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June 2007
Jim...I think I've just finished reading almost all your emails concerning biospot reactions. I think I didn't realize an occasional tick could be better than watching my 2 sick Min. Schnauzers. I had just bathed and groomed them on Thurs. and remembered, per instructions on package, that Biospot would need to be reapplied after shampoo. I reapplied Biospot to both dogs on their newly sheared coats on Saturday morning. Saturday afternoon, one of my dogs was not responding to call, from the fenced in backyard. I searched and the dog came slowly and shakily and I carried her inside to moniter her activity. She took water but seemed very listless. The other dog awakened me at 1AM panting and whining. After I let them both outside, I noticed she was attempting to have a BM in numerous areas and in obvious GI distress. I also found vomit in their crate area and diarrhea with frank blood. No one has mentioned bloody stools but I see no other explanation except Biospot. I had used it last year without adverse reaction and therefore used the same product again......but I guarantee no more. Seems like my "babies" could be one of the luckier ones. I'd be interested to hear if anyone else had seen BLOODY STOOLS with any of these products.
Jodi 6/3/07
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My little pit-girl, Molly, has had epilepsy since she was 6 (under control with Potassium Bromide) and up until last year, I'd been able to avoid using any kind of flea/tick products. Unfortunately, we moved to an area that has much higher concentrations of ticks (and West Nile Virus) and I finally opted to use Frontline Plus. So far she's only had 2 doses and hasn't had any bad reactions to my knowledge, but I'd much rather avoid using anything toxic altogether...particularly since she's prone to seizures in the first place. While there's tons of info on this site about things to avoid (great stuff!), I didn't see much about what might be safe to use (aside from white vinegar). During some additional research, however, I came up with the following site:
Only thing is that it does mention using a gentle shampoo containing pyrethrin or pyrethrum under "Natural ingredient-based sprays, lotions, shampoos." Are those not also a problem? Any additional comments?
I noticed some recommended essential oils (and some to avoid), but no guide as to how to use them. I work in a healthfood store and know that many essential oils are too concentrated to use without diluting, although I don't know exactly what is best to use for dilution purposes or what the ratios might be.
Finally, there are some "natural" products listed that are sold over the counter, but I'd want to see a complete ingredients list, as many so-called natural products contain substances that don't exactly qualify, or have essential oils that may be seizure-inducing, like sage or rosemary. The Spay/Neuter Incentive Project (under snips animal care tips) site, as previously mentioned, has a number of formulas, but I noticed in one place they caution against using pennyroyal on dogs or cats, but further down it gives instructions for applying pennyroyal directly on pets. What's a person to do?
Also, I've also had Molly on the heartworm preventative, Interceptor (milbemycin oxime), for about the same period of time (the vet felt it was somewhat safer than Heartgard and I can use it once every 6 weeks, instead of once a month). Any feedback on that?
Lastly, and somewhat off-topic, someone mentioned that extended use of Phenylbarbitol and Potassium Bromide for seizures causes liver damage. To my knowledge that is only the case with Phenylbarbitol (Milk Thistle will help protect the liver and doctors are now prescribing it for that purpose). If anyone out there has addiitonal info on Potassium Bromide (KBr), I'd appreciate it. Molly's now on a lower dose of the stuff, but if there's anything that I should be guarding against, I'd like to know about it.
Thanks for your wonderful site!!!
Donna 6/4/07
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I want to report that we applied BioSpot for Cats to our 2 cats yesterday afternoon. They both salivated heavily and are still tremoring. We are bathing them now and hope they'll recover. Both are now quite lethargic and we're reading of all the problems with BioSpot and wanted to report our issue right away. This stuff is bad news.
We advocate that this product be pulled from the shelves. It is killing our cats. I wish we had found your site before purchasing and applying this horrible product.
Jeff 6/5/07
We took the cats to the vet yesterday. Jake (male, 9 lbs), recovered quickly after we bathed him 3x in Palmolive. Sadie (female, 6 lbs) had a horrible bout of muscle spasms and tremors, so they placed her on an IV of muscle relaxant for 5 hours. We then brought them home, and they were exhausted but ate their dinner and today appear to be fine. What a scary ordeal.
I don't believe we have the receipt, but we have the packaging and have followed up with EPA. The vet was on the phone with Farnam yesterday, but we'll call Sherri directly.
Thanks again for your crusade here in sharing information. I'm going to report this to the retailer where I purchased the product, too (Pet World in Natick,MA).
We'll follow-up with you if we do not get the appropriate response from Farnam.
Jeff 6/6/07
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Biospot with Permethrin, a neurotoxin, killed 2 of my English Bulldogs due to, in my opinion, company neglegance. We had to helplessly watch our babies bodies shut down and reject its own natural responses. My children are scarred from this experience and so are my other Bulldogs. The mother actually sat by her mate and whimpered. Although she was affected too she didn't die. However, she is very sad at the moment. It sounds far fetched but this dog and her mate were never apart. She actually ate through a wall once to get to where he was. I can't help but to think of Big Dan and Little Anne. Thousands of animals have been reported to have suffered or brutally died due to this same flea and tick med. (Bio Spot) that's components are similar to DDT and the neurogases used in Desert Storm. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified permethrin as a carcinogen because it causes lung tumors in female mice and liver tumors in mice of both sexes. Permethrin inhibits the activity of the immune system in laboratory tests, and also binds to the receptors for a male sex hormone. It causes chromosome aberrations in human and hamster cell. In a recently published journal entitled, Experimental Neurology, researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that frequent and prolonged use of Permethrin on adult rats lead to cell death in their brains. In another recent study, researchers at Virginia Tech found that low-level exposure to Permethrin caused changes in the brain that could lead to Parkinson's Disease.The International Organization for Biological Control tested the acute toxicity of permethrin to 13 species of beneficial arthropods and found that permethrin caused 99 percent mortality of 12 of the species, and over 80 percent mortality of the other. Because of the effects that this med. has on animals and the lack of research I fear about the health of my kennel and most importantly the health of my children. This product is not clearly defined on the pkg. and is dangerous and the company is aware of this. Vets offices refuse to sell it so they put in in smaller stores for those of us who just don't know. The packages are not clear at all about the odds that your animal may suffer. In fact, they make it seem like they won't have any "real" problems. The little diagram even shows a naked hand putting the medication on a dog. My finger tips tingled after I applied it to my dogs and that is probably why I knew in the back of my mind what it was. For me as a breeder I have lost my babies and much income. My daughter is 3 years old and was raised with these dogs. This is her first time actually loosing someone that she was this close to. Both of my children's eyes have been swelled for days from all of the tears that have been cried. Now we just don't know what to do but we know that something has to be done. I'll say that if this had harmed my children there would be no phone calls or emails. There would be foot tracks right up to Farnam Companies, Inc. There are many accounts that can be found on websites and many signatures on the petition. Who has a powerful enough voice to be heard? I know that I sound a bit extreme but I'm thinking of sending a collection of events along with notes on this situation and the research that I have found to every major talk show and newspaper that I can think of. I have family in Washington D.C. and New York that think that they might be able to help get it to these places if it is the thing that I need to do to make this right. I mean you can't even really talk to these people and feel safe or good about it because you know that they are armed with their little loops and lies and waiting for any moment to make it right for them. I think each of the workers involved in Farnam should let us test this product on their own animals and if they are so sure that it is safe for our children than maybe they should apply it to their house dogs and then let them sleep in the bed with them. As if people are suposed to isolate the animal. Please help us all who love our pets and children. I think that pharmaceutical companies are selling products that they know may harm or kill some people or animals because they think that the profit will be high enough for it to be overlooked or dealt with. Many people aren't aware of the risks associated with this product and it is hard to when it is not clearly advertised on the pkg and all they tell you is a loop hole. Thank you.
