Update 5/25/07: Hamish has not had ANY seizures since we stopped using Bio Spot
5 YEARS AGO, and appears to have made a full recovery. We are thankful for each day
that he is with us.
Farnam reimbursed us for Hamish's medical expenses, provided that we accept it as
"FULL AND FINAL SETTLEMENT FOR THE ALLEGED ADVERSE REACTION TO BIOSPOT."
Here are some of the e-mail 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.
CAUTION: This information is provided for educational purposes only. It is not intended to
replace professional veterinary advice. Please consult with your veterinarian before giving
any treatment to your animals.
**********************************************************************************
I have a 6.5 year old, 95 pound German Shepherd/Newfie mix who experienced a GM seizure
(for the first time that I was aware of) on Monday 4 June. Kodiak is at home by himself during the
day except when some neighboring teenagers I've "hired" stop in after school to exercise and
feed him.
After a visit to the ER vet on 4 June, no diagnosis could be found and they suggested I have a
neurologist check him for a possible brain tumor. I also learned to my surprise that a dog of that
size was considered geriatric at 6.5 yo. I left him overnight as his behavior was still unusual,
including pacing around in circles. They gave him a bolus of glucose and some charcoal as a
precaution.
Throughout the next week, he had a series of partial seizures -- some seen by me and his afternoon
sitters. Who knows if there were more when nobody was around. Weakness of the hindquarters,
lethargy, twitching mouth and splayed legs as he lost muscle control were predominant symptoms.
This was all very distressing to watch and I brought him to another ER vet on 11 June, where they
had neurologists on staff.
I'm now waiting on some tests to see if their theory of an insulinoma can be validated. His blood
sugar was on the low side of normal which seemed to suggest an excessive production of insulin
could be the culprit. An xray and ultrasound however did not show any tumor in his pancreas area.
He's home with me as of 13 June on 30mg prednisone and being fed frequent smaller meals per
day. So far everything looks fine, but clearly the prednisone is not a long term solution.
I just found your web site and have been reading in fascination about the symptoms documented
there. I had applied Frontline Plus for Dogs (89-132#) about a week before Kodiak's GM seizure.
I see a definite cause and effect cycle! While I'd mentioned that to both vets, it was dismissed as
not a cause. I will definitely be discussing the cases I've read about here with my vet when they
call with the glucose/insulin ratio test results.
I'm about to bathe him in Dawn today as a further precaution. I've got my fingers crossed that the
worst is over. I guess I'm wondering what to expect next if this is indeed associated with the
Frontline Plus. I'm about 3 weeks into it now.
Carol 6/16/07
Oh, another symptom during the week between vet visits was labored rapid, shallow breathing.
Carol 6/16/07
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I have two cats in critical condition right now due to the terrible chemical in biospot for cats/ferrets
that I purchased at Fleet Farm. I cannot believe they are being allowed to sell this crap for cats when
after researching it appears to be terrible for dogs also!
I have emailed both departments and intend to have the Vet fill out a complaint to the FDA in any
attempt to stop this madness.
I am also contacting that company and expect them to pay for the medical bills.
Anita & Ken 6/17/07
Thanks for your reply. Our vet had contaced ASPCA and they called Farnam and then Farnam has
called us and offered to pay expenses. Our cats are pretty much fully recovered - Thank God. Our
5 yr old is not quite the same, but we are just so happy they survived. I have also filled a report to the
EPA and our Vet is submitting a complaint to the FDA (who knows, maybe it will help). I complained
to every possible outlet including Fleet Farm where we purchased the crap.
Again thanks for your web page as it helped me out a lot.
Anita 6/24/07
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I purchased a flea shampoo from Pet Smart. The product was made by Farnam and the label reads
"safe for all ages" I then watched as 7 beautiful kittens slowly died! I am carrying around an unbearable amount of guilt right now. I have been in touch with several attornies, Pet Smart and Farnam (no reply
from the last two). I intend to sue for pain and suffering as well as MAKING THEM REMOVE LABELS
THAT ARE LIES!
Teri 6/18/07
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In desperation looking for some answers for my poor cat I found your site..
