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Cassandra’s Story

Posted by Sharon on November 2nd 2008

Last weekend, I was unable to pick up Frontline to treat Cassandra for our flea problem. Sunday evening Kmart was open and I stopped to see if they stocked any flea medication. Hartz products were the only line being carried by the store. Since Hartz has long been a well-known pet product name, I purchased their Ultraguard flea drops. I applied the drops to the back of Cassandra’s neck and left the room to wash the product from my hands. When I returned, she was still on the table with a glazy out-of-it look to her eyes and appeared to be drooling. I live in Lancaster, PA and we are blessed to have an excellent 24-hour animal emergency center — PETS, and I rushed her to their facility. The staff immediately treated her by shaving the area and washing it with Dawn detergent. She was noted to have started with tremors but because the product was removed from her skin so quickly, full seizures were avoided. She was sedated and observed for several hours. I learned from the staff at PETS that nine out of ten animals treated with Hartz flea products have reaction to this pure pesticide product.

Back at home, I learned the following from the EPA’s website:

“At EPA’s insistence, Hartz Mountain Corp. has agreed to cancel uses of several flea and tick products that may be associated with a range of adverse reactions, including hair loss, salivation, tremors, and numerous deaths in cats and kittens. In the short term, the agreement calls for new labeling of the products. The new labeling will state that the products of concern are not to be used on the most vulnerable animals, including cats and kittens that weigh less than 6 pounds, cats older than 13 years, or kittens less than 5 months old.

Through this agreement, Hartz will voluntarily stop all new production of these products by September 30, 2005 and will not sell or distribute any affected product after December 31, 2005. The company has agreed to a prohibition on sales down to the retail level by March 31, 2006. ”

Cassandra is fourteen. There were no instructions on the product packaging to not use the product on cats over thirteen or I would not have bought the product.

I have been telling all pet owners that I know about this. I noticed today that my Kmart receipt asks for feedback on my shopping experience, so they will be hearing from me on this one. I cannot praise the kindness and professionalism of Doug Bowman, VMD and the staff who were on duty Sunday evening at the Pet Emergency Treatment Services. Without their efforts, I would have foolishly lost my precious Cassandra.