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
I was accused of putting it on wrong, and allowing my dogs to lick the stuff off each other, I promise you
they didn’t lick each other at any time before or after I put it on them. Also they do not have necks that
rotate 180 degrees to lick the stuff off themselves. I applied it very carefully as directed on the package.
They asked me to send the package and the reciept to them. I didn’t keep the receipt so the store while searching the records for my reciept had an employee ask which product I used because she is going
through the same problem with her dog, guess what...same Sergeants gold !!!!
Please tell me what to do, who to call next, and how to get help with this, I am so afraid at this time that
one of them or all will die. Thank you for any advice.
Carrie 6/28/07
It's outrageous for Sergeants to accuse you of not following the directions. Please let me know if they
refuse to reimburse your vet expenses.
James TerBush
I am pleased to tell you that Sergeants will be sending me a check next week for the full amount of my
vet bills. I sent them all the vet records including notes from the vet. I also sent them the incident report #
the EPA gave me to track the product for problems. People MUST take the time and effort to call and
make complaints to the EPA when their animals get ill from any pesticide. This is how they determine
if there is a problem with a product.
Thanks for your help James, now I can pay my credit card back, and afford to eat.
Carrie 7/21/07
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My beautiful Birman "Angel" was discovered yesterday 6/28/07 with severe tremors and constant seizures
at 8:00am. I gave her and my other cat Lilly Bio-Spot around 3:00 pm 6/27/07. She is only 5.5 pounds and
very special. She was rushed to vet only to be sent to the Waterford VETS hospital for better care. As of
this typing 11:09 am 6/29/07 she is still having tremors and still unknown what will happen. Last night after
a day of crying I returned home happy to see Lilly still okay. Well, by 8:00 pm she started with seizures and tremors also. I immediately gave her a good bath with dish detergent. She resumed to normal around 8:00
am today. It was a long night. I laid on the floor with her rubbing the tremors and talking to her. She was so frightened. The seizure was a memory I hope no other person should have to have. I just pray she stays
okay. In the mean time I hope my Angel will recover. I bought the product from the Drs. Foster & Smith
Catalog, thinking the cheaper was okay after always using Frontline. I would think they wouldn't sell such
a product being the wonderful vets as they write themselves up as. I am at $700.00 right now and just
don't know how to get the money back. Any advice would be appreciated.
Pamela 6/29/07
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Our two family cats, Bower and Astoria died after giving them each 1/2 of a dose of Sergeants flea and
tick medication (less than the recommended dose). Bower went through violent seizures and Astoria went
to the woods to die. Sergeants, of course, will claim no responsibility even though our vet says they see pets die from over-the-counter medication at least once a year. Please do not give your pets non-prescription
flea med's, it can and is fatal.
James 6/30/07
PS - our 7 year old little girl still cries over the loss of her cats, we all loved them very much.
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We were never aware of any other cases of dogs having bad reactions to flea and tick products so we
didn't think twice about putting the Sentry Pro XFC product on our 1 year old 20 pound pug. About six hours later she was on her side breathing heavily, heart racing, and crying. We gave her Benadryll and bathed her
in detergent like the other posts said and she seemed to calm down for a few minutes but then she started crying again. We called the vetinary clinic and they said they thought it was nothing.. called the company
hotline and we were told to "just wait it out." We took her to bed and she did not sleep at all. She was still
crying and was extremely restless. She kept twitching like she suddenly had a shooting pain. We brought
her to the emergency vetrinary clinic around 5 am and they told us that they had NEVER heard of ANY dog having an adverse reaction to tick and flea products.. only cats. They attributed her discomfort to yeast in
her ear. I am convinced otherwise after reading these other posts. It is now approximately 24 hours after the application of sentry pro xfc and our pug is still twitching and wimpering. We're not sure what else to do.
Jackie 7/1/07
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I have two cats and a bad flea problem. I did some research and discovered that I can use Frontline flea remover on cats. So that is what I have been using. A few days ago though I got some Bio Spot for cats
and put it on my one of my cats without doing research on the product first. I wasn't able to catch my other
cat to apply it, she hates it when I medicate them.
Let me tell you, I feel like a monster now for not doing the research first.
Tonight I was woken up by the untreated cat meowing very insistently outside my door. At first I ignored
her, but when she wouldn't stop I got out of bed and followed her. She led me to the other cat Lassie-style,
and I found her having convolutions and breathing very shallowly. I could tell that she had been poisoned
by something, so I looked around for anything she might have gotten into, found nothing, and immediately
knew that it was the flea remover.
I rushed her to the bathroom and gave her a quick bath, then wrapped her in a towel and tried to find the
MSDS sheets for the Bio Spot product. I found your page immediately, read what I could find on cat
treatment, and then gave the cat one more bath with Dawn dishwashing liquid.
I think I caught her just in time. Before the bath she was having tremors, shallow breaths, and didn't even
resist the bath like she normally does. Now she is still shaking some, but her breathing has normalized,
and she is moving around more. I'm pretty sure she will be ok, but that doesn't stop me from feeling like
a horrid person for not doing the research on the product.
I haven't contacted the company yet, because it doesn't look like I'll have to take her to the vet, but it was
a terrifying experience. Thank you for being there to tell me what to do about this problem, I honestly don't
know if I would still have my beautiful kitty if it wasn't for your website.
Regardless of vet bills or not, I am going to call the company and request that they discontinue the product,
or at least put a page on their website that give you instructions on what to do it their product is killing your
pet. I can't believe that they could sell a product that kills pets and still look at themselves in the mirror
everyday. Perhaps they don't realize that for some people our cats are more like friends and children to
us than just animals.
Thank you for your website and for listening to my story. If you want I'll keep you updated on my cat's
progress.