I noticed one individual Jim from Maine (4-20-07) had posted a request on the product by Sergeant's
named Nature's Guardian...That is the exact product that I put on my cat who is going through the same
awful symptoms as the chemical products...All the blood work is messed up and confusing.. liver and
kidneys way out of whack...He is now on his second antibiotic and steroids in the Vet's office...As of this morning he can't walk...the xray's only show that one of his kidneys is larger than the other...Things are
not looking good and the Vet is keeping him over night again...I don't feel much hope for the future...
Fortunately I do have a wonderful doctor for my cat.. just the same I fear for what tomorrow brings.
I do want to share a link that was passed on to me...I honestly thought that I was doing the right thing in
trying to steer away from the chemicals.. unfortunately for cats...the oils are just as dangerous if not more
so as their little livers cannot process them:
Devastated
Michel 6/18/07
I apologize for the delay in my response...but it has been a trying and sad time...The link you provided
shows a post actually made by me...I am Shellie..and now I have added a second:
Without spending a ton of money...my bills are already close to $700...I cannot prove a thing...and I
simply do not feel like haggling with anyone..I am totally drained and heartsick by this entire experience...
I just don't have the money to prove to Sergeant's what they have cost me...Besides..they would not
remove the product from the market...I am in the medical field...and as I tell others...the medicines that
we are pushing these days are far more dangerous than the diseases we are treating...We live in a toxic world...and it all needs to change...but I don't have the resources to make enough noise to matter.
Thank you for your caring and response.
Michel/Shellie 6/20/07
After doing a Google search for Sergeant's Nature's Guardian and Sentry Natural Defense, I found these websites concerning adverse reactions from these products:
The EPA classifies the active ingredients in Nature's Guardian and Natural Defense as "minimum risk" pesticides, which exempts these products from the rules which regulate other pesticide products, such as having to submit safety data and adverse effects information to the EPA. This exemption permits these products to make questionable safety claims, such as "safe for children and pets", which is prohibited
on other pesticide products. This exemption also ignores the fact that mixing "minimum risk" ingredients
together can increase its toxicity due to synergy.
A petition was recently submitted to the EPA by a lobbying group for the chemical pesticide makers that
would require minimum risk pesticide products to be registered as pesticide products. Not surprisingly, Sergeants is strongly opposed to any effort to regulate these products:
How does Sergeant's Nature's Guardian and Sentry's Natural Defense work?
According to Sergeants, these products contain plant oils (also known as essential oils) that work
by blocking the octopamine receptor, which is a neurotransmitter unique to insects. "Octopamine is
not found in humans other mammals and birds or fish, thus these products that are deadly to insects
are safe to use around children and other pets, when used as directed."
However, there is a synthetic pesticide on the market, called Amitraz, that also works by blocking the
octopanine receptor. Products containing Amitraz are used to treat dogs for mange and ticks, but
these products must be registered with the EPA and include caution statements on their labels. They
have the potential to cause adverse reactions, especially in cats and very small dogs.
Here are a couple websites concerning Amitraz toxicity in cats and dogs:
Sergeant's Nature's Guardian and Sentry's Natural Defense are natural alternatives for flea and tick
control, but they are NOT without risk. Essential oils have physiological effects on animals and people.
I would NOT use these products on cats, or very small dogs, or dogs with certain medical conditions,
such as diabetes. If you decide to use these products, introduce your dog to the smell of it slowly and
in small amounts (a dog's sense of smell is much more sensitive than a human's sense of smell).
These products contain a large percentage of essential oils, which may be too potent for some dogs.
For more information on the potential dangers of using essential oils, please read this article:
James TerBush
**********************************************************************************
I thought I'd give you an update on my cat. As you may recall (see Vol. 13 - 11/20/06), the prognosis
from the vet was not good. To add insult to injury less than a month after Revolution was applied she
was flea infested.
Last vet I took her to just before Christmas gave her 6 months and then reduced it to 2 months after
getting her lab results. As it turns out the little that the cat was eating was food on the pet food recall
list. I thought I'd try something new to get her to eat. She looked awful. I was really tempted to do the
sub cutaneous fluids. But, I resisted. In the meantime I was doing research on remedies. I brewed up
teas of herbs for her. She didn't seem to get any worse but; she wasn't getting any better.
