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August 2007
I purchased the Sentry Pro XFC on a Tues and applied to my Min.Pin. correctly around 3pm that afternoon. The next morning when I woke up he was constantly licking his tongue out of his mouth and his leg was twitching. At first I assumed he was stiff from waking, or maybe had a flea bite on his foot, but as the day persisted I noticed every 30secs. he would have a leg spasm and start biting an licking his hind leg and foot, plus he was shaking more than normal. I called the vet and they said they have heard of dogs having adverse reactions, but watch him for a day because it could just be an allergic reaction to something in the carpet or just an allergry. After reading this website I decided to try the Dawn remedy, so now I am just waiting to see if he returns to normal. I am devestated and feel guilty about putting this terrible product on my dog. I am returning the product to PetSmart first thing in the morning, hopefully tomorrow my little buddy will be back to normal. This product should be removed from the shelf immediately.
Chandra 8/1/07
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Hi...this is the first time I've ever written something on an internet site but I am a dog lover and have had a bad experience with the use of Frontline on my 11 year old Golden Retriever, River.
We had administered Frontline on June 30 and a few days later our dog exhibited "weird" breathing - almost like he was trying to "gulp" air - and then vomitting - he did this over and over. We took him to the emergency Vet and they did xrays and found nothing - only a slight swelling in the throat/thorax area - they gave him a shot of benadryl (75 mg). and he seemed to calm down and had an uneventful night. I did not connect Frontline to this episode as we have been administering this stuff for years with no problem.
A few nights ago - July 30 we again administered Frontline and last evening he had the same symptoms. We gave him benadryl and again the symptoms went away - however he would not eat for over 24 hours and when he did take his favorite treat (only once) he "gulped" for air so we stopped trying to get him to eat.
We did not connect these two incidents until this morning when we were trying to think of the common denominators in these situations - the only one was FRONTLINE. Needless to say I will write a note to my Vet and will never give it to either of my dogs again.
My small mixed breed has also been exhibiting rapid shallow breathing since this was administered also - on the same day. I feel terrible that this happened. Now I don't know what to do. I live on Martha's Vineyard and we have a horrible high rate of lyme disease here due to the high number of deer ticks - so if anyone out there knows of another product - not so toxic I would love to know about it.
D. Brown 8/2/07
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I just bought some Frontline on ebay for my 8 week old German Shep puppy. Per Frontline it is "safe" for puppies as young as 8 weeks. I have had my puppy for 2 weeks and she is having serious flea problems and is giving fleas to my other animals (3 cats and another dog). So the Frontline came today so I applied it with confidence, as I use it on my other dog. Within minutes of application she became agitated and started slinking across the floor and whining. She began yelping intermittently and scratching herself at the application site. At first I thought the fleas (which were also becoming agitated and scrambling around her) were making her uncomfortable, but it soon became obvious it was more. I watched her for about 15 minutes as she slunk from room to room then to me as if I could do something to help her...I felt terrible, as at this point I began to suspect the Frontline was doing this to her. --As I type this she is yelping as she runs around the house...
I jumped on my computer and tried to find what reactions Frontline might have, as I could not find anything on the packaging. Needless to say I could not find anything on the web either--except your website. After reading several postings I stopped to bathe her in Dawn dish soap, but it didn't help much. So after another 30 minutes of listening to her cry I bathed her again...it seemed to help a little. I then gave her a benedryl, hoping it might help her relax. I am horrified at all the postings!! I feel so sick that I have done this to my poor puppy! I am debating on whether to take her to the emergency vet (it is now 1:30AM) but I have my doubts what they will do for her at a cost of what is likely to be hundreds or thousands of dollars I don't have! I may not have a choice if she gets worse!
Now that I have stopped to think about it, I also have a cat that about 4 years ago got terribly sick after applying a spot on flea treatment that I had bought at Wal-Mart (I don't remember the brand). The next day her fur started looking dull and matted. Over a course of a week she began vomiting daily and started to wobble and stagger and become very weak. She stopped eating and lost weight over the next week. I took her to the vet and told him it began right after I gave her the flea treatment. He shrugged it off saying it was just a coincidence...although he did not know what was actually wrong with her. Her blood work was wacky but he couldn't pin point what exactly the cause was. I knew the flea treatment had triggered something and made her sick, regardless of what the vet said. He kept her for a few days and gave her fluids then sent her home with antibiotics and steroid pills. I had to force feed her for a week several times a day and force her to take water. Gradually she came back around and after several months got back to a normal weight. She stayed on steroids for about a year before another vet (I moved so I changed vets) said he didn't think there was anything wrong with her and didn't think the steroids were needed. He also poo-poo'd my theory of the flea treatment causing her onset of problems. She still is fragile, but is not taking meds anymore...needless to say I do not treat her for fleas anymore, so I just try to keep the other animals flea free so she won't have to be bothered by them...which is part of the reason I was so quick to try to treat the puppy. What a mistake! I am going to call the EPA tomorrow and let them know what happened...it may not help at all, but it can't hurt to let them know what could happen to some animals anyway. I am so pissed! There is NO mention of potential side effects on the Frontline or what to do if your pet has a reaction! It's insane! I use it on my other dog and have never had a problem with her, so obviously it does not have a reaction ALL the time, but after seeing ALL the postings on your site it obviously happens enough that SOMETHING should be printed on the box of potential side effects and what to do if they happen! I am going to call the maker of Frontline as well--although it doesn't appear I should expect much of a response from them either.
It has been nearly four hours since the application and 2 baths and one benedryl later and she is still running around the house intermittently yelping...she is exhausted but can't relax...me too.