Michael 7/2/07
I contacted both Farnam, the EPA, and the local retailer. After directing the store manager of my local
feed store to your site he has agreed to discontinue selling the BioSpot product. He told me that he
has heard of some people having pets that have had seizures, but I'm apparently the first person to link
it directly to this product. One retailer down, a zillion more to go.
Luckily I have a friend who is a retired vet, so she was able to see my cat. No medical bills, and no extra treatment. Apparently I got to my cat right away. Her tremors have mostly gone away, and her breathing is better. No more seizures. Still very lethargic, but she is grooming herself and eating again. Right now I am letting her rest.
For me it is more emotional damage than anything. To think that I was putting something on my cat to try
to help her and instead almost killed her. Just thinking about it makes me tear up, but at the same time I
know how lucky both me and my cat are. I'm planning on visiting some other local retailers and letting them know the danger of the product, I don't know if it will help or not, but hopefully I can get it pulled here locally before someone else ends up with a sick or dead pet.
Thank you for your website. Because of you my cat is alive today.
Michael 7/2/07
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Purchased Sergeant's Gold flea and tick at Wal-mart on 7-1-07- used on 4 dogs (min. Amer. Eskimo,
welsh corgi, blue heeler, and lab). All 4 had reactions - SEVERE itching,excessive salivation, tremors,
difficulty breathing. DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT EVER!!!! I experienced problems too after handling
the dogs - headache, nausea, dizziness, strange taste in mouth. The dogs were washed with olive oil
shampoo to soothe their skin, but the reactions were so quick and severe - absolutely frightening. The
dogs range in size from 10 pounds to 100 - a variety of breeds and they ALL had a reaction - NEVER
USE THIS STUFF!!!!!
Janice 7/3/07
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MY 13 YEAR OLD CHIHUAHUA "CUPCAKE" PASSED AWAY THIS MORNING ABOUT 7AM. I HAD
BATHED HER WITH THE HARTZ FLEA SHAMPOO MONDAY AND BY MONDAY NIGHT SHE WAS
ACTING STRANGE, NOT EATING, WAS UNABLE TO WALK AND SUPPORT HER WEIGHT, AN
EPISODE OF HER EYES DARTING BACK AND FORTH, STAGGERING, CONFUSED, RAPID
BREATHING UP TO 60 BREATHS A MINUTE. I WISH I HAD FOUND THIS WEBSITE BEFORE I
USED IT. MAYBE MY PRECIOUS LITTLE GIRL WOULD STILL BE HERE.
Anonymous 7/5/07
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I have 3 Min Pins. I used Sargeant's Gold on all 3 last night, The oldest (13 years old) and the youngest
(1 year old) both had a sever reaction. The 13 year old started vomiting and she started to shake all over walking became increasingly difficult for her approximately 45 minutes after we put the product on her skin.
For the next 5 hours she continued to vomit drink water and lick her tongue in and out of her mouth. She is
still vomiting this morning 12 hours after having the product put on her. She moves like she has developed
her hind legs are not truely connected to her. The 1 year old began vomiting and has lost almost 2 lbs thru
this situation he went to sleep and today seems better. The third pin shows no reactions short of gagging
off and on last night. The 13 year old seems to behave like she has had a stoke (shaking) and is still
throwing up bile. I have emailed Sargeant's and requested a responds and as of right now I have had
no responds from them.
Lorraine 7/5/07
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Last night my puppy died,he was 3 months 4 days old. My wife gave it to me for fathers day. It was a small poodle, runt of the litter. It had its first set of shots and we took him to the vet for his second set. When we
were there he gave us the first application of Advantix to put on him. My wife applied it in the afternoon
and at 3:30 am he passed away. She had got up to let the dogs out and pepi walked out the door and fell
over. Wish I would have found this site way before and not after the fact. The information on here needs
to be heard by alot more pet owners. I for one will be finding a different method of pest control.
Robert 7/6/07
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Please be advised that my two Siamese cats had Pfizer's Revolution for Cats applied by my vet and they
both (Brother & Sister), had very serious reactions from the Revolution application, which resulted in both of them going to the Animal Emergency Clinic followed by two subsequent visits to our own vet for additional follow-up care.
They both became very lethargic, would not eat or drink for a little over a week. The male, had blistering at
the application site and hair loss. They also had problem with muscle control when walking (especially the male), diahrea and had to both have two subcutaneous fluid injections.
This incident has been reported to the Animal Poison Control Center, and Pfizer. The vet at Pfizer, told me
he wasn't God and didn't know what the outcome would be and that he was leaving for a two week vacation. What a Heart!
Pfizer has offered to reimburse the cost of the product but, with the emergency clinic and regular vet bill
costs reaching nearly $1,500, who are they kidding.
I will be submitting the medical costs due to the adverse reaction my Siamese cats had to the Pfizer
Revolution and can only hope that Pfizer will do the right thing and at least reimburse us for our medical expenses since, they can not repair the anxiety and heartache the product also caused us, the pet
owners.
We have no idea what permanent damage may have been caused by Pfizer's Revolution.
Just be advised nothing is safe as you may be being told.
Michelle 7/9/07
Hi James, I wrote about the two Siamese cats that had the severe reaction to the Pfizer Revolution. I had completely forgot to mention that they both did have drooling, and vomiting ( I spelled diarrhea incorrectly).
Thanks!
Michelle 7/9/07
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My 4 year old Maltese experienced seizures when we started using Sergeant's Sentry Pro, and like
Bio Spot, it contains Permethrin. Since I stopped using it, he hasn't had a seizure...but I will definitely
fork out the money for the brands that don't contain it.
