After noticing some excessive scratching in my jack russel (zoey) and pom (foxie), i picked up some otc flea and tick killer (Seargeant’s Gold Flea & Tick Squeeze On). I got the type for dogs 9-20 lbs. I applied the med at about 8pm. I noticed no adverse reaction before going to bed myself at around 10pm. At 4am I woke up to hear Foxie “hacking” in the bathroom (where they sleep). At first I was not too concerned but I continued to hear Foxie “hacking” and I could hear her nails tapping on the linolium (sp) floor as if she and Zoey were playing. This went on for too long so I decided to check on the pups. Zoey seemed just fine (and still does) but Foxie was literally maniacal. She had pulled out huge chinks of her hair, was scratching and biting as well as running around in a frenzy. She could not stop and relax for two seconds. I recognized that something was wrong so I immediately googled the flea med I had used. I found horror stories of what it can do to pets!!! I was petrified!! I immediately bathed Foxie in Dawn dish detergent twice to remove the medicication. Foxie appeared somewhat less distressed and the “hacking” stopped. Fortunately she has shown no signs of trouble breathing, foaming, siezures or vomitting. She is still hyped up and does not appear able to rest. I think so far the reaction is “mild” compared to what I have read. I will be monitoring her closely for today and going to the vet if her condition worsens. About 2 hours after her bath she was able to lie down for a few minutes. Please don’t use this stuff!! Consult your vet about appropriate and safe meds!
1 Comment Received
September 2nd, 2008 @12:18 pm
Hi Zoey and Foxie’s Mama,
I’m posting on behalf of Sergeant’s. I am so very sorry to hear about Foxie’s experience. I do want you to know that Sergeant’s does take this matter extremely seriously and we want to hear from anyone who believes their pet has had an adverse reaction to any of our flea and tick control products. If you haven’t yet contacted our 24-hour consumer hotline at 800-224-7387, we strongly encourage you to do so. We want to make sure that both Zoey and Foxie are in good health and assist you with any further questions you are having at this time.
Since you have multiple dogs, it is important to separate them from each other (and any other animals you have at home) for at least 24 hours to ensure that they do not accidentally ingest the product by grooming on one another. It’s really important to remember that all flea and tick control product are pesticides and in order for these products to be as safe and effective as possible, they must be used only as directed and never ingested. It’s also important to understand that, just like human health care products, nothing can be 100% allergy-free, so some dogs will have a reaction. Most reactions are temporary, such as skin irritation, but some can be very serious. When Foxie was experiencing this reaction, your instinct to wash the medication off with Dawn dish soap was exactly what you should have done.
Sergeant’s wants to help pet owners make safe choices — this is why educational campaign and website “Look at the Label” http://www.lookatthelabel.com is available to educate consumers on proper application and use of flea and tick control products. We think you will find the information on http://www.lookatthelabel.com helpful in answering many of the questions you may be having right now. Sergeant’s President, Bob Scharf, wants pet owners to know this tool is available and encourages everyone to visit the website or call Sergeant’s hotline to answer any questions or concerns you may have – whether it is pre, post or after application. You can view a special message here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbONNAshrWo.
Once again, we are very sorry to hear about Foxie’s experience. Please visit http://www.lookatthelabel.com for useful tips and please let us know if you have any questions at all. We would be more than happy to assist you further.
Best,
Julie
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