Message Board
Search
October 2008
We bought BioSpot Pyrethrin Flea Dip for our dogs as we have had an unusual problem for fleas this year. We had been treating them with Frontline without any result. I dipped one of the dogs, and 2 cats (that just happened to be there at the time) last night because the dog (Rocky, 85lb Lab) had a vet appointment this morning and I didn't want him to have all of those fleas on him at the vet, being ashamed that he had so many. With in 30mins of treating him he started coughing, foaming at the mouth and vomiting. I did see him lick his front legs as I was dipping him, no real big deal as I thought, because this stuff came right over the counter, SHOULDN"T hurt him. Yeah right!.. I figured I would feed him extra well and give him plenty of fresh water to help absorb the chemicals, which he ate and drank plenty of. He kept all of the same symptoms all night long. I did not give him a bath until the morning after seeing this web site, and reading some of the results. He's had a bath and is felling much better, symptoms appear to be going away. Then I realized that the cats were not around, and remembering that they had a dose of the same dip. We finally found them resting in unusual places, with the same symptoms. they have had a bath and appear to be doing better as well.
I thank this web site for the information on it, as I feel better that they will overcome this incident. I just wish I found it before I applied the dip.
I feel sad for the losses due to these products, and felt I should share my event. I will contact the manufacturer and the U.S. EPA.
I have already started telling others about these products and giving them a "heads up" before they use them.
Harvey & Kelly of Texas 10/1/08
**********************************************************************************
2 days ago Bio Spot was put on my dog. He has been ill since then. He has constant twitching in his back legs. He refuses to eat or drink. He lays around and is in pain. I have been giving him water with salmon juice in it and he will drink that. I have used Calms Forte, a homeopathic remedy to quell the trembling and it seems to work for about 2 hours at a time. He hops around and tries too bite his hind legs and incessantly rolls in his bed as if to rub off the toxin. I gave him a bath in Dawn detergent as was recommended. Bio Spot is just a nasty horrible chemical that should be banned. I do not know when my dog will be healthy again, if ever.
Nancy 10/2/08
**********************************************************************************
Thank you so very much for your website. I just recently gave my cat a dose of Revolution after switching from Advantage. She had an awful reaction and is now hospitalized. It was so great reading the information from Nina's entry because it gives me hope that my 1 year old cat will be alright. She is currently hospitalized and receiving IV fluids after I took her to the vet when she experienced vomiting, loss of appetite and desire for water, muscle tremors, and lethargy. Immediately after applying the Revolution my cat was lethargic. I knew then she was not ok. I took her to the vet a few days after I realized her sickness was not letting up and feared that she would get dehydrated. The vet said that her symptoms sounded like some kind of obstruction in her intestines, but that it could also be a rare adverse reaction to Revolution flea treatment. After performing X-rays, an obstruction is not looking like the cause of her illness.
The vet advised that she would X-ray again in a day to see if perhaps she could see something then that may be an obstruction. I firmly believe that her illness has been caused by Revolution flea treatment since we do not buy toys that can be swallowed, we don't use Easter basket grass, and we do not have tinsel in our home. We are very cautious about leaving little things around for her to swallow or choke on, and our cat does not have a tendency to go through the trash. The vet just wants to rule out an obstruction as that can be fatal. Although I am very concerned for my currently hospitalized kitty, hearing Nina's story gives me hope and information about what direction to go in to get all of this handled if my vet rules imy cat's illness as an adverse effect of Revolution. Thank you so much for your site!
Stacey 10/4/08
**********************************************************************************
Sergeant's Gold and Sentry Pro XFC "Allergic" Reactions and Deaths happen Daily see the below news report and websites with all the fellow sufferers. Been through it with two Pugs, it was like watching them die for three days straight. This is not an allergic reaction. There is something wrong with their Sergeant Products and instead of taking it off the shelves they continue to make Pet Parents like You and I watch our pet children suffer.