I stumbled upon an herbalist's website. I contacted the herbalist and he recommended an herbal
treatment. I was rather skeptical. I thought I'd give it a try. To be honest the stuff smelled like awful and
tasted awful. I was giving it to her for a couple of weeks. I saw no improvement. I thought I'd stop since
the animal really disliked it. The very day I was considering this I came home and found that the food I
had left out for her had been eaten. She was a little livlier than she had been in a long time. To my
amazement she actually wanted to be fed. So I thought I'd continue with the herbal treatment. The
herbalist has recommended three months of it. My cat has recovered about 90 to 95 per cent. Her
appetite is good. She is active. She goes outside. This is pretty good for 14 year old cat. A side effect
of this treatment is - there is not a flea on her.
She had has a bald spot under her chin where she scratched herself. The salves that the vet gave did
nothing for this she continued to scratch. Between the herbal treatment and me wiping the area down
twice
a day with an apple cide vinegar solution - it cleared up in less than two weeks.
For the dog who was a flea magnet. I add brewers yeast and garlic to her food on occasion. And on
occasion I put a little apple cider vinegar into her drinking water. The fleas are kept at bay.
Also, I have cut back quite a bit on commercial canned pet food.
Nina 6/18/07
**********************************************************************************
Thanks for the communication venue about this problem.
My sweet little bichon/poodle is sick and it was definitely the Advantage Plus. It was the right dosage
for his size but the stuff is poison. Let's face it. He's wimpering, crawling under the couch, feels warm,
walking like he's old and just isn't his normal self. I washed it off but wish I had sooner. It was making
my hands tingle so before he even seemed that sick, he got a bath with gentle baby shampoo to get
it out. I hope that he'll be okay. We went for a walk that ended up being a stand. As in he's lost his pep
and is just sick. Have never seen him like this. No more chemicals for him. None! The vet said all they
could do was an IV and some medicine. which I'm leary of since they said this stuff had no reports of
problems in their office. I can't
believe that.... He hasn't eaten or had water but did drink a cup or more of milk. Any more ideas? Will
search your site for how to fortify their health and livers. Hope he'll be okay and your dogs too. Thanks
for the community info share.
Here's to the health of all the readers and their creatures and to information sharing.
Meg 6/18/07
**********************************************************************************
Convinced that Frontline Plus poisoned my dog.
I have a 5 pound 1 year old Papillon. She was a completely healthy & very active female dog. I have
never put her on any kind of flea/tick control medication because she is an indoor dog. She only
goes outside to go to the bathroom and then comes right back inside. We had to move June 2007 to Freeport, Bahamas temporarily for 6 months. The Vet there told me to put her on Frontline because
it is very bad flea/tick season down here. I gave her the smallest dosage. The puppy dose for dogs
8 weeks and older between her shoulder blades on her back. Within 24 hours I noticed her becoming
very listless and having trouble jumping on the couch. Within 48 hours she was vomiting and seemed
to have alot of trouble walking. She wouldn't follow me or put her ears up or wag her tail. I had to pick
her up to take her outside. I called the vet this morning and he told me to bring her in. I found this
website prior to going to the vet and will let him know during our visit. I, immediately upon seeing other
forum contributors experiences, gave her a bath with Dawn dishwashing liquid. She is now laying in a
towel on the couch next to me completely asleep. She does not want to move at all and is doing a
weird frozen in her tracks kind of thing! I will NEVER use this product or any other flea/tick product
again. I feel like crap that I have unknowingly poisoned an innocent animal. I will tell every single one
of my pet owner friends about this. Hopefully it will help save their lives.
Tyra 6/21/07
I wrote an email earlier this morning re: the horrible effects that Frontline Plus had on my 5 pound
Papillon. I kept reading your forum and I saw that some people had good results from bathing and
then rebathing their dog with Dawn dishwashing liquid.
I immediately jumped up from my computer and put my dog in the kitchen sink. She was completely
and utterly lethargic, sometimes frozen in place, panting, wouldn't eat, vomited twice, depressed, etc.
