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These flea and tick meds increase seizure risk in some pets, FDA says

According to reports, the majority of affected products come in the form of flavored chews.
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Dogs and cats treated with certain flea and tick products might be at an increased risk for neurologic events including seizures, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday.

Treatments in the isoxazoline class, which are intended to ward off flea and tick infestations, are affected by the alert. That class includes products such as Bravecto, Nexgard and Simparica.

Affected products continue to be safe for most animals but have been associated with muscle tremors, ataxia, and seizures in some pets, the FDA says.

The treatments will soon "include new label information to highlight neurologic events because these events were seen consistently across the isoxazoline class of products," the FDA says.

Although most pets have not had adverse reactions with the treatments, some have had seizures without a prior history, the FDA said in a fact sheet for pet owners.

The alert comes after routine data collection revealed that some pets given isoxazoline class treatments "have experienced adverse events," the FDA says.

The majority of the affected products are sold as flavored chews, NBC News reports. The labels of such products already include information about the risk of neurological side effects, the network reports.

There are a number of different products available to pet owners for the control of fleas and ticks, the FDA says. The agency recommends owners consult with a veterinarian to determine the appropriate treatment for their pet.

The FDA has published contact information for pet owners who wish to report a possible adverse event.

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