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September 2005
I came across this site and had read some of the comments from people about their pets and the effects of flea and tick products. My beloved pet (Jazmin) died on Friday 9/3/05, less then 20 hrs after I had put a small ampule of Advantix flea and tick product on her.
She was a very healthy Westy, who was in great shape on Wednesday and on Friday I witnessed two violent seizures and had rushed her to the vet. They bathed her and tried to get the product off her, but she continued with the seizures until she went into full cardiac arrest, ( I write this to you in major sadness and distress.) The vet had stated he administered cpr with no avail of reviving her. She was a very young spright 13 yrs old Westy, with no medical problems preceding this incident. I guess, what I'd like to know, if you could direct me to a site or someone who could give me some information on Advantix and if this could have caused her death. I asked the vet and two of them stated that this was a good product they have suggested their customers to use with great success. So, I can't get any objective information from them, I'm afraid to say. I asked for an autopsy to be done to her and the third vet said he didn't see anything remarkable wrong with her. So, I have come to the conclusion myself that, it had to be the Advantix. I would appreciate any help you could offer.
Chris 9/3/05
This is an update regarding my Dog (Jazmin's sudden death from K9 Advantix).
I had our NH-Vermont Vet perform an autopsy on our beloved pet Jazmin because I was so confused about her turn for the worst in such a short period of time. The Vet who performed the autopsy stated that he found nothing remarkably wrong with any of her organs but did find spots on her liver? She didn't have any liver problems before, because of blood tests performed previously for her teeth cleaning. He stated "I cannot understand why Jazmin's health failed so quickly, and how she died was drastic". Mind you, this was what the vet said to me and also to my former spouse who spoke to him before I met with him at the vet office.
When I met with him at the office, a young vet, and him took me to a room to talk. It seemed as though, this is not standard procedure, or, they are not used to talking to pet owners about autopsy's that they perform on pets. Needless to say, the young vet stated that "K9 Advantix" side effects were not present on Jazmin, that cats were the only pets that had shaking and weakness in legs etc... She said that Jazmins seizures were not from the poisoning of "K9 Advantix". But, she didn't know what it was from. (that was my first indication of her ignorance of not really researching supposedly hard facts from Bayer, and the reality of results from there consumers) Dr. Sv-- stated that they have used this product with great success on geriatric dogs in his practice for a long time with no problems, he didn't know how long its been on the market. He took out the instructions from the box and it did say not to use on cats or aged dogs. He also stated that they contacted the poison control center and they have also indicated that they have had no reports on this type of poisoning and the symptoms were not "k9" poisoning. Now, if I had not been searching for answers for my pets untimely death, I would not have found hundreds of letters of owners losing there DOGS from "K9 Advantix" poisoning. I brought copies of letters I had read on the valid internet site, with their response being, "anyone can lie about their dogs being affected by this product and lie about it on the internet". Vets are going to deny any responsibility for deaths occurring from this "DOG KILLER PRODUCT". I received the same uncaring concern from BAYER. Unfortunately, this inexperienced young vet with book and stat knowledge wrote the report to Bayer and therefore has stated that in her opinion this was not a "K9 poisoning. Do not expect to get any truth from this company, they are making too much money from this product and not enough people are reporting this DOG KILLER PRODUCT to the EPA, PEST CONTROL and other agencies that can change the use of this product and to limit it's use to who will take precaution and be responsible for the products they distribute as being safe. I know of another friend's dog (Westy) who died of Liver cancer within a short period of time and didn't realize the "k9" product was the contributing factor, because she also trusted this clinic with her 13 yr old family member.
Until I spoke to her, she thought her dog just happened to get liver cancer and was old (Westy's normally live between 13 and 16 yrs.) I'm sorry if this letter is so harsh, but, I had no idea that Vets and chemical companies (BAYER) could be so irresponsible, but I guess "the almighty Dollar" is what talks. If any lesion is learned here, please follow up on these "DOG KILLER PRODUCTS" and watch all dog sites for the good of our silent family members who cannot protect themselves. Bayer has stated to me that until they receive the report from our vet, they will review and let me know if any of the $600 bill I received from the vet will be reimbursed to me. (They are so far denying responsibility). If anyone would like to contact me,my email address is chocklatefreak@yahoo.com
Chris 9/12/05
P.S. By the way, there was an article in Vet Tech Magazine called "K9 Advantix, I hate it". I found it on "I Dog" but I tried to retrieve it with no success, I contacted the magazine they said it is no longer available to view, so they removed it from the site and will not allow anyone to view this article (go figure).
