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July 2004
I found your e-mail on the web after a trip to my Vets for adverse reactions to Hartz Control One Spot. I applied it according to directions on the package to my 7 pound male Chihuahua Paco. Within hours he was showing seizure activity as well as other symptoms. I rushed him into the Vets. There he was bathed, placed in an incubator and watched. He was released and send home with medication to control the muscle movements. I've emailed the EPA and shall call them tomorrow AM. Is there any recourse I can take to aid in removing this product from the market?
Betty 7/1/04
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My puppy has been having seizures since he was around 9/10 months of age. We never associated that it could be due to his generic version of flea control, Bio-Spot. Buster has had bio-spot three times, when it was too expensive to purchase advantage from the vet. I work at PETsMART in their call center and never have heard of any complaints about Bio-Spot from co-workers or customers. Buster hasn't had an adverse reaction immediately after applying Bio-Spot, which is why we never considered it to be the cause of his seizures. When he first had it when he was a puppy, we do remember that he was very lethargic all the time. He did have an upset stomach at one point and wouldn't lay down on it and would whine when he did. He also had some vomiting. We took him to the vet and they said he was fine but probably has a stomach infection. Since he wasn't eating either they had me blanche his food and only feed him boiled chicken and rice for almost a week. The alternative to antibiotics because they were too expensive for me to afford. We did that and he appeared to get better. I am unsure when we gave him his 2nd dose of biospot but remember that he weighed more than the weight range on the packaging. He is a Neopolitan Mastiff/Cane Corso and sure did grow quick. Weighing over 80 lbs when he was neutered in Dec. 03. at 7 months. He started to have seizures this past march 04. At first we didn't know he was having a seizure because it took place when he was sleeping on the floor. He just started paddling with his feet and it looked like he was having a very intense doggy dream. However, when he finally came out of it he was very disoriented and did not recognize our voices. It looked like he saw right through us rather that at us. He snarled and growled and backed away as far as he could, eventually hiding in the bathroom still growling. I finally stuck my hand in there and right up to his nose and then he smelled me and you saw relief wash over him. He came running into my arms and just had me hold him for about 10 minutes. He was fine after that. He didn't have another episode for about 2 to 3 weeks later. The same thing happened all over again. We called the vet and they said it sounded like he was having seizures. I brought him in and they did some blood work on him and everything came back normal. As he continued to have these episodes over the next month, he had my vet and I stumped. At first we thought may be he was having sleep apnea induced seizures. We did everything to make sure his head was elevated and air ways elongated while he slept, hoping that would stop the seizures. It didn't work. We then thought maybe it was allergies to his food. That wasn't the case either. My vet then thought maybe it was epilepsy but she thought it strange he would be exhibiting signs at such a young age, saying most dogs dont show signs till 2 to 5 years of age and not at less than a year. Busters seizures kept getting worse and more frequent, then he started having cluster seizures. My vet decided it was time to put him on Phenobarbitol. His dosage had to be adjusted several times until he was taking 7 64mg pills a day. We tested his Phenobarbitol levels and they showed to be on the high end of the therapeutic range. My vet was confident he shouldn't have any more seizures. We were wrong. At the beginning of May he had 3 cluster seizures. Around May 9th I gave him Bio-Spot because my vet no longer sold Advantage individually but in 6 packs that were over $70. A few days later I was calling the vet because Buster had some vomiting, including this bright yellow liquid foamy stuff. It was bile. He stopped eating and lost about 5-10 pounds in a week. About a week after that he was having cluster seizures again, only 2 this time. Another week after that and he had 3 cluster seizures. This past June 7th, he had 5 seizures in a row. The vet ordered Potassium Bromide in for him. I gave Buster a bath on June 9th. Since he is mostly an indoor dog, the last time he had had a bath was in late January. He gets dry skin from over bathing which we found out when he was a puppy. Buster has not had any seizures since June 7th and did not start his potassium bromide until June 11th. He is taking 2 1000mg pills a day of that in addition to his 7 64mg pills of Phenobarbitol. We just decreased his phenobarbitol by one pill last week. I spoke with the breeder I got him from and they informed me that they can not use spot-on flea controls on their dog. I spoke with the breeder that Buster's mother came from and they informed me one of their dogs had an allergic reaction to Frontline that caused it to have seizures. I informed my vet of that information and also that I used Bio-Spot when not using Advantage and she said to stop using it because it has been known to cause seizures. From reading all of the testimonials on your website, I think it may be the Bio-Spot that is causing it. He does appear to have weakness in his hips all the time and seems wobbly at times also. He is not always like this though and we thought it was from his medicine but it seems to worsen after he has had Bio-Spot. I am unsure whether his father also has allergic reactions to spot-on flea control but was told he doesn't. I wonder if that is why it takes a week for seizures to occur rather than happening immediately after. I am saving money currently to have a CT scan done on him so they can diagnose whether it is epilepsy that is causing it or not. My vet doesn't think it is the Bio-Spot because he doesn't have a seizure immediately afterward. I am making a point of directing her to this website to read some of the testimonials and see what she thinks then. I will keep you informed whether it is truly Epilepsy or if it is being caused by something else, hopefully the Bio-Spot. Thank you for letting me share this with others.