Read more Sufferers Daily at the below sites:
Lorraine 10/5/08
**********************************************************************************
Just writing to chime in on the topic. I gave my 5 year old daschund Frontline Plus last Thursday and Sunday night he had a terrible seizure with foaming at the mouth and major convulsing for about 1-2 minutes. He appeared to be blind for about 5 minutes afterwards and was very disoriented as he was growling at me when calling his name and was looking all around.. Anyways I got online and started researching a bit while monitoring him and have found evidence in a very scientific book called Veterinary Toxicology by Ramesh C. Gupta that confirms that accidental oral ingestion can cause seizures and CNS hyperexcitement.
Link to book..
Brian 10/6/08
**********************************************************************************
I had been using BioSpot on my Chinese Crested Powderpuff for about nine months. I opened a new 6 pck and applied it on Sept 1. About 10 days later he went for his grooming and I noticed a reddish and black area on his back. The hair here also was shorter and laid flat. Over the next week the discoloration spread irregularly all the way to his tail...just along the ridge of his back. Nothing else seemed wrong with him. I called the company and they referred me to their vet at poison control. Both the vet and the company spokesman seemed to be aware of the problem, but were not overly concerned. They did offer me a refund and I have not used the product since. I wonder if there is any truly safe flea preventive out there.
Arlene 10/7/08
**********************************************************************************
i have had so much trouble with fleas this summer so yesterday while at a very well known pet store i found bio-spot. i used it on my perfectly healthy 2 1/2 yr old chihuahua, he seemed fine for the first few hours, then he started shaking & twitching! i have been up all night with him, the vets office opens in about 1hr i will be at the door waiting.
Kim 10/10/08
**********************************************************************************
Twice in the last year my 15 year old terrier mix suffered severe digestive distress, both times onset occurred within 3-5 days of application of Frontline Plus. His digestive health has always been excellent (solid stool, and a VERY non gassy dog). During these bouts, which would last 4-5 days he would pass horrible gas (day and night) and suffer from diarrhea. His nose tended to be warm and he obviously felt listless and not his usual self. What threw me is that he showed no obvious signs of distress for the first few days following application, and he's always seemed to tolerate previous Frontline and Advantage treatments well. No seizures, fur loss etc. I'm not sure if this was his first contact with Frontline Plus since I sometimes buy whichever medication is available under the mistaken belief that they're all pretty much the same. After ruling out all other plausible explanations for his distress, I began to wonder if it could be traced to a delayed reaction to his flea treatment. Perhaps it takes a few days to work it's way into his system, hence the lag time. So I hopped on the net to research and found your site. I share my story so others may have a frame of reference to compare their experience. I'm convinced of the cause of my dog's distress but of course can't really prove it with any certainty. But I will never, ever dose him again with any non natural remedy. He probably has less than a year ahead of him, so I'll just be as diligent as possible with a flea comb, frequent baths, and whatever natural remedies I can find. Each time, he has seemed to make a full recovery, but at his advanced age I know it takes it's toll.
Stephen 10/11/08
**********************************************************************************
We've been using Biospot for about four years now on our dogs and cats. Last week I again used the Biospot on them. Our 14-year-old border collie mix Ripley seems to be fine, but our 14-year-old Chihuahua Cheech had all the symptoms you listed for Hamish. We took him to the vet on Friday (early afternoon) because of a limp in one of his back legs. The vet said it could be arthritis and prescribed Vetprofen 25 mg (he's had it before without side effects). Saturday afternoon (yesterday 4:30 pm) Cheech began thrashing on the floor rolling clockwise side-to-side. His little body was completely stiff, his head was raised in the air—just as you said Hamish was. His jaws were clenched tightly, though, and his eyes were almost popping out of his head. It took all of my husband's strength to hold him in his arms to keep him from hurting himself. About the time we got in the car to take him to the vet (an hour away on Sat.), he had calmed down. He could barely stand and couldn't walk at all. The vet told us Cheech had had a grand mal seizure, and it could have been caused by a tumor in the brain.
