32 Responses for "ProMeris Flea & Tick Treatment Treats Mange, Too!"

1. Liz January 1st, 2008 at 3:52 pm 1

   I’ve read that dogs that have problems with the skin should be bathed in shampoo that contains oatmeal. Has your vet recommended any type of shampoo? I also read that adding a little garlic to the dog’s meals will help keep fleas away and I was wondering if there was any truth to it.

2. Jenn January 1st, 2008 at 8:04 pm 2

   Liz, it is true that using an oatmeal based shampoo helps. It soothes the skin, but depending on the severity of the skin problems it doesn’t always work by itself.

   We use oatmeal shampoo once a week, and before we were also having to use a sulfur shampoo every other week. Since switching to ProMeris we’ve completely dropped the sulfur shampoo and mange medications.

   I’ve also read about adding fresh garlic to a meal will help keep fleas away, but I haven’t been able to prove this yet. I’m afraid to add anything extra to the food with a dog that’s so prone to allergies.

3. Kimberly January 17th, 2008 at 6:27 pm 3

   I use frontline plus on fatdog. It keeps the mosquitos off along with the fleas and ticks.
   I am assuming it works. Never had a flea or tick on the dog and she is like 2 1/2.
   But then when she is outside its not for long. She doesnt like cold, rain, too hot, etc etc LOL.
   Will have to see if that is a good one for fatdog
   Will be asking the vet when I go back in late Jan. I want the mosquito protection. They get pretty bad around my moms and a few other places we visit.

4. Kimberly January 17th, 2008 at 6:28 pm 4

   OH……one thing i do not like about it……she is a black dog……where I apply the frontline she has a darker streak of black down her back (??? idk how ???)
   So we only use it for about 6-9 months a year

5. Christel Johnson February 2nd, 2008 at 5:07 am 5

   I’ve been adding garlic powder (not the salt) to my dogs’ food for quite a while now. I had heard it was a good natural de-wormer as well as a repellant against mosquitos and fleas. I don’t have a worm problem with my dogs, and I can only assume that it helps as far as the fleas. However. garlic in the food alone will not do the trick. I’m in TX and the fleas are killing dogs around here (more the lack of people caring for their dogs properly-but that’s another story). I’ve been struggling through 2 seasons now and the next one is coming up. This year I plan on starting early so the critters won’t have as good a chance to get settled in. Anyone who knows the lifecycle of the flea knows the difficulty in keeping them away. I refuse to expose my animals to chemicals if I can at all help it, so garlic will remain a regular part of their diet (in good measure of course) along with other natural products to deal with flea problem. Incidentally, I’ve always wondered how this one streak of some liquid down a dog’s back can get rid of fleas. Well, I learned that the chemicals penetrate the animal’s skin and enter into the bloodstream. That’s how they get to the fleas-by being ingested with the animal’s blood, which now contains this chemical. And what does this chemical do to the dog……???????

6. Shawna February 27th, 2008 at 1:46 pm 6

   I used frontline on my cat last year and he went into convulsiions and ended up in a coma for 3 days. He is fine now because I quickly rushed him to the vet as soon as I saw him go down. I will never put Frontline on any of my cats and have been using a all natural product from Petco that I like. I was wondering if anyone has heard of any reaction from this new stuff.

7. Jenn February 27th, 2008 at 6:25 pm 7

   We’ve been using Promeris for about 6 months now, and we haven’t had any bad reactions. We’re still using the Promeris to control demodectic mange as well, and we’ve now taken Bubba off of all his mange medications.

   Our vet hasn’t had any pets with adverse reactions come back into the office, but I don’t know about any other experiences with other vets. The active ingredients are new. What I do like is you can’t get Promeris from anyone other than your vet. This is so the vets and the company can track the results of the pets using it.

   I haven’t tried Promeris for cats yet. We’ve always used OTC products on the cat because he’s indoor only.