Jaime 7/1/04
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I put bio -spot on my cat yesterday and woke up this morning and she was out of it stumbling around like she is drunk meowing very loudly it really scared me i got mad and thru it away tried to comfort my cat i love very much and cried and then prayed over her, now were waiting to see if she gets alright , i thought about trying front-line i use it on my dog and she seems to be ok . so ill see how she gets and figure something out to help her but i love her so much i pray she gets better.
Linda 7/1/04
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I bought Bio Spot 3 days ago at Petco for my 5 year old healthy Yorkie Terrier, Pookie. I thought I would try to save some money instead of buying Advantage. I bathed Pookie and applied one tube as directed, and I noticed a few hours later she was not herself at all, very lazy no energy barely moving around. I read the packaging and I saw the word pesticide! I didn't know Bio Spot contained that. I went home to check on her and she still the same condition lethargic and acting totally out of it. She has lots of goop and drainage (more than normal) in her eyes that I keep wiping away, and I'm really worried. I found your web page and read everything!!! I'm completely appalled. I called her vet and they told me to bring her in immediately.
I'm leaving work now, but I am interested in class action lawsuit or doing something to make people aware of this dangerous product and to get this crap off the market!!
Christina 7/2/04
Thanks for your response. I took Pookie to her vet Friday afternoon. The vet washed her thoroughly with Dawn and lots of water since the Biospot is oil based Dawn liquid soap was safe to use. The vet wasn't surprised about Pookie's condition when I told her that I used Bio Spot on her. She said she has seen a lot of this adverse reactions with flea medications that contain pesticides and that some dogs don't tolerate it well, like poor little Pookie and that there was nothing more she could do at at time since Pookie was not vomiting or going into seizures. She told me to watch her closely over the weekend and the side effects should subside. When I left she gave me a free sample of Frontline, that is what she uses on all of her dogs.
I plan on writing and calling Farnam Pet and letting them know what happened. Maybe they will reimburse me for the vet visit. I will let you know. I also plan on returning the unused portion to Petco and warning them about this product.
Christina 7/7/04
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On Friday evening I mistakenly applied my dog's Bio Spot to my cat, thinking it was the cats frontline. I didn't realize my deadly mistake until the next morning when my dog woke me up to show me that the cat wasn't right. He was right!! I put the cat in the bath to try and get rid of some of the poison still left on her cold skin and then bundled her up and rushed to our vet, who started fluids and an anecdote. She was really bad... They then moved her to a 24 hour care facility, which added oxygen and different fluids. Now, Sunday evening she is responding well. Hopefully we can bring her home tomorrow, with a couple thousand less in our wallet.
Lisa 7/5/04
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I found your website right after bringing my Maltese home from the emergency hospital from seizures. It started 2 days after using Advantix. She's 5 years old & the vet still can't find out what caused them (she had 10 seizures in 2 days). Bayer refuses to consider any fault whatsoever (no surprise), but I'm convinced it was the Advantix. She's on Phenobarbital now & hasn't seized in 15 days. I hope I can find a way to find the cause. Your website was very disturbing, but eye opening.