Ashley 6/6/07
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On May 13th, 2007, our perfectly healthy, six year old Scottish Terrier died a terrible death after the application of Hartz Flea & Tick Drops Plus. Our pet died after suffering seizures, highly elevated temperature, extreme dehydration, vomiting, inability to stand and finally respiratory and cardiac arrest.
Again, our dog was perfectly healthy prior to this tragedy. I have contacted the Federal EPA, the state of California EPA, the National Pesticide Control Center and major retail outlets warning of the toxicity of this product. Actually, any product that contains the ingredient Phenothrin is potentially lethal. In the case of this product the active ingredients include Phenothrin (85.7%) and (S)-Methoprene (2.3%) which can potentially be extremely injurious or deadly.
No pet should have to endure what ours went through. This was a painful, torturous way to die. And no family should have to suffer the sense of loss and devastation that ours has gone through. It is my hope and desire that all pet owners be extremely careful in administering flea and tick medications, and certainly no one should ever use this product.
Thanks for reading.
Richard 6/8/07
Thank you very much for your kind words. And thank you also for the helpful websites and links. This incident has turned me into an informational activist. I'm not interested in suing Hartz but I am determined to inform retailers, consumers and governmental protection agencies about the extreme dangers of the Hartz products with Phenothrin as an active ingredient (I am very concerned about Permethrin as well based upon my research).
I'm having some success. Safeway Stores, which is the parent of Von's and Pavilions has agreed to take the product off the shelves of all their stores in the country. This was after a meeting between me and the local store manager here in La Quinta which developed into a corporate alert. Obviously, this required a lot of dialogue and factual documentation (which I gladly provided) but it can pay off. I'm now working through the process with Walmart, Petsmart and Petco. It's slow but I'm just beginning. My best friend owns the largest independent retail grocery store in the state of Oregon and he immediately took the Hartz products off his shelves. I'm planning on working with Kroger in the near future. The state of California EPA is planning on meeting with the two veterinarians who attended our dog. These are just a few examples of the early activities I'm involved in.
Thanks to people like you I think we can make a difference. I don't ever want another animal to go through what our Scottie endured. Thanks for what you're doing--it's a tremendous service.
All the best.
Rich 6/8/07
A few years ago, the EPA forced Hartz to cancel their Advanced Care Flea & Tick Drops for Cats (which contained 85.7% phenothrin and 2.9% (S)-methoprene) because of many reports of illness and death in cats. Unfortunately, the EPA felt that it did not have enough information at the time to force Hartz to cancel their Advanced Care Flea & Tick Drops for Dogs. Here is information about it:
In my opinion, you are doing MORE to protect animals from a dangerous pesticide product than the entire EPA. The EPA will only take action against a company after they are shamed into doing so by people like you. Your approach of focusing on the retailers of these products is a better strategy because they are concerned about their image and possible litigation.
Congratulations for getting Safeway Stores to remove the Hartz product from all of their shelves in the country. That's a HUGE accomplishment. Please keep me updated on any future developments.
Thanks again for proving that individuals can change the world!
James TerBush
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I applied Seargeants gold flea and tick squeeze-on for dogs to my 18 pound dog June 5. The dog developed a sore oozing spot where the product was applied, (exactly as in the photo provided by Krystal on your site) and within days was lethargic, refusing to eat or drink, and acting strangely, looking up and around in an odd manner, seeking out dark places. On June 9, my Vet prescribed cephalexin and benadryl for symptoms. Sergeants emergency hotline said to bathe dog and remove all product from skin. I am hopeful that no lasting damage done but very concerned that product could cause such a severe reaction. Lessons learned include: monitor pet carefully after applying ANY product or giving ANY medicine. If any strange behavior or symptoms, remove product if possible by bathing thoroughly. Seek vet help immediately. As for me, I will no longer use any flea or tick control product, but try to deal with problems with natural products. Thanks for this site.
Karen 6/10/07
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I'm just sick that I didn't know about the problems with BioSpot before. I had taken my dog to the Vet's for his yearly shots and also bought some Revolution Flea & Tick preventive (at the tune of about $60.00). When I got home I somehow managed to throw the bag away with the Revolution in it and I just couldn't afford to go back and get some more at that time. I decided to go on-line to Drs. Foster & Smith and ordered some BioSpot. When I put it on my dog (a cockapoo), within a few minutes he began to run around like a man on fire, barking, growling, and unable to stay still. He didn't settle down until 3:00 in the morning and even then he got as close to me as he possibly could and would still whimper from time to time. Today, I went online to see what I could find out about the product and was shocked when I read the comments from other pet owners. I'm really appreciative these comments were posted as I was not sure if the BioSpot was the culprit or not. Why in the world is this product still on the market?
