As you can see, both Nexgard and Simparica are extremely good and effective flea and tick treatment and they do not have a major difference between them. But that being said, Simparica does kill an additional tick specie and is relatively faster in eliminating fleas and ticks.
Simparica is an excellent choice for flea and tick protection. The monthly chew also comes with an option for heartworm protection, too, as Simparica Trio. But while Simparica is usually safe flea and tick treatment for dogs, it shouldn't be prescribed to dogs with a history of seizures.
Side Effects & Warnings
Simparica may cause abnormal neurologic signs such as tremors, unsteadiness, and/or seizures. Simparica has not been evaluated in dogs that are pregnant, breeding or lactating. Simparica has been safely used in dogs treated with commonly prescribed vaccines, parasiticides and other medications.
Results: Simparica Trio was generally well tolerated. Emesis occurred at low frequency in all groups including control. Abnormal stool occurred occasionally in the 1× and 3× groups throughout the 3-month study.
Simparica Trio should be used with caution in dogs with a history of seizures. This is because drugs in the isoxazoline class have been associated with neurologic reactions including seizures, tremors, and ataxia in dogs with or without a history of neurologic disorders.
Simparica may cause neurologic signs such as tremors, unsteadiness and/or seizures in dogs with or without a history of neurologic disorders. Simparica has not been evaluated in pregnant, breeding or lactating dogs. The most common adverse reactions in clinical trials were vomiting and diarrhea.
That same information showed 720 reported seizures for Bravecto in four years and 557 for Simparica in three years. For Credelio, six seizures were reported in the first six months after its approval.
The cumulative deaths reported to April 2021 ranged from a high of 2,627 (24%) for fluralaner (Bravecto®) to 726 (2.8%) for afoxolaner (NexGard®) and 412 (12.7%) for sarolaner (Simparica®).
Simparica may cause neurologic signs such as tremors, unsteadiness and/or seizures in dogs with or without a history of neurologic disorders. Simparica has not been evaluated in pregnant, breeding or lactating dogs. The most common adverse reactions in clinical trials were vomiting and diarrhea.
If you give your dog or cat the flea and tick preventatives Bravecto, Nexgard, Simparica, or Credelio, the FDA wants you to be aware that these medications may cause neurological issues like stumbling, seizures, and twitching in your pet.
Sometimes the reactions don't occur until multiple doses of the medication have been given. Other side effects that have been reported include: Liver failure. Kidney failure.
To make sure your dog is always protected from ticks and fleas, it's important to give your dog their tasty Simparica chewable at the same time every month.
Yes, Nexgard is an incredibly safe and effective prevention for fleas, ticks, and mites. However, because Nexgard is ingested and absorbed into the bloodstream, rather than applied to and spread by the oils of the skin, the few reactions that do occur can seem more dramatic.
If chemical products are necessary for additional flea or tick control, NRDC recommends s-methoprene or pyriproxyfen, which are less toxic ingredients—but read the labels carefully because some products use them with other, more harmful pesticides.
According to the FDA, some animals receiving drugs in the isoxazoline class, including Bravecto, Nexgard and Simparica have experienced adverse events such as muscle tremors, ataxia, and seizures.
The police dog in question who was given Simparica Trio eventually recovered. It is important to help the animal detox, giving a twice-daily dose of 250-500 mg milk thistle for three to four weeks, plus a few drops of fish oil and a teaspoon of coconut oil daily.
Both products are safe for dogs when following directions and have been approved by the FDA to treat and prevent flea and tick infestations. However, unlike Bravecto, Simparica has yet to be approved for use in breeding, pregnant, or lactating dogs.
The main differences between the two are the strength and speed at which the products work, with Simparica killing fleas in little as 3 hours and ticks within 8. Nexgard offers a 4 hour time frame for killing fleas while killing ticks in 24 hours.
Documents show 1315 seizures reported for Nexgard in the five years since it was approved by the FDA as safe and effective for the majority of dogs. There are 720 reported seizures for Bravecto in four years, 557 for Simparica in three years, and six seizures for Credelio in the first six months after is was approved.
NexGard® Recalls & Controversies
Although there have not been any FDA recalls for NexGuard®, the FDA has put out an alert for pet owners and veterinarians. This is because there is potential for neurological adverse events in dogs and cats when they are treated with drugs that fall into the isoxazoline class.
If your dog does have a history of seizures, it is advised to use different flea and tick medications than those mentioned above. Topical medications such as Advantage, Vectra, Revolution, or Frontline are good choices. Some dogs may have a localized reaction to topical medications.
Simparica Trio works against the same ticks and fleas as Nexgard and also protects your dog from heartworms, hookworms, and roundworms.
Seizures in dogs are common, but it does appear that the risk increases when using Nexgard, Bravecto and Simparica.