Flea Medication Warnings
Flea Season is just around the corner and the dreaded FLEA CYCLE is on its way!!! But this year we should all be on the lookout for changes in the way we look at Frontline and other topical tick and flea treatments.
Several pet deaths have prompted the EPA to issue warnings on flea medications in the hopes that it will improve the safety of pets in the future. Products intended to treat cats and dogs for fleas and ticks kill hundreds of pets each year and injure tens of thousands, the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday as it outlined plans to make the products safer.
The EPA has stated it will develop stricter testing and evaluation requirements for flea and tick treatments that are applied to a pet’s skin. The agency also will begin reviewing labels to determine which ones need to say more clearly how to use the products.
The EPA is making this effort because of increasing complaints from pet owners that the “spot-on” treatments have caused reactions in both dogs and cats, ranging from skin irritation to neurological problems to deaths.
It seems that cats and smaller dogs appear more vulnerable, particularly when given products intended for larger animals.
It has been reported in some circles that new restrictions are likely to be placed on flea and tick treatments with additional changes for specific products, including possible changes in some formulas.
We must all remember that these topic medications ARE poisons designed to KILL!!! Granted they are designed for fleas and ticks but they do their jobs very well and can be lethal to smaller animals if overdosed.
Dear Angela,