all of these posts show symptoms of immune response meningitis. My dog started with lethargy, then weakness in his back legs I thought it was his booster injection until I saw this!

      Reply
  83. Recently acquired 2 new dogs from Pet Rescue, a Maltese X (6 years old) and a Shitzu X (3 years old). Given some Advocate by carer to apply the them when we got them settled at home. No reaction with the Maltese X, but Maggie our Shitzu X appeared to become twitchy in the upper body and dull, listless and lethargic. Decided to wash Maggie thoroughly to night 10/9/13 after reading these blogs. very worried about her. Took to vet this afternoon, they said could be neurological?? Funny how they never mentioned side affect with this product when it is all over the net. Feed back WOULD be appreciated. Geoffro.

    Reply
  84. Hello,

    I have a blue heeler that I was just about to treat with advocate because I suspect he has been eating snails. I am now scared especially because sombody mentioned above that it is bad for hearding dogs. Should I use pancure instead?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Panacur is a wormer whereas Advocate is for fleas etc. Panacur is however safe. If your dog has not reacted to the snail then I imagine no harm has been done. Slugs can kill dogs.

      Reply
  85. My vet prescribed these for my two JRT’s but after reading alarming reviews about this there’s no way I’m giving it to them, advocate is going straight in the bin.

    Reply
  86. Upon Vet’s Prescription for Flea Treatment, Bayer Advocate Spot On was applied on the back of 6 Yr old Rottweiler.

    After that came across this Blog which worried me very much due to the mention of Neurological Disorders & Epileptic Seizures caused by Bayer Advocate.

    Initial Symptoms after administering Bayer Advocate.
    Excessive salivation,
    Drowsiness
    Inactive & Dull.

    I TOOK SPECIAL CARE TO MAKE SURE ORAL INGESTION WOULDN’T TAKE PLACE. I SAT IN FRONT OF MY DEAR PET FOR 4 HOURS CONTINUOUSLY AFTER APPLICATION.

    I immediately contacted Bayer Animal Health.

    Their Team which included a Vet contacted me promptly & Reassured it is SAFE on all Breeds of Dogs except Border Coolies.

    I Pray that my Dog doesn’t suffer from this Product.
    His Paw Prints are all over my Heart & I love him Very Much.

    Ruthvik
    14 Aug 2013

    Reply
    • That is not true, shelties and rough collies are also susceptible to this. Collie breeds and it seems some other breeds can carry the MDR1 gene and that leaves them dangerously affected by Ivermectin which is in a lot of products including the pain killer Metacam. We have to be so careful with our animals and make your vets aware that you do not want anything with Ivermectin in it on your pet. Sometimes they just won’t listen but you have to insist.

      Reply
  87. I stupidly applied advocate in my dogs ears to avoid ear mites!i did this without reading instructions!, im worried for my dogs, is this going to affect him??

    Reply
  88. my 6 year old rottweiler had foxes mange, after taking him to the vets i was given advocate, with both lots i applied (2 weeks apart) left him really distressed and rolling around in discomfit for about 20mins… iv been a bit worried in case its doing him any harm, if not is it still going to work after hes been rolling around everywhere??

    Reply
  89. My four year old border collie lilly started having seizures last November. She is taking epihen which seemed to help. Then she had another in February and may. She has just had another today, I used advocate on her 2 days ago and the last time she had a seizure it was a few days after treating her with advocate. Could this be causing her seizures.

    Reply
    • Hi Sue,

      A few other people have posted here about the problems with using Advocate on any herding breed such as Border Collies. They said their vet cautioned them about using it on their Border Collie due to a possible reaction caused by a gene that they carry. They said that the ivermectin in Advocate can cause seizures and other neurological problems because the gene causes hypersensitivity to that ingredient. So I would definitely suggest talking to your vet or contacting the manufacturer to see what they say about it. It would probably be advisable to go ahead and wash the product off your dog and find another product that is safe for Border Collies.

      Here is Bayer’s contact page so you can ask them specific questions: https://www.bayer.com/en/contact.aspx

      I wish you and your dog the best.