Lisa 8/3/07
Madison, MS
I just got off the phone with Merial, and as expected the customer service rep said since it is a topical application it ONLY is absorbed through the oil glands and there is no way it could have gotten into the puppy's system to cause anything but a topical skin reaction. It was all I could do to control my anger (obviously the customer service rep is merely an employee and is only reading a script), but hearing her say there is no way it could have gotten into her system just makes me so angry! I told her I could not find anything from Merial about any adverse reactions or what to do if they occurred. She said it didn't sound like the puppy's problems could have been caused by the Frontline due to how it is absorbed...blah, blah, blah. I told her I read on the internet hundreds and hundreds of accounts of this very type of thing happening and how Merial (and the other drug companies) continue to deny any knowledge of adverse reactions. How many times does this sort of thing have to happen with chemicals before they learn "never to say never"?! Anyway after the typical patronizing conversation with her she said a vet tech from Merial would call me back and that I should plan on taking the puppy to my vet because Merial is not in a position to give professional medical advise. When I asked her if bathing was the best thing I could do she said she didn't know that it would help because the product is water proof there is really no way to get it off once you apply it! So of course Merial is still in denial and are instructing their employees to say NOTHING. We'll see if the vet tech that calls has anything different to say...I suspect the tech will say something along the lines of "it doesn't sound like it could be a reaction to the Frontline, but there is obviously something wrong with your dog and you should take her to your veterinarian as soon as possible to have her checked out." I would bet money on it. Anyway, I will contact the EPA now and file a report and see if they can tell me what reports they have received regarding this product.
Thank you so much for your help, information, and your website--without it I probably would have once again let "them" tell me it was a coincidence that sickness followed a topical flea application.
Lisa 8/3/07
I do not know if your puppy's reaction was due to the pesticide being absorbed into her bloodstream, or if it's one of those extremely rare "transient cutaneous reactions" mentioned on the Merial-UK information sheet for Frontline. Regardless, the adverse reaction was caused by the Frontline and Merial should reimburse your vet expenses.
Merial claims that Frontline is not systemically absorbed, but the fact that it has caused seizures and death in rabbits (an off-label use that Merial now warns against) would seem to be proof to the contrary.
James TerBush
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I have a 8 month old Peek-a-Poo that I've just noticed had a case of fleas. I went out to WalMart and purchased Sergeant's Gold Flea & Tick Squeeze On. Maybe an hour or so after applying Sergeant's to my dog.......I noticed he kept sniffing/sneezing, I let him out for the last time for the night and when he returned he vomitted twice, I then notice him drooling until the point it was dripping from his mouth. I washed this product off, but will have to continue to watch him through the night. Reading these forums are pretty scary, but through the Grace of God he may be OK.
Tameka 8/6/07
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I have given my 2 German Shepherds and 1 Great Dane the Bio-Spot. The Great Dane is very allergic to it and rolls and itches after applying this product. I also gave the Equi-Spot - same stuff only for horses - also made by Farnam and they are both allergic to it. The skin swells at the areas of application. Was told by my Equine Vet that Farnam would take the Equi-Spot off the market because of so many horses having reactions to this stuff. To make a long story short - I had to put down one of my German Shepherds yesterday morning. Her name was Cora and she was 8 years old - best dog ever. She became ill on July 10, took her to the Vet on July 11 and blood work showed Auto-Immune hemalitic Anemia. Despite of many potent drugs, had to take her to a Veterinary Specialist and X-rays and Ultrasound showed hemangiosarcoma - aggressive malignancy arising from the lining of blood vessels. She had it in the spleen, liver and heart. The anemia part apparently is Diagnosis #1, but there is usually an underlying problem, in this case Cancer - Diagnosis #2.
After losing Cora yesterday, I will never ever give the dogs Bio-Spot again nor Equispot to my 2 horses.
It seems that we - the consumers have to put up with more and more B.S. - How sad it is that we have no protection and no voice. Cora's whole ordeal since July 10th has cost me just about $1600.00, plus I lost my best friend ever. I love my other animals very much, but Cora was special.
Edie 8/7/07
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HELP, We seen a flea on our dog, we could not find any more fleas but panicked and ran to Wal-Mart, the only store open. We purchased Sergeants Gold for our four dogs and four cats plus four 8 week old kittens and Hartz bombs for the house. The cats are all fine. On the kittens I only put a couple of drops they are fine also. The problem being our dogs, the poodle is pretty much OK with just mild itching. The Jack Russell just seems uncomfortable, very restless to sleep with some itching. At times she bolts forward and then settles back down. The two I am worried about is a Rat Terrier and a Jack-Rat. I put the Sergeants Gold on all animals on Sunday, put them on the porch and bombed the house. After completely cleaning the house some 8 plus hours later I brought the animals back into the house. I noticed they were itching but thought they must have fleas and didn't think much more of it. I then noticed the baby the Jack-Rat was drooling REALLY bad and shaking like she was cold. I didn't know what to do so I tried to get her to eat something, anything and after several tries I got her to eat some canned cat food.(not the best choice but she at least ate it) she seemed to get better after awhile and somewhat went to sleep for the night. She put in a rough night of itching badly and just not sleeping. Then it was time to go through the same thing with the Rat Terrier he started drooling REALLY bad and shaking like he was cold. He also seemed to get "better" after eating again canned cat food (all dogs fight for it when we feed the cats so thought it was worth a try!) He also went to bed and put in a rough night of itching.
The next morning I called Sergeants emergency hotline and was basically told that the worst was over and to just wait it out. That reactions to the med only lasted for about 24 hours, that I probably used too much on the dogs and put it on in too small of a line, etc. Also they said the product was water proof and penetrated into their skin by now, really nothing I could do but wait it out, giving them a bath would do no good. Now feeling really bad I spent the rest of the day petting the dogs and trying to keep them calm. I did call our vet at one point and he seemed pretty ticked at me and told me to call Sergeants and deal with them as it was their product I used (I will be finding a new vet!) I noticed their ears felt on fire to touch and they seemed to be very bothered by them, not really itching them but like rubbing them. Monday night we went to bed and all four dogs seemed to be doing a very small bit better.
Today is Tuesday, all the dogs are itching now mainly their necks where the product was applied and they seem to be very tender in that area, I am sure from all the itching. They also "chew" on their feet a lot, their ears don't seem to be as hot as they were yesterday. I found this web page and gave all dogs a bath twice with dawn. It didn't seem to do anything for them. I keep trying to get them to eat and drink but it has been a real chore to do so. They all whine a lot and itch at the "spot" and "chew" on their feet. Is there anything I can do to help them at this point? It has now been about 80 hours since I applied the Flea and Tick squeeze on our animals. I don't know if I should run them to a vet before they scratch themselves raw, or if they can be given Benedryl. Just checked, they are all sleeping at the moment, hope it lasts! Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated as we don't have thousands of dollars to pay an emergency vet. Yet my dogs are my babies and are worth more to me than anything in the world. I feel so guilty that I didn't wait until Monday when the vet would have been open to get the med they usually take. We just panicked when we saw the flea on Mattie. Thank you for your help.
