When pest-killing chemicals become pet-killing chemicals

“These are products designed to kill… and they do their jobs.”

That’s what the assistant administrator from the EPA’s office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances said about the flea and tick products millions of us are applying to our beloved dogs each year.

These drops and collars — which you can buy for a few bucks at any pet supply store — contain powerful pesticides that can cause seizures, severe skin burns, shaking, foaming at the mouth, and paralysis.

They’ve killed thousands of dogs and pets over the years and may have even given young children cancer.

Our government had a chance to act on these dangerous products six years ago, but dropped the ball. But with a little careful shopping you can keep your beloved pooch — and anyone who comes into contact with him — safe during flea and tick season.

Dangers that aren’t just skin deepIf you’ve ever thought that applying a pesticide directly to your pet’s skin might be a risky thing to do, you’re right.

It’s hazardous for our dogs, our cats who may lick the chemicals, and especially for our kids and grandkids who pet, kiss and hug Fido.

By 2009 the reports of dogs and cats having bad reactions to ‘spot on’ flea and tick products — ones that are applied to the neck and shoulder area — had spiked to a whopping 44,000. And 600 dogs died in just one year.

Dogs like Duffy, a healthy young pooch who started having seizures after Hartz Flea and Tick drops were applied. He died two days later.

The problem had become such an epidemic that the EPA assembled a team and pored over the data. And here’s some of what the agency found:

Dogs weighing between 10 and 20 pounds were having the most adverse reactions. Among those smaller dogs, Chihuahuas, Shih Tzu, Poodles, Pomeranians, Dachshunds, Maltese, Yorkshire terriers, and Bichons where at a much higher risk.
Many of the chemicals used to treat dogs are deadly to cats.
The inert ingredients in these products (which are almost always kept a trade secret) often make them even more poisonous. That makes it extremely difficult to choose a safe product for your pet.

But six years after all that analysis, the EPA hasn’t done much to protect our pets or us. It didn’t make the products any safer, it didn’t prohibit any dangerous ingredients and it didn’t bother figuring out why the risk to small dogs is so much larger.

It’s up to us to read labels carefully and keep our dogs, cats — and our kids and grandkids — safe from dangerous flea and tick products. Here’s a quick guide to three types of products that experts say you need to avoid:

Must avoid #1: Any products containing permethrin, cyphenothrin and phenothrin. These three chemicals can all be fatal to cats. And cyphenothrin and permethrin are most likely to cause severe and potentially deadly reactions in dogs.

Must avoid #2 Trifexis, a once-a-month pill for fleas and heartworms, has been linked to the deaths of thousands of dogs. And it’s still on the market. Last year reports poured into the FDA every single day about dogs collapsing and dying or going into organ failure and having to be euthanized after being given this drug.

Must avoid #3: Flea and tick collars containing an insecticide called propoxur, which may cause cancer in children. Last year, Sergeant’s Pet Care and Wellmark International started pulling their propoxur collars off the market, but there are still plenty of collars available containing the chemical.

This research has me taking a second look at the products I use with my own border collie, Django. Django is a bit lazy, but we force him to hike — so naturally we worry about ticks.

We did a lot of research and chose the Revolution brand for him, because it causes the fewest reactions. But now we’re looking into whether other products might be even safer (my sister swears by garlic and brewer’s yeast tablets, which are natural flea and tick deterrents).

Before you use any flea and tick product, check out the Natural Resources Defense Council’s GreenPaws Flea and Tick Products Directory to see if it’s pet- and family-safe. Just find the brand you want to check, and it will give you a rating according to its risk level.

To go to the GreenPaws directory, click here.

Sources:

“Safe use of flea and tick products in pets” FDA, fda.gov

“EPA evaluation of pet spot-on products: Analysis and plans for reducing harmful effects” EPA, epa.gov