      – Michelle

      Reply
    • Other concerned users advise that you thoroughly wash the product from the skin.Above all speak to your vet and draw his attention to this site.Particular problems with herding breeds eg collies on this site.Contact the maker,addresses on this site.HOPE YOUR DOG GETS WELL.certainly it could.Wash the area thoroughly.Speak to vet drawing attention to this site.Contact manufacturer.Good luck.

      Reply
  90. We have been giving our daughter’s 3 year old pug advocate for about 3 months now. Last month she started having seizures out of the blue! The vet’s could not find any cause for sure only to speculate that it may be epilepsy which can happen in pugs. We have had her on epilepsy medicine since and the sezures seemed to be under control. It was time for her advocate again so we gave it to her and last week she started having seizures again and can’t walk and can hardly lift her head. I thought I’d research the advocate side effects since that is the only thing different she has had and reading these blogs have really opened my eyes! I am going to try to contact the manufacturer and see what can be done. I pray she comes out of this!
    We have two larger dogs that seem to do fine on this product but after reading this I will no longer give it to them either.

    Reply
    • Our dog has meningitis all the symptoms of the other dogs on here he’s been on Advocate since a pup he’s now 19 months old been like this for five months now. I thought there might be a link because when we put it on our other a few weeks ago he seemed to have a bit of a relapse. The vets however won’t even consider that these things affect our dogs.

      Reply
    • I am so sorry to hear about your little dog, i wish you all well and that she is better soon……i will never use this product again! My older dog ossie has had two strokes and each one after giving him advocate…….i am devastated! xxxxx

      Reply
    • I’m so pleased I’ve found this forum.
      We have a 3yr old Staffie who started having seizures last summer he was having them almost everyday for a few months.
      He was referred to a Neuro centre for bloods and an MRI.
      Nothing came back.
      The vet didn’t recommend any treatment as he was generally well apart from his episodes.
      He stopped having them after a couple of months and has been fine ever since.
      I gave him advocate three days ago (I hadn’t done since last summer) and he had another seizure last night!
      This can’t be a coincidence!
      Last year I trawled the Internet for an answer and had a second, third opinion but to no avail.
      I think I may have found my answer.
      No more advocate for us!

      Reply
      • Other concerned users advise that you thoroughly wash the product from the skin.Above all speak to your vet and draw his attention to this site.Particular problems with herding breeds eg collies on this site.Contact the maker,addresses on this site.HOPE YOUR DOG GETS WELL.

        Reply
    • Hi Kimberly,

      I’m very sorry to hear about your daughter’s pug having a seizure following treatment with advocate. I have a 10 year old Alaskan Malamute. She developed idiopathic epilepsy last year. She has generally been fairly well treated with epiphen and kepra. However, last week I was advised to treat her with Advocate and she started having bad focal seizures again within 48 hrs (we also think she had a major seizure overnight). 5 days on and she is struggling to walk, can barely lift her head and is not eating well. I notice that the half-life for one of the components of Advocate is 25 days, so I was curious to know whether your daughter’s pug recovered well and how long it took.

      Best wishes,

      John.

      Reply
  91. helpful to read these comments ,some really
    worrying effects. The dog I inherited over a year
    ago suffers from reflux every 2/3 weeks and i
    wondered if this drug was too harsh. She’s a terrier cross but a guzzler of her food so I’m hoping that’s the reason. Thank you

    Reply
  92. Have given advocate to our 8 week old staffi pup and he has been nuts all day barking chewing and bitting everything and very aggresive.

    Reply
  93. My 2 & half year old Staff was given this as he has a pinkish skin underneath & the vet said it was better than frontline s guards against mange that he could pick up from foxes . I used it a couple of months ago .. Fine .. used again on Thursday , came in from work Friday & my boy seemed like he had had a stroke , he can not raise his head , collapses all the time on his front legs . I rushed him to emergency vet where he has spent the night he has deteriorated , they do not know what’s wrong they think its Neurological so he is to have an MRI on Tuesday …. How can a happy bundle of fun be so ill within 24hrs .. The only thing I can think is that I used this product & have since read similar stories … I’m praying my baby can get better & return to health . I have spent the last day just crying because I can not believe what has happened to him x

