We had two shih tzu dogs, Butter was 10 and Apple was 5, and they were both healthy. We live on the water and the fleas here in Florida are horrible! My husband had lost his job so we were not able to buy frontline or any other good named brand flea meds. So my husband picked up a three pack of the hartz flea medicine for a month until we got back on our feet! Butter was our first baby we got him a month after getting married and he traveled across country with us while my husband served in the navy. So Butter was always there to keep me company!
When we put the flea meds on him he was gone in a week. He became very thirsty and stopped eating. Within three days he stopped being able to pee. On the fifth day in the morning he seemed happy and was begging for a treat before we left, and I thought he was getting better. We were gone for about three hours and when we came home I found him laying on the flood almost lifeless breathing very slowly. I noticed he was covered in fleas so I gave him a bath and wrapped him in a blanket. About an hour after this he pooped all over him self so I had to clean him up again. Then I laid him in his bed and watched him for a while. We decided we needed to take showers and get ready for bed. When I went to check on him he was gone! I wrapped him in a blanket and rocked him while sobbing my eyes out while my husband dug his grave. I had to wake up my boys they were 7 and 8 so they could say good bye. That had to be one of my hardest days! It was April 10th 2011.
A week after Butter was gone Apple started having seizures! She had at least one a day for a year. At first after she had one she seemed okay and went about her day. Although it was so scary to watch her have them, she would just fall over and start yelping! This would last any where from 5 seconds to a minute, and we were helpless while this was going on all we could do was pet her and try to get her going after this. Over the year you could tell it was wearing on her brain and she got more confused as time went by. In the middle of March she wasn’t eating much anymore and would just sit and stare off into space, I don’t think she even knew what was going on anymore. The seizures were lasting about 2 minutes now on a bad day. The first week of April she became very thirsty and stopped eating just like Butter. On April 7th she was not well and lost so much weight she was almost just bone. I had to go the the ER and when we came homeat 1am I found her on the floor in a position that was very odd, her neck was broken! She seized so hard that she broke her own neck, and she was barley breathing! I knew the vet wouldn’t be able to help at this point! So I found her blanket and picked her up as carefully as I could and sat with her in the rocker and held on to her while she took her last breaths in my arms! So on Easter of 2012 she died in my arms most likely very painfully!
This product should be taken off the selves and people should be heard about how painful it is to lose a family member and watch them suffer! I didn’t lose one dog I lost both! The worst part is that my children had to watch her suffer as well and little boys should not have to ever watch that! There was nothing our vet could do but say they were sorry and the could put her down, but when they offered that she was still playful. It was only the last week when she stopped eating and I knew she would be gone. So thanks to hartz both of my babies were gone within a year!
17 Comments Received
May 21st, 2012 @8:01 pm
You realize that everything you described is actually symptomatic of flea-transmitted diseases, right?
May 22nd, 2012 @2:26 pm
So sorry for your loss. Spread the word we have to let everyone we know. Big hug to you and your boys
May 22nd, 2012 @4:55 pm
It killed a cat. Put him in seizures. The girl ran him to Vet an said never use this product on a cat there was to much medicine in the container for the cat. Don’t use flea collars either it is toxic can an will make the sick!!!!! Take this shit off the market. People don’t have the money for Vets now days……
May 23rd, 2012 @6:44 am
Danilou, I’m so sorry for your loss.
Ryan, I’m sure they sound very similar. Many things will have similar symptoms. The fact is after hundreds of people use these products, their pets have the same reactions. A little too coincidental. And tragic!
Now I’m much more worried than just upset about fleas!!
My cat is currently very ill; but nothing was wrong until a few hours after I administered the flea meds. Such a shame! Shame on Hartz and other products like this that has hurt animals. We were just trying to protect them.
May 25th, 2012 @12:47 pm
I am so so sorry for your terrible loss. I am so upset right now because I honestly had no clue this stuff was so bad and I just used it for the first time on my two dogs about 2 hours ago. I am freaking out. If I would have known I would have never ever used this terrible product. My heart aches for you, it truly does. I just hope my fur babies will be okay…
May 25th, 2012 @2:25 pm
Are you idiots all killing your cats using flea medication formulated for DOGS? If you morons could read, you would realize that this product is toxic to cats. OP sorry for your loss, but this was not the Hartz that killed your dog.
May 27th, 2012 @6:50 pm
OMG! this is insane!! we are from Mexico and are using this product on our BLUENOSE PITBULL , he’s 5 months age … and this is too scary !!! how can we revert the use of the Ultra Guard pro ? because it on his skin right now!!!
