NexGard Spectra Review 2021: Everything You Need To Know About NexGard Spectra UK and NexGard Spectra AU
You are probably all too familiar with the joys of owning a dog: happy tail wagging, ardent face licking, and unconditional loving. Cheerful, fun, shy, or quiet, dogs come in all different shapes and sizes. All around the world, dogs have been accepted with open arms into millions of homes. They’re family.
But the parasites dogs carry are not. The flea or tick infestations that can happen at any given point in time can leave you in a frenzy. Your once happy home life is now filled with constant visits to the vet, home disinfectants, and lots of dog products that don’t work.
In the United Kingdom and Australia, NexGard Spectra is one of the most popular oral medications against parasites commonly found in dogs. But is NexGard Spectra for Dogs any good? Should you buy NexGard Spectra for your dogs?
In this AdvisoryHQ NexGard Spectra review, we will take a look at the pros and cons of NexGard Spectra for Dogs and more specifically, NexGard Spectra UK and NexGard Spectra AU, helping you decide whether the product is right for you and your family. Our NexGard Spectra review will cover the following questions and more:
- What is NexGard Spectra?
- What does NexGard Spectra cover?
- How much is the NexGard Spectra price?
- What is the NexGard Spectra online price?
- Are there NexGard Spectra side effects?
By the end of our NexGard Spectra review, you will know if NexGard Spectra for Dogs is the right choice for you. Our analysis of NexGard Spectra UK and NexGard Spectra AU will allow dog owners in the UK and AU to make more educated decisions for the health and safety of their furry best friends.
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NexGard Spectra Review | What Is NexGard Spectra for Dogs?
Before we go any further, you must first understand exactly what the product is and how it works. So, what is NexGard Spectra?
NexGard® Spectra™ was first approved for distribution by the European Commission on January 15, 2015, almost a year after the successful launch of NexGard® in the United States. It was then that NexGard Spectra for Dogs was created by Sanofi and Merial, two world-leading companies in animal healthcare that later became a part of Boehringer Ingelheim, a global pharmaceutical company for animal health.
Available as a chewable tablet, NexGard Spectra for Dogs was created to eliminate internal and external parasites in 30-day increments that can even be used on puppies as early as eight weeks of age that weigh at least 2 kilograms.
NexGard Spectra for Dogs Recommended Doses
What does NexGard Spectra Cover?
The majority of dogs will be affected by parasites, like fleas or ticks, at least once in their life. Both internal or external, parasites are any organisms that live on or feed off a host at the host’s expense. These parasites can cause great harm to your dog in various ways, such as inducing anemia. So, what does NexGard Spectra cover?
NexGard Spectra UK and NexGard Spectra AU
NexGard Spectra for Dogs covers both internal and external parasites. Fleas, ticks, and gut worms can all kiss their time infecting your dog goodbye with NexGard Spectra UK. That means fewer trips to the vet and less money spent on ineffective medications.
Unfortunately, NexGard Spectra for tapeworm does not work. But do not fret! According to the product label for NexGard Spectra Australia, the chewable tablet helps prevent the following internal and external parasites:
- Fleas
- Paralysis ticks
- Brown dog ticks
- Bush ticks
- Heartworms
- Roundworms
- Hookworms
- Whipworms
NexGard Spectra for lungworm prevention was finally licensed in 2017, but it is unclear whether this applies only to NexGard Spectra AU or if it includes NexGard Spectra UK.
All in all, the next time that you find yourself asking “what does NexGard Spectra cover?” you can rest assured that NexGard offers protection against most parasites, although not tapeworms.
NexGard Spectra Ingredients
Each tablet of NexGard Spectra for Dogs contains 1.9% of Afoxolaner and 0.4% of Milbemycin Oxime. What, exactly, are these ingredients?
- Afoxolaner is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic used to kill external parasites like fleas and ticks.
- Milbemycin Oxime is an endoparasiticide and ectoparasiticide, which means that it kills both internal and external parasites, such as heartworms, mites, or intestinal worms.
While effective for lungworm, NexGard Spectra for tapeworm is ineffective. However, tapeworms are transmitted when a dog ingests a flea that has been infected with the tapeworm larvae. So theoretically NexGard Spectra for tapeworm is a good tapeworm prevention product.
Lungworms, on the other hand, get transmitted when a dog eats slugs or snails that have been infected with the worm larvae. NexGard Spectra for lungworm is effective at eliminating these internal parasites. To prevent lungworms from taking over the lungs or heart of your dog, NexGard Spectra for lungworm is vet recommended.
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AdvisoryHQ NexGard Spectra Review | Can I get NexGard Without a Vet Prescription in the UK and AU?