    Reply
    • My 6 month old staffy has advocate and over night has scratched the skin from his eyes and ears. His bedding was covered in blood my poor baby looks like he been savaged. Don’t know what to do to help him gonna try Benadryl . Any advice please

      Reply
    • I have given my three dogs advocate over the past three months, with one month having no treatment; two of my dogs have been fine, but my older dog Ossie, who is blind and deaf, has experienced a stroke within a couple of days of the drug (yesterday was his second stroke) and prior to the stroke he has appeared really low in mood. I have only just put two and two together and will inform my vet……..my vet came out yesterday as an emergency, but i had not realised at this time what could have caused these two strokes. Ossie is still struggling to keep his balance with his back legs and now when he walks, i am using a towel as a sling under his front area to help him. I am very upset right now and trying to not let Ossie feeel how distressed i am, but watching your dog have a stroke and thinking he is going to die, is beyond words!!!!!

      Reply
  94. My pup is 3 months old,she’s had two lots of advocate with no side affects,the only thing is by the end of the month she has round worm again,I think I’m just throwing money away.do you think I would be better buying the usual over the counter products ?

    Reply
    • hello,

      how do you know

      she had round worm poor thing

      also too try and put it on after the bath 48 hours.

      Reply
    • Roundworms and Hookworms require 3 treatments, 10 days apart, due to their particular lifecycle within the dog’s body. Advocate is legally clear by saying it does not eradicate rounds and hooks, just that it helps control. To be clear, you would need a *different* product to eliminate the rounds, not the application of this topical every 10 days.
      I’m no vet but I think Pyrantel is an OTC one.

      Reply
  95. I bought some Advocate for our German shepherd because she seems to have Demodex mites on her face, but now I’m a bit concerned about using it. Is she a susceptible breed? Also, she is on an annual heart worm injection so would giving her Advocate be an overdose? Many thanks in advance.

    Reply
    • Hi Kathy,

      As several people on here have mentioned in the comments some border collies are sensitive to this product. From what I have read in the past, ALL breeds of collies may have a gene that makes them sensitive to Ivermectin, a common heartworm preventative. Other herding breeds such as the GSD are also reported to have this gene. However in GSDs it is much lower, only about 10% of them have it. If you are concerned I would recommend talking to your vet, there are also tests they could take to see if your dog carries this gene. However after reading about this product it says it uses imidacloprid and moxidectin as the active ingredients. I do not know the effects of these ingredients on herding breeds.

      Reply
    • If you are giving your dog an annual heartworm injection, why use this product that contains a heartworm medication? Just get a flea/tick med.

      Reply
  96. Applied advocate awhile ago for my 3months old rottweiler. Hope advocate will do good on her. Its been 2hours since i gave the advocate and nothing unusual is happening.

    Reply
  97. I just want to clarify it is the ivermectin in advocate that ALL herding breeds can have issues with. Like it was pointed out above they have a certain gene that makes them hypersensitive to ivermectin. If you have a herding breed (collies, shepards, heelers) you should look for heart worm prevention suggested for them.
    I’m not sure when this was done so I don’t know if she will see this but Carolyn if they didn’t tell you what was included in the puppy pack or at least have it posted then yes the vet is liable. If they did have it posted regardless of if you realized it or not they are not liable per insurance. The problem is you would have to pay a lawyer to sue them. I sure hope all the above pups are doing well. Please spread the word to other herding dog owners to have a long talk about ivermectin and their dogs.

    Reply
    • Thank you Cori for your added information. Carolyn’s comment was just left a month and a half ago so hopefully she will see your comment and it will help her out. Also, I hope other herding breed owners will also become aware of the potential dangers of using certain products on their dogs.

      Thanks again,
      -Michelle

      Reply
    • It effects more than herding dogs as we experienced yesterday with our 6 year old yorkie. He has had 2 seizures (we witnessed) over the last 2 years. His Dr. did blood tests, and didn’t “find” anything. So we (husband and I) did not associate it with Advantage until yesterday. 1 hrs after applying Advantage, Gizmo had a big seizure. Back legs not functioning, shaking, panting, crying tears, and the look in his eyes were saying, help me mom & dad!! I am contacting Bayer!