   I’ve tried Nature’s Guardian for both cats and dogs in both the spot treatment and spray. It worked pretty well, but the spray is extremely greasy. I stopped purchasing it because the product has an extremely strong lemon grass scent, and I just can’t stand that. The scent of lemon grass makes me sick to my stomach. The product did what it’s supposed to do though.

8. Niki March 20th, 2008 at 4:37 pm 8

   I have only heard of cats going into convulsions from flea meds when their owner used DOG flea treatment on them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have used topical treatments for years on both cats and dogs also have any of you heard of another new one out called Vectra 3D I have been using it for a few months and it seems to do the trick. But I am wanting to switchto promeris. Also as for how a streak down their neck or back works ,… their skins natural oils spread it over their bodies

9. Jenn March 20th, 2008 at 4:50 pm 9

   Some dog flea treatments can cause cats to become very ill and even die. It depends on the active ingredient in the flea medication.

   My aunt has 4 cats, and she uses a dog flea medication on them that is vet recommended. The vet says the medication she uses doesn’t have that one ingredient that is extremely harmful to cats, and it’s cheaper to purchase the dog version and split it between the 4 cats.

   I’d always talk to your vet before doing anything like that though.

   I have heard of Vectra 3D, but we decided against trying it because the main ingredient is still Permethrin. Although Permithrin is one of the best flea killers (and other bugs for that matter) out there, it can also cause our dog’s skin conditions to worsen.

   I also love the fact that the Promeris treats his mange as well. Getting him off the mange medications is wonderful because some of the medications made him drowsy. Plus we’re saving A LOT of money each month not buying those extra medications.

   He had his mid year checkup a couple weeks ago, and at this point he’s doing great. His mange is completely under control, and he didn’t have a single flea bite.

10. sherry wilkins March 21st, 2008 at 12:24 am 10

    This is a question—I’d like to know is there is any allergic reactions that might happen in using this product? and also if the chemicals in this product can in any way harm my pets–for it has to get into the blood stream of be effective..

11. Jenn March 21st, 2008 at 12:45 am 11

    I’m going to stop by the vet’s office Saturday to pick up a few things, so while I’m there I’m going to ask the vet if he’d be willing to drop by here. If not I’ll make a list of all the questions that are popping up here, and I’ll ask him next time Bubba goes in for a visit!

12. Amy March 24th, 2008 at 6:11 pm 12

    Jenn-

    Google Promeris and see how many websites are selling it. So much for your story (and your vet’s) about not being able to buy it on-line! This is a selling point from the company, but it’s obviously not working. Also, you have to use 3 times the amount of Promeris compared to Frontline and Promeris only targets ADULT fleas — not fleas eggs, or the other stages.

13. Jenn March 24th, 2008 at 7:21 pm 13

    Amy,

    As I have stated plenty of times, I am not a vet, so I am not here telling you to go purchase Promeris for your pets. I’m writing about my OWN experiences using the product with my own pets. We’re sticking with Promeris because of the drastic change we’ve had in our bulldog’s mange.

    As for Googling to see who is selling Promeris online now, yes there are places online selling it…NOW. As you can see this post was written in December. At that time you could not purchase Promeris anywhere online, and the company’s policy on selling only to Vets was working.

    I have no information on any of that. Like I said, I don’t work for the vet or the company selling the product. If you took the time to read my privacy policy you would also see that I state that anything posted on this blog is my own opinion of the product or service.

    As for the information you have provided about the amount of promeris needed, I would like more information on that if you can provide it.

    The fact of the matter is we have a hell of a time in our area with fleas, and we normally have to deal with them year round. I’ve used Frontline for years, and I’ve slowly watched it stop working on all of my pets. I’ll never put them on frontline again.

    When you want to talk to someone about how well a product works, you need to talk to the people who have to deal with fleas as a serious constant threat. I am one of those people. When you’ve got a dog with flea allergies as severe as mine has, and nothing works, you try something different. When that new product actually DOES work, you share your findings.

    I know the product only kills adult fleas, and that is exactly what we need. We treat our home with a monthly treatment, and wash all bedding regularly. When you have a dog with allergies like mine, what you’re more concerned about is killing those adult fleas as soon as they reach the dog…and the product is working.