Mary 7/10/07
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Just wanted to let you know that I also used bio spot on my dog. Within one hour after applying bio spot
my dog began to vomit. I didn't realize this was due to the bio spot. The next day she had trouble putting
weight on her back legs and was limping around whimpering in pain. I took her to the vet and he said he
had seen this a lot with bio spot. The vet told me to take her home and wash her good . I did and that night
she began vomiting violently and had watery diarrhea . I can not believe that this product is on the market,
this product has not only caused terrible pain and suffering to thousands of pets, who knows how many it
has killed. This greedy company should be ashamed of themselves. Has anyone brought a class action
suit against Farnam/biospot? Seems like this would be the only way to get this dangerous product off
the market.
Julie 7/12/07
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Right now I am so angry I could scream. I used Natural Defense on my dog and all her hair fell out where
I applied it. I spoke to Pet Smart (where I bought it) and they did not want to talk to me. They claimed, "The EPA says it is safe." They refused to address my concerns and will not remove the product from their lines.
Barbara 7/12/07
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My dog is suffering with severe seizures tremors and staggering due to use of ProMeris Duo flea dip, by
Fort Dodge. I had to take her to a neurologist who recognised the symptoms, but doesnt know how to treat
her properly due to the lack of information profided by the manufacturer.
She still isn't well but after bathing her with washing up liquid she perked up al little...still has to take very
strong seditive (diazepam)(=valium), an cure for bacteria and prednison. She sleeps a lot. As soon as she get exited she starts shaking again.
Next week I have to take her in for a mri scan, she probably has a problem in her small brain caused by an allergic reaction to Amitraz (= one of the chemicals in Pro Meris flea drops).
Did u hear anything about this problem before? I'm quite worried as u might understand.
(Sorry; I'm dutch and this is my best english but there might be a spelling or grammar mistake or two...)
Kim 7/13/07
I am not a vet (I am just an individual concerned about adverse reactions caused by flea and tick control products), and never heard of ProMeris Duo until you wrote. I did a quick Google search and learned that
it's a new product - just launched in the UK in March 2007. Perhaps it has been available in the Netherlands
for a longer period. I also learned that one of its active ingredients (metaflumizone) has never been used in
a veterinary product before. Its other active ingredient (amitraz) is found in other veterinary products (such
as tick control collars), but it is known to occasionally cause serious side effects (including seizures).
Here is some information that I came across regarding ProMeris Duo:
European Public Assessment Report:
ProMeris Technical Manual:
Here is some information concerning Amitraz and side effects:
Amitraz and side effects in dogs:
Amitraz poisoning in children:
It was a good idea to bathe your dog. I think it would be good to bathe your dog several more times with
a mild detergent and rinse with large amounts of water. Each bath may help to remove some more of the chemicals. However, some of the chemicals are already in your dog's system, and it may take several
weeks for it to be metabolized and excreted (the product is designed to be effective against fleas for
6 weeks, and effective against ticks for 4 weeks). That means it could potentially take several weeks
for your dog to fully recover from the effects of the chemicals, but hopefully she will recover much sooner
than that.
Please contact the government agency in your country that is responsible for regulating the sale of this
product, and let them know what happened to your dog.
Also, please contact Fort Dodge and let them know what happened. They may try to tell you that ProMeris
Duo has been extensively tested, and does not cause adverse reactions, but it's a new (unproven) product
with a new (unproven) active ingredient. It may not have caused significant adverse reactions in their tests (which were done on a small number of healthy dogs), but that doesn't mean it won't cause these reactions
in some dogs. Every product that is already on the market was also said to be extensively tested, yet many people have reported severe adverse reactions in their pets after using those products. If your vet believes that your dog's seizures may have been caused by ProMeris Duo, I would ask Fort Dodge to reimburse
your veterinary expenses.
I hope that your dog will recover quickly. Please let me know how everything works out, and if Fort Dodge refuses to help you.
James TerBush
Thank u for your quick answer and information...Lizzy (my dog) is doing a lot better after bathing her several times...she still has severe tremors now and then...let's hope she will recover more over the next few days
and the mri scan won't reveal permanent damage....
Pro meris is a new product in the netherlands too....
will keep in touch....
thanks again....
gr Kim 7/14/07
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I wish I'd known sooner. My Boxer/Saint-Bernard mix is in the vet hospital right now because I gave her
a Sargeant's Gold squeeze-on flea treatment. Three days after applying the product she began drooling excessively and vomiting repeatedly. She vomited a frothy substance and seemed to be dying of thirst. Hopefully she will get to come home tomorrow and has not suffered permanent damage; the veterinarian bathed her and gave her medications; however, she still is not eating and is very lethargic. We will know
more tomorrow.
Marcia 7/16/07
North Carolina
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About three months ago I got a new puppy. Last month I started having a problem with fleas from taking
her outside. The Vet recommended Advantage and I bought the single tube that he gave me and used it
on her when I got home. It seemed to work fine and I didn't notice any side effects. Well, she did lose hair
on her forehead but I didn't related it to the Advantage since it wasn't in the spot I applied the treatment.
Maybe it could have been related???
Although she had not been scratching, it was time to give her another treatment this month. I called a
Vet that was close to my job and they said they only sold Advantix. She explained that it killed ticks and mosquitoes as well as fleas. Since I live in Louisiana I thought that was great since we have so many mosquitoes. I bought two four packs and got a single tube free with a coupon.
I recently gave my dog the single tube of the Advantix flea control and she immediately reacted like it
irritated her. I just thought it must have been the sensation of the liquid going down her back that shocked
her. But it is four days later and she is still scratching at the area alot. She has also started chasing her
tail alot. I know a dog chasing its tail is not uncommon but it has started only since I used the Advantix.
She never did it before. This may be only a coincidence.
She is still full of energy and loves to play so all of the scratching may just be an allergic reaction to the
Advantix on her skin. I called the Vet and they have agreed to refund me for the purchase of the two four
packs of Advantix that are not opened.
