Message Board
October 2010
CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT
On 3/2/10, a lawsuit seeking class action status was filed on behalf of pet owners against Hartz, Sergeant's, and Summit VetPharm (maker of Vectra and Vectra 3D, which are sold by Banfield Pet Hospital's under the name FirstShield and FirstShield Trio).
On 8/25/10, a lawsuit seeking class action status was filed on behalf of pet owners against Central Garden and Pet - the parent company of Farnam (maker of Adams and Bio Spot flea and tick products) and Wellmark International (maker of Zodiac flea and tick products).
The lawsuits seek injunctive relief in the form of a recall of the offending products, a refund of the purchase price, for compensatory damages, punitive damages and other relief.
For additional information concerning this lawsuit, click here.
If your pet was harmed by a flea and tick product made by one of the above mentioned companies, and you would like to participate in this class action,
please contact:
Jacqueline Mottek
Positive Legal Group
415.302.5371 (cell)
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ANOTHER CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT
A class action law firm Green & Pagano LLP is currently investigating complaints from
New Jersey and New York residents whose pets were harmed by spot-on products.
If your pet was harmed by a spot-on product within the past couple years and you live
in New Jersey or New York, please go to: www.SpotOnComplaints.com
or call Michael Green at (732) 390-0480.
For additional information concerning this lawsuit, click here.
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Hi James,
So, here's the scenario we have confronted over the last few days:
We washed a 15 year old, 15 pound Bichon Frise with Bio Spot Flea and Tick
shampoo full strength from Petsmart. Before the wash, he was very healthy
and active but was diagnosed with Cushing's disease. Within 1 hour, he
looked like he was going to die: Lethargic, threw up, pooped, acted like he
was stuck in time - he just stared out in space. Soon he was limp an unable
to get up. The next day we washed him thoroughly in the morning. It didn't
really help that much. I wish we had done it immediately as others have said
they did.
I talked to the manufacturer and the manufacturer-contracted ASPCA vet and
both said that this was a coincidence as did all the other vets when asked.
The exploratory surgery yesterday found an abnormal liver in that a lump was
found and removed and there were multiple sites that were bleeding.
Interestingly, the lump of liver removed was thought to be big because of an
excessive amount of blood, not necessarily a tumor. Testing will come back
next week. My gut reaction today is that the liver is trying to get rid of
the Bio Spot chemicals with disastrous results.
Since I have a science background, I am hesitant to conclude a direct
connection here but one has to wonder.
Paul 10/1/10
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Our little miniature schnauzer Heidi, three years old and lively, began twitching, itching, and vomiting and retreating after an application of bio spot. She was clearly in pain, sick, and miserable. We washed her and took her to the vet who told us the bio spot is a horrible product that causes many dogs to become ill and have seizures and neurological problems. Our dog is recovering and we will never apply a topical flea and tick medicine again.
Dianna 10/5/10
Austin, Texas
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I WISH I had known the adverse reactions caused by BioSpot before I purchased it, but how could anyone know??? There is no warning label on the package. I applied BioSpot Kitten
(for kittens under 5 pounds) to my 1.5 pound kitten on Saturday, October 2. Within hours, this healthy, happy kitty was twitching and drooling. Then came the wave of seizures that haven't stopped since Sunday (it is now Thursday). She has been at the vet, who flushed her system with water, hydrated her, and put her on PhenoBarbitol (anti-seizure medicine). I am administering this every 12 hours, yet she still has at least two seizures a day, which includes total body paralysis, body twitching, defecation and urination. To see this little rescue kitten paralyzed by seizures is heartbreaking, and the knowledge that I unknowingly poisoned my beloved kitten is gut-wrenching. Why is this product still being sold by PetCo and other reputable stores? Why, at the very least, is their no warning label? I am sick about this.
How can the makers of BioSpot still be in business?
Michelle 10/7/10
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I buried my dog last night a day after Adams spot applied. I know after reading the information on Biospot PERMETHRIN 45%. Please tell me why I find this out after I.......I killed my dog. Some may say I'm carrying on but my heart hurts. She was a part of my family. How can this happen? Why did I have to look for information telling me that it could KILL MY DOG! I want answers and I'm starting here if you can help point me in the right direction somebody has to answer for this!!!
Jelita 10/7/10
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I just found your website . . . here's a belated report.
On 3 September I treated my two Labradors with TriForce Canine Squeeze On
made by AgriLaborities, Ltd. of St Joseph MO. I had treated them with the
same medication five weeks earlier. TriForce contains 40% Cyphenothrin and
2% Pyripoxyfen, plus 58% 'Other', presumably inert ingredients. It also
says it contains Nylar (TM) though the amount is not listed in the packing
material.