I bathed her thoroughly.... overly thoroughly! Dried her off.... then held her for about a half hour in a
towel then bathed her again.... held her again. Within 10 or 15 minutes after the second bathing... she
suddenly perked up!! She jumped down out of the towel. Shook the water off and went over and started
eating her kibble!! It was absolutely the weirdest thing I had ever seen. Slowly over the last 4 hours she
has been running around the house nearly like her old self. I can't even believe it. If I didn't have my
husband as my witness I don't think anybody would have believed it either. I am so happy and excited
that she has come around because after reading some of the posts on the forum.... I was sure that I was
in for alot of very expensive and heartwrenching vet visits. I am still taking her to the vet this evening at
4:00 for our appointment just to check her out... Thanks SOOOOOOOOO much everyone for posting
your experiences.... without this site..... surely my little Bella would have been horribly ill or even died.
My heart goes out to all of you.
Tyra 6/22/07
**********************************************************************************
My dog reacted one hour after using bio-spot by an inability to walk. Still monitoring symptoms (just
happened yesterday).
Liz 6/22/07
**********************************************************************************
After reading testimonies from your website I am amazed the number of reactions to Frontline and
Vets won't even acknowledge it!
My 11 lb. poodle had a reaction just a few weeks ago - the vet is still saying it is highly unlikely that it
was Frontline but the symptoms are just like was is being described here....standing frozen, then fell
over, couldn't move, lethargic, no energy - just not himself. Rushed him to the Vet where they put him
on I.V. fluid all that day. He came out of it but it took him over a week to be himself - running, playing,
etc. Will never use any flea/tick medicine again! Thank you for this informative site!
Linda 6/22/07
Boston, Mass.
Thank you so much for your response. What I didn't mention but is very puzzling is he had three
applications before in December, January and February. I took off March, April and May. He had
his next application the beginning of June and didn't have the reaction until 36 hours later. I asked
the Vet why that would be. Her only response was maybe it took time to build up in the system for
him to react. But, my Vet as well as a Neurological Vet both seemed skeptical of this reaction
being from Frontline. But, after reading all the symptoms from others, my dog had the same things
(other than he never vomited).
But, I will pursue calling/writing the drug company and see what happens. Thank you for your input
as well as your informative website!
Linda 6/27/06
Thank you again, James, for all your help. I did contact Merial last night. They took all of the
information. Of course, they denied knowing of any adverse reactions - that what I was describing
to them as symptoms were not common with Frontline.
Anyway, I requested reimbursement for the Frontline as well as my Vet Bills (totaling $700.00). They
said to write them with copies of the bills and they will review it. My feeling is it won't hurt to try but since
Vets won't acknowledge that Frontline could be the cause then I probably won't have a leg to stand on.
But, I appreciate your encouragement to try.
I also just got off the phone with a friend I hadn't talked with in a long time and come to find out her 12 lb.
Shih Tzu had the same reaction as my dog last summer. Her vet said the same thing - "Oh, it couldn't
be the Frontline".
So, yes, as you said, it could be something else but I rather doubt it with all the testimonies I have heard.
Will let you know what I hear back from Merial.
Sincerely,
Linda 6/28/07
**********************************************************************************
I was not aware that Bio Spot is harmful. My beloved cat Leo is currently at the emergency vet. My
husband had given him to me 2 years ago for Valentines Day. I put Bio Spot on him last night. First,
I noticed that he was not walking normally. Then he started having tremors, and finally started having
severe seizures. The vet said that they see this all the time with the "over the counter" flea remedies.
We are not sure that he will make it at this point. He is on a very high dose of Phenobarbital, and it
is barely keeping his seizures under control. They mentioned putting him on another medication that
would put him in a coma like state. We had to put down a $540.00 deposit for his care, and have
no idea what the costs might be.
Lisa
6/24/07
**********************************************************************************
On 24 June 2007 at approximately 0700 hours I discovered my male 3 year old Scottish Terrier named "Harley" staggering around the kitchen floor. After several seconds he began to shake and then urinated
on the floor. He has continued to try to stand but cannot find the strength. He has refused water and food.
I believe that this is caused by an application of Bio Spot flee & tick control.
