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July 2006
A sad day,
I was reading through the countless number of related stories linked to the adverse affects of Biospot, and accidental use of dog formulae on cats. This happened to me just last night.
My mom decided to put bio-spot on my cat. Her eyesight is failing and she didn't think to put on her glasses to carefully read the package. The sad part of today is that there are so many counts of this travesty. I can only hope this testamonial will bring judgement to those it is aimed at. The manufacturers. It was Bio-Spot Flea and Tick control for Dogs, with 45% permethrin. Within minutes my cat began racing wildly around the house, growling at himself and licking at the area. He was lying down when my mom applied it, so he had easy access to the applied area. His mouth was hanging out and he was panting. His eyes grew large. I immediately began researching Biospot after find the tube she used. I told her she used the one for dogs on the cat. After looking on the web, I found it it was lethal. She was appalled. I told her we needed to bathe him in dish soap with luke-warm water, for hot water will cause the pores to open up and the poison to be absorbed 'more efficiently'. I am not sure whether or not I should rub him down in vegetable oil, as I saw prior one the message boards. A simple remedy like that would most likely be on all of the warning sites, no?
Permethrin is oil-based in itself. You need a degreaser to break it down. Mild dish detergent works the best. I wash him with the detergent about 15 minutes after application. He calmed down slightly, but continued to scratch at the windows, wanting to go outside. It's a natural cat instinct, if they feel they are going to die, they will go far away. He was hissing at the other animals in the house as well. He would lick the offending area, then his head would shake, and his mouth would hang open, and his tongue would loll out and he would start panting. I brought him to the emergency hospital an hour away, as it was almost midnight by the time I got there. Either the symtoms are delayed, or I was lucky, he seemed to be ok. He seemed fine on the car ride back, but he immediately ran when he got into the house and has been hiding in the closet for about 6 hours now. His eyes are extremely sensitive to light, and his legs are weak and shuddering when he sits or stands.
I don't know! Is this a sign that the symtoms are getting worse, or is it just playing it's course. My mom used a whole tube on him I think, either that or half.... I keep shuddering thinking of opening my closet door to check on him to find him lying there lifeless on the floor... I don't know what to do...
We have to find a way to get this product off the shelf.
I could have/might lose my one and only friend.
pianoforte 7/1/06
Update.
Thank you for your prompt response. 7 hours after I sent my initial post, my cat started to tremor and twitch. He showed lethargy, difficult walking and shortly thereafter had a seizure which involved him flailing around, oddly enough when I was on the phone talking to the emergency doctor because I thought his symptoms were getting worse. I rushed to him and held on for dear life, having read all of the dangers of brain damage. I rushed him to a nearby animal hospital, where they were surprised that his syptoms took so long to develop. The first visit, the vet told me there was a 95% chance he would be fine, since 2 hours after inital application, he showed no signs of tremors. He showed signs of hyperthermia, open-mouthed breathing, and general irritability. After 2 hours at the hospital, he now has a catheter and IV for fluids, and has had medications to stop him from seizing up and tremoring. "We're not out of the woods yet." But they feel that there will be no severe complications. Along with the misleading initial visit, and now the overnight treatment, I'm looking at a 1000$ bill. This hurts incredibly, since me and my mother are both on a fixed income. I intend on doing my best to contact the correct individuals to do my best to right this wrong.
I've never been so scared in all of my life, looking over while on the phone to a vet, and seeing my cat's body twisting and flailing uncontrollably. We have to stop this...I just don't understand,.. This should be on the media. Or at least be PRESCRIPTION treatment, not over the counter. Thank you again for the information!
pianoforte 7/1/06
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I have 6 dogs currently on Biospot and all are doing well. Two of them seem to "go a little nuts" right after putting it on, but that does not happen all the time. I use to use Frontline but I had a bulldog that would getblack skin on her flanks and then the hair would fall out. I spent thousands of dollars trying to find out why. Well, no one could ever pinpoint anything. Here is my theory. I used Frontline and like many owners switched to Biospot due to the cost. After a year or so on Biospot, the black skin disappeared and the hair grew back. A few years later we ran out of Biospot and the store was out of it too, so I bought Frontline again. Low and behold, a month or so later the black skin started again and the hair fell out. We had resupplied with Biospot and again after about a year the black spots disappeared and the hair was back. She has been on Biospot ever since.
So, I am not here to advocate any product over another. Just to point out that any of these products seem capable of having weird reactions on some pets. The bad thing is we can't tell which product will affect which one of our pets. I guess it is just like humans taking meds or getting exposed to things, what bothers one may not bother another.
I hope your pup continues to do well.
Gary 7/4/06
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My family includes a nine year old half lab/half boxer named Tigger. We adopted him at 6 weeks of age. He is the most beautiful shade of brindle. Tigger has always been on a flea treatment and has never had an adverse reaction nor an infestation of fleas. We have used both Advantage and Frontline.