Lisa and puppies 8/7/07
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Last night we treated our 2 Chihuahuas (Joe and Jack) with Sergeant's Gold Flea and Tick Squeeze-on for Dogs in accordance with the directions for use on the package after reading all of the warning labels and possible side effects. Incidentally, there are no warning labels that apply to dogs except that signs of sensitivity may occur. Approximately 3 hours after application Joe was coughing, gagging and throwing up, by morning he appeared to be ok. However, Jack started experiencing the same reactions sometime after Joe and appears to be in a lethargic state. We are now on our way to see the Vet after talking to Sergeant's medical department and consumer affairs department. The only advice they would give me was to bathe the dogs in a dishwashing liquid to remove the chemicals from the dogs' hair. I did this and now 2 hours later Jack is still lethargic.
Dewey
8/9/2007
Thanks to lobbying efforts by the flea control product manufacturers, the EPA does not require them to warn people that "signs of sensitivity" may include drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, incoordination, increased excitability, seizures, and in some cases, death.
James TerBush
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I have been researching all night about possible side effects of K9 Advantix and I found your site. I rescued my 5-6 month old puppy about a month ago now and it was time for her flea treatment. I know very little about dogs and dog products so I trusted the vet's office to give me the best, healthiest product for my dog to get rid of fleas.
Three days ago I applied a tube of the K9 Advantix and now my puppy just isn't the same! She is very lathargic and seems depressed. Before anytime we engaged her to play she would run around my house like a crazy dog! She spent alot of her time chewing on her favorite NylaBone. Now she won't play and all she does is sleep. She is still eating (as of yesterday) and seems to be drinking alot more water. I took her to the vet and expressed my opinion that I swear the Advantix had something to do with her changed behavior, but she wouldn't even entertain the idea that it could be responsible. She told me to some back in a week to see if she is doing any better. No tests or anything were done. She has also been shaking her head back and forth -not constantly, but once in a while. I'm thinking possible neurological side effects?
This is breaking my heart to see my once healthy, hyper, happy puppy seem so out of it! Something just isn't right! I did give her a bath last night and she seemed to perk up for a short while, but went back into a comatose state lying on my floor.
I plan on bathing her again today to see if it helps.
Thank you for all the information on your site. I'm really hoping and praying that my puppy will be okay.
Jennifer 8/12/07
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I have a 12 week old Boston Terrier named Delilah, went to Petco on Saturday for her 12 week shots. The vet there told us that we should start using a flea/tick medication so we bought Sentry Pro and used it on her Sunday evening around 10:30pm. No sooner within an hour, she was wining so I went to check on her in her crate. I turned on the light and found her foaming at the mouth and she looked weak and very sick. We immediately bathed her and I was so worried to leave her alone, I stayed up til 3 a.m. and slowly gave her small amounts of water with my daughter's medicine injector since she would not drink any water from her bowl. I was afraid of her being dehydrated from her constant foaming. I just figured she was allergic to the flea medicine since she was still too young. But it said it was safe for 12 weeks or older puppies. Thank God I washed it off when I did or who knows how she would be today.
She seems back to her playful self this morning. Eating and drinking like normal. I found your website and am so relieved that I did. I will be complaining to Petco and the manufacturer about this product. I will no longer use any of these pesticides. My heart goes out to all those who have lost or have ill pets from these products. I am appalled that they are on the market. Thank you for having your website for us to share our experiences and I will spread the word how poisonous these products are.
Kim 8/13/07
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The product: Sergeant's Gold.
My otherwise healthy 3 year old poodle became very ill in 3 hours, after using only half of this product. We used Dawn right away, after the dog had lots of froth-like drool coming from her mouth. Her tongue was VERY swollen. It took her about 3 hours to show signs of improvement. She also showed some signs of mental confusion. I called the Emergency vet and they said it is the worst thing out there for pets. To quote her, "The fleas cause less problems than the medicine." James and Richard ~ thank you for all you are doing!
I have already started telling my "ten" people about the dangers of this product, but you know it will be more than ten. One daughter dog sits... and the other will be going to vet school!
This whole ordeal and reading your website has my heart broken. I wish I would have seen this sooner.
P.S. The vet also told me that at the EPA's website it mentions about people getting brain cancer from the flea collars, yet those are still sold too! If people are getting brain cancer, what do you think might happen to a flippin' pet wearing it around its neck???
Emma's Mom 8/13/07
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Pass this on. Sad, but true...........DEAD PETS FROM FLEA TREATMENT
Sorry for the lengthy story, but it is important to pass on to anyone who has a dog or cat. This is absolutely a true story. It is my very own, sad, story.
As most of you know, Paul and I have always had dogs as part of our family. Two years ago, a good friend gave us two beautiful Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix puppies to care for and love. But something went terribly wrong this week. We lost our beautiful, playful, loving, 4.45 lb, Jaz. She died so unexpectedly, and so tragically. We are really struggling with this more than any other animal we have ever lost. We are still in shock! HOW did she die? Well, this is what you have to pass on to everyone you know who has a dog, particularly if it is under 25 lbs.
Since Jaz was 1 yr old I started giving her K9 Advantix, from mid spring to early fall, to protect her from fleas, mosquitos and ticks. I was sure to watch the label to give her the appropriate dosage, and apply it in the manner suggested. The package I bought was for, and I quote, "puppies over 7 weeks old, and older dogs under 10 lbs." Little did I know I wasn't protecting her, but slowly killing her. (Revolution does have doses for dogs under 5 lbs...but it had never been prescribed for Jaz.) In fact, I was so sure of this product, I was trying to coerce my sister into using a similar product on her cats.
Products that we are all familiar with, such as the one I used, and including Advantage, Frontline, Capstar and Revolucion are all pesticides. Do you know what Permithrin or Selamectin is used for? Killing ants and other insects. It is very toxic. The vet said, it would be the same as giving your dog a teaspoon of Raid every day. (Revolution seems to have a lower percentage of active ingredients...so it might be safer to use...or just might take longer before signs are recognized).
