Update 6/2/08: Hamish has not had ANY seizures since we stopped using Bio Spot
over 6 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.
**********************************************************************************
(Below is a message that I sent to the EPA)
----- Original Message -----
From: <james@elversonpuzzle.com>
To: <Overbey.Dian@epamail.epa.gov>
Cc: <gesalman.claire@epa.gov>
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 10:24 AM
Subject: Adverse reactions to Sergeants Gold
Dear Ms. Overbey,
Here is an article that was written a couple weeks ago concerning an adverse reaction to Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs, EPA Reg. No. 2517-80:
Here is another article concerning an adverse reaction to Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs:
Here is a blog concerning an adverse reaction to Sentry Pro XFC (which is the same as Sergeants Gold,
but sold under their Sentry brand):
Below it are a year's worth of messages from people who had very bad experiences with that product.
If you do a search for "sergeants gold reaction", you'll find many other websites that warn people not to use
that product.
Given the number and severity of adverse reactions that continue to be reported in dogs from Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs, Sentry Pro XFC, or TriForce Canine Squeeze-On (which are all the same product made by Sergeants), it would seem appropriate for the EPA to take action to prevent further harm and suffering to animals.
Rather than waiting years for the EPA to reach an agreement with Sergeants, in which they agree to "voluntarily withdraw" these products, but only after they and their retailers are given additional years to sell through their inventory, I urge the EPA to order a recall of these Sergeants products, effective immediately.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator for:
**********************************************************************************
(Below is a message that I sent to Agri Labs on 6/5/08)
To whom it may concern,
I am the administrator of a website concerning adverse reactions in pets from flea and tick control products. I
am writing to inform you that I have received email from several people who reported severe adverse reactions in their dogs after using TriForce Canine Squeeze-On, Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs, and Sentry Pro XFC - which, I believe, are all the same product made by Sergeants Pet Care. Their messages are posted
on my website:
These reports should be of concern to your company. I have forwarded them to the EPA and have requested
an investigation. If your company is aware of similar incidents, they should be forwarded to the EPA.
To prevent additional pets from being harmed from TriForce Canine Squeeze-On, I urge your company to cease further distribution, and voluntarily recall the product from retailers who have purchased it from you, effective immediately.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator for:
**********************************************************************************
Our 5 year old English Pointer is still at the vet. She has never had a health problem. She became dazed, dilated pupils and ataxic. She wouldn't eat. Her kidney's shut down and she's been on IV's and still isn't out of the woods. Her white count was elevated, temperature low and kidney BUN and Creatinine very high. Our vet called Farnam and they said that kidney failure wasn't a side effect of Bio Spot. I have read of numerous adverse reactions and Bio Spot is still on the market. I will never use another Farnam product.
Diane 6/5/08
Hi James,
Thank you for your response! We did contact Farnam and they said that our dog's symptoms weren't consistent with Bio Spot adverse reactions. Our dog appears to be over the neurologic symptoms, decreased temperature and her kidneys are functioning again although she is extremely weak and can barely walk. She has been on IV's the entire week....our vet said it would take a miracle...Wings is still alive, so perhaps we got that miracle. The anorexia has continued and we had to do surgery today to insert an esophageal tube. I brought her home for the weekend to be able to feed her every two hours. She will go back to the vet on Monday when I have to return to work.
This is extremely frustrating to be duped by a company that seems to weigh profit versus an animal's welfare. My vet will be writing up her notes and itemizing her bill when this is over. Our dog is still not out of the woods by far.
Since, I've already spent so much, when this is over, I plan to ask an attorney to submit my vet's letter and bill.
Thanks for your web site.
Diane 6/6/08
I thought I'd give you an update...1 month since my last one. Wings has been back and forth to the vet for IV's since removing her esophageal feeding tube. What a nightmare! I think the Bio Spot killed something in her neural receptors that induces appetite. We're up to over a $2000 vet bill. The vet has been exceptional with consulting specialists regarding appetite stimulants and nutrition alternatives. Once the neurological symptoms dissipated, and the kidney failure reversed, the anorexia was the worst problem. Pretty amazing, when you
offer a dog, steak, chicken breast or pork tenderloin and they avert their head.
My vet, worked for Fort Dodge, and is aware of complaints. She will submit a claim to Farnam on our behalf.
I will be an advocate to remove this product from the market. Our local feed store, D & B, sells Bio Spot. I was next in line with a customer that was buying flea and tick shampoo...I cautioned him from my experience. The
D & B teller said "thank you" twice, when I told her of the adverse effects that I had with Bio Spot.
Diane 7/8/08
I am sorry to report that since medication was stopped, Wings has regressed. She has gone off food again (which Farnam said isn't a side effect) after [she] was doing well for a week. We started the medication again today, but she has only taken in some water. She's gone back to the vet for IV's. I've noticed several more posts to your site and am passing the link on to any dog person. I'll give you an update on Wings' tomorrow, after we run laboratory tests again. This is the first time, I've ever had a $2000+ vet bill, but it's better than losing a pet at age 5. How many people can't afford to pay for vet services, nor have internet, in order to realize what has gone wrong with their pet!!?? Thanks for your web site.
Diane 7/25/08
(See Diane 8/14/08 in Vol. 21 for update)
**********************************************************************************
My husband and I applied BioSpot to 3 dogs on April 14th, 2008.
A #5 Pomeranian was given (less than 1/2 dose), a #15 Papillion, and a #60 Golden Lab. Within 3 hours they
all had reactions, with the 2 smaller dogs being severe!
The Pomeranian "Bear" started going into a comatose-like seizure. He became disorientated; walking in stumbling circles, and could not stand in 1 place. His eyes became glazed and he started trembling. The
only thing I could think of (not having read any reviews on the flea and tick products) is that it must be from
the BioSpot I had applied earlier. I quickly gave him a bath. Normally Bear is very hyper but slept the rest of
the day. He continued to be a bit lethargic the next few days.
The Papillion "Roscoe" ended up being the sickest of the 3. His symptoms also began about 3 hours after
the treatment was applied. He began to scratch and lick himself obsessively. I again assumed it must be
the BioSpot but only washed the 2 areas that I had applied the treatment. Unfortunately I would pay for that mistake literally. Over the next week Roscoe shivered uncontrollably, as though he was cold. He became
VERY LETHARGIC, wasn't hungry, and continued to scratch and lick himself. By the end of the week he
could NOT open his mouth! Roscoe would yelp when he gave his "welcoming" bark and yelped if he tried
to eat. He could only lap up liquid food. We then noticed his mouth and gums were red, swollen and bleeding
with horrible breath. We took him to the vet immediately. The Dr. took a blood and chemistry profile. Roscoe
had 2 swollen lymph nodes in which he was treated for an infection. He was given an antibiotic and pain medicine. My vet bill was over $200 in which I feel lucky compared to other reviews I have since read. It's
been about 6 weeks and Rosco is still scratching himself. ***Here comes the kicker. For 3 years the dogs
have hiked with us and run in wooded areas. They've had lots of ticks and we just bath, comb and pick them
out. This year since the BioSpot was given, they've been getting horrible big soars that are swollen, seepy
and scabby where the ticks have tried to latch on. These dogs are having, for the 1st time, allergic reactions
to the tick bites. The sores take 2 or 3 weeks to clear up.
The Golden Lab "Lakoda" had a mild reaction. He was bathed before any side effects were noticed; BUT he
did become VERY HYPER for few days, more than the usual. Fortunately he was bigger and bathed sooner
than the other 2 and had less of a reaction.
All 3 dogs were PERFECTLY HEALTHY PRIOR to the BioSpot treatment. One thing to remember, is
that whatever is currently on their skin (good or bad) is also absorbed in through the skin along with the
"PESTICIDE" that is in these products! We feel horrible that we did not read up on the product first. I
have prayed for God's grace in that there would be no permanent internal damage in which many other
pet owners have reported as well as deaths.
Hindsight...We're back to just bathing, combing and picking. We did not realize these products had PESTICIDES in them or we would NOT have applied it in the first place!
Doug and Shana 6/9/08
Glendive, Montana
P.S. Thank you for your internet information!!! I have passed it on.
**********************************************************************************
REACTION TO SERGEANT'S GOLD FLEA & TICK.
JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW...THIS PRODUCT IS DEADLY!!!!! I PUT IT ON MY DOGS
YESTERDAY. ABOUT 20 MIN. LATER SHE WAS FOAMING AT THE MOUTH, THROWING UP,
VERY VERY AGITATED AND RESTLESS. SHE PULLED CLUMPS OF HAIR OUT AND THIS
MORNING SHE WAS STILL THROWING UP A FOAMY SUBSTANCE. SHE WAS STILL SO
RESTLESS SHE COULDN'T BE STILL FOR ONE MOMENT. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS
PRODUCT ON YOUR DOG.
