***PLEASE POST EVERYWHERE*** Vets Say Flea, Tick Product Makes Cats Sick - Hartz Advanced Flea and Tick Drops are being investigated by EPA

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Current News - Homefront Preparations : One Thread

[Wasn't it Hartz that put out a flea product fatal to both cats and dogs a few years ago?]

Vets Say Flea, Tick Product Makes Cats Sick EPA Investigating Products' Safety Posted: 11:20 a.m. CST November 26, 2002

SAN ANTONIO -- The Environmental Protection Agency has launched an investigation into a popular over-the-counter product to treat fleas and ticks in cats and kittens.

Hartz Advanced Flea and Tick Drops are being investigated after some pet owners and veterinarians reported loss of appetite and seizures after applying the product on cats and kittens.

Lady" Cat owner Chris Morgan said his cat, Lady, was healthy until he applied Hartz Advanced Flea and Tick Drops on Lady's back.

"She was practically in a comatose state," Morgan said. "She had no energy. No enthusiasm. She wouldn't walk. She wouldn't move her head. She wouldn't eat."

Veterinarian Andrew Lawless said Lady's liver showed signs of toxicity.

"This is a condition that we see in many, many cats that have had over-the-counter topical flea preparations applied to them," Lawless said.

An internal EPA memo cited cases where cats either died or become very sick after being treated with the flea drops.

Hartz officials said they have sold 132 million doses of the flea treatment and they stand by their product.

"Based on the information we have, and based on a review of all the data that we have, we stand firmly behind these products," Dr. Albert Ahn of the Hartz Mountain Corp., said in an interview with KSAT 12 On Your Side consumer reporter Marilyn Moritz.

Ahn said beginning in January, Hartz is going to voluntarily change the labeling on its Advanced Flea and Tick Drops for cats and kittens. The new labeling will provide the consumer with more information and a new application method.

Ahn added that despite the EPA probe, the federal agency has found Hartz Advanced Flea and Tick Drops to be effective in treating fleas and ticks.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2002

Answers

I was going to use the expensive stuff to start with and then I bought Hartz (this was 4 yrs ago)... when I applied it to Tammy, she fell over started salivating and vomited, and yowled.. I grabbed her and held her under the fawcettte, washed it off, (it was only on less then 3 minutes!!!) if I hadn;t known to watch animals after any meds..she could have died!

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2002

I believe that Garden's Alive has organic flea controls available, assuming your cats are amenable to eating garlic bits, stuff like that. My preference is to move the cats into an outside room (weather permitting) and bomb the place then air it out. Seems far safer than smothering them in insecticide and eradicates pantry moths and other critters I have had trouble with.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2002

It seems every time I take a cat to the vet, fleas come home with it (no matter which vet). I refuse to use flea collars and have only once used Advantage during a terrible infestation (no apparent ill effects). I keep the problem to a minimum by using those flea-control sprays (Foster and Smith makes one that works). Like you, B, I turn off the AC or heat, spray a room and let it dry. Then I open it up, let it sort of air out a bit,chase the cats into it and spray another room, and so on. I also take their bedding (receiving blankets over their beds), spray them lightly and hang them over the backs of chairs to dry before putting them back on. So far, it seems to be working.

I hate using sprays but you have to balance that with the danger to the cats from fleas. Two of ours (sisters) are horribly allergic and get tiny infected sites everywhere a flea bites.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2002


Oddly enough, wedon't seem to have any fleas. I wonder if the neighbors are doing their yards and we enjoy the overspray? At least nothing has been killing the fish in the pond.

We do have an ant problem which has apparently centered itself in the kitchen. i suspect that they are coming in through the holes in the cement floor around the water pipes. We have had the spray man out twice now, and it looks like he's feeding them.

We did see a couple ticks on the dog last month, but after a bath no others have been seen. I granulated the yard at the same time so maybe that helped. I just hope we don't have another infestation like what we had after Andrew. Ticks climbing the walls and embedding themselves in the popcorn ceiling. it was awful. We tossed all the stuffed furniture out when that happened and had Sears spray the house down severely. When that didn't work fast enough i went and did it myself. A week out of the house and I sprayed all sorts of stuff, washed and cleaned everything, all clothing to the cleaners. Cost about 300 dollars or so, but with the refund from Sears for their ineffective treatment it was worth it. I wasn't working then so the money was tight, but with all that free time the work at cleaning was something to pass the time. I don't ever want to do that again. I'll hire a service if it happens again. We have more stuff now, plus carpeting.

Was thinking of printing out that post of yours, Git, and putting it by the collars and stuff in a couple stores around here. just for information, of course. Can't find it on the site you linked to, though.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2002


Had a hard time refinding it myself:

http://www.pandecats.com/x/hartz_warning.htm

hottie

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2002



I know this stuff was bad 4 yrs ago, as the first time I ever used it was the sunner we moved in here,

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2002

Moderation questions? read the FAQ