He wanted to keep Cheech overnight for observation, but I couldn't bear to think of that. He gave Cheech a shot of Phenobarbitol and told us to call if he had another seizure. He's up and toddling around this morning; he has a sideways tilt to his gait, though. He's eating well and seems alert. I will bathe him as soon as I finish this.
I didn't think of the Biospot until this morning; I remembered reading about Biospot and a dog that had also had a seizure. I am so thankful that you wrote about Hamish and his experience with Biospot. We'll be throwing this product out. I will report it to Farnam, though, first.
May I ask what you use for flea and tick control on Hamish? My son uses Frontline on his dog and we did, too, before we found Biospot. It's terribly expensive but worth it if it protects Ripley and Cheech WITHOUT hurting them.
Mary 10/12/08
Thank you for taking the time to write. I am very sorry to hear about your dog.
I am not a vet, but as you can see from the messages posted on my website, many people have reported adverse reactions (including seizures) in their dogs after using Bio Spot. However, these adverse reactions usually occurred within 48 hours of application. I do not know if your dog's seizure was caused by the Bio Spot, or the Vetprofen (carprofen), or a combination of these products.
Here is the manufacturer's Information Sheet on Vetprofen:
Here is an excerpt:
"Vetprofen, like other drugs, may cause some side effects. Serious but rare side effects have been reported in dogs taking NSAIDs, including carprofen. Serious side effects can occur with or without warning and in rare situations result in death."
"The most common NSAID-related side effects generally involve the stomach (such as bleeding ulcers), and liver or kidney problems. Look for the following side effects that can indicate your dog may be having a problem with Vetprofen or may have another medical problem:"
"Change in behavior (such as decreased or increased activity level, incoordination, seizure or aggression)"
Just because your dog has not experienced any adverse reaction to it previously doesn't mean that he will never will. Vetprofen is similar to the drug, Rimadyl. If you do a Google search for "Rimadyl seizure" you will find many reports of seizures and other serious adverse reactions in dogs from that product. The risk of adverse reaction may be greater in aged animals. I would discuss this possibility with your vet (your vet may say that Vetprofen was not likely the cause of your dog's seizure, but the manufacturer's information sheet says that it is a possible side effect).
There are several links on my website that discuss ways to control fleas and ticks without using pesticides. I encourage everyone to read them, and only use a pesticide product as a last resort.
I hope that your dog will be well again soon.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator for:
**********************************************************************************
On 10/12/08 at around 11:00pm we put Sargents Gold on my 18 year old deaf daughters dalmation who is also deaf. About 1 hour later the dog started acting really weird and my daughter was concerned. When I saw the dog she was drooping her head and her body was shaking tremendously as she was trying to walk. I went around the house trying to figure if she could have gotten into something. Then it seemed like she was having seizures. My daughter was distraught. I called the emergency vet being midnight. I asked about the Sargents Gold and they said most definitely. My next question was can we make payments. I was told no it had to be paid then and all of the clinics were this way. That was out because not knowing what it was going to cost I couldn't take her I didn't have alot of money. They told me to give a bath in dawn dishsoap. In the meantime I calmed my daughter and explained she would be more help to Glory if she could calm down and help me. The dog seemed to keep seizing. We got her in the tub and my daughter sat in there with her as I washed her. I don't even know how often this happened it was so much. It is now 5:30 am. The seizing seems to have calmed but she is having tremendous body tremors. My daughter is afraid to sleep so she is laying beside her just watching. God only knows if its over and if it is what effects this will have on Glory. I know once she seems out of it I need to get her to drink. This product not only tramatized Glory but also my daughter. I hope the word gets out I will try to find a safer way to take care of the fleas. If anyone knows of any please, please let me know.
