Message Board
February 2011
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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I normally don't like to make a big deal about things that occur to me or around me. After much research and testimonials regarding First Shield Trio I feel I have put out a general warning. The incident involves my pet "Bogiga" (as named by my three year old son) an 11 month Tzhitzu.
On Tuesday evening (01/31/11) I applied First Shield Trio as indicated on the instructions. Minutes after the application of First Shield Trio, Bogiga began an all out sprint around the house. Followed by extensive rolling. If I only knew at that moment my little guy was in serious pain. I didn't think much of it because Bogiga is a very happy and playful dog.
The family tucked into bed and Bogiga was placed in his kennel. I mention that because he
still has a hard time being in the kennel. We thought the running and rolling would stop but that was not the case. If anything things got worse. Midnight came about and Bogiga was now whimpering and panting heavily. I tended to Bogiga and offered water since I figured he was fatigued due to all the running and rolling. I headed to bed but the commotion did not stop. Needless to say it was a long night for my family and I but specially for Bogiga.
The Next morning I took Bogiga out to take care of his natural duties as we do every morning. He dashed outside and rolled upside down on the cold wet grass. Again I was extremely naive and thought he was simply being Bogiga. I offered food and water and proceeded to get ready for work.
I came home in the evening and as I always do, took Bogiga out to take care of his duties. Bogiga still looked uneasy but nothing like the night before. I went to pet him and rub the back of his head when I noticed something on the back of his head. At first I thought it was gum stuck to his coat because the coat was knotted up. Now that I think about it, I wish it had been gum. In worst case scenario, I would have had to trim his coat. Unfortunately it was not gum. Bogiga had suffered a severe burn and his coat was knotted up due to the oozing occurring from the burn. The burn is about the size of a Silver Dollar. The burn has occurred on the exact spot where I applied First Shield Trio. I contacted the vet and explained the issue. Fortunately it looks like Bogiga's complication will go as far as a severe burn "Chemical Burn." I feel very responsible for what has happened to Bogiga. He was clearly telling me something was wrong and I failed to capture the signs. As painful as it was for Bogiga I consider myself and Bogiga lucky. Specially after reading some testimonials from other people and their pets. I am very disappointed at the lack of communication from Banfield pet hospital. I was never informed of the potential side effects let alone the possibility of death.
Please think twice before using First Shield Trio. I personally will never use this product again. If a product can harm but one pet than that product is inadequate and should be removed from the shelves. Bogiga is part of my family. I expect the same effort in quality and care in pet products as I see in many products made available for children.
Thank you for the opportunity to share Bogiga's story.
Juan & Bogiga 2/3/11
Many people find my website each day by searching for information on the side effects of Banfield's FirstShield Trio, which is also sold under the brand name, Vectra 3D. Here is a blog that was written by a veterinarian concerning Banfield's flea and tick products:
Excerpt:
"The company currently promotes a flea preventative that in my opinion has a bad safety profile and is no better than the horrible products made by Hartz, Sargeant's and BioSpot."
That's not surprising, because FirstShield Trio (Vectra 3D) was created by Hartz:
Here's an interesting comment that was posted on the above mentioned blog:
# Sarahkate posted a comment on July 28th, 2010 at 8:20 am
"There are too many substantiated and verified reports of cats and dogs sickened or killed
by applying commercial top-spot flea and tick control chemicals. A dear friend of mine lost
her Corgi HORRIBLY – what a HORRIBLE WAY TO DIE. The flea control substance was a popular highly advertised product and it was sold to her by her vet – her vet who tried to save the dog after the reaction to the product but was unable to do so. She still had to pay for the
5k vet bill afterward too. I started learning about the problems with these products about ten years ago and immediately stopped using them. For flea and tick control I: vacuum daily indoors, keep the outdoor lawns cut appropriately and spray with nematodes (bio-insect control and very affordable) keep my dogs healthy with what I call X-treme Nutrition (e.g.
home cooked organic meat and vegs little grain except quinoa, amaranth or organic oats)
and FLEA COMB DAILY. My younger dog loves flea combing so much he sits up (like in “begging” position” and presents his tummy for combing! Have I found a flea yet? So far this summer, once on one dog, none on the other. I don’t know why more vets don’t recommend keeping pets healthy with top quality nutrition because fleas are far less likely to plague a healthy animal IMHO and there is some documentation of that in studies as well. In my household of me and the critters, we do NOT believe in better living with “chemistry.”