I had planned on exchanging the Advantix for the Advantage since I didn't seem to have a problem with
the Advantage the first time, but after reading all of the emails it scares me to use any of it.
****Pet owners do need to be made aware of these possible side effects before we buy the product. I
agree with the other emails. The company needs to stop making the product seem totally harmless.
Georgia 7/23/07
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We have had our third episode of our Elkhound having a bad reaction after applying Frontline flea and
tick. Last summer, he became so sick we almost had him euthanized. Within a day or two of putting it on
him, he became listless, stopped eating, drank a ton of water and then would vomit, and developed sores
on his legs and chest. We spent $1500 on urinalysis, blood work, ultrasounds and x-rays but they came
up with nothing. He lost 23 pounds in a 3 week period.
This year we put it on him in June and he developed the sores and became lethargic. July 5th, we put it on
him again and now are in the same situation as last year. He has lost 18 pounds since July 5, developed
the sores again, barely eats anything and only stops vomiting if we give him the anti-nausea liquid we had
left from last June. We called Frontline and the vet's office and they say they have never heard of such a reaction. Frontline said we could bath him with dish liquid or human shampoo to wash the oil from his coat because the chemicals are in their oil glands and will stay in their system for 30 days. We have bathed him twice and are hoping by the end of the month, when the 30 days are up, he will come around.
Three applications and the same reactions each time - we will NEVER use this again.
With all these testimonials, how can vets and Frontline say they have never heard of this happening?
Janice 725/07
I just wanted to update you on our dog. His liver function has decreased dramatically since 8-27-07. We will
be euthanizing him on Monday. I do plan on notifying Frontline and the EPA of the situation.
Janice 9/7/07
Thank you, James, for all the links and thoughts. I spoke with Merial this morning and got a case number and also sent an e-mail to the EPA. Merial also said they will contact the EPA but stated again that they have never heard of this happening before.
Janice 9/7/07
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Do NOT use Sergeant's Bansect flea control product. Permethrin is dangerous. When used on my animals they started panting, running around, trying to hide in small corners. My Vet. said these are very common adverse reactions to OTC flea control products, especially Permethrin. If left on for longer than 30 minutes
it could have neruo damage to animals, including seizures and chronic muscle spasms. I have written a
letter to the company notifying them of this. I am sure they have recieved many letters like this after reading
this board. Please ONLY use Vet. recommended flea control products. Their motto "Caring for pets since 1868" is crap. This stuff is dangerous and I highly recommend you NOT use it.
Justin 7/25/07
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Our 5 year old springer spaniel appears to have become ill after 2 Frontline applications. After the first,
she developed very itchy, scaly skin. She had a poor appetite, some vomiting, and began eating grass.
She also was very lethargic. We called the vet and tried Benadryl for possible allergies. She improved
some. We consulted with the vet prior to giving the second dose of Frontline. Again she had short term vomiting, poor appetite and lack of energy. She perked up again until yesterday when she wouldn't eat
or interact. She is hospitalized tonight and is very ill. Although the vet does not think it is related to the
Frontline she cannot rule it out. It is possible our dog has (IMHA) immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.
She was perfectly healthy during an April annual checkup. Received her first dose of Frontline the end
of May and has not been her self or well since that first dose. Has anyone else had similar symptoms
or a dog diagnosed with IMHA?
Pam 7/26/07
Thank you Jim for the quick response. We have called Merial and will call EPA even though Merial
said they are required to report. Further discussion with Merial is being arranged. Our dog is due
another Frontline dose next week and we have decided to forgo such. Our dog came home today
but honestly is very weak and the recovery period for the IMHA could be months according to our
vet. Thank you and feel free to share our story with others.
Paul & Pam Wilson 7/26/07
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The first time my chocolate lab mix had a seizure, I didn't connect it to the squeeze on flea treatment
(Hartz Gold maybe?). I thought it was because of the Texas heat. I thought it was a heatstroke. The
second seizure, I still did not put 2+2 together, because you expect that these products are safe for
our beloved pets. I however did some research and realized that it was suspicious that the squeeze
on stripe for flea control had caused it. The next seizure he had, was following application of a FLEA
COLLAR! I decided to forego the squeeze on application, and try a flea collar this time. I finally realized
during the seizure that it was the flea control medication causing it. I ripped the collar off of him and
bathed him. He began to recover slowly and is ok today. I will NEVER EVER use a flea product on him
again. It's not worth the money you "save" to put your pet's life at risk!! I will be consulting my vet to see
if he thinks Sentinel would be safe for him, but if not, then I will stick with natural home remedies as
needed. (he is an indoor dog, now!!)
Kim 7/27/07
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Wish I knew about your site before I purchased BioSpot for my cats. I researched it and everything
I could find online said it was safe and effective. Even the trusted web vets Drs. Foster and Smith carry
it in their online store and state how wonderful it is. Well, I learned the hard way that it isn't and it almost
killed one of my cats.
This is the email I sent to the company that makes BioSpot, the flea product that almost killed my cat
Emmie. Hope it wakes them up, at the very least.
You are doing a great public service by posting everything you can about BioSpot and the adverse
reactions animals have to it. (Feel free to post this but please delete my email address if you do.)
Toby 7/28/07
Tigard, Oregon
To Customer Service, Farnam Pet Products, Phoenix, Arizona:
At approximately 11:00 PM on Thursday, July 26, 2007, I put one application each of BioSpot Spot On
Flea and Tick Control For Cats and Kittens on each of my five adult cats. Your product was purchased by
me that same day from PetSmart in Tigard, Oregon. This was the first time I had purchased your product.