REGINA 6/13/08
**********************************************************************************
I applied a treatment of Bio Spot to my Maltipoo today and about 2 hours later she became excited, restless,
and agitated - running around uncontrollably, panting, and had a rapid heart beat. I immediately thought of the
Bio Spot since she had nothing else that would have made her act like this... I gave her a bath with the baby shampoo I normally use on her, but that did not settle her down. I checked the internet and found your site and read the reactions of others and knew that it must be the Bio Spot. I gave her another bath with Dawn soap
and she has finally settled down and is resting. I will continue to watch her closely tonight for any other reactions.
I thank you so much for the information you provide on your site.
Nancy 6/13/08
(Below is a message that Nancy sent to Central Life Sciences - the parent company of Farnam's Bio Spot)
----- Original Message -----
From: NANCY [deleted]
To: clsinfo@central.com
Cc: npic@ace.orst.edu
Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2008 9:26 PM
Subject: Bio Spot
Central Life Sciences
Farnam Pet Products
A Division of Farnam Companies, Inc.
PO Box 34820
Phoenix, AZ 85067-4820
1-800-234-2269
To Whom It May Concern:
I am sending this email to advise you of the suspected poisoning my dog received as a result of applying
one treatment, as directed, of the Bio Spot® Spot On® Flea & Tick Control for Dogs . She weighs 9 lbs. and
I applied one vial of the "under 15 lbs" Bio Spot application. Approximately 2 hours after the application she became excited, restless, and agitated - running around uncontrollably, panting, and had a rapid heart beat. I immediately thought of the Bio Spot since she had nothing else that would have made her act like this... I gave her a bath with the baby shampoo I normally use on her, but that did not settle her down. I checked the internet and found a site where several other people had posted their experience of similar incidents after using the product. At that time I gave her a second bath with Dawn soap, which seem to give her some relief. She continued approximately 24 hours having reactions.
I wanted to advise you of the incident I went through and the misery my animal was in after the use of your product. I request that you please post warnings on your products of the possible reactions that animals may experience after using the product "as directed" and save others the pain and suffering.
By copy of this email I am notifying the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency 's National Pesticide Information Center of my experience with Bio Spot and the pesticide permethrin, its main active ingredient. I understand
the EPA evaluates and monitors pet products to determine if changes in their registration are necessary.
Sincerely,
Nancy [deleted]
**********************************************************************************
I wanted to send you a quick note regarding several reactions my miniature schnauzer has had to flea preventative. Upon rescuing him from the shelter, we promptly put him on Advantix. His reaction was almost immediate. He laid his head on his paws and panted furiously. I had never heard of your site and did not
spend time searching the internet for a solution; we placed him in the shower and got the product off. That
was our first experience with Advantix and I was excited about the mosquito repellant (since mini's have
such short cuts), but decided to try Frontline since we had successfully used it on other dogs for years.
The Frontline was successful for many months - about 2 years, but we do not apply it in the winter. This month
I applied the product before we went to bed, as usual. Clearly it was not a ritual that my schnauzer liked, but he
tolerated it. until this month. At 3AM I was awakened by his frantic panting. It was then that I got on the internet and found your site. Of course I was frightened by many of the stories listed there, so I bathed him immediately and waited to see what would happen. I called the vet at 7:30 (when they opened) and was told to give him Benadryl. He was incredibly lethargic for several days but he appears to be back to normal now.
I am grateful that he survived the incident and our vet did not doubt the reaction. We will be keeping our other dogs on the medication, as the vet said that he has read articles about the benefits in a household when all
but 1 dog is on flea preventative. We will of course be monitoring them closely. The vet also prescribed a medication that we can use before exposure, as it kills fleas for a 24 hour period. We have yet to try that,
but it is an option for those who have minimal exposure situations and will be useful for us when going to the
dog park.
Thank you for the wonderful website. It was helpful to read to comments from others in similar circumstances.
Holly 6/14/08
**********************************************************************************
I am grief stricken over the death of my 12 year old sweet, dear dog. I had to have her put to sleep yesterday,
2 days after the second month's application of Zodiac Spot on. Since we live near a field with many ticks,
I treated her with this product I bought at Petsmart. It seemed to work well the first month, if there were any
small problems, they went unnoticed. This time she became lethargic, unable to stand and stopped eating.
She had a weeping, oozing spot under her front leg. ( I have seen others write about this, also.) I had not read
the warning NOT to give it to an aged or debilitated dog. Although Mali was 12, in no way was she at death's door. I beg of you, please warn people about this product. Do NOT do use this and live with the thought that
you have done something to harm your sweet, innocent pet. I will never forgive myself. I hope that this helps someone and saves them from the grief I feel. People feel a false sense of security in purchasing these
products. Please tell everyone you know to use them with CAUTION!
Anonymous 6/14/08
**********************************************************************************
I recently bought Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs flea and tick and it was the worst experience. About
an hour after applying it on my two Siberian Huskies they immediately were chewing crazy at where it was applied on there backs. It was sooo bad that one of my dogs could not stay still and cried like a baby tossing
and turning not be able to sleep. I had to put him in the bath numerous times and scrub that Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs flea and tick product off. Not to mention it hurt them so bad when I was scrubbing it. It
was awful like a chemical burn!! I used the right dosage and applied in the right areas as I have used flea products for many years but never seen anything like this. One of my dogs had a bald spot on his back area
right before his tale and his skin was raw. My other dog had his skin get eaten by this product and now has
an open wound. I am so upset as to why such a product is allowed on the market because it hurt my babies!
Brooke 6/16/08
Tampa,FL
Thanks I havent taken them to the vet. They seem better other than the fact they have open wounds. I can't
believe how many people on your website have gone through this. My dogs had the same, foaming at the
mouth and drooling. I am watching my dogs like a hawk as I am extremely concerned they will have lasting
effects from this product. I couldnt take them to the vet because they were closed and honestly didnt imagine
a product could even be on a shelf that could do this. I did ask a vet their opinion and they said just to watch
my dogs closely and it was good that I washed it off. I hope your website gets this product off the market.
Brooke 6/16/08
I have been watching my dogs closely and gave them baths again numerous times. One of my dogs now
has more, what looks like chemical burns on his inner leg area, on top of the one he already had. I have
been putting some dog wound care product on it to try to soothe and heal it. He has lost the hair in these
areas. I did email Sergeants and they simply said they were sorry and to give them a bath in Dawn and
they would reimburse me for the product, which isn't enough. I can't believe this happened to my dogs as
they are my kids!
Brooke 6/18/08
**********************************************************************************
Re: Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs
We have 4 miniature schnauzers that we tried this crap on tonight and I will never make that mistake again................this product should be taken off of shelves everywhere! The dogs can't lay down for
more than a few minutes, they have vomited and have been drinking water like crazy. We bathed all
of them and will most likely be up all night with them to make sure they are ok. I will let you know how
it goes. I wish I would have found this site before I made this mistake!!
Jeanne 6/20/08
Raytown,MO
**********************************************************************************
My golden retriever just turned eleven years old. He has never had any problems except for arthritis.
Two weeks ago he had his first grand mal seizure and has had two since. The only change in his life
was ProMeris that I gave him three weeks ago. His sleep habits and appetite are fine. I took him to
the Vet of course, and all his blood work, including thyroid, was excellent. The Vet said rarely do you
see a young dog as healthy as he. The vet has started seizure medication. Although I know there is
the possibility of a brain tumor, the vet thinks that is unlikely. Is there any research indicating ProMeris
could induce seizures?
Anonymous 6/21/08
**********************************************************************************
I have 2 Poms 1 approx 8 lbs the other about 10 lbs. I have always used Advantage on them with no
problems, but it is very expensive for the both of them. I decided this week that I would try Sargeants Silver
on them, boy was that a mistake. The smallest one has not slept in 2 days. He is acting very strange like
he is itching or maybe the fleas are moving around on him, but when I looked at him closer his back was
really red like he was burned. I wish I have done some research on this product before using it. I gave him another bath the same day I put the stuff on him and that seemed to make it worse. I gave him some itching medicine I had for my other dog and also gave him some Benadryl that seemed to help a little bit at least
he got a little bit of sleep. He has been sheding very badly. I just wish I could tell everyone how bad this
product is so no other persons pet would have to go thru what he is going thru. I dont know how long this
reaction will last. SARGEANTS SILVER is a very BAD product and I dont see how they keep products
like this on the market.
Phyllis 6/21/08
**********************************************************************************
First let me say thank you for your site! I used this product on all three of my dogs last night (9 - 20 pound). Fortunately, two had no reaction - the third, however, began coughing, drooling, spitting up clear saliva. She
then began frantically racing from one spot to the next in the house, biting at her back where the product had been placed. Terrified, I grabbed the packaging, and NO WARNINGS! I got on the internet, and found your site.
I washed her twice, which seemed to calm her some. The behavior continued for several hours, after which she was finally able to sleep. This morning she was better - the cough was gone, but she could not keep down any food or water. I was going to take her to the emergency veterinary clinic, but she began eating again and the food has stayed down. She ate, went back to sleep, and now that she is awake again (3 hours later) she
seems much better. I have contacted Sergeant's and the EPA. This line of products should be banned.
Thank you again for the information.