Robert 7/6/04
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Late Monday night July 05, 2004 I placed Bio Spot flea med on my cat, and we all went to bed. By 9 am 07/06/04 my cat Andrew was in a prolonged and constant state of Grand Mal Seizures. I immediately rushed him to the veterinarian, and was advised that they had seen this many times before with this product. He was immediately bathed from head to toe, to remove any of the excess chemicals that might still be lingering on his coat/skin, placed on IV fluids, and injected with Valium to try to get the seizures stabilized and under control. We were told that his prognosis was not very good, and that they were not sure if he would survive or not. Luck would have it that he did survive, and will be able to come home from the hospital this evening. The word is that he seems perfectly normal at this time, and that his liver panels that were completed every few hours while an inpatient appear Okay at this time as well, but the long term affect cannot be determined. Will he have brain damage, liver damage, or damage to any of his other vital organs? Will it in fact shorten his life span? Are seizures going to be a problem in the future? Needless to say, I will be contacting the manufacturer of Bio Spot Flea medication and putting them on notice that they will in fact be responsible for his medical care, and any testing that he may need in the future due to this product. And heaven forbid he has any long term effects from this product, they could find themselves in a full blown law suit, because there was no warning that made me aware of any problems w/this product.
Debbie 7/7/04
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I've just returned from my vet's office where I left my 2 cats after using Biospot. The first cat was taken this morning after being treated last night. We found her on the floor having seizures. The other cat seemed fine. After returning home the other cat started twitching and having seizures so I went back to the vet's. I am very disheartened as I feel like I've killed or almost killed my cats (they are still at the vet's and I don't know if they will make it or not). Neither cat showed signs immediately after treatment of sensitivity as the box states. It took all night. If I didn't check on them they definitely would have died. I will never use another flea product that kills for a month on either my dog or my cats again (if they make it). I think after reading your site that Biospot should be pulled from the market!!
Patricia 7/8/04
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I just want to thank you for your web site and the information you are relaying to the public about this HORRIBLE PRODUCT. I recently relocated and found that I needed a flea product. I bought BioSpot.
My dog Abby became lethargic and not aware of her surroundings about 5 days after the application. Abby never get ill so I knew that something was very wrong. We took her and all of her records to the local vet who suspected that it was the BioSPot!! After giving her fluids, he instructed me to bath her as quickly as possible.
She is doing better but it has been a very long day!! I am still concerned about other effects this product could have on her. Something needs to be done to get this product off the market!! I am also sending this e-mail to the pesticide Control Center as well as PetSmart.
Cheryl 7/8/04
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I would like to add my experiences with Bio Spot purchased from the beloved Foster's and Smith Catalog. After several months of closely monitoring my lab dog Alabaster's activity, eating, sleeping, and routine activities. I was able to contribute his seizure activity to Bio Spot. Reading your account of your dog's reaction to the med was shockingly familiar. When I first noticed the reaction, I was slow to link the reaction to the med. I assumed that because he was so oxygen starved at the time that perhaps he had swallowed a bone from the trash. I was drawn to the conclusion that his previous owner who had abused him must have tried to drown him causing this oxygen deficit to his brain causing the seizures....To my horror, I was the one causing them by putting this poison on him. And because my other dog never had such a violent reaction I continued medicating her with the Bio Spot. I notified my vet who stated that the ingredients in some flea treatments can cause diverse reactions in pets. She gave me a sample of Advantage which is not supposed to have the same ingredients!
Thank you for your web site. I am sorry 4 volumes of people have had this reaction.
Melissa 7/10/04
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Frontline is also poison and should be taken off the market. My dog Max a Cocker Spaniel was sprayed with the frontline product and he started acting strange. He moaned and groaned had trouble get up and down, his eyes were watering and then he bite my girlfriend in the face and her son on his hand. My girlfriend had to go the emergency room, she was missing part of her upper lip. She needed a plastic surgeon to put her lip back to somewhat normal manner. I took Max to the vet because he was throwing up blood and had diarrhea and blood in his stool, he spent a week at the vet because there were many other complications. I asked the vet if he needed to be put to sleep and he said no there was nothing wrong with this dog, he's a normal cocker Spaniel. I am sure there many more stories about these flea and tick products. I was reading that they are equally unsafe for children too and I'm sure if a death occured these companies would keep it quiet. Not only did I have the vet bills, I also had my homeowners payout $295,000 for the damage this product caused my girlfriend. Never mind the stress it has caused me to have when anybody approaches my dog. I always say don't put your hand out , he could bite. Class Action suit maybe the only way to get these products off the market. Has anybody heard of any suits filed??? If they are paying off vet bills , I'm sure the company is paying off people who really have serious problems like injury or deaths.
