Update 2/25/08: Hamish has not had ANY seizures since we stopped using Bio Spot
over 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.
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Just an FYI for those of you wanting to try Promeris. I raise pomeranians, I too have found the lack of effectiness with Frontline Plus. I tried the Promeris on a couple of my dogs, they did fine, then I applied to about 6 of them, and one had a bad reaction about 24 hours later, emergency vet visit and still he is not himself. He lost his mobility and ability to urinate and deficate. I myself will not use this product again, I do not know the long term effects this will have on my baby...but I would rather use Frontline Plus then something that is going to be fatal
to one of my babies.
The hotline for Promeris just took my information, and suggested that this dog must have licked another one,
this I know for a fact did not happen. Also was told that it should not have affected his ability to urinate and deficate. Another vet I use told me that it affected the nervous system to the point that he could not stand, walk,
or eat, that he did not know when he needed to use the bathroom...that it supressed his ability to know to do
this. I think Promeris needs to take the product off the market and do more research, and reimburse those that have vet bills due to their product.
I am now wondering what long term affects this will have on my baby....and did it damage any organs?
Patricia 3/30/08
Thanks for the reply, I surely do not recommend it after what I have been through. My vet said he could have died.
This product is fairly new and I dont' think there is enough study out there yet on old and young, etc. This is a chemical, just like all others. I normally use Frontline and Advantage...without problems...and thought this to be safe... but when I first tried it, my vet said to watch the puppy really close, because he was not familar with the product and the reactions. Well the puppy did fine, so I bought more and applied it to my other dogs, then this happened, it happened 24 hours later, it was not something instant... He was at the vet clinic at 1am in the morning then back again that day for another shot to reverse the conditions.
Please post and warn others, it might not happen to others, but it is highly likely it will. I am not a vet either but
I am very experienced when it comes to dogs and medication, etc. I have been a small hobby breeder for a
very long time, and have tried alot of stuff over years and have had good results till now.
Patricia 3/31/08
Prior to registration, flea control products are tested only on a small number of young, healthy animals. Once these products are approved by the EPA, it is almost impossible to get them removed from the market.
In my opinion, the ProMeris website is very misleading. Here is their website:
Here is an excerpt:
"For years we've used insecticides to control fleas on pets and in the environment. Many
of these chemicals have been around for decades. Perhaps we’ve relied upon these older chemistries for too long and are in need of something new."
If one didn't know any better, they might assume that ProMeris didn't contain insecticide, and therefore it
might be safer than other flea control products. The truth is ProMeris contains two insecticides and poses the same risks to people and pets as any other flea control product.
James TerBush
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Advantix kills.
I wish the true information was available on the package, I never would have bought it! I applied it to my two wonderful dogs on a wednesday and friday night my 9 1/2 yr. old lab/beagle mix ,Toby died. He suffered because I thought I was doing something good, keeping fleas and ticks off of him.I found this site after he died,too late for him but not too late for his 6 yr.old lab love Hannah. Friday night he refused to eat and
started vomiting a white foam,became very weak unable to walk and was followed by vomiting blood. He
died on the way to the emergency room.It all happened so fast.My plan is to tell everyone I know and contact
the media and hopefully save lives. God help us,help them.
Thank you & God Bless,
Dawn 3/31/08
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ZODIAC SPOT ON FLEA PRODUCT KILLED MY KITTEN, ASHLEY.
The saddest part is that the vets have no real idea what caused her illness and death. I spent a small fortune trying to save this little kitten. They did about every test they could think of and everything came back normal
or negative or at least within acceptable parameters. They couldn't find any concrete physical cause for what happened to her. And believe me, it was not an easy illness and death.
Starting on Friday, 3/21, Ashley had difficulty walking and couldn't jump from the floor to the cabinet where
I usually fed her. By Saturday afternoon, she couldn't stand at all. Sunday was Easter, so my regular vet was closed. I took her to them on Monday, 3/24. They hadn't a clue, and immediately told me I should take her to
a veterinary neurologist, at a nearby vet specialty clinic. So, I took her there on Tuesday. She had been unable
to walk since Sat afternoon, but was still eating, drinking and eliminating pretty normally.
The neurologist did a raft of blood tests and urinalysis and what have you. They had to anesthetize her to do some of the testing procedures; when she awoke from the anesthesia, she got up and started walking. This
was very strange, to say the least. So I brought Ashley home, still ambulatory, and thinking maybe she would
be okay.
By 11pm, she was again unable to walk. And rapidly went down hill from that point. By Wednesday, she
started having full body muscle spasms at fairly regular intervals. Not seizures, but like full body muscle
cramps. It must have hurt, as she would cry out each time one took her. I sat up all Wednesday night, holding Ashley in my lap, rocking her and trying to comfort her after each spasm, which were coming at about 20-30 minute intervals. I took her back to the vet clinic on Thursday, and they admitted her. In the meantime, most
of the test results were back and looked okay, so the vet is really puzzled as to what is causing the muscle spasms and paralysis.
Long story short, Ashley never came home again, was in ICU Thursday, Friday, Saturday and into Sunday. Saturday night she spiked an extremely high fever. The vets literally packed her in ice to bring it back
down. But she was pretty much in a coma from that point on. When I went to the vet clinic Sunday, she was unresponsive to me calling her. The body was still breathing, but my little kitten wasn't there anymore. It
was more than time to set her free. So I told them to do it. She died in my arms, but I don't think she knew
I was there.
So, I paid almost $3000 to the vet, and still lost my baby and no one knows why/what killed her. However
I have my suspicions. On Monday 3/17, I had put a topical flea product on all the cats but the 2 oldest. This
stuff doesn't kill the adult fleas per se, but instead is a hormonal growth inhibitor, which prevent larva from maturing and eggs from hatching, thereby interrupting the flea lifecycle. It was supposed to be safe for
"kittens and cats older than 12 weeks" but did say not to use on health compromised or very geriatric
animals. About 8-10 years ago, I had a cat that had a severe adverse reaction to a different spot on flea
product. She had gone into convulsions, and required vet care for several days. Although she did survive,
the product's manufacturer pretty much admitted poisoning her, and paid my vet bills. They pulled that
product off the market a few months later.
When I researched the product I used (Zodiac, fyi) and its active ingredient, I found numerous anecdotal
stories online on the toxicity and adverse effects of this stuff. Many of the cats had symptoms similar to
Ashley. Most of them died from this shit. Of course the manufacturer maintains that it is perfectly safe,
and denies that it could cause problems. Bull; one of my other cats has lost all the fur off the spot where
I applied this stuff. Luckily, he is much larger than Ashley, or would probably be gone now too. The
product doesn't have any weight divisions, just the age warning about kittens under 12 weeks.
The vet is doing a post-mortem (and not charging for it) to see if they can figure out what went wrong
with my little girl. I hope we can prove that it had something to do with the flea product, because I really
would like to ask the manufacturer to reimburse me for the vet bills. And maybe apologize for killing
my kitten. Chances of this happening are slim to none, but I can hope.
This stuff is supposed to be regulated by the USDA and the EPA, but they don't care. The same chemical
in the flea product is used to kill insects in water sources used for drinking, and for a number of other applications in agriculture. Think we are ingesting it? Oh hell yes. It is supposedly safe. But why does the packaging instruct you to wash thoroughly and rinse well if it comes in contact with your skin or clothing?
It also says to contact "authorities" if adverse reactions occur, but doesn't say what those reactions
might be. And deny any responsibility when they are contacted.
I know, just another example of why the world is such a frakked up mess. Sorry for the rant, but I am very,
very upset over this whole thing. I feel like I am ultimately the reason Ashley died a horrible, painful death,
if only because I was the one to put the flea product on her. The real guilty party won't admit culpability.
Bet on it. And even if they did, it sure won't bring my sweet, little baby cat back to life.
Jill 4/2/08
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Thank you for your site, and all the information you supplied. Please feel free to publish this post as written, including my name and email address.
You asked if any humans have had an adverse reaction to a flea treatment for dogs.
I (human) an adult woman had a reaction to the Frontline + dog flea treatment for 45-88 lbs. we use on my
medic alert Service Dog. It was bought from my vet.
I snuggled with him about 15 hrs after my husband applied it. I had woken and we were still in bed I was fine, watched part of the morning news program. Then I petted him and snuggled near where it had been applied about 15 hrs earlier.
I immediately got stuffy, and felt my face tighten. a few minutes later felt a slight headache, I got up and my right eye, nose and cheek were swollen. Confusion started. Did a quick check of my activities, and realized the only thing I touched was my dog. Then thought of the flea medication.