Holli 6/22/08
**********************************************************************************
My husband bought Bio Spot at the local Tractor Supply.
We gave our sweet golden retriever shepherd mix dog, Chisolm, Bio Spot Thursday 6/19/2008 in the evening and he was already having symptoms Friday morning when my husband saw diarrhea in his kennel. We did
not put it together at that point and he acted very fatigued all day on Friday and then starting acting confused
and uncoordinated THAT evening after he was given the bio spot. Then we noticed the white foamy salivation and HEAVY PANTING and COUGHING and glazed over eyes and he just kept looking at us with no expression and my husband noticed he had not touched his food at all Friday and then got a piece of turkey out of the refrigerator and he did not move. We knew something was very wrong and we called the vet and rushed him there and he had a 107.7 temperature as confirmed by two different thermometers!!! The vet could not believe he walked in on his own with that high of a temperature. The vets immediately started a cold bath with ice packs and an IV and giving him shots and doing anything to reduce that temperature. He was coughing a strange cough every fifteen minutes or so and coughed up blood several times. His blood work was normal. It took several hours for the fever to show signs of coming down and we finally got it down to 105.9 that night after several hours of effort.
He is still at the vet and has 103.5 temp on Saturday and has had more diarrhea today some with blood. He is very very sick and he our daughter's best buddy.
The vet said he would have died that night if we had not brought him in.
Today 6/22/08 our dog is still at the vet and the temperature is down but he still has diarrhea and blood in his stool and has NO APPETITE at all.
We hope to bring him home tomorrow.
I am sick over this! and disgusted that these companies are profiting while these animals are being poisoned and are suffering!!
I intend to call the manufacturer and report this incident. We need to band together and get this brought to
some nation wide media attention!
It needs to be reported to DATELINE!
Tammy 6/22/08
Decatur, Texas
We did pick Chisolm up today and he does not act the same. My husband says he acts like a twenty year old dog and does not move around well. It was over 24 hours before we noticed that Chisolm was in distress so
we were not able to wash the pesticide (Bio Spot) off in time to prevent it from going into his system.
When we took him to the vet, which was about 28 hours after initially applying the Bio Spot, the vet and assistant began giving him a bath with cold water and ice paks but this was 28 hours later.
I will be discussing this with the contact at Farnam today.
I hope there is not permanent damage to such a healthy wonderful dog that was so much fun for our family.
Thank you for your help and I will report back.
Tammy Wilson 6/23/08
Decatur, TX
By the way, the vet bill was $847.00 today and he does not act like the same loving dog as he did before we
put the bio spot on him.
James-
I did call Farnam's Customer Service and talked to a Kara and she took all my information and then transferred me to Animal Product Safety representative named Whitney and they took down my story and then transferred me to the Veternarian Dr. Means with the SPCA and gave me a Case # and a 800# to call back. This vet acted defensive and is denying that the Bio Spot could have caused the type of symptoms that our dog experienced. Chisolm is still lethargic and acts like he is not with us. He is not lively at all.
I am distgusted that they are denying that this product caused these symptoms. She says the symptoms that Chisolm had were not commonly seen with this type of chemical.
I told her that Chisolm had been very lethargic and his eyes were glazed over and he was not lively at all Friday. He did not act happy to see us. He acted lethargic and had heavy panting and lost his appetite totally after we applied the product. He was panting very heavily. He had a 107.7 temperature. Dr. Means is telling us that these symptoms are not commonly seen as a result of these products.
I was transferred to this Dr. Means by Farnam and this vet is telling me the symptoms are not common. I am
so upset that they are so defensive.
What should I do?
Tammy 6/24/08
Thank you very much for the update. Farnam transferred you to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. Here is their website:
Several people have reported to me that the ASPCA Poison Control Center told them that Bio Spot (and
similar products) does not cause adverse reactions in dogs (it only causes reactions in cats). They also reported to me that the vets at the Poison Control Center were very defensive about it. Their messages
(and my replies) are posted here:
I don't trust the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. They have a contract with Farnam (and several other manufacturers of flea and tick control products) to handle their adverse effect incidents. Here's how it works:
You call the manufacturer and tell them that you think your pet just had an adverse reaction to their product.
The manufacturer transfers you to a vet at the Poison Control Center, who insists that the product had nothing
to do with your pet's illness. The manufacturer then pays the Poison Control Center for taking care of the problem. It's an outrageous scheme and a conflict of interest if there ever was one.
James TerBush
The ASPCA Poison Control Center (Dr. Means and Dr. Knight) told me that Bio Spot (Permethrin) did not
cause the reactions my dog, Chisolm, experienced. They said the high termperature would be seen in cats
but would not be seen in a dog. Dr. Knight told me dogs are very tolerable of Permethrin. They tried implying that these reactions could have been caused by not vaccinating our dog (which he is current) or the heat (he
is inside and outside) and has a water trough he can get inside if he is hot. He is only 4 years old and is very used to the heat and has been perfectly healthy and has never seen a vet for any illness ever! He was a healthy, loving, lively, energetic, fun dog! We gave him the bio spot and within hours we started seeing symptoms but
did not relate them quick enough to the pesticide to react and get the bio spot washed off him. They told me
that the 107.7 temperature he had does not match the symptoms of permethrin in a dog and would not see it
any other way. They told me permethrin is a safe pesticide and dogs tolerate it quite well. They were defensive and in fact argumentative with me. I asked if they could just listen to what I was saying with a nuetral position
and listen to my story in detail and they were adament that this product did not cause Chisolm's symptoms. I took Dr. Knight to the website:
to show that Chisolm's symptoms were just like the symptoms listed on this website and he said well I don't
know who wrote this and they must have been referring more to cats than dogs and I said well it refers more to dogs at the top of the page and it does say that the dog could have a change in temperature (either higher or lower) and Chisolm had and elevated temp of 107.7 and he had all the other symptoms listed.
I now understand this was a waste of my time and they are clearly directed and paid to be on the defense for
the manufacturers of these flea and tick products that harm animals.
Chisolm is still acting drugged. I understand now that it could take weeks for our dog Chisolm to be acting
normal again. I just hope there is no permanent damage.
Thanks for the website!
Tammy 6/25/08
Decatur, TX
**********************************************************************************
We have a Burmese Mountain Dog that we rescued about four years ago. I noticed that he would get very agitated whenever we would try to apply the flea treatment, Frontline. We have another dog that we'd treat at
the same time, but it never seemed to bother him. I started looking online for information about others who
might have had similar experiences, and discovered that this is an allergic reaction. It is fairly common and
can also be fatal. Then I remembered a cat that we had years ago that had a severe reaction to flea collars.
We had to stop treating her altogether because our vet didn't know of any other treatments available that she wouldn't be allergic to.
I'd like to know if there are some 'natural' alternatives that are effective, but without the side effects.
Donna 6/24/08
**********************************************************************************
(Below is a message that I sent to the EPA)
----- Original Message -----
From: james@elversonpuzzle.com
To: Overbey.Dian@epamail.epa.gov
Cc: gesalman.claire@epa.gov ; Spurling.Norman@epamail.epa.gov
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 12:09 PM
Subject: EPA Toxicity Class for Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On
Dear Ms. Overbey,
I am writing to request that the EPA reevaluate its toxicity class assignment for Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs (also sold under the name Sentry Pro XFC and TriForce Canine Squeeze-On), EPA Reg. No. 2517-80. This product carries the signal word CAUTION, which indicates Toxicity Class III (slightly toxic). Given the acute oral toxicity of Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs, I believe that it should be reassigned to Toxicity Class II (moderately toxic), and carry the signal word WARNING.
The main active ingredient in Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs is cyphenothrin, a Type II synthetic pyrethroid that makes up 40% of its formula. Cyphenothrin has an acute oral LD50 rating of 318 mg/kg (rat). In addition, Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs contains a high concentration of isodecyl diphenyl phosphate and triphenyl phosphate - both of which are organophosphate esters that can cause cholinesterase inhibition. Triphenyl phosphate is used as a synergist to increase the efficacy (toxicity) of the active ingredient.
There are several flea and tick control products on the market that contain a high concentration (typically 45%)
of synthetic pyrethroids, but these products contain Type I pyrethroids, and have an acute oral LD50 rating greater than 2000 mg/kg (rat). To my knowledge, Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs is the only flea and
tick control product on the market that contains a high concentration of a Type II pyrethroid. To reduce the likelihood of ingestion, the label instructs consumers to apply it as a stripe from the back of the dog's neck to
a point midway between the neck and tail, but similar products on the market instruct consumers to apply a
stripe beginning between the dog's shoulder blades and ending at the base of the tail. Even if Sergeants
Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs is applied correctly, it cannot prevent a dog from accidentally ingesting it.
Also, there is no precautionary information on the Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs label in regards to cholinesterase inhibition. According to EPA label guidelines, a precautionary statement should be included if the product is a cholinesterase inhibitor.
