FDA warning: Seizure risk from some flea, tick drugs

• Check the flea and tick preventives you’ve been giving to your dogs and cats. The United States Food and Drug Administration warned last month that products containing isoxazoline, including Bravecto, Nexgard and Simparica, have been linked to muscle tremors, ataxia and seizures in some animals. Another product in this class, Credelio, was recently approved by the FDA. Manufacturers and the FDA are working to provide new label information warning of potential neurological events to help veterinarians and pet owners decide if a product is appropriate. Seizures are most likely in pets with a prior history of them, according to the FDA.
• Fans around the world bid a sad farewell last month to Uno, the beagle who won hearts after his 2008 Best in Show win at Westminster, becoming the first of his breed to take the coveted title. The personable hound spent the next year and more touring the country as an “ambassadog,” visiting the White House, riding on the Peanuts float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, and, as a registered therapy dog, visiting children at Ronald McDonald Houses around the country, accompanied by his biggest fan, David Frei, longtime co-host of USA Network’s Westminster telecast. The top-winning 15-inch beagle was 13 years old.
• You may have seen a photo on social media of a black cat with white spotting, giving him a marbled appearance. His owners believe the cat’s unusual-looking coat may be the result of a hereditary or familial pigmentary abnormality called vitiligo: depigmentation of the skin that can also affect coat color. No treatment is available, but fortunately the condition is not harmful. It is also seen in Arabian horses and some dog breeds, including Belgian Tervuren and Rottweilers, and can also affect the appearance of claws and hooves. — Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and
Mikkel Becker