Better living with appropriate biology!!!"
James TerBush
Website Administrator
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Updated ProHeart 6 Prescribing Information - June 2010
Every dog owner must READ THIS!!!
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Most ADHD Kids Have Multiple Conditions, Study Says
Excerpts:
"Two-thirds of American children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder struggle with
other mental health and developmental conditions, such as learning disabilities and anxiety,
a new study suggests."
"Notably, children from poor families were nearly four times as likely as affluent children to suffer from multiple conditions associated with ADHD, which also include conduct disorder, depression and speech problems, among others, the study said."
"This is a really striking finding that I don't think has been documented before," said study author Kandyce Larson, a research associate at the Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Milich noted that low-income children tend to have risk factors, such as suboptimal nutrition, that may explain why they struggle disproportionately with other conditions associated with ADHD.
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Do Flea and Tick Products Contribute to ADHD?
According to EPA risk assessments, spot-on products for pets pose more health risks to young children than any other residential pesticide product. The EPA now suspects that children's exposure to pyrethroids -- a class of pesticide commonly found in spot-on
products and virtually every household pesticide -- may cause brain damage.
Excerpts:
"Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is estimated to affect 3-12% of school-age individuals in the United States alone. Although the pathophysiology of ADHD is not completely understood, disruption of the dopaminergic system appears to play a central role. While genetic factors account for a large percentage of ADHD, an estimated 20-40% of
cases do not appear to have a primary genetic etiology, suggesting that environmental factors may contribute to ADHD. Accordingly, exposure to environmental agents, such as pesticides, that alter the proper development of the dopaminergic system may contribute to ADHD."
"Conclusions: The parallels between mice developmentally exposed to deltamethrin and individuals with ADHD suggest that it may be prudent to evaluate pyrethroid exposure as a risk factor for ADHD."
"This research was supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants ES013828, ES013457, and ES012315 and an EPA Science To Achieve Results (STAR) fellowship."
Project Start Date: 
26-SEP-2005
26-SEP-2005 Project End Date: 30-JUN-2009
30-JUN-2009What's so alarming about this study is mice were exposed to doses well below the developmental no-observable adverse effect level (NOAEL) for this pesticide, which
is considered the most sensitive indicator of toxicity by the EPA. In other words,
the mice were exposed to doses that the EPA considers to be safe!
For more information on this study, go to:
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Exposure to Pesticides in Womb Linked to Learning Disabilities
Excerpts:
"Babies exposed to high levels of pesticides while in the womb may suffer from learning problems, a new study suggests."
"The study focused on a chemical called permethrin, one of the pyrethroid pesticides, commonly used in agriculture and to kill termites, fleas and household bugs, says lead author Megan Horton of the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health. Most of the pregnant women in this New York-based study were exposed by spraying for cockroaches."
"Permethrin — among the most commonly detected pesticides in homes — is being used more often today as older organophosphorous pesticides are phased out because of concerns that they harm brain development, says Horton, whose study is being published today in Pediatrics."
"Children exposed to the highest pesticide levels before birth were three times as likely to have a mental delay compared to children with lower levels, the study says. Children with the highest prenatal exposures also scored about 4 points lower on an intelligence test, the Bayley Mental Developmental Index. That test has a mean score of 100, with most people's scores falling within 15 points of that range."
"That's about the same intelligence loss caused by lead, says Philip Landrigan, a pediatrics professor and environmental health expert at New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine."
"Pyrethroid pesticides kill bugs by "being toxic to the developing brain," Landrigan says. The results are "very believable and should be taken seriously," Landrigan says."
"Because the study is the first to link permethrin with brain damage, researchers need to conduct additional studies before concluding that the pesticide really harms the brain, says Mary Fox, an assistant professor at John Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health."
"Even without definitive data, however, Fox says it makes sense for pregnant women to reduce their exposure to bug sprays and other pesticides."
For more information on this study, go to:
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Business Groups' Target: EPA
Excerpts:
"The Environmental Protection Agency, which enforces rules that affect the U.S. economy
from factories to farms, is the No. 1 target of complaints from business groups collected by House Republican leaders."