Here is the EPA Label Review Manual:
Here is an excerpt:
"If the product contains an organophosphate (i.e., an organophosphorus ester that inhibits cholinesterase)
or an N-methyl carbamate (i.e., an N-methyl carbamic acid ester that inhibits cholinesterase). If the product
contains either chemical, the following phrase should be included in the First Aid statement [PRN 2001-1]:
"CONTAINS AN __________________ (either organophosphate or N-methyl carbamate) THAT INHIBITS CHOLINESTERASE."
Here is the Material Data Safety Sheet for Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs:
Here is an excerpt:
"This substance is toxic to internal organs if swallowed. Signs and symptoms of cholinesterase inhibition may include, but may not be limited to, headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constriction of the pupil of the eye, blurred or dark vision, excessive salivation or nasal discharge, profuse sweating and abdominal cramps."
Unfortunately, the above information is not included on the label of Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs,
which makes it nearly impossible for consumers to recognize cases of cholinesterase inhibition.
Many people are not aware that flea and tick control products have the potential to seriously harm or kill cats
and dogs. They may not be aware of the significance of the signal words (DANGER, WARNING, CAUTION). The phrase "DO NOT USE ON CATS" may not be interpreted by consumers as meaning, "THIS PRODUCT MAY BE FATAL TO CATS" (which is buried in the fine print). If a pesticide product is readily available over -
the-counter and labeled as being slightly toxic, consumers may be less inclined to read the entire label directions. Current label requirements do not adequately convey that flea and tick control products have the potential to pose serious health risks to people (especially children) and pets. The above recommendations
will not change that fact, but it will help to inform consumers that Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs has a significantly higher acute oral toxicity than similar products on the market.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my request.
Sincerely,
James TerBush
Website Administrator for:
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I applied Sergeant's Gold(R) Flea and Tick Squeeze-On for Dogs 61 lbs and over on my pet Cloie,
a Husky/Lab mix (who is 98 lbs) on Friday 6/27/08. Within a couple of hours she was acting very odd.
She could not sit still. She would pant and walk around and around in circles. She did not sleep that
first night more than in 5 minute increments. She repeatedly got up to get water and was finding
places to lay that were not her usual spots as if she was trying to hide. She would not play with us or
roll around like normal. She seemed very anxious and unsettled. I was concerned but not to the point
of rushing her to the vet because she has reacted oddly to certain medications before. The next day
she was no better so I got on the internet and found all of these posts. It had been almost 24 hours
since I applied the medication but I wanted to do all I could to help her at that point. I used Dawn to
wash her and she looked at me the entire time as if to say "thank you so much for getting this junk off
of me". I plan to call the vet tomorrow. I can tell by all the posts that her reaction could have been much
worse. I have applied products like this before but never this brand and usually got it from the vet. This
time I got it from Wal-Mart because it was so much cheaper. I guess we were lucky possibly because
of her size. Within a hour or so after the bath she back to her old self rolling around in the floor with a
bone. When I was applying it to her I remember thinking there was so much more to have to apply
with this brand than the others I have used. I washed and rinsed her 4 or 5 times until the area no
longer looked greasy. I am going to write a letter to Sergeant's. This is unacceptable that this
product is still on the shelf.
Kim 6/29/08
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(This is an update to a message posted by Peggy on 5/31/08 in Vol. 19)
James,
Just thought I'd let you know that I heard back from Sergeant's in regards to reimbursement. They said that
I had applied it wrong and felt it was my fault as to the application. I never told them how or where I applied
it as that was in the vet statement. I told the vet that it said on the box to start at the shoulder blades and go
down back toward tail. Sergeant's said the directions on the box did not imply this (which I am kicking myself
profusely for not keeping the box as I left it at the vets, and they threw it away). I went to Wal Mart and they no longer carry Sergents products, which is a good thing. I have looked in several places to try and find some
to reread the box cause I know I would not have applied it in this manner unless it said to. I have read Hartz
boxes and they also say to start at shoulders and end toward the tail. They want to send $93.00 for Tanks suffering in which I am not sending back the form, because they also want me to sign a form to release any claims against company etc. arising from this product or damage the reputation of sergeants orally or written.
I refuse to sign because as far as I see it they have also called me a liar and that is a slap in the face. Along
with causing my dog anquish they are now attacking my credibility. NOT!! It's not about the money, it's about them recognizing what their product has done, and most companies or people only recognize something
when you hit their pocket book.
Thanks for letting me vent again and just wanted to keep you abreast as to what happened.
Peggy 6/29/08
Thank you for the update. You may be surprised to learn that the directions for Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On
for Dogs tells you to apply it "as a stripe from the back of the neck to a point midway between the neck and tail." To my knowledge, it is the ONLY flea control product on the market that tells you to apply it in that manner. As you mentioned, Hartz and many similar products tell you to apply it as a stripe, beginning in between the shoulder blades and ending at the base of the tail.
There is a good reason why Sergeants tells you to apply it that way: Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs is the MOST TOXIC flea control product on the market. It has the potential to cause severe adverse reactions in dogs, especially if it is ingested.
To my knowledge, the label directions on Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs DOES NOT WARN YOU that
it may be toxic and potentially cause severe adverse reactions in dogs if it is ingested. Also, to the best of my knowledge, the label directions DOES NOT WARN YOU that applying it incorrectly can potentially cause life-threatening reactions in your dog.
Here is the Sergeants Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs' website:
Here are excerpts:
"Fast Acting. Long Lasting. Fraction of the Cost. No Visit to the Vet."
"Now dog owners can buy an over-the-counter flea and tick control
product that kills fleas and ticks faster than the leading vet brand."
"Better yet, they can buy it at a fraction of the cost - up to 50% less.
No trip to the vet needed."
"Sergeant's Gold Flea and Tick Squeeze-On for Dogs Kills Faster than the Leading Veterinarian-Dispensed Brand"
Frequently Asked Questions:
"Q: What makes Sergeant's Gold Flea and Tick Squeeze-On for Dogs more effective than other products?"
"A: Our active ingredient - Gokilaht - is simply more effective. In addition, Sergeant's Gold Flea and Tick Squeeze-On for Dogs contains a longlasting insect growth regulator to take care of flea eggs and larvae."
"Q: How do I apply it?"
"A: Simply part your dog's hair and apply the entire tube onto its skin as a stripe from the back of the neck to a point midway between the neck and tail. Additional application information is available on each package."
Sergeant's Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs "kills fleas and ticks faster than the leading vet brand" because it is MORE TOXIC. No trip to the vet needed (unless your dog has a severe adverse reaction).
I just did a Google search for "sergeants gold" and the following sites appeared on the FIRST PAGE:
Sergeants should remove this product from the market, effective immediately. If they did that, they wouldn't
need to ask their customers to sign a release form, agreeing not to damage the reputation of Sergeants.
James TerBush
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First of all, I would like to thank you for having such a great source of information available for pet owners on
such an alarming topic.
Here is Diego's story, our 1 1/2 year old Miniature Schnauzer: On Saturday evening (6/28/08), around 6-7pm,
my husband applied for the first time ever a dosage of SERGEANT'S GOLD FLEA & TICK SQUEEZE-ON as directed. I happened to be out that night and was not back until very late. When I called my husband on my way home he mentioned that Diego had been yelping and whining for quite some time since he applied the flea medication. I immediately suspected something was very wrong because that just didn't sound normal. As
soon as I walked in, I went to check on the dog (this was around 3 am). I was very alarmed because he just
didn't look well. He was twitchy, restless, and had a dazed and scared look on his little face. He wasn't acting
like himself. I let him come out of his room and I watched him to see how he reacted. He ran around trying to
rub his back against stuff, anything, he seemed so desperate. He tried scratching and biting himself, and
he just seemed in pain. Then I noticed his muzzle was very wet too. I was concerned, but not scared yet. I immediately gave him a bath to wash off the medication. He seemed to have some sort of relief. After I took
him out he started again with the same reactions. He seemed to still twitch or spasm, desperately tried to rub
his back, and now I was really freaking out and started to panic. I called his name, tried to get him to do the
things he normally does, I couldn't even get him to come to me (and our dog is the sweetest most lovable of dogs) so I put him back in the tub to bathe him again but to no avail. By this time it was 4 am, and I decided to call the emergency number on the box. The person told me to wash my dog with dish washing soap, lots of
water, and to apply vitamin E oil if I had any. He said that some dogs have a reaction to the medication like a "tingling sensation like when your foot falls asleep". I asked him if I needed to watch for any other more serious
reactions, and he said no. The whole time he sounded as if it was very normal and there was nothing to worry about (even after I described my dog's symptoms). I gave Diego yet another bath with the dish soap and plenty
of water. I noticed again how his muzzle was very saturated with saliva, which is not normal for him (he must
have been drooling excessively). He was still very restless, but seemed to get relief from me petting and
rubbing his neck and back. I stayed with him the whole time doing this until he fell asleep. I started dozing off
as well and as soon as my hand stopped, he would feel something and would twitch again and move around. I kept watching him and it seemed that he was uncomfortable, but more tolerable. By this time it was time for
him to get fed and to go out to potty. He ate well, he pottied, and ran around and barked at the neighbor's dog, which at that point all seemed like good signs to me. I decided to l get some rest and see how he was reacting later now that he had some food. Later, he still seemed to be bothered, but was acting more like himself. I dismissed it as some kind of allergic reaction, but I still had a bad feeling about the whole thing. I decided to research adverse reactions to flea treatments and that's how I found your site. I was so shocked to find so
many stories dating back so far and that nothing has ever been publicized about these animal toxins on the
news or that this stuff is even on the market. I was stunned, saddened, furious, and scared after reading so
many different stories. I think we were very fortunate and blessed that nothing else has manifested in Diego.