Darlene 7/11/04
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Just wanted to share my experience with Bio-spot. I had started using it last year on my Yellow Lab name Meadow ( now 2 1/2 years old ). I thought, she seemed to act a little funny, but I had only used it for a few months so I didn’t really pick up on it, until I started using it this year. I noticed a pattern this year when after we would apply it to her, she would act very skittish and jumpy, this would then be followed by her being completely exhausted, and pretty much out cold tired. I thought this seemed strange, and also the fact that when my husband applied it last month, she was fighting him on applying it, as soon as she smelled it. That same nite we applied it, I felt that this was a pattern, and had him look up the side effects.
He didn’t even want to read me all the stuff he had started reading and was horrified after the first couple of stories. We immediately started washing it off of her, and continued each day washing her, and keeping a close eye on her. I am so thankful that we found this website before it was too late, I was sick for days knowing I had been poisoning my beautiful baby each month and not knowing it. My heart goes out to all the dog and cat owners that lost their pets, and how sick some of these poor animals got, and how much they suffered. I can't believe that this stuff is even still sold. My sister in law had also been using Advantix on her Pug, and she noticed the same thing,
but he would be completely out cold after she would give him the Advantix, to the point where she would have to literally pick hm up and carry him to his crate. She also didn’t link it to Advantix, and just thought it was strange that he was so tired until I filled her in on my findings.
Does anyone know anything safe we can use ? I am afraid to use anything on her, but since she got lyme disease last year, I am afraid not to use anything either. thank you for this website, I have spread the word to all my dog and cat lovers to be ware of these products.
Kathy, Kurt and Meadow 7/13/04
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It wasn't until my dog had a bad reaction to BioSpot and I was unable to find any warning on the package that such reactions could occur that I decided to check it out on the internet. Fortunately, my dog seems to be OK now but having read what others have said about delayed reactions I can just watch and wait.
This was the second time I used BioSpot on my three-year-old mixed breed. He weighs about 50 pounds. He didn't like it the first time (about two months ago) but I thought it was simply the acrid sweet orange perfume that irritated him. So I took him outside to apply the streak down his back, thinking the odor would be less offensive to him there. He took off as soon as I released him, pacing around without stopping as though he had to keep moving. That was unusual. After we got home he took a big drink of water and gobbled up all his dinner. That was unusual, too, since he's usually very picky. He paced from room to room, flopping here and there only to jump to his feet and take off a few seconds later. I figured the orange perfume was really getting to him. Then I noticed that his breathing was very rapid and very shallow, and realized that perfume couldn't cause that. I took him to the kitchen sink and in 30 seconds had drenched his back with cold soapy water, then I took him outside and hosed his back. That done, he was finally able to relax somewhat, though his breathing isn't yet back to normal.
I did a Google search on the active ingredients in Bio Spot -- Permethrin and Pyriproxyfen -- and came across an interesting article titled "Are 'Spot-On' Flea Killers Safe?" in The Whole Dog Journal of February 2002. Absolutely not, says the author (Kathleen Dudley) who explains why in great detail. A chart shows what toxic effects various ingredients can cause, including those in BioSpot, Advantage, Adams Spot-on, Defend, Frontline and Zodiac. There's a lot in the article about problems caused by Bio Spot including pruritis, hair loss, elephantiasis, chronic itching, depression, lethargy and "symptoms concomitant with aggravated liver toxicity." If only Farnam had printed a warning on the package advising dog owners to wash out the BioSpot at the first signs of adverse reaction, and listed them.