K9 Advantix has TWO toxic active ingredients!
If you were to call the manufacturers of these products they will tell you it does not enter the blood stream. And, if the dog/cat show signs of stress, just simply give them a bath to wash it away. Revolutions label states it enters the blood stream, and cannot be washed away. All will insist their product does no harm to your pet. However, the Vet says something quite different. Jaz was taken care of by two Vets over the past three days. Each from a different facility and not related to each other. Each told me the same thing!
Here is what happens: Once the poison is given to your dog via a liquid applied to the skin. It enters their system...and never fully leaves it. Some of the toxins remain. The following month you give another dose and more toxins remain in the body...until finally the toxicity is so great it begins to break down the organs, gets into the blood stream, and then all havoc breaks loose. The Vets said, because Jaz was so small, after the first six doses, I probably would never have had to give her anymore for the next THREE YEARS. That's how long it could have stayed active in her body. Larger dogs & cats tolerate it better, but in time, the same thing happens. By the time a larger dog starts having problems, their owners and vets think it is a sign of aging... and rarely ever look into toxic poisoning. They said they are seeing more and more evidence of this happening to our pets. Advantage and Advantix have only been out since aprx. 2002. Over the past two years we are hearing more about the actual affects of these products.
There are symptoms to watch for. The unfortunate thing is, you don't recognize the symptoms, until too late. Why is this? Because one doesn't usually acquaint the symptoms with a product you have been giving your pet for some time. Early symptoms could simply be, skin rashes, and a little more shedding than usual. In larger dogs, they might become more aggressive. By the way, there are no signs to watch for on the label... only instructions for humans if they touch or swallow this poison. (Revolution dose have a few warnings) Jaz had a small skin problem on her lower back. I was told it was just a normal dog thing and to change shampoo, and given an ointment. Well it turns out, it was a "burn" from the toxins.
Later symptoms are, seizures, (most people think seizures are due to breed and aging dogs, brain malfunctions, etc.) Throwing up two to three times a day (many will think it do to food or something they ate outside). Increased urinating and a need for a lot of water. Listless. Runny eyes. Eventually bleeding.
The only sympton Jaz had that we could have caught was the small skin rash or "burn." Notice how things quickly progressed. After giving her the last dose, a week ago Monday, within two days she seemed to become listless. Then she perked up again, like her old self, so we thought she was over whatever ailed her... a 48 hour flu. Then we noticed on Friday, she was always going to the bathroom. She chose not to sleep in her bed with her sister, and using her stuffed bunny as a pillow, but she wanted to be away from everyone, choosing to sleep on a cold floor on the side of the sofa, where she could not be seen. For three days, we filled her water dish every couple of hours, and within minutes she was eliminating it. However, she was eating well. But, by Sunday, she could barely walk, now preferring to lay on the cool tile floor but near her water dish. When we returned home from church, we noticed her shivering. So I sat with her, covered in a blanket. On Sunday she also stopped eating. No Vet or animal hospital was open. Even the animal emergency center had closed for some reason. We had to wait until Monday to get her to a vet. First thing Monday I took her to the vet, who immediately recommended hospitalization. He said it was either kidney failure or diabetes. At the hospital they gave her xrays and blood tests, took stool samples, urinalysis. They ruled out everything. All her vital organs seemed OK. She had slight fever so they put her on an antibiotic drip. As the hours went by, nothing worked. Then she had a seizure. As more time went by they realized it was Toxic poisoning. The doctors drilled me on things she ate. Things and plants to look for in our yard. Then they asked what type of flea control I was using. That did it. However, because these reactions are just now making themselves known, most vets do not know what antidote to give. They put her on various drips of stronger antibiotics and other things to try to flush the poison out, but nothing worked. That began their mad search to find out more. One vet had three people on-line to find out as much as they could. I pulled out my lap-top and tried to help. At 2Am we were still trying to find a way to help her. Another tried to get info from the Bayer Co. who manufactures K9 Ad. They were more concerned about a law suit, insisting their product couldn't be at fault. Two vets kept making calls to Poison Control Center...but no one would return calls. We knew she wasn't going to survive, but thought we would give docs until 10:00AM the next morning. If nothing changed, we would approve of putting her down. However, I was called into the hospital at 7Am, she had three seizures that night, after I left at 2:30AM. When she saw me, her eyes seem to say I'm glad your here to be with me. Doctor said she was not in pain, just in panic from being in a strange place with strange people. We decided not to "put her to sleep" unless she started having problems. She went into a peaceful sleep and died two hours later. Then, we got the call from the Poison Control Center. They didn't know what to give a dog.
The information we found on-line is incredible. There are thousands of blogs all over the country. People begging other people to stop using these products on their dogs. (To be fair, there are as many that say how great the products are...most are on websites that sell the products). What happened to Jaz, has and will continue to happen to other dogs until word gets out, or the manufacturers change the product, does better labeling, responds to emergencies, and prepares antidotes for those who are suffering from this poison. Vets must learn more. Jaz body was donated to a Veternarian research team. Perhaps her small body will aid in finding a way to help other small pets survive this poison.
Within three hours of Jaz dying...I heard EIGHT stories of other people having the same thing happen to them or a friend of theirs. These stories were not from strangers, but from people I know. If they had passed on their story earlier, perhaps I could have saved my little friend the agony she went through. I also learned there was recently an episode on a program similar to 20/20 or 60 minutes that investigted the same things I am mentioned, I am hoping, through my hurt and sadness, that I can, maybe, help prevent the same thing happening to you or someone you know.
My advice, please tell your friends and family, to stop using these products on their small pets. In fact, use it with great caution on larger dogs as well.
We all want them,and our homes to be free from fleas. So, if you or your friends decide to keep using these poisons, do so sparingly...and watch over your pet ever so closely for any type of reaction or change, however minor it might be...even during the months you don't give them this 'medication.' Help your friends and family help their pets! I only wish I had known this earlier.
Please pass on the word...and thank you for reading such a long story. (Someday I may learn how to make a long story short, rather than a short story, long).