However, when I went on Dr. Foster and Smith's website to order a new batch, the vets were strongly recommending that their clients try Bio Spot. They were even offering their clients a free trial. Since, they are both vets and stated they stand behind the product, I decided to give it a try.
Well, the first thing I noticed was the strong warning the product listed about cats. That cats should not even be in close contact with dogs who use their product. Since our 100lb dog is afraid of the cat who recently adopted our family, I decided to still try the product.
The first dose didn't seem to effect. So little, that within 3 weeks I found Tiggers first flea in over nine years. I was devested! I couldn't believe it! I thought that maybe it just jumped on him from our walk, and continued with the Bio Spot. I gave him another dose and within a couple days of his second dose...Tigger came to me and kept pushing his head into me...hard. I found that he was having a local seizure. It only lasted for a few minutes, but seemed to have lasted a few hours.
I was looking into Bio Spot when I came across your web site. I admire and thank you for your web site! I am now going to write a letter to Bio Spot and to Doctors Foster and Smith.
Lisa 4/6/06
Teacher
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I have a Corgi mix who almost died from Advantage flea control medicine. The company has given me the run around. I have reported them to every agency that will hear me. I have two questions. Is there any resource you know of that lists the number of reactions to specific medicines? Is there any safe flea and tick control that works? I thank you for your time and keep up the good work.
Josh 7/7/06
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I used K-9 Advantix on my boxer, after appling this to her back she would twist up like a pretzel and walk twisted. I took her to the vet and he said that it could not be the Advantix. I took her to a specialist in April of 06 and was told that she had neurological disorders with a spinal cord tumor. They put her on 20 mg of prednison twice a day, then cut bact to one a day. I was told she had 3 to 5 months. She died 3 months to the day, I had to put her down July 5, 06.
I truly believe it was the K-9 Advantix that caused this.
She was only six years old.
Donna 7/7/06
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I have just spent the last 3 days of my life with a shaking panting pacing fightned not eating or sleeping dog since I applied k9 Advantix to her. She is a little Bichon Friche and most time just the sweetest little dog. I took her back to the vet and he said it would wear off in 24 hours and that some times dogs react to this medicine in this way. He said his Lab reacted the same way and he said "what the heck is going on with her. I am a Vet and don't know what to do for her." So I trusted the vet as I stayed up at night with her and she continued to pace the floor and not eat and shake and not rubbing my leg leg like a cat now and almost falling over. 56 hours later and I find her huddled in the corner of my bathroom under the vanity. I called the emergency Vet Hospital as my Vets office was closed and they told me to call the Animal Poison Control Center which I did. I was also told that there was a $35 charge for this non profit organization to consel me. It was worth the money!!!!
We were told that some dogs react to this product in such a way as I described .......but that 56 hours was a long time for this to be going on. I was told that k9 Advantix does not penetrate their skin or go into their blood supply, but that it is an oil based product and attaches to the hair foliclies. She said that some dogs react either because it burns or it itches or they can not tolerate the smell of it. She told me to go buy some Dawn dish washing liquid and to wash her completely in tepid water and rinse her off and then to repeat the wash and the rinse. Which we did!!!!
I am happy to say that so far for the remainder of the day that she is doing ok.......very very tired, but not pacing and panting and shaking and rolling all over the floor.
I will NEVER put this poison on my dog ever again. I do hope she is recovering because all I have been able to think about is that I did something to my dog and it is going to kill her.
Will post again if things change.
Debi 7/9/06
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I have been using Frontline for the past 2 years on my dog & did not see any adverse reaction-Last night however I decided to use Bio Spot on my darling toy poodle. Few minutes later he was restless, walking back & forth he would hide under the bed when I tried to get him out, he was very very agitated, he was breathing heavily and attempted to bite me, I have never seen that look on his face before. I was able to hold and carry him to get some ice cubes, suddenly my nose was bleeding -- I thought that maybe it was just hot then he started running like his back was on fire. He cried would come to me then would run and hide again. I feel so helpless and didn't know what to do, so at 2AM I decided to give a shower so did I, he feels a little better after that but still very agitated with me. While I had him in my arms I tried to search on the possible reaction to Bio Spot & luckily I came across your site. As I read through the horror story of this terrible product, I have cried & sincerely apologized to him for the pain and misery this product & my ignorance caused. I gave him shower again @11am and I am constantly monitoring him. I haven't had any sleep but my nose had stop bleeding. Thank you for letting me share this horrible nightmare. If anyone has a safe alternative, please let me know, my precious dog mean the world to me.