When it comes to your dog’s health, veterinarian-prescribed medication always seems like the best choice. Your vet will be able to inform you about the best ways to administer the medication as well as and the proper dosage. Naturally, you’re wondering if it is the same for NexGard Spectra for Dogs.
The answer varies by country. While NexGard Spectra for Dogs can be easily purchased online in Australia, NexGard Spectra UK requires a vet prescription before being allowed to purchase online. NexGard without a vet prescription in the UK is just not possible.
However, Australia is filled with options to buy NexGard Spectra online. Many online retailers sell NexGard Spectra for Dogs, so when it comes to convenience NexGard Spectra Australia takes home the prize.
But while NexGard Spectra UK is more difficult to obtain, it seems like arguably the safest option. Buying NexGard without a vet prescription in the UK can put your dog at risk if you do not have the recommended vet doses for the size and weight of your dog.
NexGard Spectra for Dogs Pricing
The NexGard Spectra price varies. The chewable pill can be bought in sets of 3, 6, and 12. The NexGard Spectra 6 pack seems to be the best option for many people, providing enough supply to last you a few months while still being affordable.
Below is a quick NexGard Spectra price comparison of the NexGard Spectra 6 pack and the other packs available in NexGard Spectra Australia.
NexGard Spectra 6 Pack Price Comparison
NexGard Spectra Reviews | Common NexGard Spectra Side Effects
As with any medication, NexGard Spectra for Dogs has side effects. Before administering NexGard Spectra UK or NexGard Spectra AU to your pets, you may want to know exactly what those side effects are. According to the product website, possible NexGard Spectra side effects include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Lack of Energy
- Decreased Appetite
- Itching
On very rare occasions, seizures may also occur, but most NexGard Spectra side effects are short-lived and will go away on their own without treatment. However, if your dog has a history of seizures or epilepsy, you must practice caution.
The European Medicines Agency further emphasizes the aforementioned point by stating that the side effects associated with NexGard Spectra for Dogs were “uncommonly observed,” meaning that less than 10 animals out of 1,000 experienced adverse side effects. You should still practice caution if your pet has any medical conditions, and contact your Vet if they experience any adverse symptoms.
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NexGard Spectra Review | NexGard Spectra UK & AU Reviews
To help you decide whether NexGard Spectra for Dogs is right for your four-legged best friend, you may want to know what other dog owners using NexGard Spectra for Dogs are saying. We compiled a few NexGard Spectra reviews from the United Kingdom and Australia.
Below is an overview of what NexGard Spectra for Dogs customers have to say about the product in their own NexGard Spectra review stories. Hopefully, the NexGard Spectra reviews from the UK & AU will help you make a more informed decision on whether to buy NexGard Spectra online or in person.
Positive NexGard Spectra Reviews
While there were 96 positive ratings by NexGard Spectra reviewers on ProductReview.com.au that we’ll go over, we should note that there were also a massive 452 1-star ratings by many NexGard Spectra reviewers.
The 5-star reviewers praised NexGard Spectra for Dogs for being both effective and convenient, with many of them administering the medication to their beloved dogs for years without any negative NexGard Spectra side effects.
For example, one NexGard Spectra reviewer states that:
We’ve given our Mini American Shepherd Nexgard since he was a puppy. Never had any adverse reactions. He’s now 1 year and 3 months old and still loving his NexGard. We’ve never seen a flea or tick on our guy except for the one month that I didn’t give him his Nexgard. It was winter, and thought I could get away it. But near the end of the month with no meds we found a deer tick. So, he’s on it year-round now, with no breaks in the cycle. And our home and puppy are totally bug-free. And the bonus is that he loves taking his medicine!
Another NexGard Spectra reviewer was thankful for her veterinarian recommending NexGard Spectra for her dogs:
I have two heelers and have never had luck with front line and didn’t enjoy fighting to get the normal flea pill shoved down their throat. My vet recommended this a year ago and amazingly enough they eat it up and think it’s a treat!! That’s the most handy part!! Now however they do experience the itching side effect for a week but then are good to go!! I recommend this product.
Although NexGard Spectra UK reviews are difficult to find, we found a few reviews on VioVet that recommend NexGard Spectra for Dogs, also praising the medication for being effective and more affordable than other products out there.
For example, a NexGard Spectra UK 5-star reviewer had this to say:
We spend most of our time in France. The dog was bitten by a tick and became very ill with major organ failure, it cost 2000 to fix her. She had a special collar and Frontline, the vet said that both are ineffective against ticks and recommended Nexgard. I cannot comment on its effectiveness, the vet said this is the best.
On Hyperdrug.co.uk, all but one of the twelve people who submitted a NexGard Spectra review gave the product 5-stars. Specifically, one NexGard Spectra reviewer says:
Great all-round product not the cheapest, but ticks all boxes. Great price compared to vets prices. Prescription required to be obtained from the vet to complete purchase.