Valerie 10/13/08
NY
**********************************************************************************
First off let me start by saying that I do not have a dog but had rescued 5 kittens from an abusive home about 2 1/2 months ago. The kittens are now 51/2 months old. I have had problems with fleas ever since I got them so I went in search of what I thought would be a safe product. I ended up purchasing Sergeants Natures Guardian spray. It stated on the bottle that it was all natural and that it would be safe to use on and around pets and children. I used it on all 5 of the kittens and 2 of them got extremely ill after having it applied. The smallest one got sick immediately and would not eat or drink anything and started to urinate where ever it was at the time. He could not lift his head or move across the room without crawling. I had just applied this stuff yesterday morning and this morning when I woke up the poor kitten was extremely cold and having a hard time breathing, I noticed that one of the others was starting to act the same way so I immediately called the Vet. Being it was only 5 am I had to wait for the Vet to call me back, by the time she called back the first cat had passed in my arms. We immediately got them both to the Vets office and I found out that the first one died from kidney and liver failure due to the product getting into its system. The second was in kidney failure and had so many toxins in its system from the product that the toxins had spread to the brain and he was not aware of anything that was going on around him. I had no choice but to put him to sleep as the Vet told me that even if we put a cathiter in him to flush the toxins he would only have a 25% chance of survival and if he did survive then he would be living in pain his entire life however short that may be. I am extremely heart broken right now as I thought I was doing a good thing for them by getting something all natural and all it did was kill them. Please let people be aware of this as it is horrible to see the animal you love go through something like this. I am now awaiting reports from the vet from the autopsies. And the Vet is also calling and notifying the American Veteranarian Association and other groups as to inform them so that we can help to have this never happen again. She is also going to contact Sergeants so that she can tell them what the product did and try to get them to reimburse for the Vet bills (which any animal lover knows is outragous.).
Sue 10/15/08
Thank you so much for your concern. I went to that link and ended up finding a petition that I of course signed. I can not believe with all the stuff happening that they have yet to stop selling it. As for contacting the company, I did that before they passed on and they of course told me that there was no way it was a reaction to the product.....of course they are gonna say that. My Vet called me last night and told me that she has notified the FDA, Veterinarians Association and many other agencies to try to get help to stop it from being sold. She said that it was definately from the toxins in the product.....she did autopsies and found that they would have lived very long healthy lives if this was not applied to them. She contacted Sergeants and they are supposed to have a representative or Attorney call her back to discuss this with her. She feels that I should contact an attorney myself due to her findings.I myself and just too heartbroken to think about that right now as this just happened yesterday. I can not believe that something I thought would help them actually killed them. I feel that it was my fault and that if I had not applied it they would still be here with me. My cats are my babies and I now need to concentrate on watching the other 3 that I also put it on to make sure they show no signs of this happening to them.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONCERN AND THE LINKS. I will keep you informed as to what happens with this.
Sue 10/16/08
Sergeant's Nature's Guardian (and their Sentry brand Natural Defense) are considered by the EPA to be "minimum-risk pesticides" and are not required to be registered with the EPA as pesticide products. In other words, these products do NOT undergo the registration process that other pesticide products must undergo, such as evaluation for toxicity.
Here is the EPA's website concerning minimum-risk pesticides:
Here is some additional information on minimum-risk pesticides and concerns that people have about them:
Please contact the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) and let them know what happened (they maintain a database of adverse incidents from pesticide products for the EPA). Their phone number is 1-800-858-7378.
Even though Sergean't's Nature's Guardian (and Sentry Natural Defense) are not registered with the EPA as pesticide products, the EPA still wants to know about adverse reactions that are caused by these products.
James TerBush
**********************************************************************************
Hello, I put biospot on both of my maltese dogs 16 mos and 9 mos. I then went and read on the internet about it and became freaked out when I read about the side effects. Within 1 hour I bathed and washed off both dogs. The following morning , my older Maltese did not act right. She would walk a few steps and then sit down and she was "trembly" . She did not play like she did every other day with the other dog. I became concerned and called the vet. He said that he had heard of biospot causing reactions (seizures) and to bring her in. I took her in and he gave her an antedote. She seems much better now. I am so glad I found your blog and washed the stuff off before too much got in her system. My other maltese is fine. Thanks for the information.
