Skin redness after Spinosad (Comfortis) in dogs

The FDA has received 266 reports of skin redness in dogs after Spinosad. That is 0.5% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 1.0% across reports for all dog medicines, so it is reported less often than average with this medicine.

266Reports

26%Marked serious

50%Recovered

5.6%Died or euthanised

1 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

79 46%

1–2 days

24 14%

3–7 days

10 5.8%

1–4 weeks

13 7.6%

Over a month

46 27%

How the animals did

Recovered

79 30%

Recovered with lasting effects

53 20%

Still unwell when reported

34 13%

Died

7 2.6%

Euthanised

8 3.0%

Not known

85 32%

Problems reported at the same time

92 35%

78 29%

62 23%

39 15%

36 14%

32 12%

30 11%

Skin rash or irritation

27 10%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

106

8–11 years

12+ years

About this medicine

Spinosad kills fleas; monthly chewable.

Products with this ingredient include Comfortis. The FDA hides brand names in its public data, so these reports cover every product with the same active ingredients.

Questions owners ask

Can Spinosad cause skin redness in dogs?: 266 reports link the two, but a report alone does not prove the medicine was the cause: other illnesses, other medicines or coincidence can be involved. Your vet can judge it for your animal.
How soon after a dose was it reported?: In half of the reports with dates, it started within 1 day of the first dose.
What should I do?: Don't give another dose until you've spoken to your vet, and keep the packaging so you can tell them the product and dose. Your vet can also report it to the FDA (or you can, through the manufacturer or FDA form 1932a).

Skin redness with similar medicines

Skin redness after Lufenuron + Milbemycin Oxime (Sentinel) 119 reports · 0.5% of its reports
Skin redness after Imidacloprid + Moxidectin (Advantage Multi) 470 reports · 3.6% of its reports
Skin redness after Nitenpyram (Capstar) 102 reports · 0.9% of its reports
Skin redness after Lufenuron + Milbemycin Oxime + Praziquantel (Sentinel Spectrum) 41 reports · 0.4% of its reports
Skin redness after Fipronil + S-methoprene (Frontline Plus) 47 reports · 1.6% of its reports
Skin redness after Flumethrin + Imidacloprid (Seresto) 101 reports · 4.4% of its reports
Skin redness after Imidacloprid 29 reports · 1.5% of its reports
Skin redness after Fipronil 25 reports · 1.8% of its reports
Skin redness after Imidacloprid + Permethrin + Pyriproxyfen 33 reports · 4.5% of its reports

All reported side effects of Spinosad in dogs · Medicines most reported with skin redness