Ade' 7/8/06
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I have read the reports from people on this site and I am deeply saddened to hear what they have gone through. I am lucky to report a minor reaction (in comparison to others) to Frontline Plus. I have used over the counter Frontline on my dog, Tobey, who is a terrier mix and had no adverse reactions. I recently have moved to the UK and brought Tobey over in October. Amongst his tests and preparations, my USvet prescribed him Frontline Plus, which apparently is a different potency to the stuff you by in the shop. So I gave it to him in the beginning of the summer as that is when ticks and fleas are a problem and within two weeks he was showing skin discoloration and his hair was thinning in the area where the frontline was applied (between the shoulder blades). I was suspicious of the frontline but wasn't sure, so I took him to a local vet here in the UK. I asked him if it could be a combination of things, the Frontline, fox mange, sunburn, hot spot, etc, he said it was none of these and gave me some shampoo for sensitive skin and ANOTHER batch of Frontline and told me to come back in a month and if Tobey's condition hadn'timproved, we would test him for an under active thyroid. So this past Saturday, we were on our daily jog and I got to thinking about it and it really started to irritate me that the vet was so quick to dismiss Frontline being the culprit. It is just too big of a coincidence that I applied a pesticide to my dog and now he is reacting in a negative way. So the moment we got back, I opened this new box of Frontline and read the"undesirable effects" section. Lo and behold, the two first symptoms were skin discoloration and local alopecia! I couldn't believe it. This vet, who you assume is a professional looking out for your pets best interest, couldn't even advise us that these are in fact symptoms of a reaction to Frontline and it should be investigated further, instead he gives me another box! Another coincidence is that the Frontline costs as much as the visit. I think it's pretty clear who's "interest" this vet was looking out for! I have contacted the vet about my findings and have yet to hear back.Thus, I have lost all faith in pesticides and chemicals for my beloved Tobey. I will now look into homeopathic treatments to aid any condition from now on and I urge others to do the same. Furthermore, if I come across any that are effective I will post them to this site.My heart and thoughts go out to the people who have had problems with these topical solutions. Our animals mean so much to us and we think we are doing the right thing, even told we are doing the right thing, by subjecting our beloved pets to unnecessary doses of pesticides. I can't even begin to fathom what the victims of bio-spot must be going through. I'm just very lucky our complications were less serious.
With great concern and dissatisfaction,
Sarah 7/10/06
Sussex, UK
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Doing some research on dogs having seizure problems. We have a 3 y/o Husky who out of the blue started having seizures. About $3,000.00 later and keeping a journal we noticed that 1-2 days after applying Frontline he would have a episode requiring IV and all the bells and whistles that the vets throw in. We stopped the Frontline and it now has been 2 months without a seizure. We know this isn't long but to us it's a lifetime.
Dave 7/10/06
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I've used frontline and advantage for quite some time, on the customer dogs... with no bad reactions.Soo... putting it on my dog, was no big deal... or so I thought.
Frontline... and approx 24 hrs later a minor seizure... CRAP, standard poodles sometimes HAVE that problem... OTOH, there is no HINT of that in her bloodlines! GRR! Screams go off to the breeder... and I get the same, no HISTORY in the bloodline. Humm... we shall watch and wait. I switch to Advantage... (why? perhaps an experiment I didn't really think about?) Approx 24 hrs later ANOTHER minor seizure. WTF? Ok, we ride out the seizure... and start thinking HARD... nothing in the bloodlines... she hasn't been hurt... YET, it was just a minor annoyance... (I had a poorly bred poodle that had minor seizures til she died at 13) Ok... I skip a month... we don't have fleas ANYWAY.... then, ick... perhaps a flea or two? One more shot at the Advantage.... and you guessed it... approx 24 hrs later a grand mal seizure... OY, am I PISSED!This absolute CRAP, that I PUT ON my show quality, foundation bitch!
Being irritated, I called Bayer.... HOW do I get this CRAP off my dog? They tried to dissuade me.... do not remove the stuff from your dog... UH HUH... TELL ME HOW TO GET THIS SHIT OFF MY DOG! There was much displeasure expressed at my end, including the fact that I was a dog groomer... (I didn't bother to tell them what ELSE I was.) I'm put on hold for freaking EVER, and told to wash it off with Dawn.... tis what I expected... but, I wanted documentation.
My poor girl perked right up... went back to flinging dishes at us... which she hadn't done since the application of the spot on flea treatment! If I had to guess the problem... and I have absolutly no familiarity with something called bio spot.... it wouldn't be the fipronil (frontline) OR the imidacloprid (advantage) it would be the inert, WATERPROOF delivery method.
So, what IS that? The makers claim that neither the ACTIVE ingredients in frontline or advantage permiate the skin... however, no matter how hard I bitched... the OTHER ingredients were not mentioned. I even got a very sweet call back from Bayer... is my poor wittle poodle ok? Why, yes, dear... my poor wittle poo... that has started SCHULTHUND training, and is in agility is doing quite nicely since her BATH.
I have seen a common thread... most animals that have had adverse reactons are high body weight, in relation to low body fat... So, what isn't getting stored in the FAT, that is going right to the BLOODSTREAM of the animals? I pointed that out to the Bayer chick.... wow, a biochemist she wasn't.
Anyone have a clue?