Paula 6/11/07
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Thank you for this Website. I was having great luck with Advantage and Frontline to control fleas on my four cats, but then I needed something for mosquitoes as they are merciless on two of the cats' ears. I was so relieved to find Bio-Spot last year because it claimed to repel mosquitoes besides controlling fleas and ticks--to say nothing of the savings. I put it on all four cats, and within a few hours, our Maudie was drooling and lethargic (no reactions in the other three). I wiped the spot down with water and watched her closely. We had suffered through a bout of idiopathic vestibular disease with her the prior year and I was panic stricken that it might be recurring. This disease, by the way, is worth knowing about as it presents as total loss of balance, eye shaking, tilted head, howling, quivering--we were sure she had been poisoned. We rushed her to a fine emergency vet center in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where they put her on valium immediately and set up a watch. We left her there, expecting dire news in the morning. When the doc called, she told us about this disease. It isn't all that uncommon, but many people put their animals--dogs get it too--down before they know what they truly have because the symptoms are so darn scary. She required no medications, just time (about five weeks) to recover fully. It was a minor hassle, in light of how much we adore her, to hold her while she used her box and ate and drank. We got our Maudie back just as wonderful as ever. Actually, I never really gave the Bio-Spot another thought until this year when the mosquitoes began coming out again. I didn't trust it anymore and started searching the Internet. Thank goodness for this site. I still had a couple of tubes left and might have been tempted, but they are now in the garbage. If anyone knows of a safe control for mosquitoes on cats, I would be grateful to hear about it. The cats all got a Frontline treatment two weeks ago for fleas and ticks and (knock wood) are fine (itching ears on Maudie and Mack from mosquito bites, but healthy otherwise).
Cathy 6/12/07
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I bought some bio spot at petsmart here in florida and put it on my 9 pound pomerianian...I put it between his sholders and at the base of his tail as directed...sometime later he started acting strange...when I took him outside to go to the bathroom , he acted like he didn't want to walk and would just sit down...I got very fustrated at him but picked him up and took him inside and began to look him over...his butt was on fire..and his left leg was turned in at the knee! Evidently he was having a horrible skin reaction around his anus and underneath was fire red! I immediately bathed him and then got some diaper rash medicine for babies and put it on him and kept it on him for 3 days and he finally got better....I dont know why it did this but it scared me and also made me mad! He's better now and I will continue to use this product but I won't put it anywhere near his rear end!
Lonnie 6/14/07
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A month ago I noticed my 11 year old lab was having some problems focusing. I had not realized then that we had just treated him with Frontline. A month later he got another treatment and 16 hours later he was having GM seizures. Vet says no way Frontline caused this. I always run to the internet when I have problems, and quickly found this site. It took me about two minutes to realize I needed to get him washed down.
He has been OK for about 4 days now. We have four other dogs and washed them down too, as we did the cats. Probably wasted over $100 of frontline that day.
Sure glad I found this site quickly, I think it is why our dog is still with us. There is so much to read, but I'm convinced enough that my animals are done with this stuff.
My heart goes out to those who have lost a pet.
Jim 6/15/07
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I have a 6.5 year old, 95 pound German Shepherd/Newfie mix who experienced a GM seizure (for the first time that I was aware of) on Monday 4 June. Kodiak is at home by himself during the day except when some neighboring teenagers I've "hired" stop in after school to exercise and feed him.
After a visit to the ER vet on 4 June, no diagnosis could be found and they suggested I have a neurologist check him for a possible brain tumor. I also learned to my surprise that a dog of that size was considered geriatric at 6.5 yo. I left him overnight as his behavior was still unusual, including pacing around in circles. They gave him a bolus of glucose and some charcoal as a precaution.
Throughout the next week, he had a series of partial seizures -- some seen by me and his afternoon sitters. Who knows if there were more when nobody was around. Weakness of the hindquarters, lethargy, twitching mouth and splayed legs as he lost muscle control were predominant symptoms. This was all very distressing to watch and I brought him to another ER vet on 11 June, where they had neurologists on staff.
I'm now waiting on some tests to see if their theory of an insulinoma can be validated. His blood sugar was on the low side of normal which seemed to suggest an excessive production of insulin could be the culprit. An xray and ultrasound however did not show any tumor in his pancreas area.
He's home with me as of 13 June on 30mg prednisone and being fed frequent smaller meals per day. So far everything looks fine, but clearly the prednisone is not a long term solution.
I just found your web site and have been reading in fascination about the symptoms documented there. I had applied Frontline Plus for Dogs (89-132#) about a week before Kodiak's GM seizure. I see a definite cause and effect cycle! While I'd mentioned that to both vets, it was dismissed as not a cause. I will definitely be discussing the cases I've read about here with my vet when they call with the glucose/insulin ratio test results.
I'm about to bathe him in Dawn today as a further precaution. I've got my fingers crossed that the worst is over. I guess I'm wondering what to expect next if this is indeed associated with the Frontline Plus. I'm about 3 weeks into it now.
Carol 6/16/07
Oh, another symptom during the week between vet visits was labored rapid, shallow breathing.
Carol 6/16/07
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I have two cats in critical condition right now due to the terrible chemical in biospot for cats/ferrets that I purchased at Fleet Farm. I cannot believe they are being allowed to sell this crap for cats when after researching it appears to be terrible for dogs also!
I have emailed both departments and intend to have the Vet fill out a complaint to the FDA in any attempt to stop this madness.
I am also contacting that company and expect them to pay for the medical bills.
Anita & Ken 6/17/07
Thanks for your reply. Our vet had contaced ASPCA and they called Farnam and then Farnam has called us and offered to pay expenses. Our cats are pretty much fully recovered - Thank God. Our 5 yr old is not quite the same, but we are just so happy they survived. I have also filled a report to the EPA and our Vet is submitting a complaint to the FDA (who knows, maybe it will help). I complained to every possible outlet including Fleet Farm where we purchased the crap.
Again thanks for your web page as it helped me out a lot.
Anita 6/24/07
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I purchased a flea shampoo from Pet Smart. The product was made by Farnam and the label reads "safe for all ages" I then watched as 7 beautiful kittens slowly died! I am carrying around an unbearable amount of guilt right now. I have been in touch with several attornies, Pet Smart and Farnam (no reply from the last two). I intend to sue for pain and suffering as well as MAKING THEM REMOVE LABELS THAT ARE LIES!