I notified the EPA and complained to Farnam. We should also let the retailers know about problems so that they can be held accountable if it ever comes to a class action suit. It would be very dumb of PetSmart to risk the threat of toxic publicity just to continue selling toxic products.
Good health to you and your pets, and thanks for your help.
Anonymous 7/13/04
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I am so happy to say my dog survived! I have been doing a lot of research and have contacted so many organizations and made it my mission to inform people about the dangers of these products. Most were already aware that these flea products are lethal but are powerless against the multi billion dollar pet industry. I am disgusted with the manufacture and the many company's (petco, petmart, centinella, etc.) that continue to sell these products with full knowledge of the pain hey have caused pets and humans. I want to inform others about how Zodiac (Wellmark International) manufactures have treated me and the issue I have with their product. They first try to blame me! They interviewed me for 15 minutes and tried to get me to confess "user error." The manufactures are total LIARS! I did not fall for their rhetoric and now they avoid me hoping I will just go away. THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING!!! The fact is it is all about $$$$. After doing research I found most pet products are owned by just one or two main companies. They try to disguise that they are all connected! The
manufacture told me that most people who complain or claim their dog had a terrible reaction are paranoid, mentally ill and are blaming their dogs illness or old age on the product because they are irrational and can't cope with reality. I think we know our dogs better than them. I want to do something about this!
As many of us know our pets are more like our children and this is very important to us! Think about all the cases that go unreported or owners that have trust in these liars because they have a "title." I am willing to organize action and will do anything needed (legally) to ensure we are heard. Lets face it, nothing is happening to stop the sale of these products. Our letters and phone calls are not enough. These products are not going anywhere as long as we stay quite and they bring money.
Please feel free to have anyone email me who is willing to take more drastic actions. There is power in numbers and we must be heard.
Kelli 7/14/04
kellkells@aol.com
I wanted to tell you Wellmark International the maker of Zodiac Flea spot on sent me a check for the product and my dogs vet bill. I agree that getting them to admit fault and hitting them where it counts (pocketbook $) is best! On the back of the check there is stamped a statement that I release them from responsibility etc. I did sign the check but will not stop warning people. I have received at least four emails from people who saw my post on your site so I imagine this is a full time job for you. I wrote the department of pesticide regulation and they responded saying that I am the first complaint they have ever had regarding this. Can this be true? Are we/consumers complaining but not being heard? I was just wondering in you view, is this a waste of time?? It seems like either nobody is listening or nobody really cares! The DPR is responsible for allowing pesticides to go on the market. They allow the maker to present their own case for safety and don't do their own investigation! That's CRAZY! If the manufacture can "prove" their product is safe they can sell it! I just want to know if you have seen any changes regarding this poison or if anybody in authority has at least contacted you?
Kelli 7/28/04
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Bathing the dog with Dawn liquid detergent and then spraying the dog (keep away from eyes) and the bedding area with Avon Skin-So-Soft. That's all I have ever used. The skin-so-soft is an emollient and smothers the flea eggs so that prevents more from hatching and because it coats the skin, the flea can't attach themselves. After the first infestation, I sprayed my entire house (using a spray bottle) and then vacuumed using a new bag. You would be surprised at all the dead fleas that I found when I opened the bag outdoors. Since then, they don't like my house.
Bobbi 7/16/04
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My Standard Poodle is about one year old. She is a very healthy, active dog. Over the course of the last few months I have given her three Bio-Spot treatments.
The first two were uneventful. Immediately after the third treatment, she began running around the house, acting very agitated, and would not settle down. I just thought she didn't like the smell of the product. The next day she was normal, and has not repeated her strange behavior since.
Today I was going to shop for a flea and tick control for my dog, and I ran across your website. After reading about your and other's experiences, I cannot help but wonder if I narrowly escaped disaster with that last application of Bio-Spot.
Thank you for providing a forum for review and discussion of this dubious product.
Will 7/20/04
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I can't thank you enough for having this website!!
Both my friend and I were just surfing the web looking for flea/tick/mosquito products for our dogs (she has one and I have three) when I ran into this great comparison chart on 1800petmeds.com In looking at the chart, it seemed Bio Spot was the way to go and then when we saw the price - we were sold! Thankfully though, I like to compare prices and in looking online, I ran across your site.