In May 2007, I had switched Harley's flea control from Frontline Plus to Bio Spot. The first month of May
2007 no abnormal effects were observed. On 20 June 2007 Harley was taken to the dog groomer who performed a regular hair cut and shampoo without any effects. On 22 June 2007, at 1900 hours I applied
the second Bio Spot Flea & Tick control for small dogs 16 - 30 pounds on Harley's shoulder blades and
base of his tail. (Harley weight 23 pounds) On 23 June 2007, Harley seemed lethargic and not himself
he did eat and urinated often then defecated once during the day.
On 24 June 2007 at 0700 hours I was awoken by Harley making strange sounds from the kitchen where
I discovered Harley was shaking and staggering uncontrolably. I carried him to the outside deck and made
an examination where I observed that his four paws were dripping wet with saliva and that he apparently
had thrown up sometime in the night. I further observed that his penis had small amounts of blood dripping
from the tip area. Fearing that he may be having a reaction to the Bio Spot I performed a search of related issues where I discovered several subjects who had left blogs on line indicating that they had similar issues with Bio Spot in the past. Most of these issues were exactly what Harley was involved in on 24 June 2007.
The first thing recommended on line was to wash the pet with "Dawn" dish soap to remove the Boi Spot.
After doing this I could not believe the diffrence in Harley, The shaking stopped and his eyes cleared and
he began to walk without trouble. He even began to dring water. Now we are trying to see if he eats, or off
we go to the vet!
I have worked in law enforcement for over 20 years and have seen many humans having seizures and overdoses but have never seen a dog having these same symptoms. Only after reading your web site regarding Bio Spot do I concure that Bio Spot Flea treatment does have very harsh reactions.
Thank you for your web site and information! Keep up the good work!
Al 6/24/07
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Thank God that I found your website tonight. Early today I had put this Zodiac product on my Bichon and immediately after he began running around like crazy and his skin was turning bright pink. I knew at that moment that he was having an adverse reaction, so I put him in the tub and scrubbed him. He had 3 baths
and was still behaving as though his skin was on fire and he was so agitated, even ran into things as he
raced throughout the house in pain. I got online and the first site I pulled up was yours. People mentioned
bathing their pets in Dawn dish soap, so that's what I did and as soon as he got out of the bath he seemed
to perk up a bit. I have never used a pesticide on my dog before, as some Bichons are allergy prone and
I know that mine is. I don't know what possessed me to do so this time. I will never, ever use another
pesticide product on any pet. Citrus, tea tree and other natural flea remedies are the only things that I will
use from here on out. Thank you for your website, it will remain bookmarked for me for future reference.
As night falls, I am just praying that my dog doesn't get any worse.
Elizabeth 6/24/07
Kansas City
**********************************************************************************
I'm so glad I found your site. Dawn dish-washing liquid has a new fan. Between it and your site, I think
you've saved another 2 buddies. I purchased Sentry Pro XFC for my chihuahua and beagle (2 packages, different weights). I applied the Sentry Pro XFC as per the instructions around 9:30pm as I was going
through their nightly outing routine before bed. Afterwards, I put them each in their kennel and went to
bed. The next morning, around 7:30 am, I found the chihuahua in his crate, foaming at the mouth and
having uncontrollable leg and head spasms. When I let the beagle out of her kennel into the yard she immediately started rolling on her back and was whimpering, panting, and drooling. The vet could not
see them until 3pm in the afternoon, so I called the "emergency medical treatment hotline" found on the packaging to see if there was something I could do in the meantime. They took my info and reaction descriptions for each dog, and were not surprised as they said they had reports of similar reactions!
When I asked why in the world the product was still on shelves, the medline said they had nothing to do
with the product, they were just contracted by Sergeant's to handle emergency medical calls.
After visiting the vet, I was reassured that indeed the "Dawn bath" was the best remedy. The beagle
had settled down some, but the chihuahua was still having leg spasms, although not nearly as frequent
or severe as before the "Dawn bath." Short of pulling this product from the shelves, it is tragic and
irresponsible that this simple antidote action is not placed prominently on the packaging. If I had waited
until my vet could do something, the outcome could have been much worse due to the added exposure
time during the wait. IV flushes and round the clock monitoring with no guarantee of success was what
I was told would have happened if I had not acted to quickly wash the pesticide off my dogs.