I have severe allergic reactions, and multiple chemical sensitivities so I had some experience with reactions before and had plenty of emergency medications on hand. I took benedryl, and Epinephrine.. it helped some, then I became very nauseated. I did the Epinephrine again, with zyrtec (an antihistamine). I felt pressure in my ear .... also caused dizziness. I continued throughout the entire day treating swelling, nausea, headache, bodyaches, & dizziness with medications. I was easily agitated too.
I had my husband bathe the dog, and washed everything. I needed another dose of Epinephrine in the evening.
It wasn't safe for me to go to the hospital because of my severe environmental allergies & sensitivities. I ended up staying in bed all day. I just stayed as quiet as possible. Even the light bothered me. I ended up very restless,
I couldn't lay still so it was a miserable night, benedryl helped some with the restlessness I finally fell asleep around 3am. I was much better Monday, 24 hrs later - still a bit stiff and achy, some congestion & hypersensitivity. I have been in touch with my doctors.
Study shows the chemical levels of pesticide "fipronil" transferred to gloves from petting the application site are still highest 24 hours after application and diminish to none over 5 weeks on exposing adverse reactions to humans using frontline on pets
I called the poison hotline - they said it was safe, all that has been reported was a tingling or skin irritation, they couldn't even give me the complete ingredients list. The person was a pharmacologist - he had an attitude. Stating it wasn't the cause. I just said I wasn't asking him to detirmine if I was exposed, I knew I was - I just needed information to make sure I covered all the bases. I did insist on him giving me a case number.
I also called the company that maufactures Frontline+ . It's Merial Limited at 1-800-660-1842 and spoke to their adverse reaction dept for humans. I reported it, they had an RN taking the calls and got a case number. They recorded my symptoms, and took the EPA Reg No.on the back of the box I used. In order to get the list of inert ingredients I have to have my physician contact them. They are going to call me back to let me know who they report to, or if they report any adverse reaction to a government agency. Interesting point is that if it's so safe
why is there a nurse on call to take reports on reactions to humans?
I also personally reported it to the appropriate government agency - Nat'l Pesticide Info Ctr (NPIC) agency and recieved a log number. They work jointly with the EPA and share adverse reports. http://npic.orst.edu/ at
1-800-858-7378
I was also told by the NPIC that Merial Limited company is required to report any adverse reaction to the EPA under Section 6A2 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
NPIC read the symptoms of a fipronil toxic exposure, they corresponded with my symptoms. See their Fact Sheets: http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/fiptech.pdf. I still don't know what all the inert ingredients are because of trade secrets.
After reading the posts about the adverse effects to pets I realized my Service Dog would bite at his paws and skin as if he was having an allergic reaction. I believe it's related to the Frontline+. Needless to say I will not be using any of these chemical type products again.
Ora 4/8/08
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Hello, I have just come by some information on this website concerning the side effects of flea and tick control
for dogs and cats. I have been beside myself since yesterday ( April 7th, 2008 ) since I took my four month old miniature schnauzer for flea preventative. I had previously asked My vet about starting " Abby" on Frontline, but instead My vet said she would start her on Pro Meris. I paid rather alot for the remaining two vials to be given once a month. After I came home with Abby, she immediately started acting strange, she whimpered, and would walk real slowly around the house, she is definitely not herself. Abby will eat, but not like she is really hungry, her energy is gone, she would run around the house chasing my kids every evening, but for the last two days now, the change in her is like night and day.
I called my Vet on the 8th, and she did not think it had anything to do with Pro Meris. Abby has been healthy and happy up till Monday Morning when I took her to the vets. I feel very upset that I have given this to my dog, is
there any more information on Pro Meris? and are there anymore similar cases like mine using this fairly new product?
Lisa 4/8/08
Oklahoma
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In the summer of 2007 I asked my vet for a different flea treatment as the frontline plus was causing my dog to have extremely dry skin which causes her to scratch all the time. I tried Advantix. It worked well, but my dog
vomited the first day and would not eat for about 4 days. After trying it another month (thinking the GI issues were from a new food) I noticed her jaw was having tremors. I stopped using it and PTL she is fine. I am very
thankful for your site. You have saved me from trying other brands that have caused very serious problems
with other animals.
Janis 8/9/08
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(Below is a 2-page letter that I received from the EPA)
(Below is email that I sent to the EPA)
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 11:01 AM
Subject: Unlawful Advertising Claims regarding pesticides for pets
Dear Mr. Lesher,
Thank you for sending me a copy of Larry A. Hacker's letter (dated April 4, 2008) that was addressed to Terry McNamara, Product Manager, Bayer Animal Health, in regards to advertisements and safety claims made on their websites for Advantage and K9 Advantix that are in violation of FIFRA. I am very pleased that the EPA
has decided to take this action against Bayer.
In addition to the websites cited in the letter, here are two more Bayer websites for Advantage and K9 Advantix that are in violation of FIFRA.
Here are excerpts:
"Is Advantage a potential hazard to pets?"
"No. Advantage is backed by extensive and thorough domestic animal safety studies which show even when administered at five times the target therapeutic dosage for three consecutive days, cats and dogs experienced no adverse effects.* *Bayer Domestic Animal Safety Studies"
"Is Advantage gentle enough to use on puppies and kittens?"
"Advantage is so gentle it can be used on puppies as young as seven weeks and kittens as young as eight weeks."
"Can Advantage be used on dogs and cats in households with small children?"
"Yes. Advantage is backed by human and animal safety studies, so you don't have to worry about exposure
to you or your family. Even at elevated doses shortly after treatment, there is no significant exposure to people from petting an Advantage treated pet. Advantage dries quickly and is gentle enough to use with households with small children."
Here is a Bayer website for K9 Advantix:
Here are excerpts:
"Tough on parasites. Gentle on dogs."
"K9 Advantix is gentle enough for puppies as young as 7 weeks of age and dogs of any weight."
The above websites are particularly troublesome because they are directed towards veterinarians and their
staff - the primary distribution channel for Advantage and K9 Advantix, and the primary source of information
that the public relies upon for these products.
I hope that Bayer will comply with this EPA ruling by removing all statements from their websites that mislead veterinarians and consumers into believing that Advantage and K9 Advantix are gentle for animals and safe
for small children.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator for:
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I recently purchased seargents and flea and tick gold for my puppy. She is 14 months old and a very beloved member of our family. I put the product on her at 1:30pm on Friday, April 11, 2008 and we watched her try to
rub it off, but saw no adverse reaction--yet!!! And, I put her in her crate at 3:30pm and then all of our family left
to go to OKC to see family. We got home around 9pm that same night. Our puppy went outside and played
and pottied, and then we took her into our bedroom to play with her. She threw up on my bed, and began to
just whine and cry. This went on all evening, all night and into the morning. At midnight, we gave her a bath to
try to help. She managed to sleep for a couple of hours, but off and on all night she whimpered and cried.
By morning, I was very concerned, so I got on Google and did a search. I was very alarmed at what I read -- redness in the ears, bumps on her back, and the loud crying. We called our vet, and took her in asap. He
gave her a shot, and told us to watch her.
My 2 kids are at their grandma's, and have no clue what is going on. And, I bought a product I thought I could trust. Our dog is 14 months old, her name is Trixie, and she is a mini dachshund. She is black and tan...
My kids would be very upset if our puppy had anything more seriously wrong. I intend to watch her, and keep
the vet on speed dial.
Why is this product still out there on the market?????
Thanks,
Kristin 4/12/08
Thank you for getting back to me. Our vet gave her a shot of Predef which is a cortizone med. And, we have new symptom that has showed up--she tilts her head to the side and shakes her head as if she has a nervous tick, and when she walks, she has trouble with balance. She is eating and drinking just fine. No playfulness
like we are used to seeing. Our vet told us it could take 2 days for the sergeant's to fully get out of her blood stream, and he seems to think the head tilt and balance problem are a side effect from the sergeant's. We
have vet orders to call him if new symptoms arise and if the existing one's stay longer than 2 days...
Kristin 4/12/08
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I have an American Eskimo dog named Snowball who is 10 yrs old. I have always used Frontline Plus on him
for flea and tick control. At the previous visit with my Vet, they recommended that I try Promeris. I applied the Promeris to Snowball last Thursday, and by Friday he had slow movement, no energy and very lethargic. It scared me, and I didn't even think about the change in the flea medication until today. That is when I decided
to go online and see if there were any reports concerning the side effects. Thank God that Snowball is almost back to his normal self, and that his side effects did not worsen. I will not use Promeris again, it is back to Frontline Plus. I will also be reporting this to my Vet, because I do not feel that he should be selling this product in his office. Thank you.