    It’s funny because the first thought I had after reading your comment was “this sounds just like those company reps fighting over at the CafePharma boards.”

14. Melissa April 21st, 2008 at 8:04 pm 14

    We have also had bad experiences with Frontline Plus on one of our two cats. He has had a convulsion within 72 hours of our putting Frontline on him.

    We have only ever used the cat version of Frontline which we get from our vet and apply as directed. The first time it happened we asked the vet about the drug and convulsions. They told us that the product was safe and weren’t aware of it causing convulsions. They said that Max’s convulsion must have been caused by something else. We paid for a bunch of tests and they couldn’t find anything wrong with him.

    The next time we put it on it happened again so we didn’t use it for about 9 months. We just tried it again and he had the same reaction. My husband and I are convinced that Frontline causes convulsions in Max.

    Our female has never had convulsions but she cries as if someone has burned her when we put frontline on her. I am wondering what other people are using on their cats. By the way Frontline Plus does not seem to do anything to ticks even though the manufacturer claims it does.

15. April August 4th, 2008 at 4:09 pm 15

    We rescued our “May” over a year ago. At 6 months old she broke out with what the vet thought was flea allergies? Went through the meds and shots and yet to this day I have never found a flea on her. I have done my own research and stumbled across demodectic mange well after my dog wasn’t getting better with shots etc. I had the vet due a skin scraping and yup there it was! Almost a year later she has had 4 doses of Promeris now and it keeps it under control but I still find a few bare spots on her. I was under the impression from my vet that they outgrow this condition at a year and a half and got informed today this will be a lifelong battle! The ivermectin nearly killed my dog and I would not ever recommend that to anyone! After the near fatal results of ivermectin we went to peroxide baths I recieved from the vet’s. The results to me are about the same except this has added benefits of flea and tick control. Has anyone here ever have an animal outgrow this? And any certain food you give to boost the immunity of your pet? I was told it is low immunity that caused this as well as genetics from the parents.

16. Jenn August 4th, 2008 at 5:18 pm 16

    I have had other dogs that had demodectic mange. Some can outgrow it, others don’t. It varies individually. My American Bulldog, Brutus, never outgrew it. We were told he struggled with it as a puppy, but by the time he was 2 years old it subsided to a few spots a month. He was a rescue, owner couldn’t afford to care for him anymore, and when we rescued him at 5 years old he still had a few spots a month.

    Bubba has had 1 small spot since November. He has no fleas, so we’ve lowered his Promeris doses to one every 2 months. The ivermectin worked great for him, but some breeds have horrible reactions to ivermectin. Collies have an extremely high sensitivity to ivermectin and all drugs related to it. It’s caused by a specific gene, and there is now a sensitivity test that can be done on your dog to make sure it won’t face these problems.

    I had a border collie/chow mix that had demodectic mange for the first 2 years of his life. We couldn’t treat with the ivermectin due to his sensitivity, but he outgrew the mange. Once he hit adulthood the mange basically just disappeared.

    Low immune systems can make demodectic mange worse, but it’s transferred to the pup via the mother in the first week of life. The puppy doesn’t have a lower immune system than normal. It’s just that the immune system is still weak enough within those first days of life to transfer the mite. Within a week the pups have built up their immune systems and can no longer pick up the mites.

    If Bubba has any type of infection it causes his mange to flair, but for the most part he doesn’t have to be on any medication any longer other than the Promeris.

    For those of you who keep believing all these horror stories you read about Promeris, my vet stated what I was already feeling perfectly. He shook his head and said why do people believe these things that float around online? Unless you hear it straight from the vet or the person it happened to, don’t automatically believe it. Companies fabricate these stories to scare consumers away from one product so you’ll buy theres. Every flea medication causes some sort of reaction in some breed of dog. Nothing is 100% perfect for everyone, and unfortunately trial and error is the only way to determine that. That’s why there is an anecdote for just about every flea medication on the market, not just Promeris.