He seems to be completely back to his normal self. I am still going to keep a close eye on him. I won't be satisfied until more time passes and he continues to do well. I will certainly file a report to the EPA as you
have suggested. Please let me know if I need to contact any other agencies and how. My heart goes out to
all the families that have lost a beloved pet or have had a pet go through any bad reaction great or small. We
all have gone through this thinking we're helping/protecting our pet. This site has been a great source of information!
My sincerest gratitude,
Adriana 6/30/08
Houston, TX
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I was just looking through the website concerning illness after using flea and tick control. We are having
major issues with our 3 year old cocker spaniel after using Frontline purchased at our veterinarians office.
I rarely use it because she always got diarrhea after she had it applied. But about 2 weeks ago we kept
finding ticks on her so we decided to just apply a half dose to her and she became ill. Only this time it got progressively worse to the point that they are now saying she has liver disease. We have over $1100.00
in vet bills in just 1 week from ultrasound and specialists and blood tests. The ultra sound showed normal organs and tissue. Her white blood cell count became elevated. Her bilirubin is off the charts as well as
her bile acids tests but her liver enzymes are showing normal. Everyone says oh its just a coincidence that
you used Frontline and then she got ill but I do not think so. We are now facing a decision to do a liver biopsy and are not sure what to do. She has symptoms of lethargy which has been relieved a little in the past few
days, refuses to eat and has to be force fed, she had severe yellow diarrhea. Its absolutely heart breaking.
She is on antibiotics and metrazolamide and they had her on lactulose for a few days but she really got
diarrhea from that. Any thoughts?
Mona 7/1/08
We have given Lacey a couple baths since the illness bc I read about the length of time Frontline remains on
the skin. Frontline has been contacted by my vet and there is a case number and yes we were given the old
song and dance that "Frontline is not a systemic drug" I have every intention of writing them when things settle
a little more with Lacey's health.
We have some encouraging news about her. I had an animal acupuncturist/chinese medicine specialist in to
see her and treat her and she has been making steps towards recovery. Her opinion was that this is not a liver issue but rather a gallbladder blockage or pancreas issue and she is very concerned that the frontline was a player in the problem. We have been feeding Lacey a special home made low protein/ high carb diet and giving her herbal supplements and pro biotic enzymes as well as the vet prescribed meds of amoxitabs, metronidazole and zentonil, but I discontinued the lactulose bc she took backward steps with every dose and she has never exhibited signs of hepatic encephalopathy. Her urine samples, to the eye, have cleared, they are no longer a dark amber color, but we have not had a re test done yet. I am taking her to another vet for an exam on Wednesday and have her blood CBC done for a fourth time. I am very hopeful it will show improvement. I have AIHA on my radar screen too bc the acupuncturist said that she is showing signs of anemia...very pale tongue and gums. For now the anorexia is subsiding...she eats about 1/3 to 1/2 a meal on her own. She is gaining energy each day and her eyes are brighter.
Thank you so much for your help.
Mona 7/7/08
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I used Bio spot for Cats on my cat yesterday and had to rush her to the vet today. The only warning
I found on the label was "if sensitivity occurs contact your vet immediately." It didn't list any symptoms
or other information. Fortunately, my cat is expected to make a full recovery (after a costly vet visit).
How are they getting away with poisoning our pets without giving us any warning? I have VERY close
family memebers who work for Farnam, so it's hard for me to know what to do other than thank God that
my kitty is going to be ok......."She's gonna dream up the world she wants to live in. She's gonna dream
out loud!" - Bono
Heather 7/2/08
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I have a one (1) year old dog who had adverse reactions to Sargeants Gold two nights ago. She began
panting, and wandering around my apartment, at times falling over as if she were dizzy. This suddenly
escalated into her drooling more than I have ever seen before. All of this occurred within 2 hours of my
using the product on her. I have never been so fearful for my animals life. I then called the number for
Sargeants on the back of its product to hear that my dog is probably overdosed, and could potentially die
if I didn't rush her to the hospital! I could not believe how the representative spoke, calmly, as if this was something they were used to hearing. Please advise me on who to directly contact for reimbursement so
that I am not given the run around. I also would like to assist further in banning the use of this product, and
will write to every local and federal agency necessary to prevent this from happening to other animals.
Rooshi 7/3/08
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I received a Biospot sample in the mail and tried it on my both my cats this past Wednesday. The sample
was sitting on my front porch when I got home from work Wednesday evening and I immediately put it on
both my cats (I live out in the country and they have fleas and ticks). I went to bed that night and my one cat, Mikey, jumped on the bed in the middle of the night. I pet him for moment and noticed he was a little shakey
etc. but I was half asleep and went righe back to bed. I got up for work Thursday morning and did not see him/notice him until I got home from work Thursday and opened the front door and my cat Mikey came running outside. He was shaking violently and was soaking wet (I still don't know how he got so wet). It was like he had Parkinsons Disease and was shaking uncontrollably. I called and talked to a vet and explained to them about
the Biospot etc. and she told me that I had to give both cats a bath with liquid dish soap immediately and if the shaking did not go away in a few hours to take him to the vet. I gave both of them a bath and waited hysterical. My one cat, Patches did not show any symptoms (so I thought) but Mikey started shaking worse-much worse.
By this time it was 8 pm and the only vets available was the emergency ones. I did not have money to pay
and called a few and nobody would let me bring Mikey in without money in hand. I had no other option but to
wait, make Mikey as comfortable as possible and pray. His shaking got so bad he had a hard time walking
etc., so I laid him on the bed with the covers over him and laid down next to him. To my horror he started having seizures and continued having mild and then long horrifying violent seizures all night long. I laid with him all night
whispering in his ear that he would be all right and he just kept looking at me in between seizures with the most scared, frightened eyes, not knowing what was happening to him. We stayed up all night and finally the seizures stopped. The following day he was extremely hyper and could not sit still, hyperventilating. I followed him around all day, pouring tiny capfuls of water down is throat to prevent dehydration. Well, today is Sunday and he is just now getting back to normal.
I was relieved my other cat did not have the same effects until this morning, I'm petting him and I notice the
spot where I put his Biospot (between his shoulder blades) was a giant open sore (about the size of a fist). It
is oozing liquid and his hair is no longer there. I had been concentrating so much on Mikey and his seizures
that I would just glance at Patches thankful that he was not shaking or having seizures. Patches has been
going through his own horrible nightmare with a open, oozing sore on his back.
I just cannot believe that something so horrible is on the market for us to give to our animals, our family
members. I am so relieved both my cats are alive but still so angry that not only something like this is on the market but that I would put these type of chemicals intentionally on my cats. I will never put anything on them harsher than possibly a flea collar on them again. Who knows the possible long term health effects I might
have exposed them to! PLEASE PLEASE if anybody else reads this, PLEASE be smarter than I was and
DO NOT USE CHEMICALS ON YOUR PETS!!! I cannot believe I almost killed my cats.
Jenn 7/6/08
Fredericksburg, VA
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On July 5th I applied bio spot to my four pets, a dog and three cats, one of the cats began seizing and many
other horrible symptoms, it began almost immediately after application. It is now two days later and i have a glimmer of hope that alex will recover. what percentage of cats have a serious reaction like this? I have used
it for years with no problem but the sick cat had never had it before. Is it safe to continue using it on the other
cats and the dog? A response from you would be greatly appreciated.
Elaine 7/7/08
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My dog Coco got real sick on Sergeants [Gold Squeeze-On] flea and tick drops also. I am posting it on My Space and everywhere I can, NOT TO USE THESE PRODUCTS! My Baby is still not right. I plan to look into suing the company, I am getting all kinds of info I can.
Something has to be done. I am taking my baby Coco back to vet today. I don't have the money, but I can't
let him die. I think the next stop will be PETA.
Cindy 7/7/08
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Re: Sergeants Gold flea and tick
I put this stuff on my 3 dogs (chihuahua, pekingese and maltese) on july 4 at noon time by about 10 pm that
night i had to rush my dogs to the Emergency Animal hospital! They were poisoned by this stuff. My poor lil babies couldnt sit still and were drooling and twitching all over the place and couldn't breath right, it was like
they were on speed! Their skin was burned and their eyes and ears were extremely red. They were exhausted because they couldn't sit still. The vet said it attacks their central nervous system. I bathed them several times with dish washing soap and the vet gave them a shot of muscle relaxer and sent them home with meds. Also I had to give them alot of water to drink to try and flush the toxins out of their bodies. If anybody reading this
knows of any class action suit .....please let me know.......... this stuff needs to be taken off the market.