Cheryl 4/12/08
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Thank you for the very helpful information on your website. The first time I put Frontline on my Doberman,
he had a severe reaction to it, desperately trying to get at the application point (my American Water Spaniel
has virtually no reaction to the Frontline). The reaction continued and gradually subsided for the month that the product was supposed to be effective. My vet assured me that reactions to Frontline were very rare and it had
a low toxicity (why then do they recommend that I wear rubber gloves when applying it?) and I am sure that is the information they are given. However, after a couple of months (I can't believe I thought he would "get used to it") it became clear that Frontline was not for him and I had to find alternatives. We live in an area that is rife with Lyme disease, so I rely on a botanical product and hypervigilance after any walks in the woods. It's not ideal,
but it gets us by. My reason for writing was that I was going to try Promeris on him this year, but I checked your website first. The people who have shared their stories on your website saved me and my dog a lot of pain - or worse. Thank you again for your help.
Sandi in Wisconsin 4/14/08
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I'm still convinced that Frontline Plus caused the seizures in our dog. Since I stopped using it our lab has been fine. Our vet suddenly declared our dog diabetic after we had some bloodwork after the seizures. I have not done any feeding differently since that last seizure. There has been no problems since. I no longer trust our vet.
I have nothing to offer the rest of the folks here except my story, which I am sticking to, but it will mean nothing
in court. Our vet is making a lot of money off of Frontline. He is also selling these drugs on the internet. The vets are protecting this cash cow. I am so glad you set up your website. You might not be able to protect all dogs,
but you protected mine. Thanks.
Jim 4/16/08
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We did the same as the opening page. We purchased this product [Bio Spot] because it was supposed to
be as good as the others. we used the product on our cat and the next morning I found the cat on the floor in convoltions and soon after siesures.
We gave the pet a bath as soon as we found out that this would help, but it did not do anything, our family member was already at the point that we needed to find her some help imediately or we knew she would die.
So far one and a half days later she is still in the 24 hour hospital with 24 hour watch on her in hopes that she
will make it.
What kind of companies are these that sell a product for animals, that are supposed to help with thier health
but in fact put our family members health on the line????????
IS THEIR NO ONE IN THE GOVERNMENT THAT HAS PETS, THAT THEY WOULD NOT WANT THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN TO?????????? MAYBE , MAYBE NOT???
BUT YET THE GOVERNMENT ARE THE ONES THAT SET FORTH THE REGULATIONS THAT ALLOW THESE COMPANIES TO PRODUCE THESE THINGS THAT HARM OUR FAMILIES AND OUR PETS.
Gary 4/16/08
We received a letter [from Farnam] and because we have dog in the house that was taking the same type
of treatment they say that we put the dogs stuff on the cat. What we think has happened is that the dog and
the cat love to play together and rub all over each other and lick each other, so they were playing and the
cat rubbed herself on the dog or licked the dog and this is possibly how the med was transferred to the cat.
We will not use this product ever again. We have learned a valuable lesson by this.
We have used other products like this and have never had this problem.
We intend to tell as many people about this product as we can come in contact with.
We may not be able to put them out of buis but we can at least put a good dent in their profit.
Thanks for responding and listening to our problem.
Gary 5/3/08
Given the fact that Bio Spot for Dogs has the potential to kill cats if it is accidentally applied to them, or if they come into close physical contact or groom with a dog that is treated with it, Farnam should put a black box warning on their packaging to warn people. It should say, "DO NOT USE IN HOUSEHOLDS WITH CATS."
James TerBush
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I read your website this afternoon and thought I would email you. I ordered some Frontline off the internet, but while I was waiting the two weeks it took to ship I thought I would get something cheap to help my 3 year old
dog until the Frontline arrived. So I went to Pet's Mart, hoping the Banfield was open so that they would sell me
a single dose of Frontline, but it was closed. So I asked an employee which was the best over the counter flea medication and they suggested I try Sentry Pro XFC. My dog is 25 pounds so I bought the appropriate dosage. Around 9:00 pm I put the stuff on my dog as direct and within 10 minutes I noticed she was acting kind of melancholy or sad. I was teasing her and trying to engage her and she was just laying there, which is very unusual, as she is typically an extremely energetic dog who is ALWAYS willing to play. I left her alone for a few minutes and went about my business but about 9:45 I found her sitting in my bedroom in the dark. Also, very unusual behavior. Typically she wants to be around whoever is home. So I called her into the living room to have her sit with me and I noticed she was hiccuping, or so I thought. When I got closer to her, I realized she was dry heaving. She was licking her mouth uncontrollably as if she hadn't had anything to drink all day, but she wouldn't drink anything. She was panting furiously. So I told my boyfriend that something was wrong. It had only been about 45-50 minutes since we put the stuff on her, but I knew it was the cause of these problems because she had never acted like this before. So I scooped her up and quickly gave a bath. Upon toweling her off she began to act much better, but a couple of times when I was toweling her she yelped as if I were hurting her. She ran around for a few minutes, but for the entire remainder of the evening she was fidgety, restless and constantly scratching at herself. I could tell she was uncomfortable and she wanted me to be rubbing her constantly. Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep, everytime I would doze off she would nudgingly wake me up to rub her some more. It was very clear that this stuff affected her nervous system. I called the emergency vet last night after I bathed her and they said that there wasn't anything I could do at that point and that if she started to vomit or develop diarrhea then I should bring her in. She seems to be doing much better, and I am thankful that I noticed a reaction so quickly and hopeful that it didn't to any serious damage to her. I looked on the box and the only warning it gives is "Some dogs may develop sensitivities." Sensitivities? It's outrageous! What kind of a disclaimer is that?
I don't feel like that is an adequate warning. The thought that I may have accidentally poisoned my poor dog is heartbreaking, as I'm sure you know. I'm so angry with the fact that they sell stuff like this without an adequate warning or a list of behaviors to keep an eye out for. I'm just sick over the entire ordeal.
I'm not sure if it still works, but when I was a girl I remember bathing a small puppy in Avon Skin So Soft and it working rather well. I haven't used that for a dog in about 15 years, but I think next time I'll try that first. I will never buy over the counter flea medication again. When I called the emergency vet she told me to never put anything other than frontline on my dog, but now I'm even leary of that.
Jennifer R. 4/18/08
I agree that the warning information on these products is totally inadequate. The EPA tells manufacturers
what information regarding "sensitivities" must appear on the label, but these statements were written under
the direct guidance of the pesticide industry. The pesticide industry does not want people to know how
harmful these products can be because if they knew, they most likely would not buy them.
James TerBush
I looked up the active ingredient and found a site that gives symptoms, for humans, on if they have been poisoned by this chemical (Cyphenothrin).
Those symptoms are:
- Irritation of skin and eyes.
- Irritability to sound or touch, abnormal facial sensation, sensation of prickling, tingling or creeping on skin,
numbness.
- Headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation, fatigue.
- In severe cases: fluid in the lungs and muscle twitching may develop. Seizures may occur and are more
common with more toxic cyano-pyrethroids.
Now change the subject from a human to a dog and I would say that it's very obvious that these animals are being poisoned by this chemical and it's a poor reflection of standards set by the EPA that I had to do all the research on this myself when it's their DUTY to actively warn us and protect us and our pets from ingesting the wrong things.
My dog is doing very well. She's back to herself, I'm just thankful that she only had it on for about 45 minutes before I decided to give her a bath. I didn't have to take her to the vet, but I did take this stuff back to Pet's Mart and demand my money returned and I also made a complaint with them (not that I think it will do any good at Pet's Mart). I will contact Sergeants and give a formal complaint with them as well. Thank you for your reply and
I really appreciate what you're doing here.
Jennifer 4/21/08
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We washed or little Chihuahuas two of them weighed about 3lbs and the other one about 4. This was Sunday April 6, 2008. On Monday we applied the bio spot. Tuesday morning I awoke to find Princess my 3 lb puppy
was laying in her crate twitching and bleeding from the rectum. We rushed her to Vet but within an hour she had bleed to death. By the time we got home my older 3 lb baby was having seizures. We had to rush her up to the Vet. Our Vet said that in both cases the cause was clearly Bio-Spot. She also told us that she had another case in the week before of problems with bio-spot. We called the number on the package and it took us right to animal poison control. I think this company should not be allowed to continue to sell this product. Does anyone know whether or not there is a class action suit against this company. This has become a very serious, costly event to us. Please contact us if anyone has any other information or is interested you may contact us by e-mail at munchkinlandfarm@windstream.net
Norma 4/21/08
Thank so much for the information. We are in contact with Sherri Pike [Farnam's Risk Manager] and are awaiting a decision. I also wanted to let you know that our other little dog passed on after a bad seizure. We have been passing the word to as many people as we can about Bio-Spot. We will stay in touch and let you know the out come.