Reading these stories brought tears to my eyes - I can't even imagine the incredible agony your writers have gone through. I have no doubt that your website has saved us & our dogs from Bio-Hell (as one writer so perfectly wrote)!! How this product continues to be sold, completely baffles and amazed me! Hopefully, more animals will be saved from this poison through your website and others.
Heather 7/20/04
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My husband and I used "Frontline" on our 87 lb Golden Retriever(Bandit) for almost 10 years. One day, we decided to try K-9 Advantix JUST ONCE. The next day our dog developed a red sore on the same exact spot that the K-9 Advantix was applied. Gradually, he started itching a lot and losing a lot of hair. The sore that developed on the spot where we applied the K-9 Advantix never healed. We thought he developed an allergy and the first 3 vets we saw thought it was an allergy to something until they finally referred us to a Dermatology Vet Specialist. She did a biopsy on one of the sores on his skin and he was diagnosed with "Lymphosarcoma". Our beautiful Golden Retriever ended up losing almost ALL of his hair and his skin was covered in bloody, crusty tumors. Chemotherapy was not an option since this type of rare cancer does not respond well to chemo. Bandit was placed on a raw food diet, transfer factor, probiotics, etc. He died of "Skin Lymphoma" 7 weeks later , the week before Thanksgiving in 2003. Lymphoma is a very common cancer in dogs, however, only 5% of dogs that get lymphoma get it in the skin. Upon further research, it shows that Frontline and K-9 Advantix have very different ingredients. One of the main ingredients in K-9 Advantix is Permethrin which was also in the BioSpot that has hurt many other dogs. Has anyone else out there lost a dog to Permethrin? Bandit was definitely regarded as a family member and my husband and I would like to know if we have any recourse to take against the makers of K-9 Advantix (Bayer Pharmaceuticals) Our lives were shattered when we had to watch our dog die slowly before our eyes. We also spent hundreds of dollars on supplements, clothes for Bandit, Vet visits, tests, etc…We now have a new Golden Retriever and we were wondering are there other alternatives then to put poison on our dog? You can see a picture of Bandit at: http://www.angelfire.com/nh/maddogs/cancer20.html (he is the 3rd dog down and there are 3 pictures of him. Two are when he was healthy and the last one is a picture of him just before he died. There is also a picture of the collage I made for us to remember him forever.) Coincidence or did K-9 Advantix kill my dog?
Thank you for listening,
Denise 7/20/04
goldilocks1963@aol.com
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On Sunday morning, 7/18/04, about 4 a.m., we put Bio Spot for cats on our 8-month old kitten, Cholo. By 11:00 p.m. that night, he was in convulsions, foaming at the mouth, totally helpless. The Animal Emergency clinic told us to bathe him in Dawn detergent and if that didn't help, to bring him in. Within 15 minutes, we were on our way across Tulsa to the Emergency Clinic, where he spent the next 16 hours on IVs, Valium and an antidote to the poison contained in Bio Spot. It cost $253.60 and nearly cost Cholo his life. The vets at the Emergency Clinic said they see 3-4 of these a week because people don't know they will kill their pet using this stuff. I am going to contact Farnam and expect to be reimbursed for this, or I'll sue them.
Betty 7/21/04
Just a note to let you know that I received a check from Farnum yesterday for the full amount of my vet bill for Cholo, $251.50. No letter, just a check with a statement that this pays in full all vet bills. Since that's all I wanted them to do, I'm thankful they did pay it. It took me a long time to find the actual receipt for the BioSpot, but I did finally find it and sent it to them in July.
Please post this on your website as one more incident of Farnum paying bills, but refusing to acknowledge that they are in any way at fault. They told me in a letter in July, that they had a "fund" to reimburse pet medical bills. That, to me, was enough to know that they know exactly what is going on, but aren't going to do anything more than reimburse "reasonable" vet bills.
Thank you once again, for your care and concern and for keeping your website open. This is the only way people will ever know what to do when it happens to them and their pets.
