EPA Considers Further Restrictions on Flea/Tick Pet Products

Posted: Thursday, April 16, 2009, 8:17 p.m., EDT

Tick The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported April 16 that it is intensifying its evaluation of whether further restrictions on the use of spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control products are necessary to better protect pets. The increased scrutiny applies to both over-the-counter and veterinary channel flea and tick products for pets.

EPA said the move is in response to recent increases in the number of reported incidents. More than 44,000 potential incidents associated with registered spot-on products were reported to EPA in 2008.

Federal law requires EPA registrants to submit reports of possible adverse reactions that may be related to the use of their products, whether or not the products were used properly and according to label instructions. A report also does not indicate a cause and effect relationship between product and symptoms.

Although incidents with flea and tick products can involve the use of spot-on treatments, sprays, collars and shampoos, the majority of the incidents reported to EPA are related to flea and tick treatments with EPA-registered spot-on products. Spot-on products are generally sold in tubes or vials and are applied to one or more localized areas on the body of the pet, such as in between the shoulders or in a stripe along the back.

Adverse reactions reported from the spot-on products range from skin irritation to seizures and in some cases death, according to EPA.

While noting that the use of flea and tick products can help protect the health of both the pet and the owner's family and that many people use these products without harm to their pets, the EPA recommended that pet owners take precautions when using these products. Specifically, the EPA urged pet owners to carefully follow label directions and to monitor their pets for adverse reactions after application, particularly if using a product for the first time.

The EPA also recommended pet owners consider consulting a veterinarian about "the responsible and effective use of flea and tick products."

EPA plans to “meet shortly” with spot-on product manufacturers to address the issue. The meeting will be held in conjunction with Health Canada, the Canadian health department, which has identified similar concerns about the use of spot-on flea and tick products.

EPA recommends that veterinarians report any incidents with the National Pesticide Information Center’s Veterinary Pesticide Adverse Effects Reporting website. <HOME>

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EPA Considers Further Restrictions on Flea/Tick Pet Products

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Reader Comments

Dear truthfairy,
One more item that you shouldn't try to get away with...in 2005 the EPA told Hartz they were going to issue a Cancellation Order on their cat and kitten products. Hartz, of course, resisted. When it became clear that the EPA was not moved by Hartz's appeals, Robert Devine, the CEO of Hartz at that time, wrote to the EPA asking for the opportunity to "voluntarily" withdraw the products. After negotiations, the EPA allowed Hartz to write to customers, suppliers and retailers stating that they were "voluntarily" withdrawing the products. The EPA, however, did issue the Cancellation Order in 2005, the products were forced by the EPA to be out of the retail stores in 2006 and the products terminated. For you to imply otherwise in your earlier blog is typical of the revisionist history we consumers have been getting. You, of course, know what I have written above to be true. Please don't continue to attempt to mislead the public.

Rich, La Quinta, CA
Posted: 5/13/2009 10:49:16 PM

Dear truthfairy,
All Hartz products--cat and dog--using pesticide ingredients have now been listed by the EPA as among those that they are concerned about. Just the cat/kitten product alone had 956 adverse incidents last year according to the EPA. What's an acceptable level of animal injuries and deaths? Hartz flea and tick products have killed and injured thousands of animals since 2000. That's appalling. That's why the EPA is concerned and why they issued a Cancellation Order on Hartz products in 2005. You can defend them all you want--you just don't have the facts that would support a margin of safety which is acceptable to pet owners and lovers. Too bad Hartz won't take the initiative and do the right thing--reformulate to safer ingredients which are available today. I think this says a lot about the company's character and culture.

Rich, La Quinta, CA
Posted: 5/13/2009 10:37:57 PM

Dear Rich, La Quinta,
Hartz voluntarily withdrew the cat product in 2005 and replaced it in 2006 with Hartz UltraGuard for Cats, which has been rated by the EPA in the lowest toxicity class available on the market. Plus, publicly available data shows that Hartz UltraGuard for Cats had a very low level of EPA-reported product reactions from 2006-2008.

www.thetruthabouthartz.com

Truthfairy, New York, NY
Posted: 5/6/2009 9:33:28 PM

as a pet trainer and owner I would support the EPA putting restrictions on flea and tick products.
I have seen first hand what happens when a beloved pet has a reaction to a product.
I use Bio spot on my pom and had to rush him to the vet several years also where they gave him a injection and a wash down.

becky, shelton, WA
Posted: 4/28/2009 1:00:11 PM

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