Janice 7/10/08
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I'm trying to find information about GI problems after Frontline application. I don't see any posts on your site
that report this reaction. My 3-year old mini poodle started vomiting a day after his usual Frontline application.
He has a sensitive stomach anyway and is on low-residue diet. His vet asked me if the vomiting coincided with his Frontline. But most of what I'm reading in terms of adverse reaction are neurological and skin-related. I'd appreciate any information you have or can refer me to.
Toby 7/11/08
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Fellow pet owners & lovers...
On July 11th, 2008, I purchased Sergeants™ Gold Flea & Tick treatment from Wal-Mart to treat a beginning
flea issue with my 13 month old Chihuahua Weezy. Weezy is the sweetest, most submissive dog ever. Within an hour and a half of applying the solution per the manufacturer directions, Weezy became extremely distressed. He began to run around maniacal, whimpering and yelping. He would drop at my feet rolling in the carpets, rubbing against anything he could drop his backside against. I immediately called the 800# on the back of the box to report and seek aid. The operator suggested he "may" be suffering a reaction to the treatment and advised to give him a bath with Dawn, Joy or Palmolive dish detergent. Weezy's right ear and eye were extremely swollen, red and feverish. The Sergeants™ agent said ''usually'' removal of the product with the
dish detergent would relieve symptoms and proceeded to give me a claim number regarding the complaint/call. The CSR (Customer Service Rep) also suggested that if symptoms persisted to have my pet see his vet immediately.
My daughter and I washed Weezy 3 times in a head to toe bath of Palmolive, in which during that time he stood unusually tolerant in the sink as if to say "Thank You" while his glazed over, sad eyes looked into mine.
My heart beat in sheer panic and heavily affected in his distress. After bathing, drying and attempting to comfort Weezy, I applied a drop of milk into his eye in hopes of neutralizing the irritation. I suppose that in addition to the excessive bathing and rinsing helped and the ear and eye irritation went down a little. By this time it was 11pm, approximately 4 hours since the initial application and Weezy was still extremely agitated and anxious due to constant twitching, trembling, scratching, and crying. All through the night, he tossed and turned never able to
rest for more than 5 minute increments. I did not sleep at all that night. After hours of both of us tossing and turning, him trying to find comfort, and me in duress of trying to comfort him, Weezy finally jumped off the bed
and went into the bathroom to sleep which was totally out of his nature. He stayed there for over 2 hours. My heart just ached for him.
At 6:30 am the next morning, I continued to call for him and he just looked at me with his still glazed over
eyes. He would not come. When I left from the same room he came and sat between my feet, still twitching
in agonizing distress. At this point I called Sargeants™ Customer Service back to rage further complaint.
I was in tears. They again told me that his reaction was unusual and should be seen by a Vet.
I wish I had read these posts before trying to save a penny. Though my dog is priceless in value
to me, I was simply trying to save a few dollars from the high cost of Frontline, Advantage, etc. I cannot express the immense guilt I felt that in trying to save money, I expended this ridiculous pain and suffering onto my sweet baby. He had done nothing but love me unconditionally and without
any reservation, and here I was being cheap!
Without further hesitation I took Weezy to his Vet. Upon examination, she assured me I had done the right thing (as I couldn't help but feel I basically applied a poison to kill fleas and damn near killed my own lovable dog). She explained these OTC Flea Treatments are nothing but "chemicals" and are designed to seize the central nervous system of the flea killing it on contact, but at the same time can cause severe reaction and complications in the animal. Weezy was suffering from chemical toxicity due to the single application of Sergeants™ Gold Flea & Tick Treatment. Weezy had a temperature of over 103 degrees, he was dehydrated, and in distress. The good news: his heart rate was slow/normal and his gums were still pink, which according to the Vet were good signs. Weezy was given a shot of corticosteroids and subcutaneous fluids to help re-hydrate and bring the fever down. About 3 hours after treatment we finally got a peepee and bowel movement from him after almost 12 hours of nothing. He also ate and took some water as the Vet said the steroids would cause him to be hungry and thirsty.
It is now almost 48 hours since the initial application of this blasphemous poison, and Weezy is for the most part back to his active normal, loving self. He is still suffering from twitching and is still scratching ridiculously. I am also observing him to be chewing and biting at his paws incessantly and am now concerned this may cause
Hot Spots. I will be following up with the Vet tomorrow regarding these lingering issues. My only hope is Weezy will not suffer permanent issues from this poisonous crap, as I will be devastated.
After taking Weezy to the Vet, I did follow up with Sergeants™ Customer Service. I submitted a claim that I wanted to be reimbursed for Vet costs. The CSR asked me a series of questions and told me a list of things
I would have to submit by mail to the company for a claim to be considered for reimbursement. I will follow up actively, without hesitation, and will not cease to spread the word on the effects of this product. I am without words in how I feel violated as a consumer, as well as the risk I subjected my beloved dog too, The ability of Companies to manufacture such products that have factual and detrimental health risks to animals. This is without a doubt, considered to be, by me; inhuman and unlawful!
Should Sergeants™ decide not to compensate reimbursement for my Vet's bill, as there is no price on my
dog's suffering, I will seek further action. I would love to see a Class Action Lawsuit brought upon this company; with the least action being removal of these harmful products from the shelves.
I cannot even began to express how utterly shocked I was to Google this product's adverse reactions and witness how many stories read just like Weezy's. My Sweet dog has no voice but through me, and I shall not rest without speaking mine for him.
Sent with compassion,
A caring dog mom 7/13/08
I forwarded your message to the U.S. EPA. Please contact Wal-Mart's Corporate Headquarters and ask them why are they selling the most toxic flea control product in America.
James TerBush
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(Below is email that Nancy sent to the manufacturer of Bio Spot)
On June 19, 2008, I administered one application of Bio Spot on my dog Zephyr who is a 2 1/2 year old male Australian Shepherd. At 1:00 a.m. on June 20, 2008, he had a seizure identical to the one described on the
Web site that I have listed below. This seizure was followed by six additional seizures over a 36 hour period. I took him to my vet who performed blood test to determine liver functions and found him to be fine in that area.
I am convinced that the Bio Spot application caused these seizures and will not use or recommend your product to anyone. I implore you to take this off the market and perform more testing before any other pets have to go through this experience. It is horrifying to see your pet go through the seizures. I am going to report this incident
to the US EPA and hope that they will look into this matter.
I would appreciate any comments that you might have on this matter.
Nancy 7/13/08
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I just stumbled upon your website while looking for answers this morning. Five years ago I applied bio spot
to my Yorkshire terrior within minutes she started thrashing on the floor and then began shaking uncontrollably
running a high fever and ended up at the vet. Since then I have been terrified to use anything on her. The company refused to even acknowledge that it could have in any way been their product that caused these
complications. We live in Michigan and really don't have a flea or tick problem but we were suppose to be leaving tomorrow for Tennessee where we were going to buy a house and move. Since the fleas and ticks
are unavoidable there we took Abbey to the vet yesterday and had them apply Frontline Plus which they
assured us would be perfectly safe. Well after I got her home five hours later she became lethargic and slept.
I contributed it to the fact that she was just worn out from being at the vet all day. By this morning she was
running a high fever, couldn't walk and wouldn't go outside or go potty at all after twelve hours of being asleep.
By the time I threw on clothes and got her to the vet, she couldn't stand up and my usually aggressive dog (to other big dogs) layed on the floor of the vet office while two big dogs sniffed her and she just rolled her eyes
and started convulsing. She is currently at the vet hospital on IV fluids and after two baths is starting to come around my other dog is now starting to act the same way. I called the EPA and filed a complaint and called Frontline whose obnoxious vet tech told me that there was no possible way she could be having a reaction
from their product. Funny my vet knew immediately that it was the flea product she also told me that she
would never recommend using bio spot because so many animals die from it. I pray my precious little boy
and girl will recover and not have any serious after affects. So now we seem to be stuck in Michigan where
my husband and I both quit our jobs because we were moving so now no income and two very sick dogs.
Why are these companies allowed to sell products that can potentiality kill our beloved pets. I informed the makers of frontline that I fully expect not only a refund but they WILL be paying my vet bills or they will have
one angry pet owner filing a law suit. I only wish I had come across your site sooner. If anybody knows of a
natural way to keep the fleas and ticks off my dogs so we can safely move please let me know.
Has anybody forwarded all of these occurrences to these companies? This is a total outrage. I am getting
ready to take dog number two to the vet now exactly four hours after I took the first one who is still there. My husband is bathing him right now for the second time before we go. Abbey and Riley are my precious babies and if I lose them I will go after these companies hopefully with all of your help.
Debbie 7/15/08
My vet confirmed it was the Frontline Plus. Both dogs are currently home now but still not totally themselves.
She said it will probably take a few days and to never use any topical treatment again as she has had several patients with extreme reactions to Frontline and Advantix the only pets she has had died in her care had used Bio Spot. Obviously My vets have dealt with several cases of this in fact she didn't even charge for any of the
emergency care which makes me believe this happens way to often. In the meantime Merial representatives
are still blowing me off. Thanks for replying.
