My Angel Is In Heaven

I used Hartz Ultra Guard Plus, unaware of the affects it would have. I had recently moved into an apartment complex with my parents, and noticed alot of stray cats & dogs among the complex. Not having the money to spend on Advantage, I needed something quick to keep my 5 lb. chihuahua (Sable) from getting fleas. On the 16th of Aug I bathed her and applied the drops just as the directions say. Everything seemed quite normal that day but on the 17th we noticed she was shaking a bit more than usual. We thought that maybe she was jus cold as we had turned the ac on that day. On the morning of the 18th she was setting in the recliner with my mother, as she always loved to do, and she suddenly jumped down and started walking in circles. My husband jumped up & grabbed her to take her outside as he thought she may of had to use the restroom. He no sooner stepped out the door when she went into a full blown seizure. We quickly jumped in the car, as we drove she stayed in that seizure. When we got to the vets they took her immediately back and bathed her in dish soap, and gave her phenobarbital. He told us he was gonna administor charcoal to clean out what toxins was in her blood stream, and pain meds to help her with pain, but it was a waiting game to see if the seizures would stop. We went home praying she would be okay. A few hours passed and I called the vet and there was still no change, 6 pm that evening we went to see her. The vet told us she had vomited some of the charcoal up but the seizure or tremors were still happening. We went in to see her, and all I could do is cry. She looked so pitiful lying there, having seizure after seizure every few seconds. When Id say her name her ear would turn in the direction of my voice as if she knew it was me. I felt absolutely helpless, and at the same time I felt responsible. If I hadnt used this product on her, she wouldnt be going through this. After a half hour we went home. I prayed and prayed, walked the floor all night, holding onto hope that it was a good sign she responded to my voice, that the vet will call me with good news and tell me she’s come out of it. The morning of the 19th the vet called and my husband answered to only find out she had passed in the night. I sit here writing this in tears, same tears I shed that day. Sable was just a year old on the 13th of Aug, so she lived just 1 yr and 6 days. She filled an empty hole in my heart that had been there for years, and now she is gone. Upon contacting Hartz of the situation, they ask that I send in the rest of the product, bills,etc… and a monetary value for my Angel. How do you put a price on love? Unconditional love?….

We took Sable to The University and had a necropsy done, for peace of mind, and to know exactly the cause of her death. We have only a preliminary result, as it specifies:

Cerebellar herniation through the foramen magnum is concidered a significant finding and contributed likely to this animal’s reported clinical signs. (Cerebellar herniation: A condition that occurs when the brain is under abnormally increased pressure. The increased intracranial pressure forces the brain downward inside the skull. This results in typical neurologic manifestations (coma, paralysis and a unilateral dilated pupil). (Foramen Magnum: the foramen magnum is one of the several oval or circular apertures in the base of the skull (the foramina), through which the medulla oblongata (an extension of the spinal cord) enters and exits the skull vault.) Basically, from the seizures her brained swelled so much it protruded the base of the skull.  The pain she was in was unreal. We are waiting for the histopathology reports to come back.

So I now live with the fact of making the wrong choice, and angry cause this product not only took my baby’s life, but made her feel pain that no animal should EVER feel. I made a promise to her, that I will do whatever it takes to make sure no other animal suffers at the hands of these products and I intend to keep that promise. If my story here helps one person, I know it’s a beginning or a start.