"EPA rules were cited more than those from any other agency in more than 100 letters sent by trade associations, businesses and some conservative groups to House oversight committee chairman Darrell Issa (R., Calif.) in response to his call for businesses to identify regulations they deemed burdensome, according to documents reviewed by the Wall Street Journal. The letters are scheduled for release today."
"The EPA's rules to curb emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases were cited as an impediment to growth by at least 30 organizations writing to Mr. Issa, including representatives of the agriculture, business, chemicals, energy, paper, manufacturing and steel and iron sectors."
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(Below is a Freedom of Information Act request that I sent to the EPA on 2/9/11)
The EPA's most recent dietary risk assessment for spinosad/spinetoram, which was done
on August 18, 2010, found that the chronic dietary analysis resulted in exposure estimates
of 24% cPAD for children 1-2 years old. However, a previous dietary risk assessment for spinosad/spinetoram, which was done on March 25, 2010, found that exposure estimates were 94% cPAD for children 1-2 years old.
Could you please explain why the dietary exposure estimates for the most recent risk assessment were significantly lower than the previous risk assessment?
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
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The Evolution of Sergeant's Evolve (Sentry Pro XFT)
Sergeant's has a new line of spot-on products for dogs called Evolve, which is also being
sold under their Sentry brand as Sentry Pro XFT. According to the EPA, these products
were registered to mitigate pet safety risk concerns that were associated with Sergeant's Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs, and Sentry Pro XFC (which is also distributed under the
AgriLabs brand as TriForce Canine Squeeze-On).
Just how many adverse incidents were associated with Sergeant's Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs, and Sentry Pro XFC ? According to the EPA:
"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 spot-on products were the ONLY cyphenothrin pet treatments on the market, that is simply astounding. But it gets worse!
In 2006, two EPA risk assessments found that Sergeant's cyphenothrin spot-on products posed unacceptable health risks to children.
Despite these concerns, the EPA made no effort to recall those products. When a representative from the EPA was asked about these risk assessments in 2008, she
stated that the EPA had overestimated the amount of cyphenothrin in those products,
and when the calculations were done on the smaller dose, the margin of safety was acceptable.
That representative from the EPA could not have been more wrong! The EPA had not overestimated the amount of cyphenothrin in Sergeant's spot-on products -- they had
actually UNDERESTIMATED it by 100%.
How is that possible? The application rates that were approved by the EPA were
2X the application rates that were used in the EPA's risk assessments.
In other words, Sergeant's cyphenothrin spot-on products were TWICE as dangerous as previously thought!
At the request of the EPA, Sergeant's reformulated its spot-on product for dogs -- using etofenprox as the main active ingredient for dogs under 20 lbs., and a smaller dose of cyphenothrin for dogs over 20 lbs. -- and vastly improved the warnings on the labels:
"DO NOT USE ON CATS. May be toxic and potentially fatal if applied to or ingested by cats. FOR EXTERNAL USE ON DOGS ONLY."
"Do not use on puppies under 12 weeks of age. Weigh your dog to be sure you are applying the right dose formulated for the weight of your pet. Do not treat your pet with more than one pesticide product at a time. Over dosing your animal can result in serious illness and even death. Best if used year round. Consult a veterinarian before using this product on debilitated, aged, medicated, pregnant, or nursing dogs. Consult a veterinarian before using on dogs with known organ dysfunction. DO NOT USE ON CATS or animals other than dogs. Separate the treated dog from all other dogs and cats for 24 hours after treatment has been applied. Cats and dogs that actively groom or engage in close physical contact with treated dog may be at risk of serious harmful effects. The most common signs of ingestion are excessive salivation and foaming at the mouth. If these symptoms occur immediately feed your dog and continue
to monitor your pet for the next 24 hours. If symptoms persist call 1-800-781-4738 to talk to
a veterinarian. Cats exhibiting these same symptoms from ingestion should be taken to the veterinarian immediately. If your dog is exhibiting signs of and/or are being treated for skin dermatitis, talk to your vet before applying any topical flea and tick control product."
However, Sergeant's Evolve still has the potential to cause adverse effects -- particularly
in small dogs. Evolve 11 (for dogs 11 to 20 lbs.) contains the highest percentage and
volume of etofenprox (a pyrethroid pesticide) of any spot-on for dogs in that weight range.