It's now 2 days later and I'm happy to report that both buddies are back to normal. I returned the unused
portion of the Sentry Pro XFC to Petsmart for a refund (and disposal) and recounted to the manager our experience. I suggested that they reconsider carrying this product, but was told that a similar scare had happened last year with Hartz products and no move was made to discontinue carrying the Hartz line,
so it would probably not be any different for the Sentry Pro line. Amazing.
Mary 6/24/07
**********************************************************************************
Thank you so much for the message regarding Bio Spot from 2002. I too had used Frontline Plus but
living in a tick area, it never did repel ticks. When I came across Bio Spot, I thought it worked really well.
My dog had no fleas or ticks after one use. A short time after the second usage she had a seizure, and
I too went to the label to see if this was a side effect. The package said nothing regarding seizures so I
went on a website search. I am so upset as my dog is only 1 1/2 but am grateful that other people can
get the word out when we search for some answers. I will not use it again and I hope that her seizures
will stop.
Anonymous 6/25/07
**********************************************************************************
Please do not use these products on your pets!
I lost both my cats this past weekend after using this product. I had initially put this product on one of the
cats Friday morning at 7 am. By 3 pm she was in full blown seizures and after trips to 3 different vets and
24 hrs of treatments to try and save her, I had to euthanize her on Saturday morning. The worst part was
every vet that saw her asked me if I had used Bio Spot!
My other cat must have licked some of the product off of her sister - we found her Saturday afternoon, it
was too late. My girls were sisters, both healthy and happy and only 3 years old this month.
I do not want this to happen to any other pets or pet owners. My kids were devastated - and I felt worse because I was the one that put the product on her that eventually killed her and her sister.
It's flea season - all vets recommend that you use Frontline Plus. Yes it's more expensive but I would have happily paid that extra money had I known.
I have called Farnam and they said that they would reimburse me for my vet expenses - we will see. My
request for payment is going out today, June 26, 2007. I'll update if I receive anything from them.
Ann 6/26/07
**********************************************************************************\
I have a four year-old Bassett named Oliver. He is wonderful. Under the advice of a veterinarian
I applied Advantage. After a few applications I noticed a tumor appear at the point of application
on the spine. I stopped all chemical flea killers. I have since met several people who had similar
stories. One man's Welsh Corgy developed cancer up and down the spine and died. Another
dog developed a tumor like Oliver's --on the spine--then another on the neck that made its way
into the brain-- he later died.
Today I use garlic tablets and brewer's yeast on Oliver's food for internal flea control--and use
herbs and washing to do the rest.
Thank-you for your website.
Oliver's Mom 6/26/07
Thank-you for your response. One error in my note--I applied the Advantage for more than two
years (against my inner guide that sent me warnings via my solar plexus each time I put it on him).
Oliver also experienced the panting and agitation as well. Again --thanks!! I am going to continue
gathering data on this and like products. I will keep you in the loop. It is too bad that even the vet
schools are in the back pocket of the industry. Disgusting. Oliver is now a vegetarian dog. I make
sure he has high protein and a balanced diet. He loves it. The book Vegetarian Dogs by Verona
Rebow is excellent and has been case studied for 15 years.
Kelee 6/26/07
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We buried our wonderful 2 year old female cat, small in stature, even though we had taken her to our
Vet after seeing her react to the Bio-spot, she was bathed, given IV's. and a shot of cortisone then
misdiagnosed with Feline Asthma brought on by a severe reaction to Bio-spot. We brought her home
after 3 days in Hospital, gave her 3 days dosage of prednosone, and one albuteral treatment, after
which she panicked, and ran from our home, after always being an in house cat. She would not come
from her hiding spot for 5 days, and we tried everything to get to her, and finally on the 6th day, she
came to us, we rushed her back to the Vets, because her respirations were so labored and fast,
we knew that she was near death. She was dehydrated and had lost considerable weight. The Dr.,
removed 90 cc of fluid from around her lungs and heart, after exraying her. We brought her home for
one day, and she suffered so during that night we had to take her and stand beside her, loving her
through our tears, she looked at us and trusted us to take care of her. She still purred for us and let us
rub her chin, while our Vet put gently and humanely to sleep a once very healthy, loving, and wonderful
cat. I am having difficulty removing this from my mind, Closing her in a small box after closing her eyes
when we got home, She was so silky smooth and still warm. Burying her deep, in a grave a heartbroken husband dug for her that night before, I dropped a rose on her little casket, and then placing earth on
top caused as much pain and sadness as when I buried beloved family members. She filled that spot
in your heart that arrives when your last child leaves home or dies young to. The memory of her on my husbands lap, with her soft white paw slowly touching his face every day will be with us forever. To see
a 6'2 grown man sob, breaks my heart, and all because I tried to save some money by buying Biospot.