Deborah 8/14/07
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HELLO, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS PRODUCT, SENTRY PRO XFC. ALTHOUGH I HAVE USED OVER THE COUNTER FLEA CONTROL BEFORE, I HAVE NEVER HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE LIKE THIS ONE. TODAY I PUT THIS PRODUCT ON MY 2 BICHONS. THEY ARE PRETTY HARDY FELLOWS, EACH WEIGHING IN AT ABOUT 22-25 POUNDS, AND VERY STRONG I MIGHT ADD. I BOUGHT THE PACKET FOR 21-39 POUNDS AND SPLIT THIS SIZE ON THEM, BECAUSE I TEND TO TRY BE AS MINIMAL AS POSSIBLE WITH CHEMICALS. WELL, WITHIN 2 HOURS THEY WERE BOTH RUNNING AROUND LIKE CRAZY LIKE SOMETING WAS CHASING THEM, PANTING AND ACTING FRANTIC. MY PRECIOUS SNOOPY THEN STARTED HACKING AND COUGHING LIKE HE HAD SOMETHING IN HIS THROAT. THEN I NOTICED HE WAS COUGHING UP PUDDLES OF CLEAR SALIVA. OF COURSE I PANICKED AND DID A SEARCH ON THE PRODUCT AND HERE I AM. LUCKILY I HAD SOME DAWN IN THE KITCHEN, I JUST GAVE THEM BOTH A BATH. I GUESS I WILL PLAY IT BY EAR NOW, IT SEEMED TO HELP SOME. I AM TAKING THIS STUFF BACK TOMORROW. I HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE ELSE. I GUESS IT HELPS TO SEE A PATTERN WITH OTHERS TO HELP PINPOINT. THANK YOU
Anonymous 8/15/07
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We purchased the Sentry Pro XFC flea and tick treatment and the flea and tick shampoo for our dogs at our area Petco Store. We followed the instructions to the letter. Last night our 4 year old male pom did not sleep, wouldn't drink etc. We didn't get any sleep last night. This morning we took KaiLang to the vet at 8:00 am this morning here it is 10:34 am central time and we have not heard anything from the vet. We took both products back to Petco where the manager gave us a full refund plus called the company. She gave us a phone number to talk to the person she spoke with. We told her the story about Kai and they are going to mail out paperwork for us to fill out and have our vet fill out. They might go ahead and pay for his vet bill. I've heard that story too many times so I'll believe it when I see it.
We are telling everyone that we know and recommend that you do the same. DO NOT purchase any products like this ever again. Instead pay a little more and let your vet take care of the flea and tick issues that your pets might be facing.
I 100% recommend that if anyone else is reading these stories to contact the company and complain. We must get these products off the shelves before any more pets become sick or die from it.
On behalf of KaiLang - please pass along this information!
Bill and Nancy 8/16/07
I forwarded your message to the NPIC (National Pesticide Information Center), which maintains a database for the EPA of adverse incidents caused by pesticide products. Their email address is: npic@ace.orst.edu
I asked the NPIC to make their staff members aware of this product, and urged them to contact the EPA and force Sergeants to recall this product immediately.
James TerBush
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Re: Sergeant's Gold
I don't know what to do. I have 2 small dogs. There weight is both 14 lbs. Both are more than 1 year old. I used the 9-20 lb. medication. I used the medication as indicated, but one started to act strange in a very short time. He vomited 4 times and acted very confused and aggitated. I immediately bathed him using dawn soap. Everytime he attempted to drink water, he kept slinging his head. It's been about 4 hours and he still is very restless. I called the hot-line number on the box and got some information of what to do. But, I will never use this product again. Seems today we just can't trust the bombardment of products and medications on the market. Better to use a fine tooth comb and pick the fleas off by hand.
Gordon 8/16/07
Albertville, AL
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We have two dogs; the younger one has not had a severe reaction. We just started them on Revolution. Our app. 12 year old female Chow mix has had two severe reactions, the second worse than the first. We took her to the vet and he never suggested it was the Revolution. After the second reaction, we associated it with the Revolution. She had seizures, she urinated on herself, she vomited, drooled, eyes rolled back in her head, etc. probably would have died had we not been with her when they happened. She had muscle tremors and fell down, her legs would just collapse. She was ferociously hungry. She had rapid breathing. It was like she was having anxiety attacks, followed us around. Second dose was given 30 days after first. Now four weeks after the second dose, she is not eating very much, she is not herself, she is very subdued, sleeps a lot. She has never been out of the yard. It is like she has aged 3 years.
We have moved to southern IL from MT and our control is going to be to keep them in the house in the summer!
Anonymous 8/17/07
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Please PLEASE let everyone know to stay far away from sargent's flea and tick body spray. it murdered my 17 year old cat.one minute healthy,next dead.no warning.no seizures,no drooling. he just slumped over with no chance to save. i will wish i never used it for the rest of my life. :(
sign me..
lemieux's sorrowing "mommy" 8/17/07
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Thank you so much for providing a forum for sharing information on adverse reactions to flea products. Last night, I used Sergeant's Gold flea and tick drops on my dog. Two hours later, he was drooling, scratching, and trembling. I found your web site and gave him a bath with dish detergent right away, and he is much improved already this morning.
One thing I haven't found on your web site (though it may be there and I'm just not finding it), is whether there is a way to report this. It appears the EPA regulates this kind of product. Can I report this directly to the EPA? should I call my vet and will she report it?
Thanks!
Lynne 8/19/07
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First of all, thanks for posting all these messages on your site...they contain an invaluable amount information.
Two days ago, around 9:30am, I applied half a tube of Sergeant's Gold squeeze-on (bought at Wal-Mart) on our 4-year old Poodle mix (as indicated on the box). About an hour and a half later, she started acting strangely. She started running around the house like crazy, hiding under the couch, and scratching desperately. I then proceeded to call the emergency number on the back of the box. They told me to bathe her with dish soap in order to remove the product, and to apply Vitamin E oil to the area where the product was applied.
She appeared somewhat relieved after the bath, but she was still scratching a bit. She did eat and drink some water a few minutes later, which was a relief to some extent. However, we noticed that she started walking in an odd way. It seemed as if she had lost coordination on her hind legs, especially on the right one, since she would swing her hind legs forward as she walked. We kept her under watchful eye the next few hours hoping that the effect of the product would wear off. Later that evening, she started walking closer to normal, but she was lethargic.