17. Andrea August 19th, 2008 at 9:23 pm 17

    I have a boston terrier that is nearly 4 years old and I have been battling his demodex mange condition since he was 6 months old. I tried everything under the sun from expensive vet visits for treatments along with many home remedies, food changes, etc. Nothing helped the condition except for maybe keeping it from totally getting out of control.

    Recently, he had a very bad outbreak where he lost all the hair around his neck area, his skin became red and inflammed with pustules. I had never seen him get this bad before. I took him to the vet once again knowing I was going to only be given some kind of temporary relief for him til his next outbreak, but this time, my vet suggested we try a new product called Promeris. He told me it contained Amitraz, the same ingredient as the Mitaban dips I tried on him years ago.

    After getting my dog home from the vet, I applied the Promeris on the back of his neck. He seemed to almost immediately become very lethargic and remained that way for the next 3 days!! I wondered what I had done, but he seemed fine other than just being very low-key and wanting to sleep alot, just not his usual hyperactive self. To my amazement, though, his neck began to look entirely different!!

    Within 1 day after the Promeris application, the redness on his neck began subsiding and the pustules were drying up!! It has been 2 weeks now and I can not believe the difference this product has made in my dog’s skin!! His skin is the best I have ever seen since he was a pup. My vet recommended I give him a treatment of the Promeris every 2 weeks for 6 applications and then can go once per month. Being he became so lethargic the first time I applied it, I only put 1/2 - 3/4 the dosage on his neck and he did not have any lethargy this time. I am totally in disbelief at what Promeris has done for my dog’s demodex mange!!

18. Jennifer September 8th, 2008 at 1:19 pm 18

    I recently just took my 3 month old puppy to the vet for mange. He recommended Promeris, I really hope it works! I’ll be sure to let everyone know.

19. Fergie September 28th, 2008 at 7:24 pm 19

    I have been using promeris for about 3 months, when my mommie first took me to the vet they told her I had demodectic mange. Mommy took me to 3 vets until the last one told her about promeris. All the other medications and flea prevention either did not work or make me sick. Since I have been on promeris my coat is shiney and beautiful. Mommy also change my diet becuase my skin is so sensitive. Over all I thank my mommy and the vet for choosing promeris.

20. Tanya September 29th, 2008 at 12:35 pm 20

    My rescue puppy has demodetic mange. After trying several antibiotics and several vets we found a clinic and a wonderful vet who prescribed ProMeris. Samson is doing very well. For the first time in his 9 months of life he has energy, personality and hair! ProMeris works!

21. Connie October 17th, 2008 at 8:05 am 21

    This info has been very helpful for me. Here is my experience and how I found your blog: I recently began fostering dogs for a rescue organization, & a 3-mo old foster puppy had red pustules, oily & red belly, & was really itchy. When she went to the vet that the rescue org I work with uses she was originally diagnosed with puppy pyoderma & prescribed a 3-wk course of antibiotics that did help at first, but the symptoms came back in about 2 wks. The second time we went in, the vet decided it was food allergies & recommended we go to an “allergy” food & do a food intro trial in 8-weeks to find out what she was allergic to. My own Beagle has very bad food allergies (and grass, trees, weeds, etc, but that’s another story), so I was very upset that this could be the issue with the foster puppy because I knew it would be a long road ahead, & we might have trouble adopting her out. After no relief in 10 days I was talking to another foster “mom” & she asked if there were round areas of hair loss on her head…when I said that there were she told me it was probably demodex mange & I should go back to the vet & have her scraped. I was skeptical because the vet did scrape her on the first visit, but I guess since they were not specifically looking for the mites, they didn’t find them, because sure enough, on the 3rd trip in they did diagnose demodex mange, gave her an antibiotic, promeris every two weeks, & recommended I add an Omega-3 fish oil to her diet (1 pump daily). Also twice weekly baths in Malaseb (an antimicrobial shampoo my own allergy dog bathes in weekly). She is still eating the allergy food because it is supposed to be very good for skin conditions & to help build up their immune system (we are using Blue brand Fish and Sweet Potato, which I haven’t had experience with in the past, but she seems to like it and it makes my cats come running) & we added Grizzly salmon oil (which she loves!). It’s been about 5 days & I can tell she is feeling better. She doesn’t look any better yet, but the way I understand it, it takes at least two treatments for the promeris to really kick in when the condition is not confined to one area (she has it from her muzzle to under her eyes to the top of her head all the way down her back to her haunches, under her armpits, & belly). It is interesting to me that having my own dog with really bad allergies & considering myself an experienced dog mom that although I had a funny feeling that the way this puppy looked that food allergies were not the problem, but I just blindly accepted what the vet said because she was the doctor. If not for that other foster mom (who figured it out without even seeing the puppy), I would have probably gone many more weeks or months before I found out the real problem. I am greatful that the dog community both online & in rescue organizations is so willing to share their experiences- it really helps. Thanks everyone!

