Sargent’s Gold brand flea & tick treatment

I have used flea & tick treatments every 4 weeks for one year on my four year old, 11 pound Maltese, ever since we moved to a wooded area with a flea population that is relentless. I have used Zodiac and FrontLine without problems. I picked up Sargent’s Gold from an end cap at the local grocery store, thinking I was buying a top of the line, high quality product. I was a victim of packaging / commercialism. I applied the treatment 3 days ago and went out for the day. When I returned later the same day, I found my dog, Gracie, unable to use her back legs, I found vomit in four places, she was shaking. I examined her the best I could, at first thinking she hurt her back or hip. She suddenly seemed relaxed and proceeded later to chew vigorously on her paw. I carried her outside to have her avoid stairs and she proceeded to rub her face into the ground with great vigor. I have never seen her behave like that. At this point, I thought it was her paw that was the issue. I soaked it and we went to bed as she seemed to become more playful at times. In the morning she was shaking uncontrollably, her back end kept going sideways, she then hid under the bed and did not respond when I spoke. I truely thought she was dead. After about 10 minutes, she moved her tail and started to walk around, getting to be more herself as the morning progressed. That evening I suddenly remembered the application of flea treatment! It had been such a routine thing that I had not even thought about it! I researched the product only to read one horror story after another…almost word for word, symptom for symptom as what we had experienced with Gracie. I am horrified that this is still a product being sold so casually. I am angry that I did not research flea treatments more thouroughly, I am mad as hell that the companies rarely take responsibilities here. I have yet to call Sargents as I have been putting all my energy into ridding my home of this toxin. My husband experienced dizziness, unable to focus  his vision, and developed a rash on both forearms which I attribute to holding Gracie before I bathed her in an effort to remove residual pesticides from her coat and skin. When I bathed her, I discovered her eye socket area was swollen, like a golf ball was trying  to protrude. She still itches and has a sore at the application site. Her face still itches. The neurological effects have been frightening, to say the least. I will be in a meeting with our VET to discuss this, I have sent mass emails to folks in an effort to educate, I will be in touch with Sargent’s, the EPA, and anyone else I can as this needs to be front page news and the warnings need to be in large print. The package should be labeled PESTICIDE in large letters, as many of us subconciously think “medication” when we think “treatment”…a common mistake due to our own ignorance. Gracie is steadily improving, we are very lucky here. Please…….do your homework…..and do not buy Sargent’s Gold!