Teri 6/18/07
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In desperation looking for some answers for my poor cat I found your site..
I noticed one individual Jim from Maine (4-20-07) had posted a request on the product by Sergeant's named Nature's Guardian...That is the exact product that I put on my cat who is going through the same awful symptoms as the chemical products...All the blood work is messed up and confusing.. liver and kidneys way out of whack...He is now on his second antibiotic and steroids in the Vet's office...As of this morning he can't walk...the xray's only show that one of his kidneys is larger than the other...Things are not looking good and the Vet is keeping him over night again...I don't feel much hope for the future... Fortunately I do have a wonderful doctor for my cat.. just the same I fear for what tomorrow brings.
I do want to share a link that was passed on to me...I honestly thought that I was doing the right thing in trying to steer away from the chemicals.. unfortunately for cats...the oils are just as dangerous if not more so as their little livers cannot process them:
http://www.thelavendercat.com/generic17.html
Devastated
Michel 6/18/07
I apologize for the delay in my response...but it has been a trying and sad time...The link you provided shows a post actually made by me...I am Shellie..and now I have added a second:
http://forums.petlovers.com/vb/showthread.php?p=202852#post202852
Without spending a ton of money...my bills are already close to $700...I cannot prove a thing...and I simply do not feel like haggling with anyone..I am totally drained and heartsick by this entire experience... I just don't have the money to prove to Sergeant's what they have cost me...Besides..they would not remove the product from the market...I am in the medical field...and as I tell others...the medicines that we are pushing these days are far more dangerous than the diseases we are treating...We live in a toxic world...and it all needs to change...but I don't have the resources to make enough noise to matter.
Thank you for your caring and response.
Michel/Shellie 6/20/07
After doing a Google search for Sergeant's Nature's Guardian and Sentry Natural Defense, I found these websites concerning adverse reactions from these products:
The EPA classifies the active ingredients in Nature's Guardian and Natural Defense as "minimum risk" pesticides, which exempts these products from the rules which regulate other pesticide products, such as having to submit safety data and adverse effects information to the EPA. This exemption permits these products to make questionable safety claims, such as "safe for children and pets", which is prohibited on other pesticide products. This exemption also ignores the fact that mixing "minimum risk" ingredients together can increase its toxicity due to synergy.
A petition was recently submitted to the EPA by a lobbying group for the chemical pesticide makers that would require minimum risk pesticide products to be registered as pesticide products. Not surprisingly, Sergeants is strongly opposed to any effort to regulate these products:
How does Sergeant's Nature's Guardian and Sentry's Natural Defense work?
According to Sergeants, these products contain plant oils (also known as essential oils) that work by blocking the octopamine receptor, which is a neurotransmitter unique to insects. "Octopamine is not found in humans other mammals and birds or fish, thus these products that are deadly to insects are safe to use around children and other pets, when used as directed."
However, there is a synthetic pesticide on the market, called Amitraz, that also works by blocking the octopanine receptor. Products containing Amitraz are used to treat dogs for mange and ticks, but these products must be registered with the EPA and include caution statements on their labels. They have the potential to cause adverse reactions, especially in cats and very small dogs.
Here is a website concerning Amitraz toxicity in cats and dogs:
Sergeant's Nature's Guardian and Sentry's Natural Defense are natural alternatives for flea and tick control, but they are NOT without risk. Essential oils have physiological effects on animals and people. I would NOT use these products on cats, or very small dogs, or dogs with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes. If you decide to use these products, introduce your dog to the smell of it slowly and in small amounts (a dog's sense of smell is much more sensitive than a human's sense of smell). These products contain a large percentage of essential oils, which may be too potent for some dogs.
For more information on the potential dangers of using essential oils, please read this article:
James TerBush
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I thought I'd give you an update on my cat. As you may recall (see Vol. 13 - 11/20/06), the prognosis from the vet was not good. To add insult to injury less than a month after Revolution was applied she was flea infested.
Last vet I took her to just before Christmas gave her 6 months and then reduced it to 2 months after getting her lab results. As it turns out the little that the cat was eating was food on the pet food recall list. I thought I'd try something new to get her to eat. She looked awful. I was really tempted to do the sub cutaneous fluids. But, I resisted. In the meantime I was doing research on remedies. I brewed up teas of herbs for her. She didn't seem to get any worse but; she wasn't getting any better.
I stumbled upon an herbalist's website. I contacted the herbalist and he recommended an herbal treatment. I was rather skeptical. I thought I'd give it a try. To be honest the stuff smelled like awful and tasted awful. I was giving it to her for a couple of weeks. I saw no improvement. I thought I'd stop since the animal really disliked it. The very day I was considering this I came home and found that the food I had left out for her had been eaten. She was a little livlier than she had been in a long time. To my amazement she actually wanted to be fed. So I thought I'd continue with the herbal treatment. The herbalist has recommended three months of it. My cat has recovered about 90 to 95 per cent. Her appetite is good. She is active. She goes outside. This is pretty good for 14 year old cat. A side effect of this treatment is - there is not a flea on her.
She had has a bald spot under her chin where she scratched herself. The salves that the vet gave did nothing for this she continued to scratch. Between the herbal treatment and me wiping the area down twice a day with an apple cide vinegar solution - it cleared up in less than two weeks.
For the dog who was a flea magnet. I add brewers yeast and garlic to her food on occasion. And on occasion I put a little apple cider vinegar into her drinking water. The fleas are kept at bay.
Also, I have cut back quite a bit on commercial canned pet food.
Nina 6/18/07
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Thanks for the communication venue about this problem.
My sweet little bichon/poodle is sick and it was definitely the Advantage Plus. It was the right dosage for his size but the stuff is poison. Let's face it. He's wimpering, crawling under the couch, feels warm, walking like he's old and just isn't his normal self. I washed it off but wish I had sooner. It was making my hands tingle so before he even seemed that sick, he got a bath with gentle baby shampoo to get it out. I hope that he'll be okay. We went for a walk that ended up being a stand. As in he's lost his pep and is just sick. Have never seen him like this. No more chemicals for him. None! The vet said all they could do was an IV and some medicine. which I'm leary of since they said this stuff had no reports of problems in their office. I can't believe that.... He hasn't eaten or had water but did drink a cup or more of milk. Any more ideas? Will search your site for how to fortify their health and livers. Hope he'll be okay and your dogs too. Thanks for the community info share.