Chris in Indiana 10/20/08
Hello, I wrote in yesterday about my Maltese having a reaction to Biospot. I called the number on the back of the box and was given to a Veternarian who told me that Biospot is not deadly or dangerous in itself but that my particular dog just had a reaction to it. I told her about all the things I read about online and she told me that you cannot believe everything you read online. She told me the dogs that died after taking Biospot had preexisting medical problems. I also called my local Petsmart who denied knowing anything about the dangers of Biospot. I am sorry, I know for 100% sure that Biospot sickned by Molly! Even today she is still not back to normal. She is still crouching and sitting and not moving her back legs as well as before. I am so thankful I washed most of it off within and hour of application or who knows how sick Molly would be! What can I do to help prevent this from happening to other dogs?
Chris in Indiana 10/21/08
Hello, I called Sherry Pike [Farnam's Risk Manager] and she was nice and helpful. She did not deny that Biospot caused the reaction and told me if I ended up having to take my dog in for chemical burns to call her back for vet expenses. I also notified the reporting agency for the EPA and they assured me the report on biospot would be added. Thanks for your website and I hope to use my experience as knowledge to help other unsuspecting consumers from harming their dogs with this poison.
Chris 10/21/08
Hello, Molly is completely better. Now, I am trying to figure out what to do about the fleas. I will check both dogs and make sure they are free of fleas and then 4 days later I will find one or two on them again. This is the first time I have battled fleas and don't know much. The vet gave me Frontline but now I hesitate to use after what happened with biospot. DO you have any recommendations? These are 2 Maltese dogs, 4 and 7 pounds and indoor dogs except to potty on a leash. I would appreciate any suggestions. I definitely will not use anything over the counter unless natural.
Chris 11/1/08
Thank you for the update. I am very glad to hear that Molly has recovered.
There are several links on my website that discuss ways to control fleas without using pesticides. I encourage everyone to read them, and only use a pesticide product as a last resort.
There are several messages posted on my website from people who have seen adverse reactions in their dogs after using Frontline. Small breeds are especially at risk of overdose from it. For example, if you use the Frontline dosage for dogs "up to 22 lbs.", your dogs would receive 4 to 5 times the amount that a 22 lb. dog would receive.
It can be difficult to get rid of fleas once they get in your house. You will have to check your dogs daily, keep their bedding area clean, and frequently vacuum your floors and furniture until the fleas are gone. With persistence, you will win the battle.
I hope this helps.
James TerBush
Website Administrator for:
**********************************************************************************
This is something that might interest you. I have had terrible problems with fleas and I tried all the vet products and the best of them only lasted 7days. Also I did a Google search and found that these products are insecticides and fleas become immune to them (remember DDT) and then you have to get something stronger and whats worse is these are poisons and the vets recommend feeding it to our pets month after month. Do a Google search "Advantix killed my dog" in the quotes and you will get an eye opener. So from my search I found Neem oil and Neem powder and these natural herbs handled my flea problem .
Michael 10/21/08
**********************************************************************************
(Below is email that I received from the EPA)
----- Original Message -----
From: <Overbey.Dian@epamail.epa.gov>
To: <james@biospotvictims.org>
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 3:45 PM
Subject: Response to August 21 e-mail
Dear Mr. Terbush:
Thank you for your e-mail of August 21 regarding Bio Spot Flea & Tick Control for Dogs (EPA Registration Number 270-278. Dawn [deleted] dog died after having Bio Spot applied, and although a necropsy was performed by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control Center’s laboratory at the University of Illinois, no toxicological tests were done. You ask EPA to investigate the relationship between the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and those manufacturers of pet pesticides that contract with the ASPCA to manage their adverse events. I apologize for the delay in responding.
EPA does not have the authority to investigate the ASPCA, and we do not receive any data from them on adverse incidents unless it is submitted by other sources to us. Consequently, we have no information on how often they perform toxicological tests or whether they have ever found that a dog’s death was related to a pet pesticide product.
EPA gets information on adverse incidents from the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) and maintains an in-house database of incidents reported to us by registrants and the public. There are reports of deaths on the reports submitted by manufacturers. I do not know if the ASPCA draws the conclusion that a death is attributable to a pet pesticide and reports that to the manufacturers, but registrants do report some deaths.