Norma 6/18/08
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My wife brought ADAMS Flea and Tick control and because the labeling was so bad we at first thought it
was OK. We put it on one of my other older cats and he was fine. We put it on Angelina and she had a very
bad reaction. I took her to the vet because she was starting to seizure and 3 hours later she expired. I called Adams and they had no sympathy only to say they would refund my purchase price. The vet bill was $350 and they basicly said sorry Charlie. So whoever READ THIS I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND using this product
on your cats if you love them.
Signed,
Still Ticking MAD 4/23/08
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Today a friend sent me the link to this website. I will be sending it on to everyone on my list. I have been in animal rescue for over 14 years now.
I just lost my little Chi Chi as a result of using BioSpot on her and not even a full dosage. Because of her weight I have never used the full dosage of anything on her, just to be on the safe side. I even blotted the area afterwards. She was rushed to her vet on Sunday with full blown seizures and the minute I mentioned the use of BioSpot he seemed to know what was wrong. Her temp had spiked to 106 in the 15-20 minutes it took to get a vet out on a Sunday. On Tuesday I went and held her and prayed. No one could say how she would be neurologically if she stopped seizuring.
She passed Wednesday morning. I had already been advised to alert BioSpot and they called me back promptly on Monday. Then I was switched over to a Poison Control Center which is a program of the ASPCA. Everyone needs to have this number and know to call them if you even suspect a animal has been "poisoned". They have vets to talk to and make a report. The #888-299-2973. I called them back after my dog passed on. They paid for her body to be shipped to their lab for a necropsy to determine cause of death. She had been given a case # by them. This is seperate from the case# through BioSpot.
I am wondering how many pet owners are notifying the companies of suspected "pesticide poisoning". The lady from BioSpot appeared to be concerned. It was the vet at the Poison Center that acknowledged known seizure problems in cats, but not in dogs?
Not sure when the necropsy results will be sent to my vet. My vet's office is taking this very seriously on my dog's behalf. Not the first case they have dealt with.
Thank you for all you are doing to educate!! Your site will be sent out to rescues far and wide.
Dawn 4/24/08
St. Francis Animal Rescue
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Last Friday, I used Sergeants Gold flea & tick squeeze-on on my Shih Tzu Maggie. During the night, she became violently ill and had to be taken to the vet the next day. The vet said the problem was the flea & tick
application. They bathed her and gave her a shot of benadryl. The vet also stated they had treated several
dogs with the same symptoms after using this product, some of which had died. After contacting the company
for a refund, their response was basically their product was not harmful and I must have used it wrong (which
I didn't do!). Maggie is fine now but we almost lost her. I want others to know about the dangers of this
product so they don't lose their beloved friend.
Debbie 4/28/08
I forwarded your message (and MANY similar messages that I have received concerning Sergeants Gold)
to the U.S. EPA and urged them to open an investigation into adverse reactions caused by that product.
James TerBush
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Greetings All
I purchased this product [Sergeants Gold for Dogs] and I am ashamed to say, to save a few bucks. My
Rainbow has been on Frontline for 6 years and never had so much as one problem. We are on day 2
of Sergeants and she is still in a high state of anxiety. As soon as I touch her back for a rub, she runs to
hide under the bed. It makes me sick to realize I toyed with a generic when she did so well with Frontline. Nonetheless, all these products are poison. All you can do is stay with the one your dog is able to accept
and Frontline is my choice.
Kathy 4/29/08
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We too had a bad experience with bio spot.. Our dog vomitted, diarriah and very lethargic walked into
furniture and legs trembled... we now use advantage without problems.
Maria from Florida 4/30/08
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I too just encountered an event with our chichua and use of Biospot. I am still concerned. I reported it to
Farnam, then to poison control. I took him to the animal emergency yesterday. He is still exhibiting muscle spasms/uncontrollable hind legs. I gave him a bath he is on prednisone and restricted activity. ASPCA
poison control seemed very skeptical of the association with the Adams. This was his first & only use of this product. I feel just awful thinking I'm trying to protect him and then I poisoned him. Did your dog get back to normal? I read about the seizures in 02. I'm searching the web for any information to assist to get my pet
back to normal. I requested directly from Farnam information on adverse effects from their product but they
won't supply anything more than the poison control number. I'm in the process of putting together a letter to Farnam requesting reimbursement for my expenses ( vet emergency visit + cost of product)
Any advice you can provide is appreciated!
Cindy 4/30/08
Adverse reactions from flea control products can occur in ANY dog (regardless of age or size), but older dogs and small breeds are especially at risk of overdose from these products. For example, if your dog weighs only
5 lbs. and you applied a full tube of Bio Spot for Dogs under 15 lbs., your dog actually received 3 times more
of the product than a 15 lb. dog would have received.
Bathing your dog with a mild dish detergent (such as Dawn) and thoroughly rinsing with large amounts of water is the best way to remove the Bio Spot. Sometimes bathing your dog 2 or 3 times will help to remove more of the product. However, if it was not washed off soon after applying it, some of the pesticide in the product is already in your dog's bloodstream and it could take several days for it to be metabolized and excreted. Make sure that your dog continues to eat and drink (it will help to flush the pesticide from his system).
Please contact Sherri Pike (Farnam's Risk Manager) at 1-800-234-2269 ext. 2259 and let her know what happened. I would ask her to reimburse your emergency vet expenses. She will ask you to send her copies of your dog's medical record (which your vet will give to you), the vet bill, and the receipt for the Bio Spot (if you still have it). I would also ask your emergency vet to write you a note on his/her stationery stating that your dog was treated for poisoning symptoms from Bio Spot, and send a copy of it to Farnam. It's best to send the letter to Farnam via Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
Regarding the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, I am sorry to say that I no longer trust their advice concerning adverse reactions in dogs from flea and tick control products. I spoke with one of their vets several months ago, and he also told me that Bio Spot does not cause adverse reactions in dogs - only in cats. I told him that it almost killed my dog and asked him to visit my website. The ASPCA receives money from Farnam (and several other manufacturers of flea and tick control products) to provide free consultation to people whose pets have been poisoned by their products. I believe that represents a clear conflict of interest.
James TerBush
Hi James,
Thank you for all of this. I really appreciate it and will contact Sherri Pike. I'm still amazed that this product is for sale for animals, none of the warnings on the label give any indication of these types of adverse reactions. The packaging leads you to believe that the reaction if any would be skin related, nothing about spasms, loss of control of limbs. I really thought my dog had Lyme disease. I only brought the package of Adams with me since
I had put it on him on Sunday. I will keep in touch & hopefully his symptoms will clear when this is finally out of
his system.
I too was pretty put off by the animal poison center, she Dr. Dolder, really tried to discourage me from this reaction. This is just wrong. My dog weighed 7.7 lbs, I thought I was protecting him.
Thanks for the info & support!
Cindy 5/1/08
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I had went into Wal Mart yesterday 4/29/08 and purchased Sergeants Gold Flea and tick for my Red Heeler. About 6:00 p.m I put it on him and within 1-1/2 hours he started salvitating protrusly, licking his paws, panting, regergitating and beginning to shake. I washed his back where I had applied the medication to try and get it
off. I called our local Emergency Vet and was told to bring him in. They gave him a bath and a shot for nausea. They then started an IV on him and he had to stay the night where they could monitor him. They said he stopped his tremors about 11:00 that night. When I went in the next morning he was doing fine and they said that over
the counter products were not good to use. I don't know if I'll use any of it again. It was a scary situation that I
do not want to get in again. I do believe everyone should know how hazardous these can be to the health of
your animal.
Thank you for your time and letting me vent.
Peggy 4/30/08
Just to update you on reimbursement. I sent in everything they requested and hadn't heard anything back so I called the Consumer affairs line and had to leave a message. She called the next day leaving me a message in return stating that they had sent the vet some paper work to fill out and once they received it back it would go before the board. Just thought I'd keep you updated on the situation.
Thanks again for caring.
Peggy 5/31/08
I would contact your vet and ask if they have received and returned the paper work to Sergeants.
If you sent Sergeants everything they requested, I don't know why they need additional information from your
vet, and why it must "go before the board" for review. The only thing Sergeants needs is a copy of your dog's medical record and a copy of the bill from the Emergency vet. Given the number of animals that have been harmed by Sergeants Gold, they shouldn't need a "board" of experts to determine if your dog had
a reaction to their product.
