The following is some very important information that every pet owner needs to read.

Counterfeit flea and tick prevention products are on the market, the EPA is stepping in.  Read what you can do to protect your dog, these products could put your pet at risk.

What action is EPA announcing?

EPA, in cooperation with its state and regional regulatory partners, is announcing the issuance of stop sale, use, and removal orders to retailers and other distributors of certain counterfeit pesticide products for control of fleas and ticks on dogs and cats. The stop sale, use, and removal orders are intended to disrupt an effort to distribute counterfeit pet pesticides. The counterfeit pesticides appear to have been unlawfully imported and were packaged in cartons designed to look like legitimately registered pesticides available in the U.S. under the trade names “Advantage” and “Frontline.” The orders prohibit retailers and other distributors from distributing or selling the counterfeit pesticide products and require their proper disposal.

Why is EPA taking this action?

EPA is responsible for assuring that all pesticides sold in the United States do not cause adverse effects under EPA-approved label use conditions. The counterfeiters have placed foreign labeled applicator package inserts in counterfeited Advantage and Frontline retail cartons printed to resemble the U.S. -registered products. Frontline products, among other things, may be missing instruction leaflets bearing directions for use required under U.S. law. Further, the Frontline applicators may not be in the required child-resistant packaging. In addition to the inadequate labeling and packaging, consumers cannot be assured that the counterfeiters inserted the appropriate size applicator for the animal pictured or otherwise indicated on the retail carton of either the Advantage or Frontline products. So, use of the counterfeit products may put the treated pet at risk.

Are all of the Frontline and Advantage brands of pesticides counterfeit?

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Lisa’s sister was just in town visiting, while here she got a message from her husband back in NY letting her know their dog had a tick. Her husband had removed it and AJ, their very cute Shepherd mix, was fine. His call did put me on the alert, tick season appears to have started and knowing how to properly remove them is important.

Coincidentally,  I just got this email on an alternative tick removal method for anyone who has had trouble using tweezers. I’ve never tried it this way but I figured I’d pass it on.

Spring will be here soon and the ticks will soon be showing their heads. Here is a good way to get them off you, your children, or your pets. Give it a try.

I had a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to remove a tick. This is great, because it works in those places where it’s some times difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in the middle of a head full of dark hair, etc.

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In April of ‘08 Joy posted a message on the danger of Sergeants Gold Flea Medication, and the story of what happened to Dogster members Lucky and Nala.  There have been 150 comments on that post, many sharing horror stories of what happened to their dogs when this, or a similar, product was used.

I came across a very interesting article today, Pesticides In Pet Products, and the debate about the safety of the pyrethroid family of chemicals. These over the counter products are readily available at grocery stores, pet stores, and even hardware stores. The manufacturers and distributors claim their products are safe, as long as used properly and the pet has no acute sensitivity or pre-existing condition. That warning is a bit of a double entendre.

These products are approved for sale by the EPA, yet they have been linked to over 1,500 pet deaths. Those are only the ones that have been reported, I suspect it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Pyrethroid spot ons also account for more than half of “major” pesticide pet reactions reported to EPA over the last five years — that is, those incidents involving serious medical reactions such as brain damage, heart attacks, and violent seizures. In contrast, non-pyrethroid spot on treatments accounted for only about 6 percent of all major incidents.

In the last five years, the EPA received a total of more than 25,000 reports of pet pesticide reactions of every sort — fatal, major, moderate, and minor — to over-the-counter pyrethroid spot on products. This compares to 10,500 reports of all pet incidents related to shampoos, powders, sprays, collars, dips, mousses, lotions, and towels. This analysis does not take into account how much of each product was used over the last five years as the EPA does not have that information.

Since there are other treatments available you have to wonder why the EPA doesn’t pull these products. I think it can be summed up in one word, money. If this was something that was used on children I have a feeling the outcome would be much different. Read the rest of this entry »

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