It might be helpful for you to contact NPIC. That organization is knowledgeable about pesticides and toxicology. You can contact them at 1-800-858-7378, from 6:30am to 4:30pm PT, seven days a week.
I hope this information is helpful.
Sincerely,
Claire M. Gesalman, Chief
Communication Services Branch
Office of Pesticide Programs
Dian D. Overbey
Communication Services Branch
Field and External Affairs Division
Office of Pesticide Programs
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Phone: 703-305-5018
Fax: 703-305-5558
**********************************************************************************
I recently purchased Zodiac Powerspot for my 9 year old ShiTzu. Within 5 minutes of applying it, she started to run around the yard rolling in the grass and shaking her coat as if she had been bitten. At first I just suspected that the powerspot might just be making the fleas run around but then I wondered if it was a reaction from the flea control. I tried wiping it off with a paper towel but she continued to hide under pillows and try to scratch her back. I shaved all of her hair off and gave her a bath, still thinking it was active fleas. She had a terrible restless night and the next day I discovered that the entire area I had applied the powerspot was a large burn blister. She has suffered for two days now due to this burn and we have started applying antibiotic ointment and warm cloths. I feel terrible for doing this to her as I discovered after shaving her hair off that she probably only had about 4 live fleas. The Zodiac website database fails when you hit Contact and the store where I got it from keeps saying that it's just a rare case of sensitivity to the product. I had tried a similar flea agent from the vet years ago where you apply it to the back and my dog had no reaction to that. I'm quite angry.
Jordan 10/25/08
Hello James
I have spent about an hour on the phone with the Zodiac company and a veterinarian who is not part of the company. I asked her if she would carry products containing Permetherin in her practice and she said "no." I also received a case number because they can't be positively sure that there wouldn't be potential damage to her organs after being absorbed through the skin although I bathed her within 1/2 hour so that may have been the saving grace. Blisters are starting to heal and I have taken photographs in case I decide to pursue litigation as there was no warning on this product to such 'sensitivity'?
Thank you very much for your work.
Jordan 10/27/08
I just wanted to let you know that while Molly's burns have all but healed, today we rushed her to the vet due to her sudden inability to want to walk, lethargy, grunting in pain and lack of appetite. he gave her a strong pain medication, and antibiotics and we are awaiting blood test results. The xrays showed that she has no sign of arthritis or bone problems that could be causing this so we are quite concerned because he says that she may be showing symptoms of liver or kidney problems. He also mentioned that his office alone treats 10 cases per month of patients with over the counter flea product side effects. I will definitely keep you posted.
Jordan 11/14/08
**********************************************************************************
I wish I had found your website before I used an over-the-counter product on my cat.
"SENTRY Natural Defense: Natural Flea & Tick Squeeze-On For Cats & Kittens" first burned the hair off of my cat, and then made her lethargic. Towards her last few days she was badly dehydrated, couldn't eat or use the bathroom. She died from acute renal failure, which my vet told me happens in less than 1% of cats her age! She was approximately 5 years old. She had no prior records of hospitalization or health problems.
I feel terribly guilty and angry at the company, and upon doing a websearch I found your site. I think the fact that over-the-counter flea and tick treatments are KILLING or at the very least making our pets extremely sick, is a HUGE and unaddressed issue. If there are so many people with stories and documents (as myself) - why can't we get a lawyer and file a class action law suit?? These companies should be made accountable for their actions and these products should be taken off the shelves so that naive consumers, like myself, won't have to witness our beloved pets die before our eyes after using them!!
Please let me know if there is something we can do, together. I do not want my cat to have died in vain!!
Jodie 10/26/08
Copyright © 2002-2009 BioSpotVictims.org All rights reserved.
DISCLAIMER: Below are messages that I have received from others whose dogs and cats experienced adverse reactions after using flea control products. I have no way of knowing if the information in these messages is factual, or if the products they used were the actual cause of the adverse reactions.