About 24 hours later my older girl (who is big on licking the younger girl)
started having seizures. Awful deep muscle spasms, strong enough to cause
her to flip onto her side from standing . . . lasting less than a minute,
followed by tense muscles and a lot of panting, plus some drooling. Back to
semi normal for a five or ten minutes. Then another attack. This went on for
almost 45 minutes. I'm new to the area and don't have much of a support
network. I wasn't going to be able to drive her to the vets alone cause a
spasm in my vehicle would have been dangerous. A neighbor is a vet nurse.
She gave me the number of a vet to call. The vet heard the description of
symptoms and asked about possible poisons. I told him about the TriForce
treatment and read him the active ingredients. He concluded that she was
poisoned by the stuff and said to wash her thoroughly to get all of the
stuff out. I did so and the symptoms disappeared within a minute or two. He
recommended vallium if rinsing did not do the trick.
I think TriForce is a dangerous product, especially for people with more
than one dog. The volume that you squeeze on is far to great and it doesn't
sink into the coat. If you have multiple dogs who groom one another that is
a recipe for ingestion. I am shocked that there are no warnings on the
label. I tried the emergency number on the product website and the call
went nowhere. I sent a notification to the manufacturers and didn't receive
a response. I also sent a notification to Jeffers Pet Supply, from whom I
purchased the medication. They refunded my money and said they were
thinking about discontinuing the product as it had caused more complaints
than anything else they sell.
Jennifer 10/11/10
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My wife and I purchase Bio Spot for cats on 10-11-10 and applied it the same
day. Today 10-12-10 I woke up to our $400.00 Blue Point Siamese cat foaming
at the mouth and convulsing. We rushed her to the vet and were told
basically we had poisoned our cat with this crap. They are planning to bath
her really good and give her some injections to reverse the affect and
HOPEFULLY she will be fine. But...who knows how big this vet bill will be.
We then drove to Pet Smart to ask why they have this poison on their
shelves. If there is any Class Action Lawsuits out there sign me up.
Our little Paris is currently under observation at Hillcrest Animal Hospital
in Rockford, IL.
Rodger 10/12/10
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In July, 2010 I put Vectra 3D on my 15 pound Daschund and my 7 pound toy poodle. The poodle started itching and biting her side and kept kicking her rear leg out for three days or
so, then it went away. I administered another dose 1 month later, as directed and the poodle started the same, so I shaved her side and she had red sores, that's when I realized it was the Vectra. Then my Daschund started seizing and I took her to the vet. He said he had heard of skin problems with the product and was thinking about taking it off the shelves, but we had her blood tested and she was fine, but he put her on anti-seizure medicine. That's when I realized
I believe she had seizures after the first dose because I had noticed yellow fluid on my sheets.
I realized this because I had actually seen her seizures and the yellow stuff was coming out of her mouth. I had to put her down last Saturday - a sad day! Her seizures had become violent and she cried, she was licking her urine and eating stuff, wood, toys, everything. She had never done this before. She would wonder around, her back legs would give out. I think she may have had brain damage or a stroke because of these grand mal seizures. Once, she had 3 in 12 hours. The vet called this Monday and said she called Vectra and they offered to do an autopsy, but the dog would have to be sent to Michigan and results would be firstly sent to Vectra. Could Bias enter into this? I just think it a coincidence that both dogs had reactions within 3-5 days after application.
Kathleen 10/13/10
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Lost our baby to biospot.
We lost our corgi 5 days before Christmas in December 2009. I actually treated my Yorkie
and my corgi was the one that paid the price. Libby was energetic, loving, gentle and a HUGE part of our family for 7 yrs. I adopted her from a shelter in Harriman, Tennessee. We were having a massive problem with fleas so I started treating the dogs. I treated Echo, the yorkie first and then was going to treat Libby the next day as time to do both wasn't in the cards for me. But by the next day Libby started acting really funny. She had no energy, wouldn't play with any of us, wouldn't eat or drink. Before I even got a chance to get her to a vet we lost her. It was the worse Christmas ever!!! I'm scared to treat my yorkie with anything or our pitbull mastif for fear we will lose one or both of them. My Yorkie is now pregnant so I have to be really careful. What can I do?
Debora 10/20/10
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(Below is email that I sent to Earl Ingram at the EPA on 10/21/10)
Dear Mr. Ingram,
I received your letter dated October 5, 2010, regarding Freedom of Information Request HQ-FOI-1912-10/Final Response, in which you stated that the Office of Pesticide Programs has not yet evaluated the spot-on incidents for 2009, therefore no records exist.