Here's to the health of all the readers and their creatures and to information sharing.
Meg 6/18/07
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Convinced that Frontline Plus poisoned my dog.
I have a 5 pound 1 year old Papillon. She was a completely healthy & very active female dog. I have never put her on any kind of flea/tick control medication because she is an indoor dog. She only goes outside to go to the bathroom and then comes right back inside. We had to move June 2007 to Freeport, Bahamas temporarily for 6 months. The Vet there told me to put her on Frontline because it is very bad flea/tick season down here. I gave her the smallest dosage. The puppy dose for dogs 8 weeks and older between her shoulder blades on her back. Within 24 hours I noticed her becoming very listless and having trouble jumping on the couch. Within 48 hours she was vomiting and seemed to have alot of trouble walking. She wouldn't follow me or put her ears up or wag her tail. I had to pick her up to take her outside. I called the vet this morning and he told me to bring her in. I found this website prior to going to the vet and will let him know during our visit. I, immediately upon seeing other forum contributors experiences, gave her a bath with Dawn dishwashing liquid. She is now laying in a towel on the couch next to me completely asleep. She does not want to move at all and is doing a weird frozen in her tracks kind of thing! I will NEVER use this product or any other flea/tick product again. I feel like crap that I have unknowingly poisoned an innocent animal. I will tell every single one of my pet owner friends about this. Hopefully it will help save their lives.
Tyra 6/21/07
I wrote an email earlier this morning re: the horrible effects that Frontline Plus had on my 5 pound Papillon. I kept reading your forum and I saw that some people had good results from bathing and then rebathing their dog with Dawn dishwashing liquid.
I immediately jumped up from my computer and put my dog in the kitchen sink. She was completely and utterly lethargic, sometimes frozen in place, panting, wouldn't eat, vomited twice, depressed, etc.
I bathed her thoroughly.... overly thoroughly! Dried her off.... then held her for about a half hour in a towel then bathed her again.... held her again. Within 10 or 15 minutes after the second bathing... she suddenly perked up!! She jumped down out of the towel. Shook the water off and went over and started eating her kibble!! It was absolutely the weirdest thing I had ever seen. Slowly over the last 4 hours she has been running around the house nearly like her old self. I can't even believe it. If I didn't have my husband as my witness I don't think anybody would have believed it either. I am so happy and excited that she has come around because after reading some of the posts on the forum.... I was sure that I was in for alot of very expensive and heartwrenching vet visits. I am still taking her to the vet this evening at 4:00 for our appointment just to check her out... Thanks SOOOOOOOOO much everyone for posting your experiences.... without this site..... surely my little Bella would have been horribly ill or even died. My heart goes out to all of you.
Tyra 6/22/07
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My dog reacted one hour after using bio-spot by an inability to walk. Still monitoring symptoms (just happened yesterday).
Liz 6/22/07
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After reading testimonies from your website I am amazed the number of reactions to Frontline and Vets won't even acknowledge it!
My 11 lb. poodle had a reaction just a few weeks ago - the vet is still saying it is highly unlikely that it was Frontline but the symptoms are just like was is being described here....standing frozen, then fell over, couldn't move, lethargic, no energy - just not himself. Rushed him to the Vet where they put him on I.V. fluid all that day. He came out of it but it took him over a week to be himself - running, playing, etc. Will never use any flea/tick medicine again! Thank you for this informative site!
Linda 6/22/07
Boston, Mass.
Thank you so much for your response. What I didn't mention but is very puzzling is he had three applications before in December, January and February. I took off March, April and May. He had his next application the beginning of June and didn't have the reaction until 36 hours later. I asked the Vet why that would be. Her only response was maybe it took time to build up in the system for him to react. But, my Vet as well as a Neurological Vet both seemed skeptical of this reaction being from Frontline. But, after reading all the symptoms from others, my dog had the same things (other than he never vomited).
But, I will pursue calling/writing the drug company and see what happens. Thank you for your input as well as your informative website!
Linda 6/27/06
Thank you again, James, for all your help. I did contact Merial last night. They took all of the information. Of course, they denied knowing of any adverse reactions - that what I was describing to them as symptoms were not common with Frontline.
Anyway, I requested reimbursement for the Frontline as well as my Vet Bills (totaling $700.00). They said to write them with copies of the bills and they will review it. My feeling is it won't hurt to try but since Vets won't acknowledge that Frontline could be the cause then I probably won't have a leg to stand on. But, I appreciate your encouragement to try.
I also just got off the phone with a friend I hadn't talked with in a long time and come to find out her 12 lb. Shih Tzu had the same reaction as my dog last summer. Her vet said the same thing - "Oh, it couldn't be the Frontline".
So, yes, as you said, it could be something else but I rather doubt it with all the testimonies I have heard. Will let you know what I hear back from Merial.
Sincerely,
Linda 6/28/07
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I was not aware that Bio Spot is harmful. My beloved cat Leo is currently at the emergency vet. My husband had given him to me 2 years ago for Valentines Day. I put Bio Spot on him last night. First, I noticed that he was not walking normally. Then he started having tremors, and finally started having severe seizures. The vet said that they see this all the time with the "over the counter" flea remedies. We are not sure that he will make it at this point. He is on a very high dose of Phenobarbital, and it is barely keeping his seizures under control. They mentioned putting him on another medication that would put him in a coma like state. We had to put down a $540.00 deposit for his care, and have no idea what the costs might be.
Lisa
6/24/07
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On 24 June 2007 at approximately 0700 hours I discovered my male 3 year old Scottish Terrier named "Harley" staggering around the kitchen floor. After several seconds he began to shake and then urinated on the floor. He has continued to try to stand but cannot find the strength. He has refused water and food. I believe that this is caused by an application of Bio Spot flee & tick control.