Thanks,
Kathy 7/11/06
My standard poodle hasn't had a seziure since I discontinued the advantage.... Humm What I find even MORE interesting, is that her eye boogers... that she didn't HAVE before the application, have also gone away.It's very frustrating that I cannot find clinical trials for ANY of the spot on stuff... If anyone should have... umm... stumbled across the clinical trials... I need copies. Bayer is OBVIOUSLY lying about the safety of this crap.I'm thinking it's time to pay the piper... it isn't safe... I'd rather spray my dog with DDT, than the spot on flea stuff... at lest DDT is SAFE. (Yes, rant on... then read the CLINICAL TRIALS, instead of "silent spring")Oh well, it appears that I've fallen thru the looking glass... and what should be safe, is unsafe... and what was judged unsafe, is clearly safer. Oh... and for defleaing your dog... it does take time... but it is VERY SAFE, a once a week bath in ivory soap... (the dish variety) left on for ten mins... will kill the little buggers. Put a couple moth balls in the vac... and you are set. You have no idea how angry I am... which is a good thing... LMAO The manufacturers of this shit need to take a hard, heavy hit... in court.
Kathy 8/14/06
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My vet had prescribed Revolution for one of my cats for an ear mite problem. I also have another cat and she also has ear mites. Because they are approximately the same weight, I decided to put Revolution on my other cat. They previously had been treated with Revolution with no side effects. Therefore, I did not think there would be a problem. Within 10 days my second cat began to lose hair, started drooling, and had a loss of appetite. I began to research online when I came across your web site. I washed down my second cat with a warm wash cloth on her neck, mouth and legs, still not thinking this was a severe problem. She was still drinking water, but not doing much. She is not very active anyway, so again, I was not thinking a huge problem, since the information indicated that they were temporary side effects. Last night, we found blood from her mouth and a terrible smell. I wiped it down, and tried to open her mouth to see where it was coming from, but she bolted. She is now hiding somewhere in my basement, and I can't find her.
She is approximately 10 years old, relatively in decent health, except for the ear mites. She does not seem to be in pain, but I know this is from the Revolution. If anyone has had a similar experience, please let me know.
Thanks,
Judy 7/11/06
jujucarroccio@yahoo.com
I just wanted to update you on an email I sent you concerning Revolution and my cat. You took the time to ask me about how my cat was doing after administering Revolution. You indicated that I should contact Pfizer, which I did. I spoke with a customer service representative and a vet. After a lengthy discussion, the vet indicated that maybe my cat had an allergic reaction (loss of fur, appetite) but the drooling and blood was probably from an abscess in her mouth. He indicated that the reaction would happen immediately or 1-2 days after the dose was administered. I thanked him for his time and then called an emergency vet.
I brought my cat to the vets and it was determined that she had a tumor in her mouth/jaw. She was now unable to completely open her mouth and it was hard as a rock. This happened the following day. I asked the vet, how fast did this tumor grow since she did not display any problems until after the Revolution was applied. He indicated that it was probably growing for about 2 months. I had never noticed any problem prior to this. To make a long sad story short, we had to put her to sleep.
It was a terrible week, and I will never know if this was just a coincidence or Revolution had any part in her sickness. I know I will not use any type of pesticide on my pets again. It is such a loss for me.
I just want to thank you again for your site; keep up the good work. Knowledge is power, and if enough people know, then something can be done. I will never know.
Judy 7/19/06
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As far as I can tell, biospot is only a hazard for cats and dogs. I haven't seen any information regarding health problems with ferrets (if you know of any please let me know, I'm always looking for information).I have 3 ferrets. I've used biospot for cats and ferrets on my two older males and have never had aproblem. My younger female hasn't shown any adverse reactions either. Has anyone heard of anything happening to ferrets after using Biospot?
While I understand and sympathize with those who have lost animals because of Biospot. Asking Farnam to stop making the flea medicine completely wuold leave many ferret owners without a good flea treatment. My vet (who specializes in ferrets) highly recommends biospot and says not to try anything else because it could be too toxic for them (which is odd because ferrets are exotic and somewhat fragile in terms of health.)
If the lawsuit on http://www.stopfarnam.org/StopFarnamHome.html goes through, then I, and many other ferret owners, will have nothing to use to keep our animals flea free. I'm allergic to cats and don't have the time for dogs. I understand, and fully agree with, the case to make them stop producing the product for dogs and cats, but my ferrets are my life and like any other pet owner I don't want to see them suffer with fleas. Biospot is the only means I know of to prevent this.
I hope I don't sound insensitive. I do know what it's like to lose a pet (a ferret, a dog, and two cats when I was younger). I recently came close to losing my oldest ferret when he developed an adrenal gland tumor.
Mostly I'm concerned though, is there a hazard to ferrets? Does anyone know of anything else I could useif it comes to losing Biospot entirely? (In which case I'd have no problem with shutting farnam down, I'm just worried about losing flea control for my pets). If anyone has any information, please let me know.
