We brought home our 8 wk old chihuahua/daschund pup last week. We have an older dog, a 15 lb Shiba Mix, who came home from the vet a few months ago, after getting spayed, with fleas that have been resistant to all known flea products. We have used Frontline religiously along with baths, DE, etc and still we have small flea population. As soon as the pup got home, the fleas went after him. I felt terrible. After picking fleas for a few days, I decided to use HARTZ FLEA AND TICK POWDER on my older dog to see if that would help cut down on the fleas.
We have had animals my entire life, and I am a well educated individual, so I consider myself to be an educated and responsible pet owner. I read the directions on the container, including the warning “Do not use on puppies under 12 weeks of age.” However, I did not go on-line to research the product before applying to the older dog. I wish I had done my research. I would have found this site and saved our poor little guy his hours of agony.
I applied about 1/2 teaspoon of powder to the older dog, and kept the dogs separate for about 6 hours. I let them play together for a while, then they were separated again. Early the next afternoon, I went to wake the pup as he seemed to be sleeping longer than normal. He was lying on his back with his legs curled up like a dead bug. He could not stand at all, could not hold up his head, or focus his eyes. He was making a low moaning sound and, as I held him, he had a seizure. I immediately suspected the flea powder. I went online and found this site. Imagine my horror to discover so many victims and such a poor prognosis! I rushed him to the vet where he received supportive care (the only thing available as there is no antidote) and thankfully he recovered. In the waiting room with me were two other pet owners who were there due their own pets being POISONED WITH HARTZ PRODUCTS!!!! The vet stated “we see this every day and this has been going on for years. You are very lucky that your pup had a tiny exposure for a short period. He would have died otherwise.” What is going on here??? How can this company, legally and morally, continue to produce and market these products. A warning stating “Do not use on…” is not the same thing as “DANGER: Do not use anywhere near…” I have posted our story on Facebook with a link to this site. I hope that will help save at least one innocent life….
3 Comments Received
November 8th, 2011 @3:09 am
All these stories are so sad. I am trying to find help for my kitten. No vet will see him in early morning because i am not a current client. i gave him hartz drops for fleas and he has had seizures or what i think is that from 2 am til present time which is 5 am. i cant sleep with him like this. and i gave him a bath to try to wash it off but it didnt work. i wonder if there is anything out there that im missing. i keep looking. my baby boy titus(my kitten) he is only 4 months old. he is all white. this made him have red patches. if anyone knows anything pls email me at [email protected]. i love him dearly. i hope he pulls through. i hate hartz.
November 8th, 2011 @4:33 am
If you are thinking about using Hartz flea powder, wear gloves, and put some on your hands. The smell of roach poison is very strong, plus there is some other contaminant, dirt ? Anyway, this might do on the floor, but not on the hair and skin of a pet. Go to any store and sample the powder. You’ll see, the stuff is deadly. DO NOT USE !
January 9th, 2012 @4:35 am
Glad pup is better. FYI- if you go back to frontline, you cannot bathe the animal with normal pet shampoo as it washes the product off and is then useless. you must use a
Soapless shampoo. The label will say safe to use with topical flea products.
Your best bet is to use Comfortis chewable flea med. It can only be purchased at your veterinary clinic as it is a prescription medication. It works wonderfully.
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