Trifexus Versus Comfortis For Dogs

	Comfortis	Trifexis
Kills Adult Fleas?	Yes	Yes
Kills Fleas Eggs?	No	No
Kills Ticks?	No	No
Kills Heartworms?	No	Yes
Usage	Oral	Oral
Dosage	Once a Month	Once a Month
Active Ingredient	Spinosad	Spinosad, Milbemycin Oxime
Average time to kill pesticide	45 minutes – 1hour	45 minutes – 1hour

Comfortis versus Trifexis: A Simple Guide to Treat Dog Fleas

Dealing with fleas is important when caring for a furry pet. Itching and scratching, and the development of red pimples and bumps are telltale signs that your dog has fleas. Constant scratching leads to anxiety, dry skin, and a ruined coat — so if you want to keep your canine’s charm and peace of mind, you better rid it of parasites at the onset.

To stop or prevent a flea infestation, you need to break its life cycle. A single flea can produce as much as 50 eggs, spelling torture for your beloved dog. Fortunately, there are numerous treatments available like shampoos, sprays, and topical ointments. But among all options, the easiest to administer are chewable tablets.

There are two popular tablets made for parasite treatment in dogs — Comfortis and Trifexis.

What is Comfortis?

Comfortis is a beef-flavored chewable tablet, which has the distinction of being the first approved oral treatment to kill and prevent the breeding of fleas in dogs and cats. It is a prescription drug and can only be used with the advice of a veterinarian. Comfortis should be taken monthly by puppies and kittens as young as 14 weeks and older. The drug will take effect in as quick as 30 minutes and will last up to one month.

The Comfortis dosage will depend on the weight of your pet. It comes in six different packages for every weight range. Below is a simple guide to determine which Comfortis dosage is recommended for your pet.

• Yellow pack (90mg) for dogs 3.3-4.9 lbs and cats 2-4 lbs
• Pink pack (140mg) for dogs 5-10 lbs and cats 4-6 lbs
• Orange pack (270mg) for dogs 10.1-20 lbs and cats 6.1-12 lbs
• Green pack (560mg) for dogs 20.1-40 lbs and cats 12.1-24
• Blue pack (810mg) for dogs 40.1-60 lbs
• Brown pack (1620mg) for dogs 60.1-120 lbs

For all dosages, only one tablet should be administered per month. However, for pets which exceed the weight ranges indicated above, seek the prescription of a veterinarian first to know the combination of tablets to administer.

You can start treatment at any time of the year and do this monthly until the flea season ends. This drug is also safe to be taken year-round if the occurrence of fleas is constant. For better effectiveness, Comfortis chewable tablets should be administered with food.

Side Effects of Comfortis For Dogs

There are no severe adverse effects of using Comfortis for dogs. This was proven in a 90-day study where 330 dogs were administered with the drug. The most reported side effect was vomiting, which occurred within 48 hours after treatment. However, the incidence of vomiting decreased with repeated doses of the tablet.

When your pet vomits after taking Comfortis, give it another full dose. For side effects like reduced appetite, diarrhea, lethargy, hyperactivity, and others, you should bring your pet to a veterinarian.

Caution should also be taken when administering the drug to breeding females and males, because the implication of this has not been fully evaluated yet.

Active ingredient for Comfortis

Spinosad is the active ingredient of Comfortis. It is a type of insecticide which has low mammalian toxicity by being a nature-based product. Experts regard its good environmental profile.

Spinosad excites the flea’s nervous system until it becomes paralyzed and dies.

Pros and Cons of Comfortis

Pros

• Active ingredient is environment-friendly.
• Flavoring is from pork protein and hydrolyzed soy.
• It takes effect as quickly as 30 minutes and achieves 100% elimination in 4 hours.
• It is easy to administer.
• There are no severe side effects.

Cons

• Vomiting is a mild side effect.
• Its effects on breeding still needs further study.
• It may trigger seizures in dogs with epilepsy (use the appropriate dose to prevent this from happening).

What is Trifexis?

Trifexis is also a beef-flavored chewable tablet intended to fight off flea infestation in dogs. However, it has the added benefit of preventing heartworm disease, and treating roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm infections.

Heartworm disease is a serious affliction in dogs caused by worms which thrive in their heart, lungs, and blood vessels. These are transmitted to pets through insect bites, where larvae are transferred from one host to another.

Your pet is a potential host for an assortment of parasites, not just fleas. Parasitic worms have the advantage of thriving away from view. To protect your dog against them, administer Trifexis once a month. It is recommended for puppies that are more than 8 weeks old and with a minimum weight of 5 lbs. Trifexis is a prescription drug and should only be administered after consulting a veterinarian.

The Trifexis dosage also depends on the weight of your pet. There are five different packages. There’s a guide below on how to determine the recommended dosage. Note that there are two active ingredients for this drug. The information indicates the dosage of Spinosad and Milbemycin Oxime, respectively, in each tablet.

• Pink pack (140mg/2.3mg) for dogs 5-10 lbs
• Orange pack (270mg/4.5mg) for dogs 10.1-20 lbs
• Green pack (560mg/9.3mg) for dogs 20.1-40 lbs
• Blue pack (810mg/13.5mg) for dogs 40.1-60 lbs
• Brown pack (1620mg/27mg) for dogs 60.1-120 lbs

The same regimen for Comfortis can be applied in administering Trifexis for dogs.

Side Effects of Trifexis For Dogs

Similar to Comfortis, there are no severe side effects of using Trifexis for dogs. In a study of 176 dogs treated with Trifexis, vomiting also turned out to be the most common ill reaction, which then subsided with repeated doses.

The effects of Trifexis treatment on breeding also needs further research.

When used appropriately, the drug does not cause seizures in epileptic dogs.

Active ingredients for Trifexis

Trifexis has two active ingredients — Spinosad and Milbemycin Oxime. As explained earlier, Spinosad is a natural insecticide which is effective in killing fleas and their eggs.

Milbemycin Oxime, on the other hand, is an antiparasitic used to treat worm infestation. It can be safely combined with other parasiticides to augment the spectrum of action.

Pros and Cons of Trifexis

Pros

• Active ingredient is environment-friendly.
• Flavoring is from pork protein and hydrolyzed soy.
• One tablet is packed with a broad spectrum of function.
• It starts killing fleas in 30 minutes and completely eliminates them in 4 hours.
• It is effective in heartworm prevention when continuously used for 3 months.
• It is 90% effective in treating roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm infections.
• It is easy to administer.
• There are no severe side effects.

Cons

• Vomiting is a mild side effect.
• Its effects on breeding still needs further study.

Comfortis versus Trifexis: Which Is Better?

Comfortis and Trifexis are both effective treatments for flea infestation. However, Trifexis has the added benefit of preventing heartworm disease and intestinal worm infections. Since heartworms aren’t really an issue to me, I went with Comfortis. Before administering these drugs to your pets, please remember to visit a veterinarian first.