Around 11:45pm that night, I noticed that she started breathing rapidly as she lay on the couch. I got scared since she wasn't even panting. I checked her heart rate and it was fine, but the rapid breathing continued. I took her to the emergency animal hospital around 12:45am. to have her checked out. The vet gave her a steroid shot and told me to give her Children's Benadryl every 8 hours.
Yesterday, she slept for most of the day (most likely because of the Benadryl). She wasn't scratching anymore, but she didn't even get up to eat or drink anything until later in the afternoon. I called Sergeant's Consumer Affairs to notify them of the reaction. I then got transferred to the medical helpline since I told her that my dog hadn't had anything to eat or drink. The person on the helpline told me to see a vet. I figured that she wasn't eating because she was too groggy to do so, so I waited it out. Around 1:30pm she got up and had a few bites, but no water. It wasn't until 5:30pm that she drank some water. She started being herself again around 7:00pm; she ate, drank water, and started playing with one of her toys. Thank goodness! I just hope that the product didn't do any severe damage to her system. STAY AWAY from Sergeant's Gold squeeze-on!!! Although this product is affordable and claims to be more effective than vet-recommended Frontline, BEWARE because it's poses a grave danger to your beloved pet.
I've called the NPIC to notify them about the reaction to this product. They told me that I'm definitely not the first one whose pet has been affected by this product. I will also contact that EPA directly to let them know about this.
I'll also call Sergeant's again since I expect them to pay for the vet bill which totaled around $100. Do you recommend any further action? Do you think they'll pay for my vet bill?
Robert 8/21/07
It's been almost two months now since the incident with the Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On. On Sept. 7th, I sent Sergeants a copy of the vet's bill, along with the product/receipt, as requested. Last week, I received a letter stating that I would receive partial compensation (a mere $38.47 out of the $109.85 I spent on this) for the "regrettable experience". I'm completely disgusted with this, especially since they claim it was misuse and overdose of the product on my part. I called and left a message a few minutes ago expressing my disagreement with the partial compensation. In addition, they sent a release form to be filled out if I wanted the $38.47, but I will not settle for this...not after what we went through.
Robert 10/17/07
I purchased the sized dosage closest to my dog's weight, 9-20 lbs. My dog weighs 7.6 lbs, that's why I used half the dosage. While Sergeants is stating that it was my fault since the product is labeled for dogs 9-20lbs., I still disagree. There are many cases listed on your website where the pet owner used the correct sized dosage of this product, and the pet still got sick, even on breeds bigger than my dog. Also, when I called the NPIC they told me they had been getting calls from people whose pets got sick off this product. So the fact of the matter is that this case is not isolated due to misuse or overdose.
Robert 10/18/07
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I was reading online about the severe adverse reactions to BioSpot and the likes and you requested to hear about similar experiences.
We had used BioSpot on our precious dogs (Lhasa Apso/Springer Spanielmix) for a few years, but not necessarily every 30 days, maybe for 3-4 months in the summer, with no apparent or visible reactions such as those expressed by many others on the web site. However, in hindsight I wonder if that is the reason why one of them (Pokie) suddenly got ill and passed away 1 1/2 yrs ago. His sister (Dottie) is still alive (13 yrs old now). When Pokie became ill with what looked like some kind of severe stomach cramps we took him to the vet for exam. The only thing they found was dehydration and a bit anemic, he was still eating and drinking but would tense up every few minutes and moan a bit-I would rub his belly which seemed to help him. Then he would seem fine for a few days, being his old self, then it would start again. One morning I knew it was more severe, and before we could get him to the vet he died in my arms. I could feel his heart just racing faster and faster while he panted harder and harder until he suddenly went stiff, trembled and took his last breath. Now I wonder if it was caused by the long term neurological side effects of BioSpot.
After Pokie died we adopted a Bishon Frise for us and for Dottie. Peanut was 8 yrs at the time and after the first year, thought it was time to treat them with flea/tick control meds. Our vet's office suggested Advantix, saying it was the best one, so we tried it. Dottie again had no apparent reaction, but Peanut seemed to go crazy shortly after the application. He appeared as though he wanted to jump out of his skin, was completely restless, couldn't sleep and was in constant motion, panting, hiding under bed or covers. He was simply acting very bizarre! I bathed him the next evening and he seemed somewhat relieved after a while. I also used some natural skin conditioner product from Espree. I phoned Bayer, left a message reporting the problem but never heard back from them. We called our vet and they said they'd never heard of this happening, but I told them I had talked to 2 other pet owners who had the same problem with Advantix. They took back the product and gave us a credit. This was about 2 months ago and we hadn't used anything since then...until 2 nights ago. Peanut came in with a tick on him, so we bathed them both and applied BioSpot to him and Dottie. He was a bit restless that night and the next day was acting bizarre, very much like he did with Advantix. He hid under the bed most of the day, dug "beds" in the dirt apparently trying to remove the stuff, panted a lot, and squirmed around. I bathed him last night and used the skin conditioner and he was better. Today he's still acting a bit unusual, but not near as bad.
After reading these testimonials from all these others, we pray that our little Peanut will be OK and not have any long term reactions. We vowed, just moments ago, to never used any of these pesticides on our babies again. I will research natural remedies to see what we can do for ticks and fleas and just deal with them as they come. Like one of the testimonials said from their vet, that the treatment is much worse than the actual problem of fleas and ticks.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and for your concern. Please email back with any input you may have or any advise as to what we should do. I think these products should be removed from the market as our pets are more important than pharmaceuticals.
Rosanne and Eddie 8/25/07
(from Florida)
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I just used Bio-Spot [for Cats] on one of my cats. Shortly afterwards, (like 15 min.) it began to foam at the mouth. Well, we quickly washed the cat with shampoo and rinsed with lots of water. The cat appears to be Ok, but we will monitor it. Wish i found this site before I used it. I attached a web site with some technical info.