Thank you,
Becca 7/13/06
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I just bought a new Hartz brand flea collar for my 3 year old cat. We've used collars in the past with no problems. This one is "stronger" and longer lasting. After only 2 hours of wearing the collar our cat became "intoxicated" and could not walk. Her eyes were glazed over and she was tremoring. I called the vet and she met us at the clinic. She explained that she had been poisioned by the collar. After 3 days, she is still at the vet recovering. I plan to sue Hartz for the expenses, and hopefully my cat will pull through this.
Laurie 7/14/06
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Hello I own a 1.5 year old golden lab (Dakota) field dog all the way avid runner 3 miles a day and awesome swimmer like all labs. Anyways I seen the Bio spot at the local petco and picked some up for him being flea season is upon us and ticks also. I gave him bio spot as directed actually I even stayed with a lower dose then he needed being it was only a precaution. After about a half hour we went out side for our nightly ball exercise and he started out just fine but after around 10 min he slowed which usually he is in the 45 min mark for slowing down. Then my 3 year old called him he walked over to her and nearly fell over his back legs were starting to lock up and he kept stumbling I ran him some water but he wouldn't drink. Then I called him back as he started to walk away and he wouldn't come to me. Then I was worried I sent my 3 year old in and called the dog out of the house. I ran a hose to him and ran water over him for 5-10 minutes he then started to listen again I took him back inside and he laid there a foamy mouth panting harder then ever like I said he is a avid hard worker. I didn't know what could have been wrong then I thought what could he have ate. Then it dawned on me it wasn't what he ate it was me I poisoned him I looked it up and there are many bad things to say about this product and this is one of them. I almost lost my lab to a stupid product that every store that has it recommends highly. Thanks to this site and others like it I will be spreading the word about this also.
David 7/15/06
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Our three four year old healthy cats have had an adverse reaction to the flea control product named "Revolution". They get a large quarter sized bald spot with a red irritation mark right after getting their revolution. They had to take antibiotics because our vet did not know what was causing the irritation. This last friday, July 14, 2006 we took all three cats back in for the vet to evaluate them to see if he thought it would be ok for them to get the revolution again. He said the baldness was gone and the fur had grown back, therefore, he said they could get the revolution again. I called him this morning, July 16, 2006 and told him that they had a bald spot where he had applied the revolution last friday. He told me that "Your cats are the only ones having a problem with the revolution and that maybe I should swath to frontline flea control for them next month. I just didn't "buy" his answer or attitude. Now, I don't know what to do as far as flea control products go. I just read about other flea control products causing toxic problems. What do you suggest we do? Our vet said that he also talked with the chemist at Pfizer manufacturing where they make the revolution and he said that the chemist said "If the woman is so in love with the revolution let her continue buying it" Again, another poor attitude. I take very good care of my cats and do not appreciate this poor attitude.
Please let me know what to do. Thank you.
Arlene 7/16/06
I wanted to add to your website concering what happened last night. I am so upset and hurt by this that I can't even type without the tears just flowing down. I bought Bio-Spot for cats at Tractor Supply Co. I placed it on both of my cats around 6 pm. By 9 pm my youngest cat Clyde started walking backwards and wincing. He vomited and started convulsing. It was the most horrific thing I had ever seen!!! I called the Emergency vet here and they told me to call ASPCA and that they would charge 55.00 so to have my credit card!! WHAT?!?!??! DO they want to help or make money? I rushed downstairs to te computer where I found this site from Google. I saw to wash the animal with dishwashing detergent so I ran upstairs and grabbed him and washed him, and wrapped him ina towel. That didn't help and my husband had to take him to the vet. My husband said the car ride was awful, he was so sick and just could not control his body jerking everywhere.
When he got to the vet they gave him a shot, but said that he was so bad off that they would have to do it for who nows how long and then it may not work. We had to put him down. I am SO DEVASTATED!!!! It is incomprehensible to me that these products can be freely available when it is KNOWN to cause death in cats!!!! And I am sore that when I call Animal Poison Control I have to have a credit card ready with 55.00 before they will talk to me?? What is that??? That is so contrary to what they are supposed to believe in and represent! My children are just devastated. I cannot say enough how sad we all are. This is barbaric that they would even let it still be sold even with the stupid "new labels" or whatever that they have put on that WERE NOT ON MINE!
PLEASE BEWARE AND DO NOT USE ANY SPOT ON TREATMENTS FOR YOUR PETS!!!
Larry and Nicole 7/23/06
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I work as a volunteer with a dog Rescue Group in Baja California. A couple of months ago we were 'gifted' with the donation of 8,000 ampoules of Defend Flea & Tick Medication. At the time we thought this was a fabulous, generous gesture (our Sanctuary currently has a canine resident population of nearly 250). Now, we're wondering why it was given to us.
