Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I felt it was my responsibility to inform pet owners of possible side effects associated with Bayer Advantix II. I purchased this to use on my always healthy and energetic 7 yr. old Lhasa Apso. Approximately 2 hours after application he started showing signs of lethargy and in general refusing to walk. When he did walk he only took one or two steps and then immediately sat down and started scratching or biting his tail and/or the application points. He had never displayed these symptoms before and has always been extremely active, running, barking and doing his guard dog thing. I took him to the vet the next morning. She couldn't find anything specific and said that although it would be unlikely, it could be a reaction to the Advantix since it had been applied only hours before symptoms appeared. She said to watch closely and let her know if the symptoms did not go away. In the meantime I called Bayer's pet health line. The person I spoke to immediately recognized the symptoms and said that it was because of an adverse reaction by my dog to the permethrin used in Advantix, used to repels mosquitoes. It leads to something called paraesthesia which was described as a tingling or pricking (pins and needles) caused chiefly by pressure on or damage to peripheral nerves. Since the Bayer representative knew immediately the symptoms, it sounded like this is a somewhat common problem. I was told that the condition is only temporary and should go away in 24-72 hrs. She said that the pins and needles effect was so irritation that the dogs typically will not walk to prevent this pain or irritation. I was told that the best treatment was to remove the Advantix by giving the dog a bath with Dawn dish detergent. I was told that I could also apply some Vitamin E oil to the application points to relieve irritation. It has now been approximately 36 hrs since the bath with Dawn to remove the Advantix and my dog is still not back to normal. He seems to feel alright and will eat and drink, but he refuses to walk more than a few steps at a time without scratching and then just sitting down. I have had to carry him around so as not to aggravate the situation. Normally he is very active and runs constantly. We have also had to cancel our daily walks of 2 to 3 miles a day. I am closely monitoring his condition and if it doesn't improve by the 72 hr deadline given by Bayer, I'm going to have to take him back to the vet for further treatment. I also gave him a second bath with Dawn just in case I missed some of the Advantix the first time. I realize that there are possible side effects with any product or medication, however since the Bayer representative immediately knew exactly what I was talking about when I described my dogs symptoms, I feel that this problem is possibly more widespread than reported. I know many people use and swear by K9 Advantix II but after what I have seen I definitely do not recommend it. There are also other flea medications that contain permethrin and I would also advise against them also. I have always used Frontline in the past and have had no problems with it. Frontline does not contain permethrin.