Shawn 8/26/07
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My dog, a healthy, energetic shih tzu became ill 2 hours after an application of Advantix. He did not want to walk and seemed to have trouble sitting and putting pressure on his hind quarters. I did not connect the behavior with the flea control meds until the next morning when I found my previously normal dog unwilling to walk, go to pee or poop, eat, drink or come when called to get his favorite treat. He was lethargic but also unable to sit or lie still and was extremely uncomfortable and agitated. I called my vet to tell them that my dog had what I thought was an allergic reaction to the flea meds and they told me to come in immediately. Before I went, I bathed the dog to try and get as much of the stuff off as possible. The vet told me she had just had another reaction to Advantix the day before but she had never seen any previously. She said the product is very safe and did not think the dog was having a reaction. They did bloodwork and I took him home. My dog continued to behave as if he was extremely uncomfortable and not well. I called the vet again and she said to wash him in Dawn to get the stuff off him. I did this and the dog still seemed no better. He did not eat or drink, pee or poop and was not willing to walk. I called the vet the next day and they said to bring him back again. The vet now blamed it on his anal glands, so she expressed them. This was now the solution to the problem according to her. She gave my dog pain medication and sent us home. The dog seemed more comfortable after the pain meds kicked in but was really still not himself. The next day he was still not walking very much and was twitching, whining, and trying to get at his backside. He also seemed unwilling to put pressure on his rear. Thinking that his anal glands must be sensitive, I observed him until the afternoon and called the vet again because he still wasn't eating or drinking. This time the vet pretty much told me the dog was faking it for attention. I almost fell off my chair. My young daughter looked at me because even she knew how ridiculous this statement was. I lost all respect for her as a vet and haven't got a shred of confidence in her. I am now convinced my dog is having ongoing problems from this poisonous product. I can only hope his body will rid itself of this toxin and he will start to improve. In the meantime, I will be looking for a new vet.
Michelle 8/26/07
I am glad that you are looking for a new vet. Any vet who ignores the signs of pesticide poisoning and tells you that your dog is faking should have their license suspended.
James TerBush
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I PUT BIO SPOT ON MY 1 1/2 YEAR OLD CAT YESTERDAY. FROM 10:30 TO 7:00 LAST NIGHT, SHE WENT THROUGH SEIZURES, TREMORS, SCREAMING. IT BEGAN WITH HER PAWING AT THE AIR, AND ACTING AFRAID. FROM THERE IT WAS DOWNHILL FOR 8 1/2 HOURS. FINALLY AT 7:00 SHE STOPPED HAVING SEIZURES AND CALMED DOWN. SHE IS FINE THIS MORNING, BUT ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD. THAT POOR CAT WENT TO HELL AND BACK LAST NIGHT, BECAUSE I TRIED TO HELP HER WITH BIO SPOT. I WOULDN'T PUT THAT CRAP ON ANYTHING, IT IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE BANNED.
JOANNE 8/27/07
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We have a 10 yr. old black lab. Called out veterinarian before using the [Frontline] Top Spot once a month flea and tick control on her. They said it was safe to use, even with her liver disease, she is on ursidiol daily for it. They said it just absorbs into the skin, no further, unlike the products that absorbed into the bloodstream. In two weeks after dose, she was having episodes like a seisure, really shaky/trembling, vomiting, glazzy eyes, lasted for 3-4 hrs, then she slept for hours on end. She has had 3 total, has been 6 wks. since we gave her the one and only dose....could this be a reaction to it?
Have only put two and two together the last few days, have not mentioned to our vet.. Anything of similarity...????
Jeff & Patty 8/28/07
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I am so glad to find your website with similar stories to mine.
Last night I bathed my mini-dauschund with an all natural biodegradable shampoo and then half-an-hour later applied Sergeant's Gold Flea & Tick Sqeeze for Dogs 9-20lbs. I usually use Frontline but went to Long's Drugs and they only had this brand. The sign said "Compare to Vet Brand's" so I bought it. BIG MISTAKE! About an hour after application I noticed he was running around and scratching himself on the floor, rubbing his eyes with his paws and making a sneezing/coughing noise. He came and sat next to me and I thought he had the hick-ups at first, or possibly had something up his nose. Then I looked at his eyes under the light and they looked sort of red and swollen and he was still making the hick-up/gag noise with his tongue going in and out of his mouth in a licking motion, so I said "We're going to the emergency Vet now!" I took the package with me as I suspected this was a poison/overdose reaction as nothing else was even remotely unusual about our evening.
The Vet took him and bathed him in dishwashing liquid and returned him to me. She used the package and called the hotline number on the back. They told her the symptoms would subside in two hours after washing off the product. I asked her about giving him Benedryl or even baby asprin and she said she didn't think this would do any good. She said he was probably tingling from the product and was feeling that sensation in the back of his throat. He was still making the gagging/licking motion so I wet some guaze and held him and let him lick it which he did- furiously. There was a $100. charge for the visit and bath.
After we got home he went straight to bed with me - midnight - but he couldn't stop jerking around. I could tell he wanted to sleep but his muscles wouldn't let him. I kept wetting the gauze for him to lick and trying to give him water. I also made sure to wet his eyes with the gauze and water to dilute anything in them.
I let him outside for a pee but instead he started trying to eat grass, he was tearing at the ground eating it as fast as he could. Obviously he knew he was sick and was trying to make himself throw up to "normalize" himself. But he never actually did throw up and I put him back in bed.
I called the Vet again to say the symptoms were not easing and she finally said to try the Benedryl to at least help him sleep. I finally crashed for about two hours and then awoke to him jerking and licking again. Finally, I just held him really close to me and started to stroke and massage his throat and neck pretty hard and this finally started to calm his spasms and swallowing. I massaged him for about another hour wherever I felt a spasm happening and he finally fell asleep.
Today he is better! We went for a walk and he eliminated normally, I gave him another bath and now he's crashed out after a long sleepless night. I will still be watching him closely and take him to our regular Vet for a check up. And I'm going to email your link to the ER Vet so she can be more aware of this in the future.
Hope this helps someone to identify symptoms.
Kaye 8/29/07
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Last night I put Bio Spot on my cat Ozzy. He is a huge black persian. He seemed okay and was in bed with me when I went to sleep. This morning I couldn't find him anywhere, I looked in the basement and he was on the floor having a siezure and there was blood coming from his mouth. I rushed him to the nearest vet which happened to be an animal hospital, ( I went in my pj's). They took him and hooked him up to an IV. He is still there, they don't know if he will make it or not. The Dr. said she had to sedate him and give him a muscle relaxer to make the shaking stop, and they are giving him medication through the IV. She said he is sleeping and she hopes the fluids will push out the toxin. I feel so guilty because I have put my cat through this, if he dies then I am the one responsible. Ozzy is part of our family and we love him so much I just hope and pray he comes out of this okay.