In May 2007, I had switched Harley's flea control from Frontline Plus to Bio Spot. The first month of May 2007 no abnormal effects were observed. On 20 June 2007 Harley was taken to the dog groomer who performed a regular hair cut and shampoo without any effects. On 22 June 2007, at 1900 hours I applied the second Bio Spot Flea & Tick control for small dogs 16 - 30 pounds on Harley's shoulder blades and base of his tail. (Harley weight 23 pounds) On 23 June 2007, Harley seemed lethargic and not himself he did eat and urinated often then defecated once during the day.
On 24 June 2007 at 0700 hours I was awoken by Harley making strange sounds from the kitchen where I discovered Harley was shaking and staggering uncontrolably. I carried him to the outside deck and made an examination where I observed that his four paws were dripping wet with saliva and that he apparently had thrown up sometime in the night. I further observed that his penis had small amounts of blood dripping from the tip area. Fearing that he may be having a reaction to the Bio Spot I performed a search of related issues where I discovered several subjects who had left blogs on line indicating that they had similar issues with Bio Spot in the past. Most of these issues were exactly what Harley was involved in on 24 June 2007. The first thing recommended on line was to wash the pet with "Dawn" dish soap to remove the Boi Spot. After doing this I could not believe the diffrence in Harley, The shaking stopped and his eyes cleared and he began to walk without trouble. He even began to dring water. Now we are trying to see if he eats, or off we go to the vet!
I have worked in law enforcement for over 20 years and have seen many humans having seizures and overdoses but have never seen a dog having these same symptoms. Only after reading your web site regarding Bio Spot do I concure that Bio Spot Flea treatment does have very harsh reactions. Thank you for your web site and information! Keep up the good work!
Al 6/24/07
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Thank God that I found your website tonight. Early today I had put this Zodiac product on my Bichon and immediately after he began running around like crazy and his skin was turning bright pink. I knew at that moment that he was having an adverse reaction, so I put him in the tub and scrubbed him. He had 3 baths and was still behaving as though his skin was on fire and he was so agitated, even ran into things as he raced throughout the house in pain. I got online and the first site I pulled up was yours. People mentioned bathing their pets in Dawn dish soap, so that's what I did and as soon as he got out of the bath he seemed to perk up a bit. I have never used a pesticide on my dog before, as some Bichons are allergy prone and I know that mine is. I don't know what possessed me to do so this time. I will never, ever use another pesticide product on any pet. Citrus, tea tree and other natural flea remedies are the only things that I will use from here on out. Thank you for your website, it will remain bookmarked for me for future reference. As night falls, I am just praying that my dog doesn't get any worse.
Elizabeth 6/24/07
Kansas City
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I'm so glad I found your site. Dawn dish-washing liquid has a new fan. Between it and your site, I think you've saved another 2 buddies. I purchased Sentry Pro XFC for my chihuahua and beagle (2 packages, different weights). I applied the Sentry Pro XFC as per the instructions around 9:30pm as I was going through their nightly outing routine before bed. Afterwards, I put them each in their kennel and went to bed. The next morning, around 7:30 am, I found the chihuahua in his crate, foaming at the mouth and having uncontrollable leg and head spasms. When I let the beagle out of her kennel into the yard she immediately started rolling on her back and was whimpering, panting, and drooling. The vet could not see them until 3pm in the afternoon, so I called the "emergency medical treatment hotline" found on the packaging to see if there was something I could do in the meantime. They took my info and reaction descriptions for each dog, and were not surprised as they said they had reports of similar reactions! When I asked why in the world the product was still on shelves, the medline said they had nothing to do with the product, they were just contracted by Sergeant's to handle emergency medical calls.
After visiting the vet, I was reassured that indeed the "Dawn bath" was the best remedy. The beagle had settled down some, but the chihuahua was still having leg spasms, although not nearly as frequent or severe as before the "Dawn bath." Short of pulling this product from the shelves, it is tragic and irresponsible that this simple antidote action is not placed prominently on the packaging. If I had waited until my vet could do something, the outcome could have been much worse due to the added exposure time during the wait. IV flushes and round the clock monitoring with no guarantee of success was what I was told would have happened if I had not acted to quickly wash the pesticide off my dogs.
It's now 2 days later and I'm happy to report that both buddies are back to normal. I returned the unused portion of the Sentry Pro XFC to Petsmart for a refund (and disposal) and recounted to the manager our experience. I suggested that they reconsider carrying this product, but was told that a similar scare had happened last year with Hartz products and no move was made to discontinue carrying the Hartz line, so it would probably not be any different for the Sentry Pro line. Amazing.
Mary 6/24/07
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Thank you so much for the message regarding Bio Spot from 2002. I too had used Frontline Plus but living in a tick area, it never did repel ticks. When I came across Bio Spot, I thought it worked really well. My dog had no fleas or ticks after one use. A short time after the second usage she had a seizure, and I too went to the label to see if this was a side effect. The package said nothing regarding seizures so I went on a website search. I am so upset as my dog is only 1 1/2 but am grateful that other people can get the word out when we search for some answers. I will not use it again and I hope that her seizures will stop.
Anonymous 6/25/07
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Please do not use these products on your pets!
I lost both my cats this past weekend after using this product. I had initially put this product on one of the cats Friday morning at 7 am. By 3 pm she was in full blown seizures and after trips to 3 different vets and 24 hrs of treatments to try and save her, I had to euthanize her on Saturday morning. The worst part was every vet that saw her asked me if I had used Bio Spot!
My other cat must have licked some of the product off of her sister - we found her Saturday afternoon, it was too late. My girls were sisters, both healthy and happy and only 3 years old this month.
I do not want this to happen to any other pets or pet owners. My kids were devastated - and I felt worse because I was the one that put the product on her that eventually killed her and her sister.
It's flea season - all vets recommend that you use Frontline Plus. Yes it's more expensive but I would have happily paid that extra money had I known.
I have called Farnam and they said that they would reimburse me for my vet expenses - we will see. My request for payment is going out today, June 26, 2007. I'll update if I receive anything from them.
Ann 6/26/07
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I have a four year-old Bassett named Oliver. He is wonderful. Under the advice of a veterinarian I applied Advantage. After a few applications I noticed a tumor appear at the point of application on the spine. I stopped all chemical flea killers. I have since met several people who had similar stories. One man's Welsh Corgy developed cancer up and down the spine and died. Another dog developed a tumor like Oliver's --on the spine--then another on the neck that made its way into the brain-- he later died.