Our small Westie 13 year old dog's skin is constantly red and very hot from the histamines in his blood,
he itches constantly, has been to the vet for a dangerous injection of cortisone at his age.. I have bathed
him in Oatmeal Shampoo to get the bio-spot off of him, have put Gold Bond anti-itch powder on his skin
which he has chewed. A dog that has had the best of care, used Frontline with no problems, heartworm
pills, all his shots, and love him so. It is painful to see a once happy contented loving dog suffer so. We
give him Benadryl, but nothing seems to relieve his constant itching. I am thankful he and my other 3 cats
are still alive. I called in a complaint to Drs Foster & Smith, before my cat died, and they let me send that POISON back and get Frontline, which the Vet says, isn't working very well because the fleas have built
a tolerance to it. I am so afraid to try Revolution, and the cost of these treatments should be outlawed!!
The customer service person had knowledge of it [Bio Spot] killing small cats and dogs, and will not recommend it to anyone, and promised to warn others who order from her, just wished I hadn't bought
mine from their website, which has no warning. I plan on calling them tomorrow and asking them to
remove it from their catalog, I will tell them to read the heart breaking letters and warnings on the
internet, and I hope my other pets are not damaged permanently, and look forward to the makers
being put out of business, and a healthy class action law suit to bring attention to whoever is
responsible in the government to protect our animals.
Let all suppliers who sell products that maim and kill our pets be warned and recommend, that they pay attention to how many heartbroken people are out here trusting a product, and feeling the guilt of killing
their own beloved pets while trying to protect them. God I wish I had never heard of Bio-spot, or ever
tried to save money.
Sandy 6/26/07
Thank you for your wonderful website and especially thank you for taking the time to reach out with good advice. It was so hard to see all the problems people were having while using flea and tick meds, after
the fact. Just wish I had read up on it before putting it on my pets. To answer your question if I might have
put dog bio-spot on my cat, I ordered 6 month supply of bio-spot for cats, and received 9 months supply.
I also did the same for our dog. I thought what a SAVINGS!! I put the 4 cats bio-spot on, and the next day,
my smallest cat Mary was so sick. I also had put on bio-spot for dogs on our one little dog, after treating
all the cats which took quite some time to do. I put the cat med away when I finished and then opened up
the dog bio-spot, and when I finished up with the dog bio-spot, Charlie went instantly crazy with chewing
and itching and running around. They were in different packaging specifying for Cats, for Dogs, so I
assume they were the correct meds?? for cat, and dogs. 3 of my cats who are quite large, but really not
that much older than Mary seem to be ok. They are not itching, and I hope they don't have fleas. Since
Mary died, I contacted Drs Foster and Smith, where I purchased Bio-Spot, explained what had happened
and they agreed to take back the bio-spot, and exchange, for Frontline Plus with a considerable extra
amount of monies needed. After reading several websites, I am not certain I want to apply that on any of
them either. I had used Frontline, not Frontline plus on all of them before with no problem, but my Husband
said no more poison on any of them, and I need to call them back and see if I can get a refund. The cost
of the Bio-spot, Frontline Plus, not sure what the difference is, hope its not that permethrin, and the Vet
bills including euthanasia was over $400. I am looking for ways to keep them flea and tick free, but do
not want to take the chance of poisoning them. We remain heart sick over Mary, and Charlie our dog has
been itching and chewing for weeks even after his Cortisone Shot. Of course when he goes out to do his business he brings back several fleas each time. I attribute much of that to his thick coat, which covers
to his paws. Of course I bathed him 3 times in gentle shampoo before reading about Dawn. I would think
Dawn would be so harsh on his already irritated skin. I figure the bio-spot is gone, therefore all the fleas
getting on him in 5 minutes each time he goes out. My 3 remaining cats and my dog are in-doors 24 7,
but those miserable fleas still get brought in. We vacuum and keep a clean home, shampoo carpets
freqeuntly, they have clean areas where they sleep, have seperate litter boxes for each of them and still
I find some on Charlie. I brush and remove and kill fleas each day, and it is never ending. We live in the
humid, 2 miles from the ocean, South and have a heck of a time with ticks and fleas, really all forms of
pests. My next plan is to shear him down so I can pay close attention to his skin problem and to make
finding those miserable biting fleas. Winter months give us a short break thank goodness. I am using a
mild Oatmeal Shampoo on him to try to soothe his red burning skin. Since all the pet food recalls I have
been preparing more healthful food for them myself, and will be searching for a more healthful approach
to the flea problem. Thanks for all your advice, and I will do all I can to refer pet owners to read the
websites, and to think twice before applying toxic solutions on their pets.