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This past weekend was a the most horrible experience I have ever had. My husband & I were trying to rid the house of fleas. As usual we gave the 2 cats & our dog a flea bath & put this product [Bio Spot for Dogs] on the dog. Our cats Brat & Tie are best friends with the dog they sleep next to each other & they clean each other. The next thing we know one of our cats had a stroke & rolled down the stairs...... So we did the immediate thing & took it to the vet. 2 Hours later I had to make a second trip to the vet with our other cat who was starting to have some sort of tremors. As I was approaching the door she had a seizure in my arms, I thought she was dead. There is nothing worse than seeing your baby in that state & thinking that would be the last time you ever held her. I have had nightmares about this since then. On top of that I am trying to figure out how I am going to get caught back up financially. Both cats in the emergency room for two days. They had I.V's in them & they were giving them muscle relaxers. The bill was close to $900.00. My biggest concern is the fact that my 2 year old daughter, who is about 10 pounds heavier than my Cat Brat, could have been effected by this product. I am appalled by the fact that a product of this nature is on the market. They Always talk about antifreeze being so dangerous. I think this should be in the same category. People should be aware of of how harmful this product really is. This has been a traumatic experience. I think I have every right to a full refund for the product itself & the vet bill that I now have. I am considering contacting my attorney.
Melissa 9/6/05
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I unfortunately used Hartz Flea and Tick Spray on my cat and flea and tick conditioning shampoo on my dog on the 29th in the pm of August 2005. Both dog and cat had adverse reaction to both products, my cat was rushed to the ER Vet where she suffered and died 3 days later from the flea and tick spray. My dog has been ripping and pulling her hair out from any body part that she can get too and has not recovered yet. The vet told me that she wished I`d be there when she tells people to get pet supplies from a vet and not over the counter, because people don`t listen and act like she`s just trying to make money. I am here to tell you that HARTZ and many other pet supplies are being sold in dept, drug and pet stores such as PETSMART and are all known to be poisonous to your pet. I was told the reason why they are on the counters still is because it is cheaper to pay off law suites than to pull their products off of the market. This doesn`t bring my cat back. IN MEMORY OF KITTY SEPT,03 2005
Anonymous 9/14/05
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I had always heard horror stories about Biospot (I had a co-worker whose 2 cats died when she used it on them and this was over 8 years ago), so I never tried it. I have always used Advantage and haven't had any problems with my dogs or cats, but I had an allergic skin reaction to it this week. I took my 14 year old dog to the vet for his shots and a dose of Advantage. He has arthritis and had a really hard time walking on their slippery floors. When they applied it to his shoulder blades, he was laying down and it sort of ran off to his right side. When we went to leave, I didn't think anything of it, but put my arms around him from behind and sort of lifted his front end up, with his back to my chest to help him out. The next morning I had a slight rash (it wasn't raised; just red and itchy) on my right arm, where my arm wrapped around his chest and a rash on my chest, where his back pressed against me. I took a shower and made sure I didn't scratch. By the end of the day I had raised bumps, where it had just been red. It is 3 days later and it hasn't spread, but hasn't gotten any better. I have been applying an over-the-counter cortizone cream that my pharmacist recommended. I'm sure I'll be fine by next week and I've had poison ivy a lot worse. I've always had good luck with Advantage (I've got 13 dogs and 6 cats), so I won't stop using it, but but thought I would write, so others will be careful, especially if they have children. Sometimes you forget that what might be safe for pets may not be safe for people (or the other way around).
Kristen 9/15/05
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I purchased bio spot four days ago. I applied it to my maltese who had fleas. She began to not act right...not as active. Her appetite decreased and she started to whine. I thought it was just a bad day. This morning I awoke to find her stretched out...not responding to my voice or anything. I lay her on her wee wee pad and she used it without moving. I just knew she was dying. She's 7 and I've never had this to happen to her before, but also have never used bio spot before. I got her up and immediately bathed her with warm water and a mild shampoo. She was almost lifeless...I fried her an egg and mixed up some sugar water. She's eating fine and is somewhat better. I have to take her to our vet in an hour....but I'm just glad she's not like she was hours ago. Honestly, I don't know what caused this....but it does appear that after I washed her, she began to improve.