Today I use garlic tablets and brewer's yeast on Oliver's food for internal flea control--and use herbs and washing to do the rest.
Thank-you for your website.
Oliver's Mom 6/26/07
Thank-you for your response. One error in my note--I applied the Advantage for more than two years (against my inner guide that sent me warnings via my solar plexus each time I put it on him). Oliver also experienced the panting and agitation as well. Again --thanks!! I am going to continue gathering data on this and like products. I will keep you in the loop. It is too bad that even the vet schools are in the back pocket of the industry. Disgusting. Oliver is now a vegetarian dog. I make sure he has high protein and a balanced diet. He loves it. The book Vegetarian Dogs by Verona Rebow is excellent and has been case studied for 15 years.
Kelee 6/26/07
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We buried our wonderful 2 year old female cat, small in stature, even though we had taken her to our Vet after seeing her react to the Bio-spot, she was bathed, given IV's. and a shot of cortisone then misdiagnosed with Feline Asthma brought on by a severe reaction to Bio-spot. We brought her home after 3 days in Hospital, gave her 3 days dosage of prednosone, and one albuteral treatment, after which she panicked, and ran from our home, after always being an in house cat. She would not come from her hiding spot for 5 days, and we tried everything to get to her, and finally on the 6th day, she came to us, we rushed her back to the Vets, because her respirations were so labored and fast, we knew that she was near death. She was dehydrated and had lost considerable weight. The Dr., removed 90 cc of fluid from around her lungs and heart, after exraying her. We brought her home for one day, and she suffered so during that night we had to take her and stand beside her, loving her through our tears, she looked at us and trusted us to take care of her. She still purred for us and let us rub her chin, while our Vet put gently and humanely to sleep a once very healthy, loving, and wonderful cat. I am having difficulty removing this from my mind, Closing her in a small box after closing her eyes when we got home, She was so silky smooth and still warm. Burying her deep, in a grave a heartbroken husband dug for her that night before, I dropped a rose on her little casket, and then placing earth on top caused as much pain and sadness as when I buried beloved family members. She filled that spot in your heart that arrives when your last child leaves home or dies young to. The memory of her on my husbands lap, with her soft white paw slowly touching his face every day will be with us forever. To see a 6'2 grown man sob, breaks my heart, and all because I tried to save some money by buying Biospot.
Our small Westie 13 year old dog's skin is constantly red and very hot from the histamines in his blood, he itches constantly, has been to the vet for a dangerous injection of cortisone at his age.. I have bathed him in Oatmeal Shampoo to get the bio-spot off of him, have put Gold Bond anti-itch powder on his skin which he has chewed. A dog that has had the best of care, used Frontline with no problems, heartworm pills, all his shots, and love him so. It is painful to see a once happy contented loving dog suffer so. We give him Benadryl, but nothing seems to relieve his constant itching. I am thankful he and my other 3 cats are still alive. I called in a complaint to Drs Foster & Smith, before my cat died, and they let me send that POISON back and get Frontline, which the Vet says, isn't working very well because the fleas have built a tolerance to it. I am so afraid to try Revolution, and the cost of these treatments should be outlawed!! The customer service person had knowledge of it [Bio Spot] killing small cats and dogs, and will not recommend it to anyone, and promised to warn others who order from her, just wished I hadn't bought mine from their website, which has no warning. I plan on calling them tomorrow and asking them to remove it from their catalog, I will tell them to read the heart breaking letters and warnings on the internet, and I hope my other pets are not damaged permanently, and look forward to the makers being put out of business, and a healthy class action law suit to bring attention to whoever is responsible in the government to protect our animals.
Let all suppliers who sell products that maim and kill our pets be warned and recommend, that they pay attention to how many heartbroken people are out here trusting a product, and feeling the guilt of killing their own beloved pets while trying to protect them. God I wish I had never heard of Bio-spot, or ever tried to save money.
Sandy 6/26/07
Thank you for your wonderful website and especially thank you for taking the time to reach out with good advice. It was so hard to see all the problems people were having while using flea and tick meds, after the fact. Just wish I had read up on it before putting it on my pets. To answer your question if I might have put dog bio-spot on my cat, I ordered 6 month supply of bio-spot for cats, and received 9 months supply. I also did the same for our dog. I thought what a SAVINGS!! I put the 4 cats bio-spot on, and the next day, my smallest cat Mary was so sick. I also had put on bio-spot for dogs on our one little dog, after treating all the cats which took quite some time to do. I put the cat med away when I finished and then opened up the dog bio-spot, and when I finished up with the dog bio-spot, Charlie went instantly crazy with chewing and itching and running around. They were in different packaging specifying for Cats, for Dogs, so I assume they were the correct meds?? for cat, and dogs. 3 of my cats who are quite large, but really not that much older than Mary seem to be ok. They are not itching, and I hope they don't have fleas. Since Mary died, I contacted Drs Foster and Smith, where I purchased Bio-Spot, explained what had happened and they agreed to take back the bio-spot, and exchange, for Frontline Plus with a considerable extra amount of monies needed. After reading several websites, I am not certain I want to apply that on any of them either. I had used Frontline, not Frontline plus on all of them before with no problem, but my Husband said no more poison on any of them, and I need to call them back and see if I can get a refund. The cost of the Bio-spot, Frontline Plus, not sure what the difference is, hope its not that permethrin, and the Vet bills including euthanasia was over $400. I am looking for ways to keep them flea and tick free, but do not want to take the chance of poisoning them. We remain heart sick over Mary, and Charlie our dog has been itching and chewing for weeks even after his Cortisone Shot. Of course when he goes out to do his business he brings back several fleas each time. I attribute much of that to his thick coat, which covers to his paws. Of course I bathed him 3 times in gentle shampoo before reading about Dawn. I would think Dawn would be so harsh on his already irritated skin. I figure the bio-spot is gone, therefore all the fleas getting on him in 5 minutes each time he goes out. My 3 remaining cats and my dog are in-doors 24 7, but those miserable fleas still get brought in. We vacuum and keep a clean home, shampoo carpets freqeuntly, they have clean areas where they sleep, have seperate litter boxes for each of them and still I find some on Charlie. I brush and remove and kill fleas each day, and it is never ending. We live in the humid, 2 miles from the ocean, South and have a heck of a time with ticks and fleas, really all forms of pests. My next plan is to shear him down so I can pay close attention to his skin problem and to make finding those miserable biting fleas. Winter months give us a short break thank goodness. I am using a mild Oatmeal Shampoo on him to try to soothe his red burning skin. Since all the pet food recalls I have been preparing more healthful food for them myself, and will be searching for a more healthful approach to the flea problem. Thanks for all your advice, and I will do all I can to refer pet owners to read the websites, and to think twice before applying toxic solutions on their pets.