      Reply
  98. we took our 8 week old Border Collie to the vet and paid for a package called “the best start” as part of this package the vet applied Advocate but did not consult with us about it she simply put it on the pups neck. One hour later he was very distressed butting his back legs and crying he was exhausted but could not sleep kept jumping about and crying. I rang the vet who said it was probably the Advocate and to wash it off which we did. He stopped being as frantic almost right away but two weeks later is still occasionally bites his legs and cries. The vet says it is nothing they have done but then they would. I am not happy I took my pup to the vet paid for care and they have possible damaged him with this product.

    Reply
    • Hi Carolyn,

      Jenny just left a comment above about her experience with Advocate with her Border Collie. She says that her vet has cautioned using this product on Border Collies because it can cause seizures and neurological problems. Hopefully your dog will be fine and not have any lasting problems since you washed it off and it has had time to get out of his system. I hope your experience and other’s comments like Jenny’s will raise awareness to possible dangers of this product for specific breeds like Border Collies.

      Thank you again for your comment.

      -Michelle

      Reply
  99. I was prescribed Advocate by my vet for my boarder collie puppy when she was 4 months. She is now 6 months, and she suffered a siezure once last week and has had another one this week! She is KC registered and has no record of siezures in her blood lines. The neurological side effects from advocate, does this include siezures? After the first siezure she was taken to the vet but he had no answer to what may have caused this! Your advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi Mrs. Ingram,

      Sorry to hear about your dog having seizures. That is a very scary event when it happens! I would advise you to contact the manufacturer, Bayer, to see if they can elaborate on the possible neurological effects that could result from using Advocate.

      Here is Bayer’s contact page so you can ask them specific questions: https://www.bayer.com/en/contact.aspx

      I hope you get some answers so your dog doesn’t have any more seizures.

      – Michelle

      Reply
    • Hi Mrs Ingrams I hope your dog is doing ok now. I have a thirteen year old border collie who takes advocate. But a few vets have told me that it is not generally recommended for border collies as it can cause seizures and neurological problems. My dog has been taking this for a long time so he said she mustn’t carry the gene for this. I think it would be better if your dog didn’t take this anymore. Take care Jenny

      Reply
      • Hi Jenny,

        Thank you for your information regarding using Advocate on Border Collies. That is very important information and should help other users as well.

        – Michelle

        Reply
    • Our car suffered seizures immediately after advocate. She then went blind a died of a brain tumour a year later.

      Reply
  100. my friends dog was given this for fleas. he is now suffering and the vets have no idea whats wrong with him. They seem to think its a neurological problem. Dog cant use its back legs cant stand up and is currently still in the vets on a drip and being sedated. They have done tests but so far nothing showed up and waiting for more tests. Hes been in now for 4 days. They only thing my friend did was give him some of this. reason puppy was taken to vets ( hes 8 months old) is he couldnt get up, whne he did he fell back down as if legs gave way. Vet ( PDSA) him some injections and dog got worse on the way home and was taken back on saturday, we are now wednesday and no closer to knowing exactly what is wrong. My friend is so upset and worried that if it is neurological that the puppy may not get better. he is thinking the worst at the moment. After searching the internet for him i came up with this site and notice that it does mention side effects. do you know if there would be any cure as its killing us not knowing what is wrong with him or what may have caused it. But taking this medication is the only thing the owner can think of. Dog is at the PDSA as my friend does not work and is on benefits, we are just hoping the dog is in good hands. Dog is a small terrier x
    thanks in advance for any reply

    Reply
    • Hello Linda,

      Sorry to hear about your friend’s dog. I know it is very scary and heartbreaking when your dog is not doing well. My best advice is to contact the manufacturer directly to see if they can provide any help or answer to your questions. Here is their website: https://animalhealth.bayer.com/

      They also have a contact page so you can ask them specific questions: https://www.bayer.com/en/contact.aspx

      Do you know if he bought this product from his vet? It always worries me when products like this are bought from places like eBay, etc. where they cannot be confirmed as genuine products made by the manufacturer and not some other third party that is not regulated. But your friend’s dog may just have hypersensitivity to the product as mentioned in the article. Has he tried to wash all the product off him? I have heard some dogs accidentally getting a second application of a similar product and causing vomiting, etc. The dog ended up fine after a few days and washing all the product off the dog. Since your friend’s dog seems to have had a neurological reaction, I’m not sure this would help, but it might. I hope you find some answers that help him. Best wishes for his complete recovery.

