Adverse Reactions from Flea Control Products

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March 2004

As with many of the cases I have read my family was using Frontline on all three of our cats and both dogs, when one day shopping we noticed a product called BioSpot. We decided to try it. My animals have never had a reaction to any product in the past! At 5 o'clock on Monday, March 8 we applied BioSpot flea treatment to all three of my cats. Everything seemed fine throughout the night, we went to bed around the normal time, and to our horror we woke the next morning to all three cats in seizures! Before I could get to the phone to call my vet one of my cats turned blue, stopped breathing and passed away!! Thank God we were able to save the other two from death, but now they are not mentally the same!! I am disgusted with the product and the fact that there is nothing being done to stop it from being sold! How do you expect to make a profit when it kills the animals it is put on? I am begging you to do something about this before others are forced to endure the loss my family has!!!!!!!!!!

Cara 3/12/04

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My 3 yr. old gray tiger Toby (one of her names) is twitching but asleep on my boyfriend's lap b/c I found her early this a.m. at 6 to walk our Husky. When I came back, I found my little one in full fledged seizures. We had used Advantix on our other cat and our dog, but not on Pointy (Toby.)

We flew out the door as her 7 lb. body spasmed and twitched. No Vets were open, as it was between 'Emergency Room' shifts and regular office hours, so we drove for an hour and a half looking for someplace, any place to take her. (That in itself was a trip, b/c there is a Cat Hospital or Veterinarian Office in every other shopping center down here. but none open.)

Finally, Office hours were starting and we got her in in time for the Vet to flush her on a catheter and give her Valium for the seizures - from what the Vet said was poisoning from the deadly flea killer pet killer. We are keeping a vigil with her and her muscle relaxants tonight. They were going to keep her overnight in the $$E.R.$$, but the Vet agreed she was good to go home if we watched her and brought her to the E.R. nearby our home if anything different from the neuro symptoms she explained manifested. We are so lucky to have escaped this tragedy.

It's unacceptable that peoples' hearts are being broken every day due to the negligence in packaging and the dangerous toxins in the products' formulas. How can I help to protest this? (Not to mention the Internet sellers who give advice on application of these when they have no idea what they are talking about.)

Does anyone know how to get restitution for bills incurred in this nightmare? Also, I fear the seizures may cause brain damage. Any anecdotal evidence of this? Please pray w/me that 'Pointy' (Toby) makes it.

Melissa 3/12/04

P.S. The fleas are still alive on our Husky.

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I have 4 dogs (my only children), 2 shih Tzu's, a Pomeranian and a poodle. On Wednesday, March 17, 2004 I put Zodiac Spot Treatment on all 4 dogs to prevent them from getting Fleas and Ticks in a friends very large yard. On Thursday March 18, 2004, my poodle began acting weird by not wanting to walk and only staying on the sofa. Thinking the only thing that I have changed with the dogs was the Flea medication, I washed her and got her to the Vet ASAP. I had $450.00 worth of tests done and everything was negative.

Today, Friday March 19 one of my Shih Tzu's is acting the same way. After locating this website, I rushed home from work and washed all 4 dogs with dish detergent and again contacted the vet. According to the Vet, this treatment can cause bad reactions in pets. I was told to wash them, which I did, and watch for vomiting, seizures and diarrhea. Hopefully, they will be okay in a few days but I am extremely nervous and stressed about this. I was trying to prevent a problem before it happened and I may have killed my babies. THIS PRODUCT MUST BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET.

Karen 3/19/04

Just to follow up on my 3/19/04 post with my two dogs having bad reactions to Zodiac. After reading this website and bathing all 4 dogs in dish soap they became much better day by day - I washed them all twice with dish soap. I pursued the company that sells this poison and after an interview and records sent to the company they have reimbursed me for my vet bill.

Thanks for all of your help - somehow we need publicize the dangers BEFORE people use these products on their pets.