As a matter of fact, Evolve 11 contains TWICE as much etofenprox as was
originally proposed by Sergeant's! (does that sound familiar?)
Due to effects noted in a companion animal safety study, the EPA requested that the
following statement be included on the Evolve 11 label:
"Some dogs may experience temporary startle effects when this product is
applied."
The EPA recently issued a data call-in notice for etofenprox, and will soon be
issuing data call-ins for cyphenothrin, which means its current safety data for etofenprox and cyphenothrin have been determined to be inadequate.
Incredibly, Sergeant's Evolve for dogs over 20 lbs. contains the same amount
of cyphenothrin as the products that were found by the EPA in 2006 to pose unacceptable health risks to children.
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(Below is a Freedom of Information Act request that I sent to the EPA on 2/11/11)
Please send all records, including correspondence to/from registrant, regarding discussion
of possible risk mitigation measures for spinetoram cat/kitten spot-on product, EPA Reg.
No. 72642-9.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
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(Below is a Freedom of Information Act request that I sent to the EPA on 2/12/11)
Please send me the latest occupational and residential exposure and risk assessment for
the pesticide etofenprox.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
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My nightmare with BioSpot:
On 2/10/11, I applied BioSpot to my almost 3 year old bichon/poodle. I had been using Advantage for flea control, but a friend had tried it and offered me one dose to try. Within
1 hour of application, my dog became lethargic, and then began to thrash around and
have what looked like seizures. He vomited several times, his heart was racing and he had difficulty breathing. I washed the spots where I had applied the BioSpot with soap and water, and then later gave him a shower to be sure the poison was washed off. By 9am the next morning, he was worse so I took him to the vet emergency room. They checked his vitals
and then gave him a tranquilizer and some muscle relaxant. The doctor said that they had
seen this reaction of BioSpot with cats, but my dog's reaction was not usual. By 4pm that
day, he was no different. I called the ER and they advised me to return. They re-examined
him and administered another tranquilizer. We had another restless night, and he could
only sleep if I held him tight, as he was not able to control his thrashing body. He is showing signs of improvement, but it still experiencing periods of thrashing and is extremely fatigued.
Bottom line: after $230 in emergency vet bills, the pain my dog has suffered, and sleepless nights, I believe that BioSpot should be banned.
Annie 2/12/11
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(Below is email that I sent to Kimberly Nesci at the EPA on 2/15/11)
Hi Kimberly,
Here is an EPA memorandum titled, "Spinetoram. Human Health Risk Assessment for Cat/Kitten Spot-On Use," which is dated October 12, 2010:
On page 24, it states that the intermediate-term aggregate risk calculation is at the LOC
(level of concern) of 100, and recommends several possible actions to mitigate the risk, including restricting the minimum weight of cats that may be treated to 6 lbs., or decreasing the amount applied to younger cats.
However, the proposed cat/kitten spot-on product appears to have been registered (EPA Reg. No. 72642-9) on November 3, 2010, without ANY weight restriction or reduction in the dosage meant for cats under 6 lbs. As you can see on Elanco's website, the product is recommended for cats and kittens eight weeks of age and older:
EPA's risk assessment incorrectly assumed that cats as small as 4 lbs. may be treated with the proposed spot-on product.
According to this growth chart, the average weight of an eight week old kitten is approximately 2 lbs.:
If the above risk assessment had been based on the approximate weight of eight week old kittens, the intermediate-term aggregate risk calculation would have been significantly under the LOC of 100.
Could you please let me know how it was possible for that spot-on product to be registered when it posed a risk of concern to children? Also, does the EPA have any plan to mitigate
that risk?
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
(Below is email that I received from the EPA on 8/11/11)
Dear Mr. TerBush:
Thank you for your February 15, 2011, inquiry to Kimberly Nesci
regarding the registration of spinetoram cat spot-on product, AssurityTM
(EPA Reg. No. 72642-9). We have investigated your concern.
We consider our risk assessment to be protective, based on the
information presented in the October 12, 2010, risk assessment. In
addition, we are considering whether further risk reduction measures
could be implemented and will contact the registrant, Elanco Animal
Health, as appropriate.
Thank you again for your inquiry.