Four of my adult cats had no adverse reaction to your product but my 8 year old Female Tabby ("Emmie")
had terrible reactions from it. By 2:00 AM on the 27th (3 hours after applying your product to her) she was stomach-down on the kitchen floor, foaming at and drooling from her mouth, her tongue was sticking out,
her pupils were totally dilated, her front paws were folded under her, and her breathing and heartbeat were extremely rapid. Her breathing was heavy and labored and still rapid. She was going in and out of consciousness.
I picked her up, placed her on a shower chair in the bathtub and began flooding the BioSpot application
area with water (as per your instructions on the package) while instructing my housemate to telephone The Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Tualatin (Oregon) to get information on what procedures we should follow
in this emergency situation. The Emergency Clinic said to keep flooding the area with water, dry Emmie
off as much as possible, and to get her to the Emergency Clinic as soon as possible.
I recently had arm surgery and cannot drive so I phoned a neighbor, who then took Emmie and myself to
the Emergency Clinic and we arrived there at 2:57 AM according to the time stamp on my copy of Clinic's invoice. My housemate stayed home in case any of our other four adult cats had an adverse reaction to
your product.
The veterinarian at the emergency clinic examined Emmie, bathed her neck thoroughly to dilute as much BioSpot as possible, gave Emmie 10 mg. of Lasix intravenously to reduce the pressure on her heart and
lungs that was causing her breathing problems, and specifically told me that this was most certainly a
reaction to the BioSpot I had applied to Emmie a few hours earlier. I brought the packaging for BioSpot
with me so the veterinarian would know the exact contents of your product. I still have the packaging.
The bill came to a total of $93.00; $65.00 for the emergency examination and $23.00 for the Lasix administered intravenously.
If requested I will send you a photocopy of my copy of the bill, and I invite you to verify this email by
contacting Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Tualatin, (Clinic address inserted here) Tualatin, Oregon
97062, telephone number (503) (Number inserted here). The attending veterinarian was Dr. Williams.
Their hours are 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM during the week, and they are open 24 hours on weekends and
holidays. Their prompt, expert, and thorough treatment of my cat saved her life.
I expect full and timely reimbursement of the $93.00 spent on this emergency veterinary visit because
the expense and the visit are direct results of an adverse reaction by my cat to the application of your
product, BioSpot. Dr. Williams will verify that statement.
I am also completing FDA Form 1932a regarding adverse reactions to veterinary medications and
returning that form to The FDA.
My mailing address is:
(Street address was inserted here)
Tigard,Oregon (ZIP Code was inserted here)
My telephone number is non-published.
I am expecting you to send the $93.00 reimbursement check to me at that address and I expect it to be
sent promptly.
Feel free to contact me at this email address or at my mailing address.
Sincerely,
(My signature was inserted here)
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that is involved with an IMHA dog. Choe is doing OK now but has struggled throughout the year and remains
on medication and frequent blood checks. It has been a year of hell. My vet bills are near $10,000. I have
had to take out a loan to pay for all of the care. Merial was adamant that Frontline had not been proven to cause Choe's illness and refused to reimburse one dime. The vet, Dr. Dixon who wrote me on two separate occassions in response to my letters had the nerve to say the anemia could have been the result of Choe's eating babyfood (when he was first terribly ill and would not eat solid food) that had onions in the ingredient. Onions can cause anemia in dogs so she used that fact to her advantage. You can share this portion of her `response' with those like Pam. My guess is she will receive more dancing around the issue as the Merial
folks do so well. They should all be on stage/screen. They are the consummate actors. And, guess what, nobody holds them accountable. Isn't that incredulous??!
Jan 7/28/07
Sent to DATELINE NBC on 07/28/2007
summer warning: Flea control products can injure/ kill pets!! SCAM by
Pharmaceuticals. Please consider investigating this as a feature story.
Pharmaceutical companies who manufacture topical flea control products
are so powerful that they are held minimally accountable for the thousands
of adverse reactions their products are causing to domestic animals. I am
writing as a consumer who has spent more than $8,000 on vet bills including
four blood transfusions to try to keep my pet dachshund alive following a
topical dose of Frontline flea control product. During my investigation into
adverse reactions to flea control products I have located an excellent web
site started by James Terbush whose pet was also adversely effected by
a flea control product. Please check out the many individual letters/consumer
It is clear that the toxic pesticides these pharmaceutical companies are
using are not only toxic to the fleas and ticks, but to our pets as well. When
contacted, the response from Merial Pharmaceutical Co. about their product
Frontline was the same `mantra' they reveal to all consumers.......the product
(topical placed on animal's skin) does not infiltrate the system -only stays on
the sebaceous glands. This is false information and is only communicated to
sell more products. In fact, my communication with a Dr. Dixon, from Merial
revealed that they refused to provide me with clinical study trials to prove
sufficient testing of the product. A pesticide called fipronil is the main ingredient.
Fipronil is a pesticide that has been on the market only ten years. Adequate
testing has, apparently not been completed. In fact, the Australian Veterinary
Association is requesting fipronil be removed from the Australian market!
There is also no gas chromatography lab test to pinpoint the toxic substance
in the blood. In other words even when your pet may show that indeed this
pesticide substance is causing a severe reaction, there is no proof that
will be subscribed to the pharmaceuticals because no (blood) test has been
developed anywhere in the country (found this out from Mark Rondeau, DVM,
internal medicine specialist at VHUP in Philadelphia). Isn't that convenient
for the pharmaceuticals??? No accountability. Prove it..they dare you.
Please consider further investigating and doing a consumer interest story.
Stop these power/money focused companies from purposely producing
products that injure and kill animals.
I will be happy to speak with you further and reveal examples of my own
situation as well as putting you in contact with others who have experienced
same. Much like the pet food poisoning world-wide horror, this area
requires much more involvement from the press. Thanks.