Betty 8/24/04
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I put Biospot on my 10 year old Doberman and my 2 year old Golden. My Doberman has problems, he's three legged, but otherwise healthy. Immediately he started to act as if the Biospotted area was burning. Within 10 minutes he started drooling and foaming at the mouth, pacing and acting generally uncomfortable. I tried calling the vet but there was a problem with the after hours service so I was unable to reach him. I washed the area to remove as much Biospot as possible and hoped for the best. When the vet finally reached me the following day, he told me to feed him canned dog food, as it pulls toxins out faster and to give him Benedryl for three days. This is day two of the Benedryl and he seems to be better. The vet told me that the Biospot can effect his kidneys.
In the past I have washed my dogs with Murphy's Oil Soap to control fleas. It works great. It kills the fleas, leaves enough oil on their skin to prevent if from drying out and is non-toxic so even if you don't rinse it all off, it doesn't hurt the dogs. My Doberman hates water so I haven't been using that method. I will go back to it.
I think my Doberman will be OK but I truly regret using Biospot. I liked the idea that it also killed mosquitos and some of the other products do not. I'll deal with the mosquitoes some other way from now on.
Melanie 7/24/04
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I recently bought farnams bio spot for cats. I had to rush my cat to the emergency room on a Saturday night because she was having seizures, drooling at the mouth and could not walk. That was the same day that I used it. While I was at the Emergency Clinic the Manager of the Clinic told me that they see at least one case a week due to this product and did everything he could to inform the public of the damage it can cause and to have it removed from the shelf.
I then turned around and called the pet store that suggested that I buy it. They also admitted to the fact that they are aware of animals of dying from this product. The store manager himself told me that he would like to remove it from the shelf. I called and reported the product to the EPA and was told it has a low toxicity level. How low of a level can it be if it almost killed my cat? Regardless I told them that if 1 out of a 1000 cats died due to the use of this product that it should no longer be on the shelf.
Now, over a $10.00 flea product, I have almost a $600.00 vet bill, all to save my family pet. Such a small number to the millions of dollars this company is making. Not to mention the heartache that the family and the pet have to endure.
Cheryl 7/25/04
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I recently treated my two cats with a Hartz 4-in-1 flea preventative. It contains 85% phenothrin. I was using Advantage for flea control, but I ran out, and when I came across this product at the pet store, I thought it would do the same thing. After treating our two cats according to the instructions, they had severe irritation at the treatment site (the neck). Within a few hours, they were visibly mentally impaired - one of my cats had trouble hopping up on the sink, a problem he has never had before. We attempted to wash off the medicine, which helped a bit. The next day, we took them both to the vet and had them thoroughly washed. I hope they will be ok.
Even a cursory search of the internet would have shown me that this product was dangerous. However, who would think to check out a product that is widely available in pet stores? The method of application is the same as Advantage as well. It is very misleading. This product is dangerous and should be pulled off the shelves. I have complained to the EPA.
Carrie 7/26/04
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My husband heard about bio spot on the radio. We decided to look it up on the net. We Have 2 Basset Hounds, 1 Cat use to have 2 other cats that are no longer with us. I use Frontline spray For my older Basset bc he is allergic to fleas. I have also tried Adams flea control drops on him which caused a real nasty sore where I applied it. So I did not use it again. When I took him to the vet for a allergic reaction to fleas they put Revolution on him. It cause him to lose most of his hair. He wouldn't eat right and also he acted sick I couldn't believe the vet put that on him. Now that I have read your site I realize what was wrong with him. Thank you for making me aware of the poison.
The 2 cats that are no longer with us died 1 year ago. This site just made me realize I killed my own cats. They were in-door/out-door cats. I applied bio spot to all 3 of my cats.The first day with my 3 cats I did not see any problems. Scizo went outside soon after I applied it and never saw him again. My second kitty clypto he had no side affects with the first month. The next month I applied it and he went outside and I couldn't find him the next day some kids found him and when I looked at him it was terrible it looked as if he was gasping for air and also looked poisoned. I never dreamed or thought that bio spot caused his death. They sell it, it must be safe. WRONG. I wished I would have looked up this product back then.