      Reply
      • What breed of puppy is it, as some breeds such as border collie, rough collie, GERMAN shepherds and shelties could be MDR1 intolerennt. (Multi drug resistance)
        This is unknown until a genetic test has been done.
        DO NOT use these
        drugs in dogs with
        the MDR1 Gene
        Defect
        Ivermectine substances “Anti parasites”: (Diapec®, Ecomectin®,
        Equimax®, Eqvalan®, Ivomec®, Noromectin®, Paramectin®,
        Qualimec®, Sumex®, Virbamec®)
        Doramectine substances “Anti parasites”: (Dectomax® )
        Loperamide substances “ant diarrheal “: (Imodium®)
        Moxidectine substances “Anti Parasites” (Cydectin®, Equest®)
        Hope this will help and I hope that your puppy is back with you soon.

        Reply
    • Symptoms sound like what happened to my dog which was a stroke, an MRA didn’t show why but a few days later found spleen cancer, looked like a blood clot had detached and ended up giving stroke

      Reply
    • Linda, I know this post was from a long time ago, but please email me. My dog also had this type of reaction to Advantage Multi (lost use of back legs, neurological symptoms etc). I am trying to gather together those of us whose pets have had this reaction. Please contact me. I am considering legal action at this time.

      Reply
      • Hi. My dog has been having seizures. I am convinced that it is Advantage Multi as well. I would also take legal action.

        Reply
        • I also dont’ know how old this post is, but at least I can give you some feedback that may help.
          I work in a homeopathic clinic, for humans not veterinary and one of our patients came in and said their dog had collapsed after going outside after they had sprayed insecticide – I know it isn’t exactly the same but it doesn’t matter from homeopathic point of view.
          The vet had been saying that probably the dog wouldn’t survive and they were very upset.
          Our Homeopath gave them something for their dog, based on the symptoms. Within half an hour he was up and running around and totally different. Of course the family were overjoyed. If you can find a decent homeopath where you are they can probably help you.
          I live in the Middle East so not able to suggest homeopath for other countries, but you may also find online.

          Reply
        • My baby tucker too, he suffering from neurological disorder right now. Can’t walk straight and keep on crying. I noticed it after 4 days of advocate treatment. I’m very very sad

          Reply
      • My 14 year old Pomeranian poodle mix received his first dose of advantagemulti on Oct 23 and is having neurological symptoms. He acts startled, disoriented, is lethargic at times, his tail is down some of the time and he will just jump of the bed, couch etc. as if something is attacking him. He is a very active, healthy 14 year old, and the onset of these symptoms have to be related to the drug.
        My vet came to see him today and agrees with me that it was probably the advantage multi. I will not use it again, and Am praying that he gets better as the drug gets out of his system. Years ago a Bayor product caused a serious illness ifor my mother-in-law and the medicine was taken off the market. They seem a little too quick for profit to do the appropriate testing and disclosure. Let mm now if you have gotten any response from Bayor. Thank you

        Reply
      • I’m taking my dog to the vets in an hour. He isn’t walking properly, is very unbalanced and sounds the same as some of these dogs on here. I treated him with advocate a couple of hours ago 🙁 my poor boy is really going through it of late.

        Reply
        • Hi I’ve just read some of your remarks. I have an old British bulldog. I was told to treat him with advocate when I collected him. Which I have been. I know these dogs have symptoms. But he’s only 9 months and acts like he’s got arthritis. I have taken him to the vet they think I’m walking him too much.

          Reply
          • My French bulldog has exactly same reaction pdsa vets kept selling more saying advocate ok. They so wrong my dog now very ill

      • Hi Katherine, I don’t know how old this post is but my 7 month old dog is experiencing the same symptoms. Please get in touch with me as I am very concerned that it is Advantage that has caused this.