Negative NexGard Spectra Reviews
There is a large database of NexGard Spectra reviews for NexGard Spectra Australia customers on ProductReview.com.au. As stated above, most reviews on the site are negative.
A total of 1.9 stars out of 5, NexGard Spectra for Dogs is full of dissatisfied NexGard Spectra Australia customers. The total 611 reviews, while some positive, mostly detailed serious side effects, like seizures, lethargy, and loss of balance.
For example, one NexGard Spectra reviewer states:
I started giving my dog first dose of NexGard Spectra in January 2020 and two months later another dose in March. By the very beginning of May, my dog had a terrible seizure in the middle of the night which lasted around five minutes, very frightening experience, after that she shows signs of neurological damages, not walking properly, loss of balance, very weak, loss of some sight and hearing. I think this drug is toxin to dogs, really should be banned. DON’T take the risk!!!
The author of another NexGard Spectra review laments ever listening to the veterinarian’s recommendation, saying:
NexGard made my puppy sick! Vet suggested I get the stuff, wish I never did!! when I first got him home he was drooling to the point he was soaking wet! he has been having watery diarrhea for the last 5days since having NexGard… Now he has started vomiting and doesn’t look good at all!! I’m so angry with the vet for suggesting it!
NexGard Spectra Reviews on Social Media
NexGard Spectra UK reviews are mostly positive, creating a stark contrast with the negative NexGard Spectra AU reviews. Fortunately, some NexGard Spectra UK customers have taken to social media to share personal stories about their experience with NexGard Spectra for Dogs.
Although the private Facebook group “Does Nexgard Kill Dogs?” consists mostly of stories on the US-version of NexGard, a few NexGard Spectra UK customers are sharing their experiences with the chewable pill.
- One NexGard Spectra reviewer witnessed her dog vomiting bile from suspected kidney and liver damage after being administered the popular flea and tick pill to her dog.
- Another NexGard Spectra reviewer shared that her dog experienced lethargy and a refusal to eat, which prompted an emergency visit to the veterinarian.
While these NexGard Spectra reviews are merely anecdotal, and while there are only a few negative reviews on Facebook, the controversy surrounding the US-based version of NexGard Spectra may be enough to make you wary of NexGard Spectra UK.
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AdvisoryHQ’s Conclusion: Is NexGard Spectra Safe? Is NexGard Spectra the Best Parasite Treatment for Your Dog?
There will always be risks and side effects to consider with any flea and tick medication you use on your dog, as with any other form of the drug.
Even though NexGard Spectra in Australia may be more readily available as an over-the-counter medication at an affordable price, consulting with your veterinarian before you make the purchase can very well be the difference between safe and dangerous for your dog.
Is NexGard Spectra safe? Are NexGard Spectra ingredients effective yet gentle on your furry friend? Based on the NexGard Spectra UK and AU reviews, we can conclude that the answer to those questions varies from case to case.
While some dog owners in the UK are raving about the to-the-point flea and tick solution, a large part of NexGard Spectra reviewers report going through a nightmare with the product, leaving us with many questions about the effectiveness and risks of NexGard Spectra UK and AU.
The NexGard Spectra reviews in the UK are few in comparison to the reviews from Australia but still point towards an affordable NexGard Spectra online price.
The NexGard Spectra prices appeal to people from all economic backgrounds who still wish to prevent parasite infestations in their pets, with the NexGard Spectra 6 pack being one of the most popular.
Still, despite the consistent praise from NexGard Spectra UK reviewers, based on the high volume of negative feedback from dog owners who purchased NexGard Spectra Australia, we have decided to give the product an overall rating of 3-stars. We hope that this rating will instill caution in potential buyers, and urge all buyers to consult with a Vet.
The high number of negative NexGard reviews and the low number of NexGard Spectra reviews in the UK may be due to upset customers being more incentivized to review the product than happy customers.
NexGard Spectra UK
Additionally, treating your pet with NexGard Spectra for lungworm and other nasty parasites might still be worth it, regardless of the possible side effects, as long as the medication is being administered correctly.
After all, the NexGard Spectra side effects can be diminished if you buy the correct dose for your dog. Remember, buying NexGard without a vet prescription in the UK can result in dangerous consequences for your pet.
However, although the NexGard Spectra prices might seem tempting, we urge all dog parents to first book an appointment with their local veterinarian to discuss the potential NexGard Spectra side effects before giving your pet any medication. That way, you can properly assess the health risks and create the right action plan so your pet can continue living a happy, healthy, and pest-free life.
Image Sources:
- http://www.nexgardspectra.com.au/
- http://www.nexgardspectra.com.au/parasites
- https://www.petbucket.com/b/2396375/1/nexgard-spectra.html
- http://www.nexgardspectra.com.au/
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