Karen 4/8/04

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I have a 5 year old female Shepard Chow mix, Karo, who I applied Bio-Spot to last Thursday night. By Saturday, she started showing strange symtoms. By Saturday night, she was erratic, hiding, moving about and uncomfortable. She could not move or lift her tail, and her hind legs didn't move right. She stopped drinking and became dehydrated. She lost control of urination and her rectum was dilolated. We took her to an animal hospital on Sunday morning, where they administered an IV and muscle relaxers. She came home late that night. Her spirits were good but she still had no bladder control. She was constipated until Tuesday, but then lost control of bowel movements too. She was hospitalized overnight again last night when she didn't seem to improve any. We are at $1100 in vet bills with no end in sight and this is money that just doesn't even exist. She is on antibiotics, anti-inflamitories, and anti-diarrhea medications, as well as special food and water. I would pray to be in contact with the woman who signed her letter "banchee's mom 8/10/03" since her problem was similar, she is local and the specialists she saw may be able to save Karo.

Tom 3/27/04

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Thank you for the wonderful and informative website you posted. I have a 1 1/2 year old Vizsla and a 2 year old Lab/SharPei mix that I just rescued from a shelter. I have been using the BioSpot on my Vizsla since I brought him home last year. I can't really say I had a problem with him. I brought home the Lab mix a month and a half ago (which was being treated for heartworm) and about a week after I brought him home, applied the BioSpot. His joints became very painful and he had fever. It got so bad that if you tried to run your hand down his body to comfort him he would cry in pain. I took him to the Vet and they could not find anything. Four x-rays, tons of blood work and all kinds of test showed nothing wrong. His white blood cell count, however, was very high indicating a bad infection. They kept him in the hospital and treated him intravenously with Baytril (antibiotic). He is much better. Unfortunately, we are no closer to knowing what was wrong. I was getting ready to order my supply of BioSpot when I decided to check the Internet for any articles comparing it to Frontline Plus. I stumbled on your site and boy am I glad I did. Over a thousand dollars in Vet care later, I don't want to take any chances. I don't know if it was the BioSpot, but I'm not going to take any chances. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Betsy 3/30/04

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We used Advantix last year for 6 months with no success for fleas. There was West Nile in this county in SC and we thought to protect our 1 year old Scotty from the mosquitoes. Not sure how much good it did for them but it surely did not work at all on the fleas. Our vet is not using/recommending/selling that product this year at all. What do you know about Revolution for heart worm, flea, tick and mosquito control?

Mrs. Ferguson 3/31/04

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I have just sent this email to the EPA.

Bio Spot - take this medication off the market. I used it on my 8 lb. Australian terrier and have been in and out of the vet's office all day. About 5 hrs. after using, he began vomiting and walking in a hunched position. The vet said he is reacting to the Bio Spot.

A urine sample indicted an elevation of Billirubin. Blood will be drawn tomorrow and sent to a lab to determine if there has been permanent damage to the liver.

My vet said she has seen numerous serious problems where Bio Spot has been applied to dogs and cats. One dog died as a result. She has reported these problems to the company and yet, it continues to be sold. She also said she is seeing similar problems with Zodiac.

Gay 3/31/04

The ALT test was abnormal but the ALK was normal. Another test will be run on Monday to see if the abnormality still exist. The vet said it could be that the liver is working overtime to rid the body of the toxins.

I printed all the letters on your website to pass on to my sister's vet. She has a mini-Doberman who became ill shortly after being given Bio Spot. She called the vet and asked if this could be the problem? He assured her it was not. He sells Bio Spot in

his clinic.

I think most cases go unreported because the owner doesn't connect the Bio Spot to the dog's illness and never tells the vet that he applied the Bio Spot. We are so stupid at times. We believe that if a product is approved that it is safe. This isn't true in human medicines or animal medicines.

I will keep you updated. Thank you for your website. I hope thousands read the comments before purchasing these products.

Gay 4/2/04

DISCLAIMER: Below are messages that I have received from others whose dogs and cats experienced adverse reactions after using flea control products. I have no way of knowing if the information in these messages is factual, or if the products they used were the actual cause of the adverse reactions.