        Thanks,

        Amy

        Reply
      • My dog a border collie cross. Lost control of back legs. I put her down. Do you have a lawyer? This cant happen to anyone else. My dog was so sweet.

        Reply
        • My collie is a year old and been having this treatment every month, now he really hates it to the point of biting us if we try to hold him for it, and the dislike is really bad, I’ve never seen a flea on him and now wondering whether to continue with it.

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      • Hi,my dog too had same reaction Sunday morning on advocate,back legs kept going,swaying all over the place,never again.x

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      • Been giving this to my dog chihuahua for 2 years n dog has developed liver bile problem am not sure if it’s this but dog has been very sick bloods shower liver problem n I wonder if this drug is toxic for her liver.

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    • Sorry about your dog ,get the vet to check for SRMA (steroid responsive meningitis ) it is quite common. Dog hurts to move ,neck pain, stiff joints not willing to move the only way to diagnose properly if a spinal tap/ MIR scan. My dog suffered with this and had a relapse on two occasions 3 days after Advacate , Prednisalone tabs work like magic within 4 hours you would not know he’d been ill. If he responds he’ll have to be on the steroids a good while and slowly weaned off. Hope this helps.

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    • Hi Linda

      The exact same thing happened to my dog, Speckles. I am sad to tell you that you will not get any support from Bayer (financial or otherwise). They will insist to the end that it was not their product. Vets will be equally hesitant to condemn the product. I had all the tests run on Speckles – MRI, X-ray, Genetics, etc. and no vet has ever discovered an underlying problem.

      Your puppy can live, but it is going to be a very hard road, and it might take a very long time. This product has a 35 day half life. This means it is going to take 35 days for the product to reduce by 50% in the dog’s system. Speckles could not walk for about 2 months.

      You will want to begin to control for secondary issues such as urinary tract infections and megacolon. Ask if you can go ahead and use an antibiotic as a urinary tract protective.

      Find the best internal medicine vet specialist in your area and go there ASAP. Emergency vets are also pretty open to these types of reactions because they have seen them before.

      Please email me at savespeckles@gmail.com or katayoe@gmail.com. I hope to find enough people who this has happened to so we can form a class action lawsuit.

      Best wishes to you and your dog. Speckles will be sending good vibes!

      Here is Speckles’ story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJPWi1bnl34

      -Katherine

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      • My dog had dog lice. Brought her to the vet and they gave her advantage. Two days later she lost control of her back legs. She was almost 16 so I thought maybe it had something to do with that as she also had some arthritis. It was so sad to see her that way. I put her down. I ask the vet if it could of had anything to do with the advantage drug and they said no. Plus she was a border collie. I feel like my dogs life was taken by this stupid drug. She was a very young 16 year old dog, still loves walks and playing outside with my son.

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    • I gave my parsons terrier advocate for the first time. 4 days later I found her in the middle of the night laid out on the floor unable to use her back legs and panting. I am afraid she died an hour later. She was 7 years old. I do not know if it was advocate, but I feel incredibly guilty, and would never use it again. It was prescribed, and these risks were never presented to me. Sorry to be alarmist.

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    • I am going through the same thing with my Collie… this product should not be used on collies or associated breeds of collies due to the MRD1 gene… this was not mentioned at all at the vets and when my dog started having problems and we as the owners started investigating this it came to our attention that kidney failure issues are a side affect and the vets did not know this… I personally think this is disgraceful as the vets should know this.. My dog is having major issues with his kidneys. we have always used Frontline with no problems so why the vet decided to change I do not know but they obviously did not do their homework and my poor dog is suffering due to their lack of knowledge

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    • Hi, same thing happened to mine. Beagle x lakelans terrier/jack Russel. Totally went off his legs at age of 12 months after these drops, back to normal after three days but never again. Scary what effect it had on him!

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    • My dog had the second application of Advocate. He developed tremors, stary eyes, shaking and completely out of it. My vet has seen this reaction before. Never again.

      Reply

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