Debbie 7/15/08
You are very fortunate to have a vet who acknowledges that vet-prescribed flea control products (including Frontline and K9 Advantix) have the potential to cause severe adverse reactions in pets. It was very good of
your vet to not charge for the emergency care, too. She should submit the bill to Merial for reimbursement.
Most vets are quick to deny that the flea control products they sell can have severe side effects. They bill
their clients hundreds or thousands of dollars to treat those side effects, and then leave it up to the client to
try to seek reimbursement from the product manufacturer for the emergency vet expenses.
James TerBush
Update:
Abbey and Riley are doing fine, Abbey stopped losing her fur after about two weeks but it has grown back
nicely. They are both now on all natural "Flea Free" which can be purchased at Judyshealthcafe.com. When
you open the bottle the smell of garlic will knock you over but the dogs love it, no bad breath or gas or smelly
stools. It works great no side effects as it is totally natural and I will stick with this product. Only wish I would
have known about it earlier. You can also buy all natural products for your carpet, yourself or to spray on your yard. The flea free is safe enough that you can eat it yourself. It can be put in water-I wouldn't recommend because who knows how much they are getting so I use the apply to dog food method. I put I tsp on top of
their evening meal of holistic canned food and they inhale the stuff. My daughter lives in Florida and had
been using Advantix on her tiny toy fox terrior who has a lot of health problems. Since she herself is a vegan
and member of PETA I gave her this info--works great on her dog too.
Debbie 9/17/08
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I put Frontline on my dog, Phoebe, less than a week ago. The day before I put Frontline on her, she was hunting, barking, and playing. She was healthy and normal. 10 hours after applying Frontline, she couldn't walk and was clearly dying. I took her into one vet who diagnosed ehrlichia, and although we gave her the meds prescribed, she continued to spiral downwards. I took her to another vet who tested her and immediately diagnosed AIHA. My healthy, happy, beloved dog is dying, despite hospitalization, a blood transfusion and prednisone and near constant attention. I want to know if anyone else's beloved animals have experienced issues with Frontline.
Lora 7/15/08
James, thank you for your email. I just brought my dog from the vet today, and he believes she has just a few
days to live. He believes that her situation has worsened based on her WBC. I will pass on this information
to him. My vet is a really decent man and will hopefully pay attention to the information. Right now, my beloved friend's skin and eyes are orange-yellow, she struggles to breathe, her tongue is whitish-pink, and she has
no energy... and thru it all she still has her beautiful smile, her gentle ways, and she still tries to wobble out to
meet me when I drive up.
I have reported the incident to Merial. They took a report. I told them that I want a response from them.
I will call the NPIC.
Again, thank you for the information.
Lora 7/16/08
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To James or website administer,
I came upon your website accidentally tonight and I wanted to help in you and your writers search for the great flea product. I am a veterinary technician at Suburbia North Animal Hospital for 7 years now in Texas. Being in Texas we have a huge flea, tick and mosquitoe problems along with horrible allergy sufferers - human and pet.
Advantage is a great product but unfortunately it seems that the fleas are becoming immune to the product. When we heard of VECTRA of course we were sceptical. But after talking to the Vectra rep who is also a good friend of mine I feel confident that it is the answer to alot of clients/owners problems. As far as it being the same product as HARTZ that simply is not true. The huge corporation called SUMMIT is a japanese company which owns over 900 companies. HARTZ is not related to VECTRA at all. In fact VECTRA and most animal hospitals detest HARTZ because of the horrible reactions that pets have after using it, especcially cats! Just like the company Nestle who makes PURINA and MARs who makes Pedigree they make food and pet food but one company does not have to do with the other.
As I was saying we are very excited about VECTRA and COMFORTIS and if any of our clients were to have problems we will be there to help. Just like human drugs every pet is different and no matter what the product
you will see negative and positive remarks on the internet. If you or any of your writers has any questions they
P.S. I too am a animal lover and my pitbull/child suffers from erlichia and so I am just as cautious about what kind of medicine I give her. So I understand your writers concern.
Jennifer,
Thank you for taking the time to write. I do not share your excitement over Summit VetPharm's Vectra 3D, or
Eli Lilly's Comfortis.
Vectra 3D contains 36% of the pesticide, permethrin - almost as much as many of the over-the-counter flea control products (the ones that vets often warn their clients to stay away from). It also contains another pesticide (dinotefuran) and a synergist which increases the toxicity of the product.
To say that Hartz is not related to Vectra 3D at all is absurd.
Summit VetPharm is owned by the Sumitomo Corporation of America - the same corporation which owns the Hartz Mountain Corp. The Senior Director of Veterinary Services at Summit VetPharm is Dr. Albert Ahn, who happened to be the Corporate Vice President & Chief Scientific Officer at the Hartz Mountain Corp.
Vectra 3D was developed by Dr. Albert Ahn. He is listed as one of the inventors on its patent:
Comfortis is a monthy pill that contains the pesticide, spinosad. According to the manufacturer's website,
"The most common adverse reaction recorded during clinical trials was vomiting. Other adverse reactions
were decreased appetite, lethargy, redness of the skin, hyperactivity and excessive salivation."
If your dog experiences an acute adverse reaction to Comfortis, you cannot wash it off as you would do for
a topical flea control product.
Spinosad has a mode of action that is similar to the drug, ivermectin. The FDA recently issued a warning concerning the use of Comfortis along with high, extra-label doses of ivermectin:
I am glad to hear that if any of your clients were to have problems with Vectra 3D or Comfortis, you will be
there to help them. I hope that means you will be there to help them for free, or will at least contact the
product manufacturer on behalf of your clients and seek reimbursement of their vet expenses.
James TerBush
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We have adopted a Potcake from the Bahamas and took her to the vet a week ago. Her blood work came
back negative for heart worms and therefore gave us Advantix formula to treat heart worms, ticks and fleas.
We put this on her this past Saturday 7/12/08 and by yesterday (5/15/08) mid-day she began to shake her
head (as if wet) and when she does her right rear leg goes into a contraction. She was eating okay but lazy
and distant. We took her to the vet that evening around 5:00 pm (yesterday 7/15/08) he looked in her ears,
took her temp and sent us on our way. Last night (7/15/08) around 8:00 pm she vomited up her meal that she
ate around 5:30 pm following the vet visit. This morning we took her to another vet. She had a fever of 103
and is being held there following a blood draw but the results wont come in till tomorrow. I called the makers of Advantix and gave them the symptoms but they feel that because she (ABACO) has a fever its not the Advantix. This dog is like the stories I've read. One day happy, fun, playful and now shes got a head shake, rear legs weak, lethargic, distant and does not want to eat or drink. CAN YOU ASSIST US WITH A REMEDY????
Dwight 7/16/08
James, I was wrong it was the Advantage Multi that was used...does this change things. I already called Bayer...they gave me a case # but said because our dog had a fever, it would most likely not be related to
the Advantage...the dog had a fever of 105 today at 3:30 pm its now 6:00 pm she gave her rimadil (spelling)
for the fever...symptoms persist and the dog is home...very agitated from being at the vets all day in a small cage...wont stop pacing the house...wants the closet but wont stay, etc...you get the picture...I will read some
of your posts you gave me...but if the Advantage Multi changes things...please let me know!!!!!!!!
Dwight 7/16/08
ABACO is not doing well this morning. The vet had us take her home last night. There are complicating factors to this story as the dog was taken (a stray) from the Bahamas and we are not aware of her history. The vet now
believes this is distemper?!? I have tried to tell her that the reaction is what many have posted on your site and
I can see how she'd believe it is distemper. James, you have provided a lot of info, but I do not see much in the way of a treatment! Why is this? Can you help us with some ideas...I'd love to have something to provide to the vet!!!
Dwight 7/17/08
While I too am not a vet, I do not believe in my heart that my dog has distemper. We have only had her for 3 weeks, but in that time she had no signs of any illness and when we did get her here in the States, the vet
commented on how clean she was. Her symptoms come on within 48hrs of being treated with Advantage.
Her blood work that was performed yesterday came back within normal ranges for RBC, WBC, etc. We
are having a blood test done for distemper today which will come back tomorrow. In the meantime, we are awaiting titer tests for tick borne illness and have treated her with an antibiotic that crosses the blood-brain barrier. This antibiotic was administered yesterday and is a daily dose. We will keep her on it until all her
blood work comes in. She is resting on IV, her temp is down near normal and has been given a dose of
anti-convulsive meds. Should she not respond in the next 24 hours to the strong anti-biotic and the tests
come back positive for distemper the choice is not good. However, should the antibiotic work along with
the IV and the blood tests for tick borne illness and distemper be negative, were happy!
James, thank you for your assistance. I have to tell you, in my heart, I believe its the Advantage!! Since giving
her the treatment, she is not the same wonderful animal. And since this experience, I learned that my neighbor lost her Sheppard a few years back to Advantix. Just makes me so sad that this treatment can have such devastating effects!!