Please let me know if Sergeants decides to reimburse you or not. It will greatly help others who are going through a similar ordeal.
James TerBush
P.S. One more suggestion - if Sergeants doesn't reimburse you, I would send a letter to Wal-Mart's corporate headquarters and let them know what happened to your dog (from a product that you purchased at Wal-Mart), and let them know that Sergeants refused to reimburse you. (Even if Sergeants decides to reimburse you, it would still be a good idea to contact Wal-Mart and let them know what happened).
Here is their address:
Mr. Lee Scott, President and CEO
Wal-Mart Strores, Inc.
702 SW 8th Street
Bentonville, AR 72716
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I lost our Cairn Terrier puppy in July of 2006, a week before he turned 1. The vet suspected he died of
aflatoxin poisoning from bad food - his liver was ruined. Less than 12 hours after the symptoms started he
coded and was brought back by his doctor. Just over 24 hours after his symptoms started he died as the
doctor, 2 assistants and I tried everything possible. The CT DEP and Cornell tested all the food bags and
the swab tests came back negative. Apparently this isn't uncommon but never gave us the definitive answer
we needed.
I'm sure you're wondering why I am writing this on your site - well, its spring and we were given the option
to get Frontline for our new dog. A bell rang in my head that at 6 months of age I gave our last pup a half
dose of flea/tick medicine on the middle of his back. I felt squeezing out the whole capsule was too much.
We tucked him into his crate where he slept. My husband woke up in the night because the pup threw up
and was sick. We washed his back and he was quiet for the next day. We called the vet's office to let them
know and never used the stuff again. I was googling for info on Frontline tonight and found your site and
that other people's pets had liver damage/problems because of these types of products. It makes me
wonder if perhaps that night our puppy's liver was damaged and that is why he later died of a liver problem -
maybe the liver was already weakened. I'll never know but you have given me confidence that I made the
right decision when I said no to the vet about Frontline.
Thanks for taking the time to put this info on the internet.
Jackie 5/1/08
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I have a 12+ year old miniature pinscher, her name is Abby. Through the years Abby has become more
and more fragile. On the first of the month (like clockwork), I gave her heartworm medication, and applied
her K9 Advantix. The first fell on a Thursday this month. I applied the Advantix late in the day, as the girl who
cuts her nails was coming, and I did not want to have to struggle to hold her with this medicine on. Abby was
fine until late in the evening. She started to whine and couldn't get comfortable. Her back left leg felt as though there were tremors running through it. Eventually, she settled down, and we all fell asleep. The next day, she wouldn't accept her morning medication (she has COPD and chronic bronchitis), couldn't find anything to wrap
it in that would interest her, so I had to force the pills on her. All through the day, she became more and more lethargic, turned her nose up to food of any kind, which is just not like her! She walked around moaning and whining, and I was getting very concerned. I stayed up with her the whole night, fearing that she would be dead
by morning! Saturday came, and she seemed a little better, but not her usual self. It then dawned on me, that maybe it was the flea and tick treatment. I gave her a bath immediately and tried to wash off as much as I could.
I then went and did a search on my computer, and found pages and pages of stories of animals having seizures and horrific problems pertaining to the application of Advantix. I read, that applying Dawn dishwashing liquid helped in getting the oily residue off, and Abby was in for another more thorough bath. She seemed a little
better by days end, and the next day, a little more better.
After this crisis passed, I remembered that I had brought Abby to the vet's 2 months earlier, as I had felt the same "tremors" in her left hind leg, and was concerned. I checked my calendar, and I had made and emergency visit to my vet on March 5th. Coincidence......I'm thinking not!
I have an appointment with our vet on May 12th and I am going to bring with me copies of letters that other's
have written concerning this topic, so he can become aware of this problem. I feel so terrible, that with my
own hands, I have put my beloved pet in harms way. She is in her golden years, and looks to me for love and protection, and I unwittingly have caused her pain and suffering. I hope that with the information that I give to
my vet, that he can save other pets and pet owners from going through the same thing.
Debbie 5/6/08
I just wanted to give you an update on my Abby. We went to the vet's today, and she is in liver failure. Her numbers went from 44 in March to 755 today. We have started her on a medication that is supposed to help rebuild the liver, and we will retest her in 30 days. She is very tired, and so am I. This has all been just a
horrible nightmare. I gave my vet copies of the letters from your website, and told him that he needed to read them, and inform his other patients of possible adverse side affects, so someone else doesn't have to go through what my little Abby and I are.
Debbie 5/8/08
There is currently a commercial on television for K9 Advantix which shows a cute little puppy (not more than
8 weeks old) singing, "There ain't no bugs me." The announcer then describes K9 Advantix as being gentle, despite the fact that it contains OVER 50% PESTICIDE. How gentle can it be if the directions warn you not
to get it on your skin?
On April 4, 2008, the EPA sent a letter to Bayer advising them that the use of the word 'gentle' to describe
K9 Advantix was in violation of federal law.
James TerBush
I just wanted to update you again on my little Abby. Today May 19th at 2:45PM, Abby went to God. We had to
put her down, as her liver enzymes had increased from May 8th from 755 to today when we retested her (after she had been on her liver medicine) and they were 985. The treatment did not look like it was going to work,
and my little Abby was getting more and more tired, and because she was refusing food, she was getting
thinner and thinner. We chose to stop her suffering, and to have her euthanized. This is a very sad day for our family, and it will take a very long time for this hurt to fade. I have taken on the cause to inform other pet owners
of the possible side effects from these flea and tick products, and if I can save one pet owner from having to
go through the pain that we have, then I will know that Abby did not die in vain.
Thank you for giving me the information that your website offered. I truly felt like I was not alone!
Debbie 5/19/08
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One night a few weeks ago I discovered my pet had fleas and I was out of the regular medication I use (K9Advantix form the vet) and not being able to watch him suffer with all the scratching I went to Wal-Mart
and bought SERGEANT'S GOLD FLEA AND TICK CONTROL little did I know that my dog would suffer
even more after I applied this poison. My American Eskimo, Frankie, had a severe reaction to Sergeant's
Gold Flea and Tick Control, just too bad I found your website a day after I applied it. Within 30 minutes of application my poor puppy was running around my house, itching and pacing like crazy, he didn't sleep for
3 days, didn't eat anything, wasn't even interested in eating treats that he loves. He was biting his legs and
his tail like crazy, he bit the area when the back meets tail so badly that there is a rash/scab there and it bled
a little. He seemed out of touch with himself, didn't want to run around or play with his friends. Once I figured
the medication was affecting him I put the cone on his head to keep him from getting any in his mouth even though there is no way he could have eaten any on his back. The next morning he threw up everything he
had eaten the day before and I took Frankie to the vet and got some Benedryll and the vet gave him a few
shots. Later that day when I brought him home within an hour he was back to the running back and forth and pacing around and profusely drooling all over. I consulted my vet and washed my pet Dawn Dish liquid off
of him, this seemed to help but he was still itching like crazy, drooling and had no appetite, late that day the
vet informed me that the medication I used on him was harmful and I took him in to get an anti-dose shot,
and a steroid shot to stop the drooling. After the anti-dose Frankie felt much better but was still biting himself
like crazy, after a few days of keeping up with some pills and really bad diarrhea my dog is almost back to normal and getting back to his fun-loving, sock chewing, tennis-ball ripping self. PLEASE STAY AWAY
FROM SERGEANT'S GOLD FLEA CONTROL IT IS NOT WORTH ALL THE SUFFERING AND VET BILLS.
I paid around $500 in vet fee's over 3 days and not including all the pain that my poor dog went through. I
just wonder why this product isn't off the market yet when there are so many bad reactions to it?
Jalpa 5/12/08
I forwarded your message to the U.S. EPA and urged them to cancel the registrations of Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs, Sentry Pro XFC, and TriForce Canine Squeeze-On, which are all the SAME product made by Sergeants Pet Care.
James TerBush
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(Below is email that I sent to the EPA)
Sent: Friday, May 9, 2008 10:17 AM
Subject: Unlawful Advertising Claims regarding pesticides for pets
Dear Mr. Lesher,
I would like to bring to your attention a television commercial for
Bayer's K9 Advantix, which shows a cute little puppy (not more
than 8 weeks old) singing, "There ain't no bugs on me." The announcer
in the commercial then describes K9 Advantix (twice) as being
"gentle and effective protection against fleas and ticks." This is one
more example of Bayer's use of the word 'gentle' to describe
their pet pesticide products which, according to a letter that your
agency sent to Bayer on April 4, 2008, is a violation of FIFRA.