Sincerely,
Jan
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Hello, I came across your site after wondering if my dog might be sick from using the Sergeants Gold
Flea and Tick drops. I put them on last night, and put her in her kennel as instructed by my dog groomer.
My dog barked and barked for about an hour, which wasn't totally unusual, so I checked on her a few
times and she seemed fine. I woke up this morning and there was wetness in her kennel, and I wasn't
sure what it was from...Until now. My little girl was on her zipline all day and after I got to her after work
She was itching non stop. She was biting her legs and gnawing on the little "knee" on her back legs.
Chewing on her toenails and itching her back like crazy. She wouldn't stop itching. She drank an
abnormal amount of water, and I decided to give her a bath to get whatever was left off.
I gave her a bath and it seems like it has helped a little, but she is still itching. As she is sitting beside
me right now her mouth is very wet. Her lips and all of the fur under her chin is wet. Her mouth area
is usually nearly dry but now is just "wet." If I run my hand over her mouth my hand is wet and she is
leaving puddles of drool on the carpet.
She is not having seizures like some people are saying but this is definitely not the norm for my little
puppy.
Have you heard of anyone with this wet mouth and itching like I explain?
Anonymous 7/31/07
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I wish I had seen your research before I used the bio spot product . The morning after I put the drops on
my cat he began shaking violently and was collapsed on the floor. I rushed him to my Vet and he proceeded
to have numerous grand mal seizures on the table. I didn't think he could be saved in time. After working on
him for 5-6 hours, my cat was finally stabilized. He's been home for a week on predizone and antibiotics and
doing much better. I am still working on forgiving myself for poisioning my own cat causing him great suffering and pain. There should be a special place in hell for company's who produce unsafe products and keep
them on the market.
Lisa 7/31/07
Thank You for writing me back. You know I did use the Bio Spot for dogs by mistake. I was picking out
boxes for both my cats and dogs and paying so much attention to the body weight strengths that I did
mistake his for my Chihuahua's. I do remember the packaging looked the same. I bought it at Big Lots. Because the error was mine, I seriously doubt the company would be willing to reimburse me for the
$300.00 vet bill. I still will Never use the Bio Spot product again. Honestly, I'm too afraid to use any Flea
drops on my dogs or cats again. My cat is doing really well though, and I am so grateful for that. I feel
horrible for not distinguishing the difference before I applied the drops though! I do thank you for writing
me back or I would have not thought to get the box out of my trash and double check whether it said dogs
or cats. I had thought I gave him one of the two boxes I bought for my two cats. Having two dogs and two
cats, I need to be paying better attention. Thanks Again!
Lisa 8/3/07
MANY people have made the mistake of putting Bio Spot for Dogs on their cats. It's easy to make that
mistake because the packaging of Bio Spot for Dogs and Bio Spot for Cats use to look very similar. In fact,
the individual tubes of those products were virtually identical, except for a small label that was impossible to
read. Farnam recently changed the packaging to prevent that mistake from happening.
I would still contact Farnam and let them know what happened. They may offer to reimburse your vet
expenses. To the best of my knowledge, they made no effort to recall the old product. Instead, they
apparently decided to sell their remaining inventory to discount stores.
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I purchased the Sentry Pro XFC on a Tues and applied to my Min.Pin. correctly around 3pm that afternoon. The next morning when I woke up he was constantly licking his tongue out of his mouth and his leg was twitching. At first I assumed he was stiff from waking, or maybe had a flea bite on his foot, but as the day persisted I noticed every 30secs. he would have a leg spasm and start biting an licking his hind leg and foot, plus he was shaking more than normal. I called the vet and they said they have heard of dogs having adverse reactions, but watch him for a day because it could just be an allergic reaction to something in the carpet or
just an allergry. After reading this website I decided to try the Dawn remedy, so now I am just waiting to see
if he returns to normal. I am devestated and feel guilty about putting this terrible product on my dog. I am returning the product to PetSmart first thing in the morning, hopefully tomorrow my little buddy will be back
to normal. This product should be removed from the shelf immediately.
Chandra 8/1/07
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Hi...this is the first time I've ever written something on an internet site but I am a dog lover and have had a
bad experience with the use of Frontline on my 11 year old Golden Retriever, River.
We had administered Frontline on June 30 and a few days later our dog exhibited "weird" breathing - almost like he was trying to "gulp" air - and then vomitting - he did this over and over. We took him to the emergency
Vet and they did xrays and found nothing - only a slight swelling in the throat/thorax area - they gave him a shot of benadryl (75 mg). and he seemed to calm down and had an uneventful night. I did not connect Frontline to
this episode as we have been administering this stuff for years with no problem.
A few nights ago - July 30 we again administered Frontline and last evening he had the same symptoms. We gave him benadryl and again the symptoms went away - however he would not eat for over 24 hours and when he did take his favorite treat (only once) he "gulped" for air so we stopped trying to get him to eat.
We did not connect these two incidents until this morning when we were trying to think of the common denominators in these situations - the only one was FRONTLINE. Needless to say I will write a note to my Vet and will never give it to either of my dogs again.
My small mixed breed has also been exhibiting rapid shallow breathing since this was administered also - on the same day. I feel terrible that this happened. Now I don't know what to do. I live on Martha's Vineyard and
we have a horrible high rate of lyme disease here due to the high number of deer ticks - so if anyone out there knows of another product - not so toxic I would love to know about it.