Sincerely,
Claire M. Gesalman
Communication Services Branch
Field and External Affairs Division
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(Below is a Freedom of Information Act request that I sent to the EPA on 2/21/11)
Please send me EPA document D277543. It's a review of a study titled, "Determination of the Dislodgeability of Tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) from the Fur of Dogs following the Application of an Insecticide Powder, Pump Spray or Aerosol. McKeown,K. (2001). MRID 45485501"
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
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(Below is a Freedom of Information Act request that I sent to the EPA on 2/21/11)
Please send me study title, "Residential Exposure and Risk Assessment for a Proposed Etofenprox Spot-On Product for Dogs", MRID 47849610, submitted on 9/10/2009.
Also, if the above study has been reviewed by EPA, please send me the review.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
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(Below is a Freedom of Information Act request that I sent to the EPA on 2/21/11)
Please send me the EPA's Occupational and Residential Exposure and Risk Assessment
for EPA Reg. Nos. 2517-129 and 2517-130 (cyphenothrin spot-on products for dogs).
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
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(Below is email that I sent to Elizabeth Leovey at the EPA on 2/22/11)
Dear Ms. Leovey,
On September 10, 2009, a Section 3 registration application was submitted by Exponent
on behalf of Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. Sergeant's had requested and was granted
a PRIA fee waiver/reduction of 50% (based on OPP Decision Number D-408042).
I do not have a copy of OPP Decision Number D-408042, but could you please let me know how Sergeant's was able to qualify for the reduced fee?
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
(Below is a reply that I received from the EPA on 2/22/11)
----- Original Message -----
From: <Leovey.Elizabeth@epamail.epa.gov>
To: "James TerBush" <james@biospotvictims.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 1:34 PM
Subject: Re: PRIA Fee/Waiver Reduction
Mr. TerBush - Actions that do not require a fee are listed on the following web page -
Regarding small business waivers -
Elizabeth Leovey
Senior Advisor for PRIA Implementation
I had the pleasure of speaking with Ms. Leovey this afternoon. I asked her, "How can Sergeant's -- which bills itself as one of America's oldest, best-known, and most respected manufacturers and marketers of pet supplies, and a leading provider of over-the-counter
flea and tick control products for dogs and cats -- qualify as a "small business" and get
a 50% reduction in the fees for the registration of a new line of flea and tick products?
That's simply unbelievable!!!"
"Well, you know," she said, "it is what it is. That's the law."
Ms. Leovey then asked how I had obtained this information.
"Well," I said, "I submitted a FOIA request which required the EPA to release it. That's
the law."
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(Below is a Freedom of Information Act request that I sent to the EPA on 2/24/11)
Please send me the data call-in notice that was issued for the pesticide etofenprox.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
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(Below is email that I received from Wilhelmena Livingston at the EPA on 2/24/11)
Dear Mr. TerBush,
The estimated timeline for the completion of the preliminary risk assessment for
etofenprox review has changed. The Agency is in the process of amending the
Etofenprox Registration Review Final Work Plan to reflect the issuance of a data
call-in notice. Therefore, the projected timeline for the completion of registration
review for etofenprox will be revised to include the data submission. The Agency
will issue a Federal Register notice announcing the availability of the amended
final work plan, which will include the revised timeline for the completion of the
preliminary risk assessment. Please feel free to contact me with any additional
questions with regards to this matter.
Sincerely,
Wilhelmena Livingston, Chemical Review Manager
USEPA Office of Pesticide Programs
Pesticide Re-evaluation Division
Risk Management and Implementation Branch IV
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Can Etofenprox cause allergic respritory failure in cats?
Excerpts:
QUESTION: My cat died recently after applying a product for flea control that contained Etofenprox. Symptoms onset was she became very lethargic and then quit eating and started demonstrating breathing problems. By the time I got her to a vet her lungs were full and there was nothing the vet could do to save her. I am curious if the product was to blame for her death, in your opinion. Her gums were almost white indicating no oxygen in her system and her heart failed. She was only 6 years and had demonstrated no other health issues except occasional vomiting from sensitive stomach/hairballs. Thank you for your reply to my sincere need to know. I feel I have been the cause of her death by applying this product to her skin.
Answer
Hi Cheryl,
I'm so sorry to hear about this. How awful!