Some, but not all, of us humans are experiencing a red, itchy rash on our chest, back, abdomen, and inner arm. The only common denominator is that we've all come in contact with the dogs who've recently been treated with the Defend.
Additionally, the Defend doesn't seem to be working all that well... It will not kill an existing flea or tick infestation, but does REPEL them if the dog is flea and tick free when the product is applied.
It is being applied per the package instructions, and is not expired.
I'm curious to know if anyone else has had a similar experience with the product "Defend"? I can't find much at all about the product on the internet.
Lynn Connot 2/24/06
Baja Animal Sanctuary
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Back in May 2006, I used Bio-Spot on my cat and almost killed him. It wasn't until about 4 hours later I realized he was acting werid. I ended up calling the emergency vet and told them what my husband and I had put on our cat. They told us to wash him immediately with Dawn liquid dish soap, which we did. After washing the cat, he went into seizures immediately and we rushed him to the emergency vet, where he stayed the night. We figured we would be able to pick him up the next day and everything would be OK. How wrong we were. When I picked him up the next morning, I was told he would have to go to my regular vet for the day and that they were unable to stop him from having seizures. This went on for four days, taking him to my regular vet during the day and the emergency vet at night. After $1,500 and almost 96 hours my cat made it through. He still sometimes has these twiches, but overall he is back to normal and luckily no brain damage at least that we can tell. I just think everyone should be aware and very cautious about what is put on their pets. We had always used the flea and tick treatment from the vet, except for this one time.
Nicole 7/26/06
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I'd like to report a mild reaction with our dog and the product Powerspot by Zodiac. (zodiacpet.com). The active ingredient is Permethrin 45% and (S)-Methoprene 2.9%. The first time we used this product there was no reaction whatsoever (we used only 1/2 the recommended dose). The 2nd time we used this product there was a fairly strong reaction.. After about an hour of applying this product our dog was very uncomfortable with the oil on his skin and appeared to be in agony. We contacted the 800 number on the package and were put through to a vet and basically their explanation was to wash it off immediately with dish soap and then apply some Vitamin E oil.
The explanation to the reaction was that because we had given the dog a bath the protective oil on his skin was washed off and that was the reason for the reaction.. Now this is the 3rd time we used this product and we have a similar reaction and this time the dog has not had a bath for a few months. (Either the vet on the phone was "green" or then paid by the company to deflect blame from their products.) This time we contacted out vet and they right away told us to wash the dog and never use this product again.
We will never be using this product again and will not recommend it to anyone ever.
Marko & Jennifer + keisari (woof) 7/26/06
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I have five wonderful cats. They are an important part of the "family" for my wife & I. I have used Frontline Plus in the past with no problems; as far as I can tell. After reading the testimonials on your site I have held off using the product this flea season. This was probably not a good decision. They are now crawling with fleas. I comb each of them every day and we meticulously vacuum the rugs and wash their bedding. We have tried "natural" products to no avail. (I actually think the fleas may LIKE some of the "natural" products.) I am afraid that I may have no choice but to go back to using Frontline that I have purchased from my vet. Now, here's the point of my letter. I am certain that some products (such as "Bio-Spot") are deadly. The types of chemicals used in them are VERY dangerous and there are just TOO many testimonials from distressed pet lovers regarding problems with "Bio-Spot". However, after reading almost all the testimonials on your site over the past months, I can make a few observations.
One: There are a LOT of stories involving HUMAN ERROR. Applications of dog products on cats, using the shampoos immediately after the treatments, etc. I am amazed that some people actually KNOWINGLY applied the dog product to cats "because they thought" or "someone told them" it would be OK. I am also alarmed that so many people picked products because of PRICE. Pet owners should realize that a product that is SUBSTANTIALLY cheaper in price is probably SUBSTANTIALLY cheaper in quality.
Two: There are a lot of testimonials from people who had problems after using these products on pets that had OTHER illnesses. Granted, in many cases the illness was not known about but in a LOT of cases they were. Also, I read several cases where cats that were 14 years old (or more) were given these topical flea products. I'm sorry, but aged cats nearly ALL have kidney problems. (MOST cats begin experiencing some kidney problems after only eight years.) Nearly ALL of these topical flea products state clearly that they should NOT be used on young, aged, or infirmed animals. I think that we, as the caregivers of our special canine and feline friends, have a serious responsibility to research and utilize pet products correctly.
Third: This may be the most important aspect of my letter, and if you print nothing else PLEASE print this. Counterfeit flea treatment products, for both cats and dogs, are epidemic. In tens of thousands of seized products, dog dosages have been found in cat products, the chemicals weren't even flea treatments, or the products were useless. PLEASE direct your readers to this site sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
This site is VERY informative and will provide help in identifying counterfeit products. I honestly wonder how much heartache and damage this problem alone may have caused for many of the folks who have written to your site.
