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For more than a decade, pet owners have relied on flea and tick products that claim safe and effective solutions to a persistent problem. Historically, pesticides to control fleas and ticks were harsh and seemingly caused as many problems to the pets as they did to the parasites. With the advent of new topical or “spot-on” products, pet owners breathed a sigh of relief.
But now the EPA has raised a red flag and is warning pet owners about serious adverse effects seen with the use of these products. Citing a “sharp spike” in reported incidents, the EPA has increased scrutiny and may consider restricting their use.
Many different spot-on products are available to pet owners, both through their veterinarians and over-the-counter (OTC) outlets like grocery stores.
Veterinarians have long thought that significant severe reactions were the hallmark of OTC merchandise. After all, some OTC flea and tick shampoos, powders and even spot-on products rely on older, potentially dangerous ingredients. But, even newer medications aren’t immune to problems. Hartz® was forced to change labeling instructions after several highly reported adverse events with their cat product and eventually pulled it from the market.
Along with Hartz, Farnam and Sergeants also make popular OTC flea preventives and they have all seen their share of reactions along with negative publicity. In a Center for Public Integrity (www.publicintegrity.org) investigation, all three were singled out for using “pyrethroid type” ingredients.
Pyrethroids are the man-made cousins of pyrethrins, a naturally occurring insecticide produced by the chrysanthemum plant. Unfortunately, pyrethrins breakdown in sunlight and don’t have any sort of residual effect, making constant reapplication necessary. The improved pyrethroids offered longer lasting protection, but some fear it comes with significant costs.
The maker of Frontline®, says their internal records do not indicate any increase in adverse events associated with that product; the number of reported adverse events has remained consistently low since Frontline’s® introduction in 1996.
Furthermore, Hartz has stated to veterinarians that their products are often unfairly blamed for these reactions because consumers mistakenly refer to Hartz even though they purchased a competitive flea medication.
What can you do to help keep your pet flea free and safe? First, read and understand all label instructions for any flea product you might give to your pet. Veterinarians across the country are reporting many misapplications of the flea medications by owners anxious to stretch their pet health care dollar. Cats are especially vulnerable to misuse of these products but dogs can suffer as well.
Next, never discard the box of flea medication until you are sure your pet has shown no signs of a reaction. The box contains ingredient information and EPA registration numbers that are useful if any adverse event occurs.
Finally, follow the guidance and recommendations of your veterinarian. They completely understand how flea products work and how to handle any potential problems. Your veterinarian will also be up to date on the most accurate scientific data showing which products provide the best protection and won’t harm your pet. This information is important to the health and well being of your pets.
To learn more about fleas and ticks, be sure to visit www.MyVNN.com to see videos or visit www.PetDocsOnCall.com to ask questions of veterinary experts.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dr. Sara Lash is a veterinarian running Healthy Pets Mobile Vet and can be reached at www.drsaralash.com or 919-329-PETS (7387)
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