Please notify Bayer and advise them of this violation, and the numerous
usages of the word 'gentle' which still exist on their
Advantage and K9 Advantix websites.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator for:
(Below is a reply that I received from the EPA)
From: Lesher.Mark@epamail.epa.gov
Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 15:42:29 -0500
To: james@elversonpuzzle.com, gesalman.claire@epa.gov, Overbey.Dian@epamail.epa.gov, Shepard.Barbara@epamail.epa.gov, Phillips.Todd@epamail.epa.gov, Johnson.Kent@epamail.epa.gov, Lesher.Mark@epamail.epa.gov
Subject: Re: Fw: Unlawful Advertising Claims regarding pesticides for pets
Dear Mr. TerBush:
Thank you for the additional information regarding safety claims
on Bayer Advantage and K9 Advantix products. We have had several
telephone conferences and a "in-person" meeting with Bayer Animal Health
Division (Regulatory and Advertising) personnel and are working on
addressing these advertising issues. Our review and negotiations with
Bayer Animal Health Division are continuing.
Mark K. Lesher
Environmental Scientist
Toxics & Pesticides Branch
Water, Wetlands, & Pesticides Division
U.S. EPA Region VII
901 North 5th. Street
Kansas City, KS 66101
913-551-7054
lesher.mark@epa.gov
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I believe my dog has had a reaction to Sergeant's Gold flea and tick product. I purchased the product for dogs between 40-60 pounds. My dog weighs 47 pounds, so she was in the correct weight range. Since this was the first time I used Sergeant's, I read the instructions thoroughly, and carefully applied the product to my dog. Within a couple of hours, she became very restless, running from place to place in the house, and trying to crawl into corners she has never bothered with before. Later, she started to pant, and a while after that, I noticed she was drooling. I finally made the connection with the flea product when she started rolling on the floor, trying to scratch at the place I applied the product. This was probably about 4 or 5 hours after I had applied it. Immediately, I put her into the tub and washed her. By the time I had washed and dried her, nearly another hour had gone by. It
was now about 1:30 Sunday morning, so I didn't try to get ahold of the vet, and she seemed to be settling down. Within the next hour, she finally fell asleep and seemed to be OK. She was much better when we woke up Sunday morning, but wasn't really back to normal until today (Monday). She never threw up, and definitely
didn't lose her appetite. I'm just thankful that I made the connection with the flea product. Maybe washing her
off saved her life.
Carol 5/12/08
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We are holistic with our dog and used to live in Seattle area with no worries on ticks or fleas, so life was good.
We now live in WI where ticks are a huge problem so decided very reluctantly to use frontline plus :(
Now I am terrified after seeing some of your horrific stories. We just put his 2nd dose on today and now I find
this nasty rash that I am convinced is from the first does we gave him a month ago. I am horrified that I do this
to him...I knew better.
So does anyone have any suggestions of homeopathic remedies for tick control. I see sentry natural defense that claims to be all natural. I am ringing my trusted holistic vet back in Seattle tomorrow for help as now I also don't know how to treat this nasty rash he has and the next one he will get from the stupid dose his stupid owner (ME) put on him today. I wonder if this could have anything to do with his questionable appetite over the last month, now I'm terrified and hope he doesn't have a really bad reaction to the second dose we just gave him.
Thanks so much for everyone's stories to help us all be better for our four legged companions.
Randi 5/12/08
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I am so thankful for your website! Please see my [Sergeants flea med] story by clicking on the link below:
Missy 5/13/08
Did you use 1/4 of a tube of the 21 lb. - 39 lb. product on your 8 lb. dog? I am sure that if you had used an
entire tube of the 9 lb. - 20 lb. product, your dog would have had the same reaction. In fact, the reaction may have been even worse because an entire tube of the 9 lb. - 20 lb. product is actually a larger dose than 1/4 of
a tube of the 21 lb. - 39 lb. product (which should have been the correct dosage for a 5.25 lb. - 9.75 lb. dog).
The article mentioned Sergeants national consumer education campaign called "Look at the Label." Here
is their website regarding it:
Here is an excerpt:
"Flea and tick control products can go a long way toward making your pet comfortable. But too many consumers may not know how to use them properly, which can put their dog or cat's life in danger."
The reason why many consumers may not know that flea and tick control products, including Sergeants
Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs, have the potential to harm or kill dogs is because THERE IS NO WARNING
ON THE LABEL. Instead of the label stating, "look for the dosage amount for the size and age of your
pet", it should warn you that applying too much of it can HARM OR KILL YOUR DOG.
Here's another excerpt:
"Sergeant's Gold Flea & Tick Squeeze-On for Dogs is safe and effective when used as directed."
Really? Sergeants may be interested in knowing that it is a violation of federal law for a pesticide product
to claim that it is safe - even when it is used as directed.
If Sergeants accused you of misusing their product, I would go back to the pharmacy and ask them to
reimburse your vet expenses. If they want to encourage their customers to misuse a product, they
should stand behind their advice in the event that something goes wrong.
James TerBush
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I put the bio spot on my dog and about less than 15 min he was shaking and laying down,,, something wrong
with him,,, I washed it off and he is better ... do not use this product if you love your pet ,,it's bad stuff and it
would of probably killed him if I wasn't watching him.......bio spot thanks for nothing,,, i'll never use you again.
Bill 5/13/08
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I'm wondering if I should take my cats to the vet to be on the safe side after reading this website. Last night, I applied Bio Spot to both of my cats. Within about 30 minutes, one of them started acting erratically. He would
sit under the coffee table for a minute, and then would dart around the room, shaking his head continuously and scratching at his neck. He's usually the passive cat, so instantly I felt like something was wrong. I went online,
and found your website, and after reading a couple of stories, decided to bathe him immediantly. I did, and he seemed calmer, although he did hide under the bed for most of the night, but I tend to attribute that to the bath. The other cat seemed fine, and since it was a two person task to even get the treatment on him, I decided to
just take a wet cloth to the back of his neck to get off as much as I could, but without going through a full bath. Both cats seem OK today as far as their behavior goes, but I've noticed a few out of the ordinary things. The
one with the worse reaction has been shaking his head some, as if he has water in his ear or something- which he very well might because of my panic and rush to get the Bio Spot off of him asap. The other one has been shaking his hind legs every now and then, sort of like he does when he gets water on his paws, but seems normal other than that. Should I take them to the vet to be on the safe side? I'm definitely going to call my old
vet tomorrow morning, but I just moved to a new town and have not established a local vet.
Anonymous 5/13/08
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I lost a healthy 6 yr. old yorkie to K9 Advantiz last year after we switched her from Frontline Plus. I did not know the dangers of permethrin at the time and it wasn't until after my dog expired after 3 months use of K9 Advantix that I discovered that so many other people had experienced the same horrors. Our lives have been forever changed as our little angel was taken from us prematurely by claims of safety of use. Our vet could find no other explanation for her untimely death. She actually started having seizures the same month we first put it on her
and we didn't even make the connection until it was too late. Please let other people know that they cannot put permethrin on their dogs and feel safe. It is absolutely NOT SAFE to use and should be taken off the market.
I can't get Lucy back but maybe some other little animal will be saved if their owners can be educated in time.
In memory of my little darling, Lucy. You will be missed forever and are thought of every singe day.
Your Mom,
Gail 5/14/08
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I just saw your input to the EPA (the open comment period) for reregistration of d-phenothrin. As usual, your written communications were impeccable in terms of logic and presentation. I also provided input but it will
not show for a few more days as I submitted my commentary on the last day--May 13th. I understand it takes
a week or so for the EPA's "editors" (censors?) to review the language, etc., and allow for posting. I had also alerted Sandra Hammond of RAS Naturals about the open commentary period and was very pleased to see
that she also provided input.
I'm not naive--I realize that the EPA will conclude that reregistration is appropriate. However, I feel that all of
this input can make a difference over time. I'm actually using some of your input in my communications with PETCO senior executives and senior counsel in an effort to convince them that these products are not what a great pet care organization would carry and retail. PETCO, unlike PetSmart, has been genuinely interested
and concerned. Their senior veterinarian does not like these products. I believe they truly would like to discontinue this stuff and are looking for a way out. PetSmart, on the other hand, has a senior executive team (including Phil Francis, the CEO, and Scott Crozier, their senior general counsel) that has a completely different corporate culture and no interest in doing the right thing from a pet care standpoint. They have demonstrated
to me a complete lack of business integrity (incidentally, they both know that I feel this way and I've told them
that I'm communicating this every opportunity I have).