Thanks again for your site and your work in this area and I am sorry if, at times, I came across as a bit harsh. I do NOT mean to "point fingers" or cast blame in the midst of tragedy. I am only trying to point out and remind folks that WE are the ones responsible for knowing what we are doing when it comes to our "babies" and friends. Cost, ignorance, timesaving, panic, or any other HUMAN excuse should IN NO WAY dictate what type of care we give our pets.
Sincerely,
Jim 7/27/06
Gorham, Maine
I fully agree with all of your observations.
I think many people are simply not aware that flea and tick products could be potentially dangerous to their animals. They may not take the time to fully read the instructions. However, the warnings concerning possible adverse effects are often buried in the fine print on the packaging, or they may not even mention the possibility of severe adverse reactions, such as seizures.
I wish these products stated, "DO NOT USE ON DEBILITATED, AGED, MEDICATED, PREGNANT, OR NURSING ANIMALS." Instead, they state, "Consult a veterinarian before using this product on debilitated..." I do not know how many vets tell their clients not to use these products on animals which fall into those catagories, but I have received email from several people whose vets had "prescribed" these products (including Advantage, Frontline, and Revolution) for their aged and debilitated animals.
Regarding your last point, counterfeit drugs and flea products are a serious problem because there is just so much money to be made by doing it. It is often difficult for the experts to tell which is the real product and which is counterfeit. Until the industry comes up with a fool-proof way of identifying the real product, I don't know if it's possible for anyone to be certain they purchased the real product.
James TerBush
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I am so happy I stumbled on your website. I reluctantly applied BioSpot to my 7-month-old 4 lb. Chihuahua early yesterday due to the amount of fleas in hot and humid Memphis. She immediately rolled onto her back and thrashed around trying to rub it off. She also was trying to lick it, so I put a dress on her so she could not touch the BioSpot. All yesterday and evening she acted tired and depressed. Late last night she began itching at the spots, it was really the only real movement I saw out of her, otherwise she just curled up in a ball on my lap. I had to hand-feed her her kibble, and she only ate about 6 pieces.
This morning, while my little girl would not stop itching the back of her neck and above the base of her tail, I stumbled on your website. After reading about similar experiences, I washed her very well with dish soap, followed by her puppy shampoo. Almost immediately after taking her out of the tub she assumed the play pose, with her tail wagging, and jumped around. After I had her dried, she ran into the living room and started playing with her favorite toy, throwing it around in the air, tail wagging excitedly. She was also happy to drink some low-sodium chicken broth. She seems like she is going to be okay. I am just going to watch her close, and see how she does. I will safely dispose of the remaining BioSpot applications, and consider myself lucky to realize early how much this had affected her. Thank you for your website.
Nikki 7/28/06
Memphis, TN
4 lb. Chihuahua cont.-
I forgot to add, additional symptoms the first night, she was shivering heavily despite our thermostat being set at 80 degrees, and when she would walk, her left rear leg would snap up, almost like she was hopping or could not control it and she would turn back, acting as if she was being followed.
Thanks again for your website.
Nikki 7/28/06
Memphis, TN
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Hello, I came across your website while trying to research the safety of Frontline, Advantix etc... My dog Angel has lymphoma and went through 5 months of chemo. He was doing well and at the moment he has some enlarged lymph nodes but tests conclude that the cancer has not returned. I have discussed tick control with the vet oncologist. He recommended Frontline as he said that is not systemic and any reaction would not be as bad as the reactions of tick born diseases on my friends immune system. I however still felt hesitant and I wasn't sure why. I was going to pick up some Frontline today but since reading your website I have decided not to. I feel my gut reaction to not wanting to do it was correct. Even though most of the complaints were against Bio Spot and Advantix there were a few for Frontline. Besides pesticide is poison no matter how you look at it. Thank you for you website, you may have actually saved my friend from a lot of trouble. I think I'll just try putting lavender oil on his collar and spritzing him with lavender water, checking for ticks and giving him a bath. Thanks again.
Stephanie and Angel 7/28/06
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During the last 5 years, we have had five or six cats. As they are all indoor/outdoor cats, and we began using Frontline drops on our vet's recommendation. It was after the second application that we discovered that one of our cats had a frightening reaction to the stuff.
Shortly after both applications, his "back half" became temporarily paralyzed for about two days. We initially found him outside, unable to come into the house, and thought that he had injured his back in a fall or that something had fallen on his back. When the vet looked at him and found no bruising, we switched to the theory that he had gotten into a neighbor's garage and licked up some anti-freeze (this was very improbable, but was about the only working theory we had that made any sense with the symptoms).
When he got better after two days, we were stunned, but thrilled. His malady returned later in the year, and I finally drew the connection between the Frontline application and the temporary parallisis. We have used a flea collar on him since then, and there have been no further episodes. (The other cats remain on Frontline, without any noticable issues.)