It is possible that this flea product could be responsible for the death of your kitty. Etofenprox is a pyrethroid. We know pyrethroids to be toxic to cats, and breathing problems are one of the reported reactions. The folks who make lower-end flea treatments keep coming up with "new and better" pesticides to put in their products. They are supposed to be safer than the older chemicals, but I still can't understand why they're using products in a family we know is highly toxic to cats. I don't know if you could ever be 100% sure that there was no underlying health condition with your cat that just happened to surface coincidentally, but I think I would be very suspicious that the flea product had to do with this.
I encourage you to report this to the company whose flea product you bought. They, in turn, are required to report the adverse effects to the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has some involvement in which products will be allowed to stay on the shelves. You could also ask your vet to file a report through the National Pesticide Information Center's Veterinary Incident Reporting portal. This is a database where vets and techs can share information about adverse reactions to pesticides that their patients have experienced. Your cat's case could be a warning to others.
I'm very sorry for your loss. I wish you the best.
Jessica
QUESTION: Should I report the case number, from the manufacturer, to the EPA myself? Are there other places I should contact to get the word out on these deadly across the counter flea and tick products? I have already warned my family and friends of this incident, but feel I need to help others avoid my horrible experience and possible death of their beloved animal. Thank you again for your response.
Answer
It won't hurt to report it to the EPA yourself. It would be most helpful if you could send your case in with vet records indicating that this was most likely a reaction to the flea treatment, however. Unfortunately, if your vet isn't cooperating, that will make things difficult. Still, there should be no problems getting a copy of her records, and I don't think the timing is a coincidence.
As far as a place to report her adverse reaction, I'm not sure exactly which product you used, but I know there is a site dedicated specifically to getting the word out against Hartz products. It's Hartzvictims.org. You can post your story there to help warn others.
I nearly lost one of my kitties to a similar product years ago. He went into full convulsions and was unconscious by the time we got him to the emergency vet. After a 3-day hospital stay, he recovered. But we were very lucky. I have been dead set against any flea treatment that isn't available from my vets since then. I can't understand how a company concerned with the welfare of pets can slap a "safe" label on something they know contains toxic ingredients, just because most pets tolerate them in small doses. If the amount of CHILDREN were reacting to a product this way that pets are, it would be illegal. They fail to understand that to many of us, our pets are just that.
Please don't hold yourself responsible for this horrible tragedy. When a company markets something as safe, you expect it to be safe. We shouldn't expect any less. These companies, who are fully aware of the potential of their products, are solely responsible for the outcome of their use.
Jessica
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(Below is a Freedom of Information Act request that I sent to the EPA on 2/27/11)
Please send me the generic and product-specific data call-in notices (DCIs) that were issued in 2009 for certain pyrethroid pesticides -- including pyrethrins, permethrin, and phenothrin.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
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(Below is a Freedom of Information Act request that I sent to the EPA on 2/28/11)
Please send me the EPA's Occupational and Residential Exposure and Risk Assessment
for proposed EPA Reg. No. 2517-RUN (fipronil + cyphenothrin spot-on product for dogs).
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
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I bought Bio-Spot topical flea treatment from the Drs. Foster and Smith catalog a few
months ago. It was cheaper than Frontline Plus, which I usually buy, and I thought because
it was in a "doctors'" catalog, it would be safe. 2 out of my 7 cats had severe reactions to
it, which is WAY too high a rate of reaction. We washed it off and both were ok, but my
female cat was howling in pain a few hours after we put it on, something I've never seen
her do before or since. We called animal poison control, who said they'd file a report
with Bio-Spot's manufacturer, but I have no idea what happened. I also called the
Dr. Foster/Smoth catalog to complain, but I see they still carry it.
Wendy 2/28/11
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(Below is email that I sent to Kimberly Nesci at the EPA on 2/28/11)
Hi Kimberly,
Attached is a letter that I received today from Earl Ingram in regards to my request for
the latest occupational and residential exposure and risk assessment for etofenprox. Apparently, the most current risk assessment for etofenprox-based pet products was completed on April 6, 2006.
Isn't the EPA required to conduct a comprehensive health and environmental risk
assessment to determine the impact that new pesticide products will have on the
human population and surrounding environment? Can you please let me know
why that wasn't done for the registration of EPA Reg. No. 2517-133?
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator
Copyright © 2002-2011 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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