Cindi 9/15/05
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My warning is for the topical application of Sergeant brand flea control for cats. My Mother is currently awaiting word on whether two of her beloved pets will live thru the night. She applied the liquid as directed on the package early this morning. By this afternoon the cats had gone from "restless" to staggering, unable to stand and finally, seizures and unconsciousness.
They are in critical+ condition at the hospital now. The vet told my mother that he has had numerous such patients due to the cat flea control made by Sergeants. The Walmart store where the Sergeants was purchased has removed the product from their shelves as of this evening's request by my mother. I would encourage ANYONE who has the stuff to return it IMMEDIATELY to the store where it was purchased and request that it be removed from the shelves. DO NOT USE this on your cats!!!!!!!! We pray that Whiff and Mayze will pull thru ....... and that this won't happen to anyone else's cat.
Thanks for a place to educate and ventilate.
Lily 9/16/05
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We lost our 5 yr. old Black Lab Male to hemangiosarcoma. The vet said he is seeing this in younger and younger dogs. We dosed our dog with Bio-Spot monthly his entire life. Coincidence?
Dennis 9/17/05
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WE JUST USED SOME [BIOSPOT FOR CATS] ON OUR CAT AND SHE WENT INTO THE SAME THING THAT YOU WROTE ABOUT. WE CALLED THE VETS AND THEY WERE VERY UPSET THAT BIO SPOT WAS USED AND SAID TO CLEAN HER RIGHT AWAY. WHAT A SCARY THING TO HAPPEN. THE PET STORE SAID THIS WAS A GOOD PRODUCT. THE VET SAID IT GOES RIGHT TO THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND CAN CAUSE A LOT OF PROBLEMS. I WILL NOT USE THIS STUFF AGAIN.
ANDY 9/20/05
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I am sad to hear all the horrible stories on your web site. I currently have 10 cats and 4 (ALL OVER 60 POUNDS) dogs. My cats are treated with Revolution. We used to use Frontline but I have a few kitties that always get ear mites and the Revolution seems to take care of that problem. All of my cats are healthy and I never had a bad reaction with the Frontline or the Revolution. My cats are not related. Out of 10 genetically different cats I have had no problems. My cats range in age from 1 year to 14 years. My dogs are all treated monthly with Frontline. Again they have never had any problems with the Frontline. My dogs are all unrelated and they range in age from 4 years to 13 years. All of my cats and dogs are mixed breeds and they were all rescues. Could purebred dogs and cats be more sensitive to the topical treatments?
I volunteer with a local animal rescue and meet a lot of people who have had problems with the Bio Spot and Hartz flea treatments. We have heard horror stories about illnesses and deaths and it disgusts me that this crap is still on the market. I tell everyone who chooses to use a topical flea treatment to get it from your vet. These companies are preying on low income people who want to do right by their animals but can't afford to go to a vet. How you care for your pet is a very personal thing and everyone has their own ideas of what is right and wrong. For those who have suffered high vet bills and the loss of their pets I urge you to not let off these companies. Hold them accountable. Has anyone called their local paper? Get all your information together and call a reporter.
Good Luck!
Bonnie 9/21/05
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For the first time, I applied a full dose of K-9 Advantix to my 2 dogs. After a couple of hours, I noticed my younger dog's ear was twitching and she would shake her head often. She was also a bit quieter than usual but I thought she was just tired. My older dog is always quiet but he too seemed even more so. After another hour of watching her ear, I decided to check the box of Advantix to see if there are any adverse reactions that I might have missed. I always give any kind of medications during the day when I can keep an eye on them because you never know when a reaction could develop- the first time or the hundredth. Unfortunately, neither on the box or in the pamphlet was there any mention of adverse reactions. I find that highly unusual since all medication has SOME reaction to even a very few. So I decided to take a soapy cloth and rinse her ear to see if that would help. In the meantime, I logged on to do some more research. I found quite a few emails on a different flea protection but didn't want to take any chances. I stopped reading and immediately gave both dogs a bath, soaping the application areas several times (using regular dog shampoo). Both dogs immediately perked up. My younger dog absolutely hates being bathed and was unusually calm during this one. Maybe she really wanted that crap off her! Or maybe the "medicine" (I use that term very loosely!) was affecting her. Well, they are definitely acting much much better although her ear is still twitching. I just rebathed her ear again as well, taking care not to get any water inside, of course. I am up at 1:30am keeping an eye on her for a while longer before I go to bed. I also finished reading the other emails and decided to give them both canned dog food (I keep it on had for possible hurricane emergencies or medical emergency) because it made sense that it would go into their systems faster than dry food.
