The EPA is investigating some flea & tick products that may have caused some health problems in cats and dogs. We live in the country where our dogs can pick up fleas and ticks most of the year. To be honest, before we started using a spot-on tick product, I could pick 50 ticks off one of our dogs at one time – ugh! I hate ticks! So we do use Frontline on our labs and we have not had any problems with it. However, I am always looking for more natural products that are effective. We have tried garlic products in the past but became concerned when I read about garlic as a possible blood thinner. Do you have a suggestion? Please let me know!
Here is the EPA Alert:
Increased Scrutiny of Flea and Tick Control Products for Pets
Updated June 23, 2009
Resources
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is intensifying its evaluation of spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control due to recent increases in the number of reported adverse reactions in pets treated with these products. Adverse reactions reported range from mild effects such as skin irritation to more serious effects such as seizures and, in some cases, death of the pet.
Flea and tick products can be appropriate treatments for protecting your pets and your family’s health because fleas and ticks can transmit disease. While many people use the products with no harm to their pets, EPA recommends that pet owners take precautions when using these products. People should carefully follow label directions and monitor their pets for any signs of an adverse reaction after application, particularly when using these products for the first time. Also, before use of these products on weak, aged, medicated, sick, pregnant or nursing pets, or on pets that have previously shown signs of sensitivity to pesticide products, EPA recommends that a veterinarian be consulted. Additional safety tips are available for taking care of fleas and ticks on your pet.