Sandy 6/28/07
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Applied Tri-Force to my two English Mastiffs on Sunday. Applied the same dose to both - For 61 pounds and over. Applied 1 tube each.
This was the second month I had used Tri-Force. Previously, I used Frontline and while it made my dogs sleepy for a day or two, everything else was fine.
The first month with Tri-Force, I noticed that the product was oily and stayed on their fur much longer. It also appeared that the areas where the product was applied was shedding excessively. While I thought it strange, it seemed no big deal.
This month was a bit different.
First dog, the female - 140 pounds, got sick within 24 hours. Vomiting, bloody diarrhea, extreme gas, eating grass, and excessive lethargy. Appeared very weak. We thought she ate something outside, so, while concerned did not suspect the Tri-Force. Sunday night, we actually thought she might die. Monday and Tuesday much of the same - still not eating and not feeling well. The bloody diarrhea has stopped though, so we think she is beginning to get better. She is drinking water anyway.
Second dog, the male - 180+ pounds, also had been acting weak and lethargic - again, thought he ate the same thing the other one did - until I noticed a sore appearing under his fur on his back - exactly where the Tri-Force had been applied. The sore is bleeding, oozing, and about 4" in diameter. This was now Tuesday.
I immediately washed both dogs and flushed the sore area with cool water. Both dogs improved behavior (energy level) within a few hours. Both are eating and drinking again. It was definitely the Tri-Force that was making them ill.
Have an appointment with the vet tomorrow to check the sore as it still looks very bad and we are worried about infection.
I now realize that last month, my female was sick as well, but again, we thought she ate something outside. She was sick for a few days and recovered. We just didn't suspect the flea medicine as the advertisers have made us think our dogs cannot live without it - so it MUST be safe, right? - well, IT IS NOT!
I can't believe this stuff has made my dogs so sick. It should be pulled from the shelves. I called the 800 number on the package and, of course, no one answered. I left an urgent message asking to be called immediately - it is now nearly 18 hours later and no one has called!!!!!!!
I will report it to the EPA and product manufacturer as well. After some Internet research (thanks to your site and others), I now realize that this is a very common problem and many people lose their pets. While many of the pets I read about seem to be very small, mine are huge and it STILL affected them. Something must be done. I do not believe that dosing our pets with these chemicals is safe, not for our pets or our families.
Sheila 6/27/07
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I have 3 small dogs I put the Sergeants Gold 5 way flea drops on. All 3 have had a toxic reaction to them, they had to spend the day in the hospitol and have baths with a degreaser. They are now on medication to help stop the irritation. I called and reported this to the, EPA, the FTC, the manufacturer, and the state veterinary association, consumer product safety. Today is the 3rd day since I gave it to them, and the second day they have been on the meds. Two of them do not seem to be getting better. The only comfort they get is while the medicine is working, then it helps them sleep. I haven't slept in 2 nights, this will be the 3rd. What can I do to make this company pay my Vet bills which are now over $500.00? I have been told by them that their product doesn’t get in to the dogs blood and therefore will not harm animals, also I was accused of putting it on wrong, and allowing my dogs to lick the stuff off each other, I promise you they didn’t lick each other at any time before or after I put it on them. Also they do not have necks that rotate 180 degrees to lick the stuff off themselves. I applied it very carefully as directed on the package. They asked me to send the package and the reciept to them. I didn’t keep the receipt so the store while searching the records for my reciept had an employee ask which product I used because she is going through the same problem with her dog, guess what...same Sergeants gold !!!!
Please tell me what to do, who to call next, and how to get help with this, I am so afraid at this time that one of them or all will die. Thank you for any advice.
Carrie 6/28/07
It's outrageous for Sergeants to accuse you of not following the directions. Please let me know if they refuse to reimburse your vet expenses.
James TerBush
I am pleased to tell you that Sergeants will be sending me a check next week for the full amount of my vet bills. I sent them all the vet records including notes from the vet. I also sent them the incident report # the EPA gave me to track the product for problems. People MUST take the time and effort to call and make complaints to the EPA when their animals get ill from any pesticide. This is how they determine if there is a problem with a product.
Thanks for your help James, now I can pay my credit card back, and afford to eat.
Carrie 7/21/07
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My beautiful Birman "Angel" was discovered yesterday 6/28/07 with severe tremors and constant seizures at 8:00am. I gave her and my other cat Lilly Bio-Spot around 3:00 pm 6/27/07. She is only 5.5 pounds and very special. She was rushed to vet only to be sent to the Waterford VETS hospital for better care. As of this typing 11:09 am 6/29/07 she is still having tremors and still unknown what will happen. Last night after a day of crying I returned home happy to see Lilly still okay. Well, by 8:00 pm she started with seizures and tremors also. I immediately gave her a good bath with dish detergent. She resumed to normal around 8:00 am today. It was a long night. I laid on the floor with her rubbing the tremors and talking to her. She was so frightened. The seizure was a memory I hope no other person should have to have. I just pray she stays okay. In the mean time I hope my Angel will recover. I bought the product from the Drs. Foster & Smith Catalog, thinking the cheaper was okay after always using Frontline. I would think they wouldn't sell such a product being the wonderful vets as they write themselves up as. I am at $700.00 right now and just don't know how to get the money back. Any advice would be appreciated.
Pamela 6/29/07
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Our two family cats, Bower and Astoria died after giving them each 1/2 of a dose of Sergeants flea and tick medication (less than the recommended dose). Bower went through violent seizures and Astoria went to the woods to die. Sergeants, of course, will claim no responsibility even though our vet says they see pets die from over-the-counter medication at least once a year. Please do not give your pets non-prescription flea med's, it can and is fatal.
James 6/30/07
PS - our 7 year old little girl still cries over the loss of her cats, we all loved them very much.
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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.