Sandy 6/28/07
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Applied Tri-Force to my two English Mastiffs on Sunday. Applied the
same dose to both - For 61 pounds and over. Applied 1 tube each.
This was the second month I had used Tri-Force. Previously, I used
Frontline and while it made my dogs sleepy for a day or two, everything
else was fine.
The first month with Tri-Force, I noticed that the product was oily and
stayed on their fur much longer. It also appeared that the areas where
the product was applied was shedding excessively. While I thought it
strange, it seemed no big deal.
This month was a bit different.
First dog, the female - 140 pounds, got sick within 24 hours. Vomiting,
bloody diarrhea, extreme gas, eating grass, and excessive lethargy.
Appeared very weak. We thought she ate something outside, so, while
concerned did not suspect the Tri-Force. Sunday night, we actually
thought she might die. Monday and Tuesday much of the same - still not
eating and not feeling well. The bloody diarrhea has stopped though, so
we think she is beginning to get better. She is drinking water anyway.
Second dog, the male - 180+ pounds, also had been acting weak and
lethargic - again, thought he ate the same thing the other one did -
until I noticed a sore appearing under his fur on his back - exactly
where the Tri-Force had been applied. The sore is bleeding, oozing,
and about 4" in diameter. This was now Tuesday.
I immediately washed both dogs and flushed the sore area with cool
water. Both dogs improved behavior (energy level) within a few hours.
Both are eating and drinking again. It was definitely the Tri-Force
that was making them ill.
Have an appointment with the vet tomorrow to check the sore as it still
looks very bad and we are worried about infection.
I now realize that last month, my female was sick as well, but again, we
thought she ate something outside. She was sick for a few days and
recovered. We just didn't suspect the flea medicine as the advertisers
have made us think our dogs cannot live without it - so it MUST be safe,
right? - well, IT IS NOT!
I can't believe this stuff has made my dogs so sick. It should be pulled
from the shelves. I called the 800 number on the package and, of course,
no one answered. I left an urgent message asking to be called immediately -
it is now nearly 18 hours later and no one has called!!!!!!!
I will report it to the EPA and product manufacturer as well. After some
Internet research (thanks to your site and others), I now realize that
this is a very common problem and many people lose their pets. While
many of the pets I read about seem to be very small, mine are huge and
it STILL affected them. Something must be done. I do not believe that
dosing our pets with these chemicals is safe, not for our pets or our
families.
Sheila 6/27/07
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I have 3 small dogs I put the Sergeants Gold 5 way flea drops on. All 3 have had a toxic reaction to them,
they had to spend the day in the hospitol and have baths with a degreaser. They are now on medication
to help stop the irritation. I called and reported this to the, EPA, the FTC, the manufacturer, and the state veterinary association, consumer product safety. Today is the 3rd day since I gave it to them, and the
second day they have been on the meds. Two of them do not seem to be getting better. The only comfort
they get is while the medicine is working, then it helps them sleep. I haven't slept in 2 nights, this will be
the 3rd. What can I do to make this company pay my Vet bills which are now over $500.00? I have been
told by them that their product doesn’t get in to the dogs blood and therefore will not harm animals, also