I have a second conference call scheduled with senior regulatory officers, scientists and executives of Hartz Mountain Corporation. I will have my own veterinarian once again participating. I am looking for a veterinarian toxicologist and/or neurologist that would be willing to review our pet's medical history and charts and interview our attending veterinarians regarding the death of our pet. It's amazing to me how difficult it is to find these people even when I'm willing to compensate them for their work. When they hear what my objective is they
seem to think I'm Sisyphus and the time and effort isn't worth it. Additionally, as you well know, many of them
are retained by pet care manufacturers and have no interest in jeopardizing those relationships. If you have some ideas I would certainly appreciate it.
I'm continuing to work with major retailers and the time and effort is worth it. The only reason Bill Ecker, the
CEO of Hartz Mountain, has been willing to make senior resources available to address my issues is because of the number of inquiries he has been getting from major retailers in addition to the discontinuance of some
of his products by Unified Western Grocers in the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks again for your continued leadership. Your website has made a positive difference in the lives of pets and families, and the work you do with the EPA and other regulatory agencies is to be commended.
All the best. - Rich 5/15/08
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Looking for consumers whose cat/kittten suffered fatal reactions to Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Cats and Kittens.
I have a client whose healthy kitten died within 12 hours of application.
Law Offices of Ira Marc Fladell, L.L.C.
Marc Fladell, Esq.
1000 West McNab Road
Pompano Beach, Florida 33069
Voice (954) 984-2700
Fax (954) 582-5002
(Posted 5/15/08)
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I recently purchased the new Tri Force flea drops....I bought the 9lb - 20lb. I put it on my chihuahua mix dogs who weigh well over 10 pounds...They are deathly ill...my little one is drooling at the mouth terribly....I immediately put him in the bath and began to wash that stuff off of him....He is still drooling so bad...I am so scared ....I may actually take him to the overnight emergency vet....What is this stuff....after a few minutes my other chihuahua started drooling and now they are both throwing up clear liquid....I will never use this stuff again! We have got to warn people about this stuff!
Christy 5/15/08
Lonoke, Arkansas
I used the information from your website to help my dogs..."Festus" & "Chunky Monkey" I read on down where some used dawn dish liquid ....so I got my dogs in the bathtub and I scrubbed them down good including inside their mouths .....and within minutes they stopped foaming and chomping and drooling....I believe the information within your website saved them...Thank you so much...They are outside playing as normal and I have not seen any other type of reaction so far....We contacted the place we bought the Tri Force and the man didn't take us seriously and said well I put it on my dog and it didn't hurt him....I wanted them to know that this stuff could kill a small dog even large dogs....he just didn't care....So I will keep speaking out....Maybe all of us together will
make a difference....Anyway, Thanks so much again for your website.....
Christy 5/16/08
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After reading about all of the other medicines for tick and flea control, I felt compelled to write about one of the newest products on the market. My vet encouraged me to try Promeris. I have an absolutely stunning Chow, Akita mix named Yogi Bear. He is a brilliant red color and weighs approx 75 lbs. I love this critter with all of my heart and I am very careful about any medicines that I have to give him. I wasn't gung ho about the decision, but after a lengthy discussion about ticks and fleas and what they could do to Yogi, I decided to trust that my vet had researched the new product and knew of all of the side effects. Well after applying it last night not only did Yogi become VERY sick, but I did as well. The smell is absolutely horrible and before the night was over my throat, eyes and nose were burning and I was vomiting as well. I had to shut Yogi outside just so I could get some sleep. Today Yogi keeps vomiting and has diarrhea. He is drooling out both sides of his mouth, which he has NEVER done. His head is hanging low, his tail is down and I can't keep the feces off of his bottom. He's drinking profuse amounts of water and frankly I am scared that it could get worse. I have notified my vet and if he continues to get worse I have to take him in to be treated. After reading about this product, the manufacturer's lame excuse is that the dog ingested the product and it isn't their fault. Now I don't know what kind of dog they designed this product for, but MY dog is NOT capable of licking between his shoulder blades. There are several reports of animals becoming extremely ill and even some fatal cases with Promeris. Of course they will say that none are documented but we all know that they don't care if your pet dies they just want your money. I just hope that I can save someone else from this nightmare. I know how sick that it made me, and I could get away from the source, my poor dog is stuck with it until it wears off. Also makes you wonder if they ever did any testing on how it affects humans. I can't imagine how it might affect a small child. I weigh 150 lbs and it made me sick, imagine a child that weighs 60 lbs. I pray to God that my dog will get through this. My nightmare is just beginning with his treatment. This is just my opinion...PROMERIS is NOT a good alternative. For any one else going through this...my heart goes out to all of you..I will pray for all of our babies. Thanks for letting me tell my story.
Julie 5/15/08
Thank you for responding. I did give Yogi a good bath and I also gave him a buzz cut to make sure that the product was all gone out of his fur as well. He looks pretty funny right now, but at least he is more comfortable.
He is still sick with severe diarrhea, but the vomiting has slowed down. I am not sure how to contact Fort Dodge because I have returned the product to my vet's office. I am going to find out how and follow this up. I am trying
to wait until I see what is going to happen to Yogi. I am still feeling the effects myself and may have to go to my doctor as well. My biggest concern is how many children will be affected by this before something is done. After reading about how Amitraz works with the central nervous system, I wonder how many people will be diagnosed with other ailments that are in reality caused by this product. Scary......Very Scary. This leads me to my next question... do you have any information on exactly how this product works? I know about the ingredients and how they work on the fleas and ticks but I am talking more about the animal. They say that it doesn't enter the blood stream, but how could it not? If what they say is true, then how does one spot on the animals back take care of his entire body? I know they have explained how it works on the pest itself, but where in the treated animal is this product stored to last for an entire month? Sorry to have so many questions and I appreciate all of your help and well wishes. Have a great day :)
Julie 5/16/08
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Hi James,
I just wanted to send you an email to tell you how FANTASTIC your website is.
I am also the Public Affairs Officer with one of Jacksonville, Florida's- Small, Breed, Dog Rescue Group,
Papillon Pals Rescue, Inc.
I guess most important is I am a 5 year member of DogsAdverseReactions.com due to the fact that Proheart 6 killed my Pomeranian and made my Sheltie very ill for months. My personal Adverse Reaction cases (reported and filed with the FDA) are one of thousands that were responsible were forcing the FDA, Fort Dodge, and Wythe Labs to pull this deadly product off the market.
It took me years to get over this shock, and now I am working with Papillon Pals Rescue, Inc. to help them with any and all information on Pet Meds and Pesticide Information in regards to our rescue dogs.
I found your site through ours, and I gotta tell you, your site is incredible! Thank you so much for (all the hard! work) and getting this information together and putting it out here (on the web) for all of us dog owners.
I keep going back to your site to help me search areas I cant find through a regular search!
I dont know how much info you guys are hearing on "PROMERIS"....but here in Florida and our website, the
word is flying around like wildfire, that the Adverse Reactions to Promeris are mimicking Proheart 6.
We are passing the word as fast as we can, (DONT USE IT) in efforts to save as many pets as we can to its deadly side effects.
If it is mimicking Proheart 6, this is one horrific side effect no pet owner wants to see.
And, it has helped me tremendously! with my work here with Papillon Pals Rescue, Inc.
Thank you so much!
Stacy 5/17/08
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Hi James, like many on the site I'm sitting here in shock due to seeing my pet suffer from a product my husband bought and put on him for fleas and ticks. To make matters worse it's Sat. today and while he was at the vet
earlier she did not give pain meds and he is biting and licking and in obvious pain still. Took him off of the pain stuff due to conflict with prednisilone. So here we are watching him try to figure out why his skin has begun to bleed and weep and ooze pus. He has about a three by two inch patch of oozing skin which last night was acutely painful and hot. Do you know of people who have sued Sergeant? Is that the only way to stop them
from doing this to people's pets?
We too were told that this is not a common reaction our German Shepherd has had. Poor thing is only 4. We
are worried now that we have seen other posts about people where the animals have died. They said it sounded like a "RARE" reaction, just "wet dermatitis" and not serious, that by the poison control site of the ASPCA.
The company has an emergency line on the box where the animal has a reaction and their people have already assured us that they will pay vet bills. That made me very suspicious. Companies usually don't offer to do that unless they have been seeing a lot of cases and do not want to be sued.
Hope to hear from you,
Dori 5/17/08
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I am in need of some advise. My dog, Eli a 9 month old AKC registered white GSD with no medical problems known, has had a reaction from Frontline Plus for dogs. She has lost a baseball size patch of hair between her shoulder blades (a red bloody area with white sores has appeared in it's place) and has also started biting and licking her rear side to the point it has went bloody also - though not blistering - in a 2 inch by 6 inch area.