22. jan October 24th, 2008 at 6:14 pm 22

    My beagle has had demodectic mange for over a year now. It is in one ear, her muzzle, over one eye and on her paws around the nail beds. Mitaban dips have been done but little if any improvement. I have been giving her Kenalog shots for the itching and swelling. Our vet is suggesting Promeris and ordered it today for her. Jenn, I appreciate all the information you have shared using it with your own dog. I am praying she will get better soon with the treatment. I shudder to have to put her down.

23. Jenn October 25th, 2008 at 12:28 am 23

    Jan, you’re very welcome for the information.

    We also tried the Mitaban dips, and they didn’t do very much. We went through numerous medications that mildly controlled the mange before using Promeris. Honestly Promeris is the only thing that has worked consistently month after month.

    Please give the Promeris a chance to work, and please don’t think about putting her down. There are still other treatments out there, and I’ve seen dogs who were completely covered in demodectic mange enter rescues where they are treated and given a 100% turn around.

    There’s always another option. If the Promeris doesn’t work for you and you can afford to keep seeking the treatments please find a rescue in your area who will take her.

24. jan October 26th, 2008 at 6:40 pm 24

    Thanks for your encouragement. I promise I will let you know how it’s going once Bayley gets a treatment of Promeris (hopefully this week). I feel like you are my new best friend!

25. Stacy November 7th, 2008 at 12:22 am 25

    I rescued a Golden mix from the shlter 3 years ago. Now this spring she broke out in red bumps, etc, then got a yeast infection/bacterial. They gave her meds. then it came back after she was off the meds. Now I have her on prednisone and promeris becasue we saw fleas. Now I think she has a yeast infection again, is there anything, like at home remedy that I can give her to make this yeast thing go away./? Apple cidar vinegar? yogurt, baths?? what! Help, the vets are pricey and we cant afford anymore!

26. Jenn November 7th, 2008 at 12:57 am 26

    Stacy,

    Like I’ve said, I’m not a vet or connected to the field in any way, so I can’t tell you what to do. I can tell you what works for us, but you should still consult a vet about it. It took us almost 2 years to get Bubba’s mange and skin infections under control, and we do still deal with breakouts.

    Right now we’re battling another yeast/bacterial infection as well.

    Our vet did recommend adding yogurt to his diet to combat the yeast, and that has helped a lot. He gets 2 tablespoons of yogurt with every meal. We also use Zymox Medicated Rinse which helps A LOT. We use it as a rinse with each bath, and we also use it as a spot treatment lotion on any areas showing signs of infection.