D. Brown 8/2/07
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I just bought some Frontline on ebay for my 8 week old German Shep puppy. Per Frontline it is "safe" for puppies as young as 8 weeks. I have had my puppy for 2 weeks and she is having serious flea problems
and is giving fleas to my other animals (3 cats and another dog). So the Frontline came today so I applied it with confidence, as I use it on my other dog. Within minutes of application she became agitated and started slinking across the floor and whining. She began yelping intermittently and scratching herself at the application site. At first I thought the fleas (which were also becoming agitated and scrambling around her) were making her uncomfortable, but it soon became obvious it was more. I watched her for about 15 minutes as she slunk from room to room then to me as if I could do something to help her...I felt terrible, as at this point I began to suspect the Frontline was doing this to her. --As I type this she is yelping as she runs around the house...
I jumped on my computer and tried to find what reactions Frontline might have, as I could not find anything
on the packaging. Needless to say I could not find anything on the web either--except your website. After reading several postings I stopped to bathe her in Dawn dish soap, but it didn't help much. So after another
30 minutes of listening to her cry I bathed her again...it seemed to help a little. I then gave her a benedryl, hoping it might help her relax. I am horrified at all the postings!! I feel so sick that I have done this to my poor puppy! I am debating on whether to take her to the emergency vet (it is now 1:30AM) but I have my doubts
what they will do for her at a cost of what is likely to be hundreds or thousands of dollars I don't have! I may
not have a choice if she gets worse!
Now that I have stopped to think about it, I also have a cat that about 4 years ago got terribly sick after
applying a spot on flea treatment that I had bought at Wal-Mart (I don't remember the brand). The next day
her fur started looking dull and matted. Over a course of a week she began vomiting daily and started to wobble and stagger and become very weak. She stopped eating and lost weight over the next week. I took
her to the vet and told him it began right after I gave her the flea treatment. He shrugged it off saying it was
just a coincidence...although he did not know what was actually wrong with her. Her blood work was wacky
but he couldn't pin point what exactly the cause was. I knew the flea treatment had triggered something and made her sick, regardless of what the vet said. He kept her for a few days and gave her fluids then sent her home with antibiotics and steroid pills. I had to force feed her for a week several times a day and force her
to take water. Gradually she came back around and after several months got back to a normal weight. She stayed on steroids for about a year before another vet (I moved so I changed vets) said he didn't think there was anything wrong with her and didn't think the steroids were needed. He also poo-poo'd my theory of the
flea treatment causing her onset of problems. She still is fragile, but is not taking meds anymore...needless
to say I do not treat her for fleas anymore, so I just try to keep the other animals flea free so she won't have to be bothered by them...which is part of the reason I was so quick to try to treat the puppy. What a mistake! I am going to call the EPA tomorrow and let them know what happened...it may not help at all, but it can't hurt to let them know what could happen to some animals anyway. I am so pissed! There is NO mention of potential
side effects on the Frontline or what to do if your pet has a reaction! It's insane! I use it on my other dog and have never had a problem with her, so obviously it does not have a reaction ALL the time, but after seeing
ALL the postings on your site it obviously happens enough that SOMETHING should be printed on the box of potential side effects and what to do if they happen! I am going to call the maker of Frontline as well--although
it doesn't appear I should expect much of a response from them either.
It has been nearly four hours since the application and 2 baths and one benedryl later and she is still running around the house intermittently yelping...she is exhausted but can't relax...me too.
Lisa 8/3/07
Madison, MS
I just got off the phone with Merial, and as expected the customer service rep said since it is a topical application it ONLY is absorbed through the oil glands and there is no way it could have gotten into the
puppy's system to cause anything but a topical skin reaction. It was all I could do to control my anger
(obviously the customer service rep is merely an employee and is only reading a script), but hearing her
say there is no way it could have gotten into her system just makes me so angry! I told her I could not find anything from Merial about any adverse reactions or what to do if they occurred. She said it didn't sound
like the puppy's problems could have been caused by the Frontline due to how it is absorbed...blah, blah,
blah. I told her I read on the internet hundreds and hundreds of accounts of this very type of thing happening and how Merial (and the other drug companies) continue to deny any knowledge of adverse reactions. How many times does this sort of thing have to happen with chemicals before they learn "never to say never"?! Anyway after the typical patronizing conversation with her she said a vet tech from Merial would call me back and that I should plan on taking the puppy to my vet because Merial is not in a position to give professional medical advise. When I asked her if bathing was the best thing I could do she said she didn't know that it would help because the product is water proof there is really no way to get it off once you apply it! So of
course Merial is still in denial and are instructing their employees to say NOTHING. We'll see if the vet tech
that calls has anything different to say...I suspect the tech will say something along the lines of "it doesn't
sound like it could be a reaction to the Frontline, but there is obviously something wrong with your dog and
you should take her to your veterinarian as soon as possible to have her checked out." I would bet money
on it. Anyway, I will contact the EPA now and file a report and see if they can tell me what reports they have received regarding this product.
Thank you so much for your help, information, and your website--without it I probably would have once again
let "them" tell me it was a coincidence that sickness followed a topical flea application.
Lisa 8/3/07
I do not know if your puppy's reaction was due to the pesticide being absorbed into her bloodstream, or
if it's one of those extremely rare "transient cutaneous reactions" mentioned on the Merial-UK information sheet for Frontline. Regardless, the adverse reaction was caused by the Frontline and Merial should reimburse your vet expenses.
Merial claims that Frontline is not systemically absorbed, but the fact that it has caused seizures and death
in rabbits (an off-label use that Merial now warns against) would seem to be proof to the contrary.
James TerBush
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I have a 8 month old Peek-a-Poo that I've just noticed had a case of fleas. I went out to WalMart and purchased Sergeant's Gold Flea & Tick Squeeze On. Maybe an hour or so after applying Sergeant's to
my dog.......I noticed he kept sniffing/sneezing, I let him out for the last time for the night and when he
returned he vomitted twice, I then notice him drooling until the point it was dripping from his mouth. I
washed this product off, but will have to continue to watch him through the night. Reading these forums
are pretty scary, but through the Grace of God he may be OK.
