Pet deaths prompt warnings on flea products
From: Dr Andrew Jones
Author: Veterinary Secrets Revealed
Website: http://www.theonlinevet.com
Hello to you and your pets this Wednesday.
This is a serious health risk that has been downplayed by the Pharmaceutical Companies.
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Pet deaths prompt warnings on flea products
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WASHINGTON – Products intended to treat cats and dogs for fleas and ticks kill hundreds of pets each year and injure tens of thousands, the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday as it outlined plans to make the products safer.
The EPA said it will develop stricter testing and evaluation requirements for flea and tick treatments that are applied to a pet’s skin. The agency also will begin reviewing labels to determine which ones need to say more clearly how to use the products.
The EPA’s effort follows increasing complaints from pet owners that the “spot-on” products have triggered reactions in dogs and cats, ranging from skin irritation to neurological problems to deaths. Cats and small dogs appear particularly vulnerable, the EPA said, especially when given products intended for larger animals.
“These are poisons,” Owens said. “These are products designed to kill fleas and ticks — and they do their jobs.”
The EPA said it received 44,263 reports of harmful reactions associated with topical flea and tick products in 2008, up from 28,895 in 2007. Reactions ranged from skin irritations to vomiting to seizures to, in about 600 cases, death of an animal.
An EPA spokesman said he did not have a breakdown of how many deaths were dogs and how many cats.
Dog and cat owners say their pets have suffered burns and welts on their skin; started to drool excessively; begun to shake uncontrollably; lost control of their legs or experienced other neurological problems after using the flea and tick treatments.
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So WHAT do you do?
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The majority of the reactions are from improper dosing – especially with small dogs and cats. BUT, reactions have happened at supposed ‘SAFE’ doses.
Meaning – use with caution.
Only use if you need to.
Consider alternate options of Flea Control.
You can get ALL of the Alternate Flea Remedies for a LOW Trial of $5.97 now. It’s at:
Heal Your Pet At Home!
Best Wishes,
Dr Andrew Jones, DVM
This is not surprising to me at all…
when products say take caution when applying or not for human consumption..
how the heck is it good for our pets ?
Not to mention the side effects of years of use over the pets life span…
The vaccines…the heartworm meds and the flea stuff, not to mention the tainted foods we give them.. times 12 to 16 years on a pet, weighing from 4 to 90 pounds…
Maybe …we are killing our pets with kindness ..
or the misconception of what is good for them…
Some warped way of thinking we have excepted like:
fresh foods.. meat.. fish… fruit and veggies are not for pet consumption,( many vets call this table scraps)…so i tell them if you want to call filet mignon table scraps? But factory foods full of chemicals and additives and who knows what else is in that mix are a healthy balanced diet for our pets?
Pet Owners Wake Up !
Thanks for that timely warning Dr Jones. Many of the local veterinarians are even encouraging year round application of the topical insecticides, and for “all your pets-indoor only cats may get fleas just as easily” we are warned. And somehow I doubt the animals best welfare are the basis for these suggestions.
Animals are sure lucky then can be euthanized while we have to suffer death.. We need a support group that can put this on ballot to allow us the right to die. It wld be our word not of others.
Only 1 week ago my dog was euthanased, both he & I knew it was time to go. He had had Lymphoma for some time, his medical condition deteriorated rapidly the process of death had begun. By this stage we were both ready and Oliver was layed to rest at home without the anxiety that can be created when visiting a vet clinic. In Australia we have the choice of the vet going to the animal’s home or we take them to the clinic. I do agree “At what stage do we draw the line & when does dignity & quality of life become undignified & less quality” Animals don’t have the choice, they are more realistic because they do not know they are dying as they live for the moment, so we need to take responisiblity for them.
Working with the elderly & nursing my own mother at home where she died (after having cancer)and having experienced “no quility of life” one does question “Why can’t we euthanase (end life without pain in a dignigifed manner)for humans?” I guess humans can have the tendancy to use their “gifted brain” to abuse the system which then disadvantages others who are REALLY SUFFERING.
Last year there was a new mosquito repellant for people – I think it was made by OFF – which consisted of a disk that could be refilled. I wondered then why they could not make a similar device for dogs to repel flees – and more importantly ticks – for both dogs and humans.
I stopped using the flea and tick repellant on my dogs a few years ago when I realized that if it were “good” for three months, it could not possibly be good for a single day.
Thanks for the confirmation.
Some years back after reading the directions carefully and “thoughtfully” I realized that the directions on what to do if this repellent got on a humans skin was just as long as the directions on how to put it on my pets skin…….um I don’t think I am putting this stuff anywhere near my pet….if it’s not good enough for me then no way am I putting it on him. There are circumstances like a hike in the woods that I use a little tick repellant but just enough for that hike!!!