Dwight 7/17/08
Hello James,
I have been meaning to write with an update, but its been a difficult time. We had to put ABACO down...her condition deteriorated quite rapidly and culminated in seizures with her temp reaching 107 degrees. To make
a long story short, all of her blood work was within normal limits and the distemper titers were negative. A neurological vet that has a lot of experience with the Bahamian Potcake indicates that there are several
neurological conditions she sees which are all progressive in nature. She has not ruled out rabies, however
in speaking with a vet in the area that this beautiful creature came from, rabies has not been reported in many
years!!! However, our vet has submitted tissues to the State for analysis...The neurological condition the specialist feels is most likely is GME...and the form that is most progressive...in reading about it, its plausible... but the vet in the Bahamas has her opinions too...so we are left with some unanswered questions and a broken heart...I will forward some pics to you of ABACO...from the pics you will see she is in large part a Pharaoh
Hound mixed with terrier...I cant tell you how much I appreciate your help and the value of your website for pet owners!! Should you have any other questions, please feel free to email me or call me. I will contact you once we have the results from the rabies testing!
Dwight 7/24/08
I hope to have a pic uploaded to email to you. As I said to you in a previous email, I did not expect the vets to
find anything in her multiple tests and still, in my heart, believe the Advantage Multi is the culprit. Will not be able to prove it, but since, to date, all her tests were negative, its the only thing that is not explained...I had a few vets tell me it COULD NOT be the Multi and that the tests the company does basically allows the test subjects to ingest tubes of the product. However, my wife and I now have heard radio commercials for the product and at
the end of the commercial state the possible side effect which include seizures and possible death...exactly ABACO'S fate...I will keep you posted.
Dwight 7/24/08
To see a photo of ABACO, click here.
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I just read some entries at your website........I have a Maltese who I
rescued about 10 and half wks. ago...I'd taken him immediately to my
vet and he used whatever flea control he normally uses which I think
was Advantage and then he was so badly matted etc. after the flea
control had been on him over 24 hrs. I bathed him, then took him the 3
rd day to a groomer to bathe and clip as his nails were grossly
overgrown and his hair needed leveled out from all the mats the vet and
I had clipped from him. He was in very poor condition physically, but
approx. 3 yrs. old. In the past 10 wks. he's gained 3 lbs and had
become quite bouncy, had never really played a whole lot, slept a lot,
but being in poor physical condition I was not surprised. He'd
apparently been through a lot of emotional abuse as well! I took him
to a different groomer 2 weeks ago who reclipped him and bathed him,
had put a sunscreen on him because of his excessive short coat and pink
skin. When I got him home from the groomer I'd noticed one flea, but
it didn't seem to stay around, but then a week later I noticed another
flea so Hartz Ultra Guard pLus had been highly reccommended to be as
good as the "vet" flea control and not as toxic or as expensive. I
bought some, put it on him as prescribed on the package. Looking back
since the day I put it on him, I'd noticed him trembling or shaking
some, also seemed to be shaking his ears a lot....but I thought perhaps
his earmite infestation had come back so I cleansed his ears per
prescription! On the day he'd had the Hartz UltraGuard Plus on 6 days,
I had to be gone most of the day, though was in and out a couple of
times to check on him and allow him potty time! When I finally came
home about 7:30 p.m., I fed him supper and then took him for his walk,
in which he had a BM as usual....no change in the stool consistency or
anything. But 2-3 mins. after he had that BM, he just walked over to
the edge of the grass and layed down and started having a grand mal
seizure. He was not incontinent of urine or bowel, but he'd just done
both. I picked him up, immediately suspected the Hartz UltraGuard
Plus, but didn't stop but took him to the emergency pet clinic locally.
Told the vet what had happened. He was at first reluctant to accuse
the Hartz UltraGuard Plus because of the time frame.....he checked him
out all over, the dog continued to be very tense, nervous, barky when
not held....the vet had them do a detoxifying bath and gave him some
valium IV.....we came home, the dog continued for over an hr. to be
excessively hyper, he was very thirsty and ravenous...but when an hr.
passed he began to be drowsy and I stayed beside him until he was
nearly fast asleep. He wanted to go to his bed so I let him. I
checked on him very frequently through the night, he got up twice to go
out to urinate at my coaxing, but able to do so with physical
deviation. He at first didn't want any breakfast, but he'd gotten a
treat earlier when he was up, so I didn't think too much about his lack
of appetite. He finally got into his dog food while I ate my
breakfast. His morning BM and walk was as usual. Today he's very
sleep, but after a hard day fretting with me gone, the hard seizure I
saw and probably others and the Valium, I'm not too concerned. His
nose was dry this a.m. on arising but later was wet and cool. He does
open his eyes when I make a noise or move about the room! His
sleepiness doesn't bother me.....I'd wondered about giving him another
bath, but I don't know how much the vet's office bathed him and with
what! I will not use Phenothrin nor Methoprene either again on him. I
will call the two different groomers and see what flea shampoo they
used on him....I suspect he had a buildup and when he got distressed
and hot, it threw him into full overload of toxicity. I am watching
him closely today!
Sharon 7/17/08
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(Below is an update to a message posted by Norma on 4/21/08 in Vol. 19)
Dear James,
to update you on my problem with Farnam, they are not going to do anything for us because we did not have
a necropsy done. Even though the vet documented everything they are not going to do anything - I don't know what way to go with this do you have any suggestions?
copy of their response is the attachment (see below)
with all these people that you have listed on your website and some of them having been reimbursed - how can we get enough of this info so that a class action or something can be done to Farnam.
waiting for your response and
Thank-you
Norma 7/21/08
(See Norma 8/13/08 in Vol. 21 for update)
Thank you for sending me the letter that you received from Farnam.
I am very sorry to hear that Farnam has refused to take responsibilty for the deaths of your two dogs. They
claim that seizures and death "are not expected side effects from the correct use of this product," but seizures and death have been reported in dogs after the use of Bio Spot for years, so Farnam should expect it to happen until they change the formula or withdrawal the product from the market.
Here is another report of a Chihuahua that experienced seizures and died after Bio Spot was applied to her:
As you can see, she contacted Farnam, who transferred her to the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center. They paid to have a necropsy performed on her dog back in April, but she is still waiting for Farnam to accept responsibility for her dog's death and reimburse her for the veterinary expenses.
It would have been best if a necropsy was done on your dogs, and Farnam should have offered to pay for it,
but they should not use it as an excuse not to help you.
James TerBush
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I recently purchased (Sun - 7/20) Biospot and put it on my two dogs at around noon. The toy poodle a few
hours later acted funny, like she had fleas or something was bothering her or she had a tummy ache. All afternoon and into the evening she ran around, could not sit, lay down, nap, sleep, was restless, agitated
and panting. The night, I stayed up with her in the basement and the only way she would finally drift off to
sleep is like was mentioned before, I'd have to stroke her. In the a.m we got up and she was at it again.
I stayed home with her the next day Monday and it dawned on me - it must be the stuff I put on her for fleas.
I got through to their center, they connected me to a vet who told me to wash her several times with Dawn.
Give her Benadryl. I washed her 3 times, gave Benadryl. I had given it to her the night before too. I called
my vet to confirm if this was correct and to also make an appointment to make sure. He never heard of this before - Oh great, how can this be treated? Small small improvement. She seemed happy but exhausted.
Her legs are giving out. The night was just the same, I tried to go to sleep but she was pacing, frantic,
wanting me to pick her up, she didn't want us to go to bed, etc. We've broken her of her clinginess. I fear
it's all lost. I also fear I'm going to lose it and hurt her. She is starting to make me angry. I spent another
night in basement, trying to sleep with her. Today, Tuesday, very miniscule improvement. I went to the vet
in the am. She had other issues that were looked at too, so it was kinda a 6 month check up too. He felt no
long term damage done, she looked actually like she'd recover soon. But when? I finally had to leave her
alone today so I could take my mind off of it, and go grocery shopping. Right now she continues to pace, however, if forced, she can sit for a few seconds. -A few seconds? Does anyone know when she'll finally
snap out of it? I'm going to keep feeding her the Benadryl. Is there something stronger? The vet didn't give
me anything and I do not think the Benadryl is working. I fear if I go through another sleepless night, I'm
going lose it and regret my actions. I'd like to lock her up somewhere but where in tiny house and she
would probably just start screaming. I fear I may have to put her down because of the neurology problems
if this continues. Any suggestions - Do you think she will return to her old self soon? Her symptoms really
aren't as bad as the others, but were going on over 3 days now. The other dog, a Cairn is doing Okay-
The vet also encouraged after a few weeks try another brand. I do believe he is probably correct, she
had a sensitivity or reaction to one ingredient, but which one? He was going to try and find something
else that had none of the matching ingredients. I'm waiting or I may go back to her old stuff months from
now. I'm not mad at this company because I feel it is an unfortunate reaction. I wish I could get her to sit
and lie down and sleep. Stop pacing.
Diane 7/22/08
Glen Ellyn, IL
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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.