I applied the frontline plus about 5 days ago and just noticed the hair loss / irritation yesterday. As soon as I
saw it I washed her off with cold water, let her dry and washed it again, followed by another wash and scrub with some shampoo. This morning I used warm water and a wash rag to go over the areas. It doesn't seem to be blistering as bad as it was yesterday.
Is there any type of solution I can put on the area to reduce the inflammation and treat the sores? I am really upset about the response I got from Frontline's help line and need to know if there is anything else I can do.
They referred me to take the dog to the vet's office and pay them to treat the problem. I am at the point where
I am going to get the EPA, news media, and others like you involved to create awareness of this problem. Is it possible that too much of the poison was put in the frontline applicator I used on the dog? How can I get justice for what's happened? Let me know what you think wdigh@yahoo.com
Robert 5/19/08
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I gave Dutchess K9 Advantix on May 7th for the first time. She has had this in her system for 16 days. At
first we were unsure as to what was wrong with Dutchess. We had just taken her to the groomer (she's a
cocker spaniel) and when we brought her home - my husband put it on her as the paper had stated. He also dabbed it on her hind end. A few days went by and she began to skits out. Changing. Hiding under the table.
Panting. Walking weird and acting in pain. If we went towards her, she would scream out in pain. Show me
her paw. Things like this. Next thing she began to go back to her old self. Then, she began to act out again. We took her to the vet - he ex-rayed her and said there was nothing wrong with her. Gave her steroids and
pain pills. We thought it helped her. A friend at work here mentioned what has changed in your home? I
realized Advantix. She is still having this problem today. It has been in her system for 16 days. I want to
detox her or something to that effect. Is there a way? Please help us. I don't want to loose my dog. She
would break my heart.
Karen 5/23/08
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We are in a bit of a mess. We applied Seargents Gold Flea and tick last night and woke up this morning
and my dogs that looked like they had parkinson's disease and were drooling and obviously in a great deal
of discomfort. The dogs both weigh about 65-75 pounds and no vets are open today or tomorrow because
of the holiday. We bathed them with Dawn dish detergent and scrubbed them. I am FURIOUS about this.
What can we do to stop this from happening? Please respond!
Scott 5/25/08
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Just thought after reading about adverse reactions that I should tell you about my Mom and Dad's dog.
When she was about three Dad noticed a little nodule under her shoulder. We had it examined and it was
Mast Cell cancer. She was operated on and did fine for 5 years. One day my parents said they thought
she had fleas so I used Advantage on her. Within a very short time the cancer was back. I firmly believe
the chemicals in Advantage started the tumors growing again. Please advise people not to use these
chemical forms of flea control if their animals have a history of any kind of cancer. After 2 more operations, Christa just suddenly just died during the night. I'm sure this didn't have to happen.
S. Pemberton 5/26/08
Victoria, BC
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My brother in law works for a pet store and got me this new flea medicine called Sentry pro XFC. Last year
when I applied it to my 2 year old German shorthaired pointer she started to foam really bad at the mouth, about an hour after I applied. I was concerned but she was fine after a couple hours. So this year when I applied her meds she foamed at the mouth again and was up all night pacing, she could not stay still I had to lie down with her and try and calm her down, I took her into the bathroom and washed her down with soap and water to get
off any remaining flea medicine. Now she is flapping her ears constantly like she has an ear infection and my husband seems to think it is all related to the flea medicine. Now after reading all of the blogs on this message board I believe it's all connected and am getting rid of this brand and going back to my old brand of flea meds.
I am also going to contact the manufacturer and let them know what there products side effects are and pray
that my dog will be fine through all of this.
Kathy 5/27/08
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read your web pages and pages of emails and now i can add myself and my dog to the list of victims of poison. my dog has severe chemical burns and overnight changed from a healthy happy puppy into a tortured soul. she appears to be in constant pain. the vet shaved the area and gave me creme. i will be so thankful if she survives and returns to normal. i will never use another product like this [bio spot] again ever. i might as well have fed her draino. wish i found the site before i made the mistake.
Anonymous 5/28/08
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I lost a cat two years ago to a look alike Frontline made by hartz. My cat was foaming at the mouth and her
body became stiff it was horrible, I rushed her to the vet where they gave her valium to ease her suffering.
The vet said that he had seen hundreds of cases of pet owner's accidently poisoning their animals. I had
another incident where my father bought Sargeant's all organic flea powder and it was applied to my precious Shihzu, Frodo Baggins . I didn't even ask who did it, I rushed him to the vet because he wasn't able to move.
He made it and is fully recovered today.
I would like to go to Walmart and the other stores who sell this poison and take it off the shelves, but I can't.
I was in the pet isle buying fish food and heard a woman talking to her child about buying some Bio Spot and
I told her what my vet said. She didn't buy it.
Anonymous 5/28/08
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I just found your website about adverse reactions to flea/tick medication.
I had used Triforce on our Foxhound 3yo and Sheltie 9 yo, 2 weeks ago. We started noticing that both dogs were itching a lot shortly after the application. Within a week, the Sheltie had lost a large patch of hair near
her shoulders. Two days later the Foxhound lost a large patch on his hip area. I called AgriLabs (on a holiday weekend) and was advised that it was most likely a rare occurance. They offered absolutely no remedy for the continued itching. I finally used an Aloe Vera lotion that gave them some relief. They had received different doses as they were different weights, so it wasn't even an association with the same batch#.
After visiting your website though, I see how fortunate we are that this was the only problems that we experienced.
I have used Frontline in the past and never had any problems.
I see one person who made a post was checking into homeopathic control, has she contacted you with any information or do you have any information regarding homeopathics?
Thanks for your website.
Cheryl 5/29/08
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We treated our 7 month old italian greyhound [with Bio Spot] and that night he had really messed his kennel
and bedding up. The next morning he stayed huddle in his house or would run and hide in the closet or open cabinets. He clung to me like he was scared to death. He cried out when you would pick him up and any
chance he could, would hide under towels or linens in the house. I washed him and he was better by afternoon but still not eating well. He would get a bite of food and run over to me and eat then maybe take a few bites. He is scratching his ears, shaking his head, and nipping at his legs. He would rub on bedding as if he was
trying to get something off him. From what I read this is similar to other owners observations. This product should be banned. I am talking to Pet Smart tomorrow and see if they will look into this awful product.
Bill 5/31/08
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Do you know of any other safer products for flea and tick control? My dog has had a reaction 2 days after
I applied frontline plus, the vet said it would not take that long to have an effect so I had blood work done on
her and am waiting for the results. Do you know if it would take this long for her to have a reaction? She is
7 months old.
Linda 5/31/08
Thank you for getting back to me. My dog weighs 8 lbs she is a 7 months old. Her symptoms were excessive drooling some what like a seizure lethargy and she snapped at my husband which is not her character she is a toy spaniel very affectionate, that's when we took her to a 24 hour vet hospital our vet was not there. I got the results back for her blood and they said her enzyme level was high and also her platlets were off. I am going
to call her vet tomorrow and have more blood work done and she what she has to say.
The vet I took her to said that it would not take a couple of days for the drops to give her a reaction which I did question. Now she said the platlets are probably off because she was nervous at the hospital, and she insists
she never heard of the drops causing a problem. I am interested in what my vet is going to say when I call her.
Is there anything else out there that can be used for fleas and ticks that is safer? I will let you know what the
vet says. Thank you again for responding.
Linda 6/1/08
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Hi, I saw your web site for the first time today. I have always been concerned about putting poison directly
on any animal. Living in Texas makes it hard due to the mild winters and long summers. I am not surprised
to read so many horror stories. Last year my Rat Terrier was foaming from her mouth, shaking and could not stand or walk [after appyling TriForce]. This occured within 1 hour of application. I bathed her to wash off as much as possible. By morning she was back to her old self. I have used the tri force on my Australian Shepherds with no noticeable problems but will never buy it again.
Rick 6/1/08
I called Sergeants and spoke with one of their customer service representatives. She advised me that
TriForce is not listed as being one of their products and she has no information about it. I then called
Agri Labs and spoke with one of their customer service representatives. She advised me that Agri Labs
is the manufacturer of TriForce. When I pressed her on it, she conceded that TriForce is manufactured for
them by a private company. I asked her if she could give me the name of the private company. She couldn't
do that, but she forwarded my call to someone else and I left a message, requesting they call me.
To the best of my knowledge, TriForce Canine Squeeze-On is manufactured for Agri Laboratories, Ltd. by Sergeants, and is the same as Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs and Sentry Pro XFC (another Sergeants brand). However, representatives from Sergeants and Agri Labs would not confirm or deny that relationship.
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.