Erik 7/29/06
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We share our home with three boys, two Rotties, one ferret and five cats. Today, I spent a great deal of time on the internet attempting to find what I would consider to be a both a safe and cost effective alternative to Frontline Plus -- which of course is very expensive when multiplied by eight (!!) furbabies. After following one related link after another, I came across your website. Fortunately, our family has never experienced any of the horrifying events I read about -- but I thought I would share with you, what I found today while perusing eBay for low-cost/bulk/wholesale alternatives:
I found a seller in Florida that sells what is apparently professional-grade pesticides, to the general public. They run a disclaimer that says something about it being the purchaser's responsibility to know how to read english and follow instructions, as well as possess the appropriate applicator's licenses to be purchasing the products offered. OK I thought, this takes caveat emptor to a WHOLE new level, and began to look for something to treat the lawn with. I found several things-- the most interesting of which is this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=
190014585534&ih=009&category=
50365&ssPageName=STORE:
PROMOBOX:NEWLISTOX:NEWLIST
This product clearly states : "Hi-Yield 38 Plus is the highest percentage (38%) permethrin allowed by the EPA. This product is for outdoor use only."
Furthermore, the user is instructed how to DILUTE the product to achieve an application-strength solution of 0.5%.
With all of this in mind, my question is... HOW can companies market something that is 45% permethrin (along with who-knows-what as inert ingredients) for direct, concentrated, prolonged application to a four-pound animal ???????
I would like to thank you for everything you've done to bring this to our attention. Despite the absolutely heartbraking stories, it is SO NECESSARY for people to understand this.
Needless to say, I will not be using any pesticides on our pets, our lawn, OR our kids. I'm currently searching for natural alternatives. I'd like to suggest adding an area to your site for folks to post no-pesticide solutions for eradicating fleas/ticks/pests. I'll write back with anything promising I find!
Thanks again for all your hard work and dedication.
Sincerely,
Kari, David, William, Travis, Trey, Echo, Axel, Rikki, PomPom, Peaches, Sox, Itsy
and Bitsy SEILER!! 7/30/06
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I used Frontline Plus on my 1 year old Pom and he seizured every time after application (approx 3 days after) - since stopping - no seizures.
Debbie 7/30/06
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I wanted to share my personal experience with people who may be considering using Advantage Flea product by Bayer. Our family has a 4 year old lab which has never had a seizure. We decided to useAdvantage flea control (the first flea control we have ever used because our dog is mainly inside and is bathed regularly). After using the Advantage product, approx. 10 hours later our dog had two (Grand Mal)seizures. My Wife and family screaming in shock to see our beloved pet on the floor shaking violently and loosing her bowls. I held her and thought that she was going to die but she came out of the seizures andwe immediately took her to a vet for blood work. The vet could not not find any conclusive evidence. After researching on the internet I believe this is a big problem and Bayer needs to put a warning label on this product. Please beware of this product.
Barry 7/31/06
James,
I called Bayer and registered a complaint. They stated that the product is topical and does not enter the bloodstream. I told them of my vet charges which they refused to pay.
Just wanted to give you a idea of what happened.
Barry 8/10/06
It's not the first time that Bayer has refused to take responsibilty for adverse reactions caused by their products. You would think that Bayer would want to investigate the incident to determine if their product could have been responsible for the seizures. Instead, their policy appears to be, "Tell a lie often enough, loud enough, and long enough and people will believe you."
Please report the incident to the EPA because I seriously doubt that Bayer will report it.
James TerBush
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I have 2 dogs. One is a 12yo lab, the other a 4yo rescue lab mix. This summer, I have been using Bio Spot because it is much cheaper than Frontline and their website touts it as safe and effective. Well, after using it for 2 months I discover my dogs have fleas. I am floored, how could that happen? So, I bathe both dogs and switch to Frontline. A vet tech tells me about how dangerous Bio Spot is and I come across your website. Then it hits me like a mack truck. My 4yo lab mix had a seizure 2 weeks ago! The vet found no cause for it and it as the first one he ever had. Now I am wondering if Bio Spot could be to blame.
I e-mailed the company and this was their response:
Bio Spot is a non-systemic product which basically means that theproduct does not go into the blood stream. Bio Spot stays on the skinand can be washed off with regular soap and water. Once the product is washed off another product can be used.
Farnam takes pride in all of their products and stands behind them100%. I can offer you a refund on the amount of the product, however wedo need some proof of purchase (a copy of the receipt, the originallabel/package or the UPC code from the package - PLEASE DO NOT SEND THE TUBES) and a note stating why you were dissatisfied. Once all of this information is gathered we can send you a refund for the purchase price of the product.
Colleen 7/31/06
By claiming that Bio Spot is non-systemic, Farnam is implying that it could not possibly have been the cause of your dog's seizure. Contrary to Farnam's claim, Bio Spot can cause seizures in dogs.Here is a link for Drs. Foster & Smith's website concerning possible adverse reactions to Bio Spotfor Dogs (and similar products that contain a high percentage of permethrin):
James TerBush
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.