I also took the precaution of calling my vet who said bathing them is the best thing to do and just keep an eye out for possible seizure (rapid eye movements, sluggishness). I then called the number on the box for medical emergencies and they told me some dogs can develop a mild reaction. I asked if that was all and he said yes. He also said that there were no other precautions I could take. He didn't seem very concerned. He didn't tell me anything further to watch for. I find it ridiculous that an emergency number for a pesticide (even a mild one) could not (would not??) give me more information. It was like pulling teeth. He finally took my name, number, town and state before ending the call. It was done reluctantly.
Do yourselves a favor after reading all of the comments. Stay away from all of these products. One is no better than the other and if you love your dogs (cats?) as much as I do, it is not worth it to take a chance. My other dog I had before this one died a few weeks after I used Hartz flea control. It was a last minute purchase and convenient. I really believe the product had something to do with the grand mal seizures she started having at 13 yrs old! Never had them before. She died 2 weeks after her first seizure and a couple of grand at the emergency hospital. My heart was broken. I had her since she was 6 weeks old and she was family to me. No one would credit the flea control for contributing. They just cannot figure out what happened. Can you????
Laura 9/26/05
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Just found your website. Looking for a natural way to control fleas also. Logan is a 1 year old Golden Retriever. He is on Frontline Plus. Recently I have put it together than whenever I apply the product, he freaks. First when I get it out of the box he runs and hides and then when he is calm again, I apply it and he takes off trying his hardest to rub it off and then walks around the rest of the day with his head down and hiding like he is a broken dog. :( I called the vet...they said it's from the smell... other dog owner's on my Golden Retriever forum say it's poison...and that prompted me to search on the web...where I found your website and have read all of the horrible stories. Poor Logan hasn't had it as bad as many of those on the website and I am thankful. I realize Frontline is supposed to be one of the safer ones ...but I really didn't think there was a risk at all before...especially since it's prescribed by the vet. My last Golden died at age 9 of Cancer...a few smaller tumors just under the skin and one grapefruit size one in his lung...all removed but the cancer remained. :(I have tried to do all I can for Logan to make sure he is as far away from Cancer causing agents as I can...better food (Canidae), treats and all of it...but I didn't ever think about the flea meds. What about the Heartguard? What should I be doing instead?
Debi 9/26/05
For heartworm protection, I give my dog Interceptor - a monthly pill that contains a pesticide. I don't like using it, but unlike fleas and ticks, you can't see heartworms. Here is a document from the FDA which compared several heartworm preventative drugs and the number of adverse reactions associated with them (the active ingredient in Heartguard is ivermectin, and the active ingredient in Interceptor is milbemycin oxime):
James TerBush
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I just read your website after looking to see if any other animals have had an adverse reaction to Bio Spot. I used it last night on all three of my dogs. My youngest (a 1 year old Shih Tzu) was running all over this morning, rubbing her back against furniture, the floor, etc. She also was very lethargic between the rubbing bouts. Totally unlike her. I gave her a bath to get the stuff off of her skin and rinsed it really well. She has been lethargic ever since, but no more rubbing. I then decided to Yahoo BioSpot and got a hit on your webpage. I don't know what to do at this point. Do I call my vet or give it a day?
Kathy 9/26/05
Thank you so much for getting back to me. My dog vomited and then finally ate a little around 8 p.m. Around 9 p.m., she started perking up and seems to be improving. I e-mailed the NPIC, the EPA and Farnam. I'm also e-mailing everyone I know and asking them to pass it on to all their friends who own dogs not to ever purchase this product. I wished I had never tried it. I can't believe it's on the market at all. Anyway, thank you again - I appreciate it.
Kathy 9/27/05
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My 8 year old kitty was given bio spot less then 48 hours ago last night. I noticed him shaking today he went to the vet it's so bad he can't walk he is having seizures as well as twitching they have him on an IV right now they did blood work and the liver looks good but they are unsure if he will make it thru the night.
please say a prayer for my Gizzy...
Anonymous 9/27/05
Copyright © 2002-2009 BioSpotVictims.org All rights reserved.
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.