In the Review of Enhanced Reporting of 2008 Pet Spot-On Incidents, dated March 12, 2010, EPA stated the following:
"Thoughts for the future: Next time the team would like to do the following:
1) an analysis of incidents with multiple animals,
2) look at secondary exposure by grooming another animal,
3) provide better characterization of dermal toxicity and neurotoxicity;
4) do a more thorough analysis to see if we agreed on severity classification by registrants,
5) tables for age and weights should be adjusted for individual products rather than be the same for all,
6) an analysis of the dose to which pets were exposed,
7) more complete analysis of inerts,
8) look at rare but serious toxicities (we discounted the rare effects)"
Please let me know if the Office of Pesticide Programs has completed its analysis of the above listed items, and please send me that information if it is available. If OPP has not completed its analysis of the above listed items, please let me know when it expects to complete it. Thank you.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
(Below is email that I received from the EPA on 10/21/10)
Hello Mr. TerBush,
The Office of Pesticide Programs will be posting a web page within the
next few days which I understand should address many of your questions.
I will send you a link to this web page after it has been posted. We
can address any questions you may still have at that time.
Sincerely,
Earl Ingram
Team Leader
Public Information & Records Integrity Branch
Information Technology & Resources Management Division
Office of Pesticide Programs
US Environmental Protection Agency
(Below is email that I sent to Earl Ingram at the EPA on 10/22/10)
Mr. Ingram,
Thank you for the reply. Is this the web page that you referred to?
Unfortunately, the above web page does not adequately address any of the items that were listed under "thoughts for the future" in EPA's Review of Enhanced Reporting of 2008 Pet Spot-On Incidents.
If the Office of Pesticide Programs has completed its analysis of those items, please provide me with that information.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
(Below is email that I received from the EPA on 10/22/10)
Dear Mr. TerBush,
You went to the correct web page. The Office of Pesticide Programs has
not completed any analysis on the items listed in your email sent
October 21, 2010.
Feel free to give me call if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Earl Ingram
Team Leader
Public Information & Records Integrity Branch
Information Technology & Resources Management Division
Office of Pesticide Programs
US Environmental Protection Agency
(Below is email that I sent to Earl Ingram at the EPA on 10/22/10)
Mr. Ingram,
Thank you again for the information. It's difficult to believe that OPP would attempt to implement a risk mitigation plan without first analyzing the eight items which it had identified
as concerns in its Review of Enhanced Reporting of 2008 Pet Spot-On Incidents. How can OPP effectively mitigate the adverse effects from pet spot-on products without a complete understanding of the problem? It's also deeply troubling that OPP has chosen to meet solely with product registrants behind closed doors to negotiate its risk mitigation plan. Protecting people, pets, and the environment from unreasonable harm should not be open for negotiation.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
(Below is email that I received from the EPA on 10/22/10)
Mr TerBush,
I will see to it that your comments reach the subject matter experts.
Sincerely,
Earl Ingram
Team Leader
Public Information & Records Integrity Branch
Information Technology & Resources Management Division
Office of Pesticide Programs
US Environmental Protection Agency
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Betty White Joins Sergeant's Happy Healthy Cat Photo Contest
It's a shame to see Betty White being used to pimp Sergeant's products. Sergeant's flea
and tick products cause unreasonable harm to thousands of pets each year.
In December 2009, the EPA published the following document regarding cyphenothrin -
the main active ingredient in Sergeant's spot-on products for dogs:
Excerpt from page 14:
"There have been several reported pet incidents involving the use of cyphenothrin pet treatments on dogs. From January 2006 to November 2009, there were 149 reported mortalities, 367 major reported incidents, 13,455 moderate reported incidents and 32,713 minor reported incidents. From all reported pesticide related pet incidents, cyphenothrin products account for 10% of the total reported pet mortalities, 13% of all major incidents, 54% of all moderate incidents, and 65% of all minor incidents. Some of these incidents resulted from cyphenothrin products co-formulated with pyriproxifen, and it is unclear whether one active ingredient or the other, or an emergent effect from the formulation is responsible for these incidents."
When you consider that Sergeant's is the ONLY manufacturer of cyphenothrin pet treatments for dogs, that is simply astounding.
Want your pet to be happy and healthy? AVOID OVER-THE-COUNTER FLEA AND
TICK PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN DANGEROUS CHEMICALS!
Copyright © 2002-2010 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.
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