Amanda 8/29/07
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James, Your site is amazing. It is unbelievable how many problems there are with all of these drugs. I have been using two different products with the hopes of a more natural solution. It is so awful to hear about all the problems and deaths caused by these products. Since I don't even really like chemicals in my products, I was searching for a more natural way to care for my pets as well. I discovered a product called Flea Away. www.fleaaway.com. These all natural tablets are given daily. Dosage depends on weight. One of my dogs was allergic due to the beef flavoring, but the other is still taking it. He seems to like them as a treat, but I just put them in his bowl with dinner. For my allergic girl, she gets Brewer's Yeast and Garlic tablets daily. I am still not sure about the Garlic issue as I keep reading different vets saying different things. I do not plan to give her the garlic tablets all year, just until it cools off. I have read that it is the Brewers Yeast that helps keep the fleas away, and I have read that it is the Garlic, so I am not sure what really works. I have also read that fleas don't like healthy hosts, so if you give your pet good quality dog food, this should help keep the bugs away as well. Brewers Yeast tablets are not labeled as a flea control because they might not work for all dogs. We are hoping for the best. As we live in the south, ticks and fleas can be an issue here. We just wanted to share these two product ideas with you. For us, it is better than using nothing, and definitely can't even compare to using those other chemicals/toxins. At the worst, their skin and coats are great.
RR 8/30/07
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Oh, I wish I had googled my dog's symptoms earlier and found your website!
We have had a terrible flea year and the natural solutions had no effect. My husband bought Bio spot a few weeks ago and it sure got rid of the fleas. However our 2 year old Australian Shepherd combo Blue Heeler has become very ill. He'd lost a lot of hair from the fleas so we weren't too worried at first.
The last few days he's had :accidents all over the house, vomiting this yellow green frothy stuff, lost his hair around his eyes and became lethargic. Last night he started having difficulty breathing and will not eat. He stays close to his water bowl and drinks constantly.
We immediately bought some Dawn and washed him 3 times (major rinsing), but wonder if there is anything else we can do? Is it worth it to take him to the vet for an IV flush, steroids or antibiotics? Or will it takes a month to get it all out of his system?
We will be happy to be part of a joint effort against the makers of Bio Spot. They need to take this off the market NOW.
Thanks for any advice you might be able to give,
Carol 8/31/07
Thank you for your response! He is getting better! He's eating like a pig after not eating for at least 3-4 days. He is on antibiotics as well and is walking, almost running, again! The loose stools and throwing up seems to have stopped. We hope his hair will grow back on his body and around his eyes. His black nose has turned partially pink and there are funny bumps around his head. That stuff is nasty!
I will absolutely send an e-mail to EPA and call Farnam.
It's strange, but my other dog has no symptoms. He has short sleek hair like a greyhound and we are wondering if he rubbed it off on the grass. His hair repels liquid easily. We will never use this stuff again.
Thank you so much for your reply and your wonderful website. We would have never known how to treat this if it hadn't have been for you. You saved his life for now, but we know there may be long term effects.
Carol 9/4/07
Bedford, Texas
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I live in Louisiana where we have a year around flea problem. I had been using Frontline Plus on my healthy 5 year old Yorkie but she was still having problems with fleas. K9 Advantix was recommended to me as a better way to control fleas, so I tried it for the first time May 1, 2007. I noticed within a week or so she had quit scratching quite so much, but also during that month, she experienced the first seizure she had ever had. We took her to our vet who was completely familiar with her usual good health. He was at a loss and advised us to monitor her and keep him posted. June 1 came and I applied the next dose of K9 Advantix. I began to notice sometime during that month that she seemed to have some difficulty with urination, in that she was going to multiple spots in the yard like she wasn't completely emptying her bladder. I didn't rush her to the vet, but continued to monitor her and July 1 came and she got another dose of K9 Advantix. I then started to notice later in July, that she was starting to have a strong odor about her urine that she had never had before. It was at this time that I took her back to our vet and insisted on a complete work up, labs, x-rays, ultrasound of abd. He drew a urine sample by needle aspiration and noticed she had alot of blood in her urine. We did a complete series of x-rays from nose to tail looking for a possible disc problem that could explain the seizure like episodes. Nothing turned up. We did an ultrasound of her bladder looking for a stone or obstruction. Again, nothing turned up. The lab results came back the next morning and confirmed the blood in the urine and a really high pH. Our vet really couldn't explain or connect the symptoms but by now I was putting together the time frame within which the first seizure started and the application of the K9 Advantix. Unfortunately, during this visit at the vet, Lucy experienced a seizure so violently that our vet said she went into cardiac arrest an expired to spite great effort on his part and the part of the staff to save her. She was given epinephrine inj. directly into the heart and intubated but nothing helped. On July 27, 2007, I lost my dearest, sweetest little friend in the world. My heart is broken and my world is forever changed. She was such a loving wonderful little personality. I blame myself and I blame K9 Advantix. Lucy trusted me to protect her and I failed her. My vet and I agreed we both wanted and needed and autopsy in case there was something, anything, we could be overlooking. Her body was sent to LSU in Baton Rouge, LA for a full necropsy. After several weeks the much anticipated report came back and no cause could be found for an "acute cause of death." Tissue samples were taken from every organ in her body and no congenital defects were found. As I stated earlier, she was a perfectly healthy little 5 yr. old Yorkie until I made the mistake of purchasing K9 Advantix and poisoning my own dog to death. I can never make up to her what I have done, but I can spend the rest of my life warning other innocent people about K9 Advantix. I would urge anyone who wants to really understand how this stuff kills to research on the internet one of the active ingredients in K9 Advantix, namely Permethrin. It is a neurotoxin and can cause seizures and death which is exactly what it did to my precious innocent little dog. Thank you for allowing me to tell my story. Please feel free to post it in it's entirety or in part. I would just like to think that Lucy didn't die in vain and if I can save even one innocent dog from the horrors she suffered needlessly, then maybe I can begin to forgive myself for not protecting her. Thank you again for your website.
Sincerely,
Lucy's Mom 8/31/07
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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.