May 28th, 2012 @10:06 am
I bought this and used it on my dog for the first time about a year ago. He seemed sleepy, but I just thought that he was not itching so could finally rest. He had his first couple of seizures a few days after that.I did not relate it to the drops. Took him to emergency vet ($490) He did not have any more seizures til 6 months later(back to the regular vet). and then a month apart after that. This was after the 2nd dose. Still did not connect it to the drops. I just put the last vial on him, he laid down and shut his eyes and kept twitching. I got the insert out and it says if your dog gets any other symptoms take them to the vet immediately. There are no symptoms listed. I googled it and got this site. I gave him a bath immediatley, but he seems to be nervous wreck right now…itching and scratching and twitching and growling. What the hell is in this stuff. The regular vet had given me barbituates for epilepsy, but also said he didnt think thats what it was. Why was this flea crap never a question from either place. This is ridiculous. I am so scared. He is only 3 years old and so sweet…
May 29th, 2012 @10:16 am
I was in tears after reading your story, and published on my group page https://www.facebook.com/groups/hartzhurtz/
This is my grieving process after my cat died almost a year ago now, it does help a little. Some things that helped me was
http://www.wikihow.com/Cope-After-the-Death-of-a-Pet
and Amazon had many books, lots of e-books as well.
Once I am sorry to hear your story about your fur-kids. And hope this helps a little.
May 31st, 2012 @7:34 pm
I put the Hartz Ultra Guard Plus on my 10 yr old Labrador Retriever a couple days before we left town for Memorial Day. My neighbor was feeding and watering him while we were gone. He called me on Monday (4 days after application) and said my dog had not eaten his food for 2 days, was not drinking his water, and would barely get up off the ground. My dog is never sick and he eats like a horse. The only thing I could think of that might be wrong was the Hartz application. My neighbor gave the dog a good washing, and within an hour, he had eaten all of his food, drank half a bowl of water, and was running around with his bowl in his mouth. Never had this problem with Frontline or Advantix. I, for one, will never use a Hartz product again.
June 2nd, 2012 @10:17 am
I’m sorry for your loss but I’m really confused as to why on both awful occasions you didn’t take them to the vet? Especially the second dog who suffered for so long with all those seizures??! That was not fair to the dog.
June 3rd, 2012 @4:53 pm
Join Boycott Hartz Products Facebook page and share this link with the world, as well! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-Hartz-Products/121480067954724
June 4th, 2012 @4:30 am
Sorry to hear of your dogs passing.I have a large Doberman (120)lbs about 3 months ago I ran into money problems & saw hartz in the grocery store. Thinking this company had been around a long time & was just a little cheaper.This is to long,let me finish I’ve used it twice but he is so big it hasn’t had any ill effects yet, he was due the third 1 this week,but after reading your story I threw it out and will wait on order of advantix.Thanks for letting us know.
June 11th, 2012 @1:22 am
I have been putting hartz medication on my dogs for about 2 years now. Shampoo, flea and tick collar, and the drops also. All at the same time. I have a 3 year old black lab and a 3 year old yorkie. Neither have had any problems because I can properly red labels.
June 26th, 2012 @1:40 am
Um hello people. For all the people out there accusing them of not being able to read the labels properly I’m sure they would notice the difference between a DOG and a CAT on the cover. and since they typed out there stories somethings telling me she knows how to read. So I’m sure she READ the instructions and got the medicine with a DOG on the front.
October 13th, 2012 @8:43 pm
We found our sweet little pug Sophie dead yesterday morning. I don’t know what happened but I suspect a seizure as we found her with her tongue hanging out, sprawled awkwardly and she had lost her bowels. She was happily playing a few hours before. I used Hartz Ultra Guard Plus 2 weeks ago for the first time. Hadn’t noticed anything unusual, but now I a wondering if this was the reason for her sudden and unexpected death. She was 11 but in good health and had never had seizures before.
December 5th, 2012 @7:13 am
I am devistated after reading this, I wish I would have found this 3 days ago. I had a 10 week old lab puppy and she was infested with flees when we got her so we started researching flee meds and if they would be safe to use them on her and until now everything told us it was safe, so we bought the drops and the day after we put it on her she started throwing up and refusing to eat, we thought with her age it was just worms so we got ahold of a vet and before we could get her into the vet she was gone. I will never buy this product again. Shame on them for selling a product that isn’t safe.
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