27. kay November 21st, 2008 at 10:17 pm 27

    I hope someone can give me a word of encouragement. my dog if 5 yrs and my cat is 3 yrs, I have never had a problem with fleas!! This year is terrible and I just today picked up some promeris from my vet. My pets have never had fleas so they are going crazy along with me. My apt is 800 sq ft and I have had the flea exterminator twice now. Not only are my pets getting bites so am I. And I am freaking out about the situation. My apt has never been so clean I have washed everything that will fit in the washer with soap, 20 mule team borax and hot water. Softener and then hot dryer and still we have fleas. My apt is starting to remind me of the Twilight Zone. When I come home I actually dread coming in . Please let me hear from someone. I’m putting the promeris on my pets tonight, I have both the dog and the cat kind. I am going to get the flea exterminator again this week but that is getting expensive and it doesn’t last long. My cat has never been outside and my dog goes for leash walk twice a day. Also has anybody had the fleas jump on their eyelashes ( the human, I mean ) !? That really freaks me since I am a nurse.

28. Barbara January 8th, 2009 at 11:43 pm 28

    We tried ProMeris tonight on our dog for the first time. It is hard to get past the smell and the large amount required compared to the Advantage we had used in the past. I would rather use some kind of a natural product as I think this stuff is poisen. I’m sure that is why it kills fleas so effectively, but then again, what is it doing to the dog especially long term? Anyone know of any natural product other than the garlic?

29. Jenn January 8th, 2009 at 11:56 pm 29

    If you’re looking for a natural product just for flea treatment, not mange, we tried Nature’s Guardian. It’s available at Walmart. It did the job, but we found both the drops and spray to be extremely greasy. Also it has a horribly strong lemongrass smell. Personally I can’t stand the smell of lemongrass, and I found it to be much worse than the Promeris, but that’s a personal thing I guess.

    The smell of Promeris did make me sick to my stomach in the beginning, but after a few uses I guess I got used to it. If I were basing the product on smell alone I would have kicked it to the curb after one use, but the fact is it is the only flea treatment we’ve been able to use that not only did it’s job without irritating his skin even more but corrected what the mange treatments haven’t been able to do.

30. Jack January 31st, 2009 at 1:49 am 30

    Our Fila (Brazillian Mastiff) puppy was diagnosed with Sarcoptic mange, today, we got him 2 days ago, and the vet tried to sell us on an expensive ($45/dip x 6 dip) treatment. When we informed him that that was not feasible, he them gave us “Revolution”, a topical treatment. 3x over 6 weeks. Has anyone had any experience with or any knowledge of this topical treatment?
    Thanx!

31. Jenn January 31st, 2009 at 3:01 am 31

    First of all, if you got this puppy 2 days ago, did you contact the breeder about the mange? Sarcoptic mange is the contagious type that can come from any dog, not just the mother. I suggest contacting the breeder (or store if you went that route) because any dog that came in contact with your puppy or the dog that infected your puppy is also at risk for contracting sarcoptic mange. Also remember sarcoptic mange can infect humans, too.

    Did the vet do a scraping and confirm live mites? There are allergies (especially food allergies) that can give the same symptoms as sarcoptic mange, but vets like to do a mange treatment first before trying to identify allergies. There’s a possibility your vet could be doing this, especially if there wasn’t a skin scraping that confirmed live mites. Mites are also hard to diagnose through the skin scrapings, so even a negative scraping doesn’t mean the dog doesn’t have the mites.

    I haven’t personally used Revolution to treat mites, but I have read that it is an alternative to Ivermectin. We didn’t have any problems treating with Ivermectin, so we didn’t need to search for an alternative. According to this article Revolution is used to treat some breeds (like Collies) that have reactions to Ivermectin. There’s a good possibility your vet could be using this instead of taking the chance to find out if your dog is allergic to the Ivermectin or not.

    Remember I’m not a vet or any kind of pet professional, so please take what I say as my own personal opinion and discuss it with your vet.

32. Anne March 21st, 2009 at 8:24 am 32

    I have a one year old boxer with dermodectic mange. I have been treating him with Promeris after my vet did a scraping and suggested this medicine. I used it once every 2 weeks for 6 weeks and tried to space it out to every 4 weeks. He looked better and his hair was back except on his tail. Then it started again on his face. The Promeris works fast and dries the spots but I am still using it every 3 weeks. He weighs 38 lbs and I feed him good quality food. Any suggestions?Promeris is expensive.
    Anne