I use Garlic pills that seem to work real well and also give my dogs baths in Murphy oil soap. That kills the fleas. I looked up using Murphys oil soap for my dog and the wierd thing is that it is ph balanced for dogs. This is the only soap/shampoo my dog's skin will handle.
Tammy 7/28/04
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We just got a new kitten who had fleas, my sister-in-law has always used Bio-spot and I normally use advantage but had just done all my animals so I used her Bio-spot on the kitten til I took her in to get advantage. Well within an hour she was siezuring and foaming at the mouth. Immediately went and washed her with dish soap and called the vet to find out what to do and they said bring her in, but they were closing so I drove an hour to the emergency vet who was waiting at the door for us and took the kitten back, they thought she had a 70% chance of making it when I left last night, an hour later she was gone. At the same time I was at the vets with this kitten a dog came in that had been given Bio-spot and was also siezuring and his whole muzzle was swollen up. I am disgusted that a product that is easily gotten, you don't even buy it from the vet but it is in EVERY store that carries dog/cat products is SO dangerous. The vet cost 250.00.
Buffie 7/28/04
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We are not certain as to the cause of our dog's strange behavior, but after reading this today I will bring her to the vet ASAP.
Ever since the first application of Bio Spot a couple of weeks ago she continuously bites at the air as if trying to catch a fly but there is nothing there! The smaller dogs have acted a bit strange and their coats have been in terrible shape but the very odd behavior is limited to our Drahthaar. Because this breed is a versatile hunting dog, we laughed at first but know this is now something that does not seem right.
I appreciate this site and will update you on what our vet says.
Mary Beth 7/28/04
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Today, July 29, a sweet black and white cat was euphemized. I work for an int'l animal welfare groupand we frequently help destitute families provide care for their pets. This cat came in yesterday and got a flea bath then was anointed with BioSpot. She was fine for about 30 hours. Today she was scheduled to stay for another night while we bombed her guardian's home for fleas. I went to visit her in our quarantine room and she had urinated on herself and was trembling. I immediately got my supervisor. Within that one minute, the cat was having severe seizures, suffering immensely, and had to be euphemized. Everyone knows there is a risk when using any medication, but I never have seen it happen.
Sarabell 7/29/04
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We didn't know how horrible this Bio Spot product was!!! I bought this product through a very popular veterinary catalog, Drs. Foster and Smith. Since this magazine is so popular, and is suppose to be "pet friendly", we wouldn't have thought that such a deadly product would be sold through them.
We applied this Bio Spot flea treatment for "cats and ferrets" to three of our cats since our new kitten had fleas. After approximately 2 hours, our pets started twitching, and one started having a grand mal seizure. Thank God we have just a wonderful veterinarian!!!! He knew exactly what was happening to my pets, and he didn't hesitate on treating them.
Three days have passed since this occurred to my fun and energetic animals, and they are still not the same. All of them are extremely sensitive to light or any type of sound, and one in particular is horribly nervous!!! I truly hope all their symptoms go away!!! BIO SPOT SHOULD STOP MAKING THIS ATROCIOUS PRODUCT!!! Cats and dogs are not just "animals", they are companions, our friends, they are the ones that bring us happiness and make us laugh, when we truly need it. We have raised them, took care of them, and just because the Bio Spot manufacturer doesn't want to stop making this product in order to make a dishonest profit from it, our pets have to be harmed or even die!!! This is ridiculous! After this incident, there will be no more store bought treatments in my house.
Michelle 7/30/04
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My beloved, seemingly healthy cat, wiggy, died yesterday. the night before i'd given him a spot flea treatment, the kind you get from the vet, advantage i think was the name of it. and at the same time, i put some ear mite medicine, which i'd never used, in his ears. i gave these two treatments to all my cats that night. the next morning my baby wiggie was dead on the carport and i was devastated, and feeling i'd killed him with the treatments. i immediately took him to my vet and he thought blunt head trauma, but referred me to Clemson university's vet. research lab. they said he had two heart worms, one in his pulmonary artery and this killed him.
It might be coincidence, but i think the treatments brought on his death. have you heard anything about this happening to other people's pets? my other pets appear ok, but lethargic, and one has rapid, shallow breathing. she is at the vet now to see why.
Novella 7/30/04
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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.