Tameka 8/6/07
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I have given my 2 German Shepherds and 1 Great Dane the Bio-Spot. The Great Dane is very allergic to it
and rolls and itches after applying this product. I also gave the Equi-Spot - same stuff only for horses - also made by Farnam and they are both allergic to it. The skin swells at the areas of application. Was told by my Equine Vet that Farnam would take the Equi-Spot off the market because of so many horses having reactions to this stuff. To make a long story short - I had to put down one of my German Shepherds yesterday morning. Her name was Cora and she was 8 years old - best dog ever. She became ill on July 10, took her to the Vet
on July 11 and blood work showed Auto-Immune hemalitic Anemia. Despite of many potent drugs, had to take her to a Veterinary Specialist and X-rays and Ultrasound showed hemangiosarcoma - aggressive malignancy arising from the lining of blood vessels. She had it in the spleen, liver and heart. The anemia part apparently
is Diagnosis #1, but there is usually an underlying problem, in this case Cancer - Diagnosis #2.
After losing Cora yesterday, I will never ever give the dogs Bio-Spot again nor Equispot to my 2 horses.
It seems that we - the consumers have to put up with more and more B.S. - How sad it is that we have no protection and no voice. Cora's whole ordeal since July 10th has cost me just about $1600.00, plus I lost my best friend ever. I love my other animals very much, but Cora was special.
Edie 8/7/07
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HELP, We seen a flea on our dog, we could not find any more fleas but panicked and ran to Wal-Mart, the
only store open. We purchased Sergeants Gold for our four dogs and four cats plus four 8 week old kittens and Hartz bombs for the house. The cats are all fine. On the kittens I only put a couple of drops they are fine also. The problem being our dogs, the poodle is pretty much OK with just mild itching. The Jack Russell just seems uncomfortable, very restless to sleep with some itching. At times she bolts forward and then settles back down. The two I am worried about is a Rat Terrier and a Jack-Rat. I put the Sergeants Gold on all animals on Sunday, put them on the porch and bombed the house. After completely cleaning the house
some 8 plus hours later I brought the animals back into the house. I noticed they were itching but thought
they must have fleas and didn't think much more of it. I then noticed the baby the Jack-Rat was drooling REALLY bad and shaking like she was cold. I didn't know what to do so I tried to get her to eat something, anything and after several tries I got her to eat some canned cat food.(not the best choice but she at least
ate it) she seemed to get better after awhile and somewhat went to sleep for the night. She put in a rough
night of itching badly and just not sleeping. Then it was time to go through the same thing with the Rat Terrier he started drooling REALLY bad and shaking like he was cold. He also seemed to get "better" after eating again canned cat food (all dogs fight for it when we feed the cats so thought it was worth a try!) He also went
to bed and put in a rough night of itching.
The next morning I called Sergeants emergency hotline and was basically told that the worst was over and to just wait it out. That reactions to the med only lasted for about 24 hours, that I probably used too much on the dogs and put it on in too small of a line, etc. Also they said the product was water proof and penetrated into their skin by now, really nothing I could do but wait it out, giving them a bath would do no good. Now feeling really bad I spent the rest of the day petting the dogs and trying to keep them calm. I did call our vet at one point and he seemed pretty ticked at me and told me to call Sergeants and deal with them as it was their product I used (I will be finding a new vet!) I noticed their ears felt on fire to touch and they seemed to be
very bothered by them, not really itching them but like rubbing them. Monday night we went to bed and all
four dogs seemed to be doing a very small bit better.
Today is Tuesday, all the dogs are itching now mainly their necks where the product was applied and they seem to be very tender in that area, I am sure from all the itching. They also "chew" on their feet a lot, their
ears don't seem to be as hot as they were yesterday. I found this web page and gave all dogs a bath twice with dawn. It didn't seem to do anything for them. I keep trying to get them to eat and drink but it has been a real chore to do so. They all whine a lot and itch at the "spot" and "chew" on their feet. Is there anything I can do to help them at this point? It has now been about 80 hours since I applied the Flea and Tick squeeze on
our animals. I don't know if I should run them to a vet before they scratch themselves raw, or if they can be given Benedryl. Just checked, they are all sleeping at the moment, hope it lasts! Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated as we don't have thousands of dollars to pay an emergency vet. Yet my dogs
are my babies and are worth more to me than anything in the world. I feel so guilty that I didn't wait until
Monday when the vet would have been open to get the med they usually take. We just panicked when we
saw the flea on Mattie. Thank you for your help.
Lisa and puppies 8/7/07
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Last night we treated our 2 Chihuahuas (Joe and Jack) with Sergeant's Gold Flea and Tick Squeeze-on
for Dogs in accordance with the directions for use on the package after reading all of the warning labels
and possible side effects. Incidentally, there are no warning labels that apply to dogs except that signs of sensitivity may occur. Approximately 3 hours after application Joe was coughing, gagging and throwing up,
by morning he appeared to be ok. However, Jack started experiencing the same reactions sometime after
Joe and appears to be in a lethargic state. We are now on our way to see the Vet after talking to Sergeant's medical department and consumer affairs department. The only advice they would give me was to bathe the dogs in a dishwashing liquid to remove the chemicals from the dogs' hair. I did this and now 2 hours later
Jack is still lethargic.
Dewey
8/9/2007
Thanks to lobbying efforts by the flea control product manufacturers, the EPA does not require them
to warn people that "signs of sensitivity" may include drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, incoordination, increased excitability, seizures, and in some cases, death.
James TerBush
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If your dog had a severe adverse reaction to Bio Spot Flea & Tick
Control (or any similar product), or if you have found a safer way to
control fleas & ticks, please let me know.
