44,000 Reports
The EPA confirms its received approximately 44,000 reports of adverse reactions associated with these products, including skin irritation, seizures and even the deaths of some pets. And those figures dont include the number of reports the EPA continues to receive in 2009.
The EPA has even documented -- in records from a May 5, 2009, meeting with the makers of topical flea and tick products -- the uptick in complaints about these products.
In 2007, the agency received reports of 560 pet deaths associated with topical flea and tick products. The number jumped to 640 deaths in 2008. Thats 1,200 reported deaths in just two years. The agency also received reports of 5,100 minor incidents linked to topical flea and tick products in 2007, according to EPA records. That number skyrocketed to 27,000 reported minor incidents in 2008.
Those figures only fuel pet owners questions and anger about why these topical flea and tick products are allowed to remain on the market.
Theyre pet owners like Steve H., a Wisconsin physician who says his familys Shih Tzu started to jerk violently as if hed been shocked with a cattle prod after the dog received half the recommended dose of Sentry ProXFC.
To the powers that be at Sergeant's Pet Care Products, I can only say this: If your product was marketed to humans instead of animals, you would have been prosecuted long ago, he told ConsumerAffairs.com. How this remains on the market with your full knowledge of its dangers is unconscionable.
No action yet
But weve learned that pet owners will have to wait until this fall for any action by the EPA regarding topical flea and tick products.
The agency told us its reviewing every one of the thousands of reports its received about adverse reactions linked to these products, is requesting additional information from the products makers, and hasnt reached any conclusions.
The agency, however, said all options are on the table -- everything from requiring companies to change their formulas to pulling products off the market.
But removing topical flea and tick products from store shelves is an option a leading veterinary toxicologist and other experts in the field caution the EPA not to pursue. They say an outbreak of fleas and ticks could pose more serious health problems to pets and humans.
They also say these products pose minimal risks to pets when used as directed.
A recent study by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) supports that assertion.
The study revealed the majority of illnesses linked to proper use of topical flea and tick products are mild -- and cats are more susceptible to illnesses and deaths from the misuse of these products.
The important take-home message is that although adverse reactions can occur with all flea and tick products, most effects are relatively mild and include skin irritation and stomach upset, says Dr. Steven Hansen, ASPCA veterinary toxicologist and Senior Vice President Animal Health Services. Pet parents should not discontinue using products as directed by the product label when faced with a flea infestation.
But those words offer little solace to the anguished pet owners who say theyve seen firsthand the agonizing pain, burns, seizures, and neurological problems caused by these products.
These are pet owners whove watched their active dogs struggle to cross a room because they can no longer use their hind legs. Theyve heard their faithful companions painful moans. Or even found their cat dead in a bedroom.
And these pet owners insist they used the flea and tick products exactly as instructed -- or used less than the recommended doses.
Im sure I followed the directions when I administered Sergeants Silver Flea and Tick Squeeze On to my dog, Dyllun, says Jammie K. of Minot, North Dakota. And he immediately started whining and crying in pain. His skin was hot, like it was on fire. He got welts all over his body, was in severe pain, and shivering.
Jammie contacted her veterinarian, who gave the five-year-old Chow-Retriever Mix some sedatives to calm him down. But my dog wouldnt settle down. He was so frustrated that he was not able to fix what was bothering him.
Jammie agrees with other pet owners who say these products should be yanked off the market. I think theyre dangerous. I consider myself in the know with pet products, but Id never heard of these problems until after I used this product. I used it thinking it would be safe.
Next: More pet owners report problems
