pet owners take note

[dksuddeth]

I lost a little kitten a couple of years ago to this. Please, don't let this happen to yours.

http://multimedia.tbo.com/multimedia/MGBHWWX575E.html


(mod edit: This thread from last year also addressed the issue.)

[IC3]

Ok..I just watched the newsman say what he had to say, Then i seen them pull the blanket off the poor little kitty shakin and everything and didn't wanna watch it anymore.

The vet that i have for my dog & cats is one of the most respected in the city..This man has a love for animals like nobody else (You know what i mean) So anytime we are not sure about something, He's the man we go and see.

I'm sorry about your cat..The couple seconds i seen of the first cat in the clip it looks bad.

I sometimes wonder about the company's that make and test new products for animals and about how many of them test it on the same animals that it's suppose to help..I have heard some bad stories before..and it really sucks.

[Cynthetiq]

I don't understand how they can have a secret settlement and then keep the product on the market and continue to harm animals.

[raeanna74]

Actually I've heard of this. I won't use flea collars. My parents and a friend of mine both had flea problems and they got shampoos approved by their vets and cleaned everything they could. They left the flea collars alone. I'm personally mildly allergic to them. They've also found that many pets can be allergic. That's where I think I heard the siezures and such come from - allergic reactions. They still sell seafood in restaurants or tree nuts in grocery stores even though both of those things have killed people. If they can prove that it was an allergic reaction then all they have to do is put a disclaimer on the package saying "May cause allergic reactions in some pets." and they're in the clear. There are so many less toxic ways of getting rid of pests or paracites. Just remember if it's strong enough to kill a bug then in larger doses it could kill something larger. My parakeet died from pesticides that still happened to be on the celery leaves. The vet then told me that kind of thing was fairly common.

[dksuddeth]

In the case of Hartz, its more than just an allergic reaction. My little kitten died of nerve degeneration and eventually of asphyxiation because he couldn't breathe.

Hartz kills the nervous system with its poison.

[Sweetpea]

Thank you so much for posting this . . . i make sure to be careful.

Sweetpea

[Bill O'Rights]

We tried Hartz flea drops on our dog. It instantly discolored her fur, in the area in which it was applied. We never used it again. That was 4 years ago, and her fur is still discolored. Now, I'm not the smartest guy in the world, But even I can figure out that anything that can "stain" a dog...can't be very good for them.
And, by the way, if anybody from Hartz is reading this...know this. We have not bought so much as a dog toy or a dog brush, with Hartz's name on it, since then. Hope the money that you made off of those drops 4 years ago was worth it.

[cyrnel]

I can't bring myself to read another Hartz report right now so will stop with a plug for Frontline. It works so much better than collars and it's stupid cheap if you buy the largest size and use the appropriate dose for your pet. Advantage is essentially the same product.

[aberkok]

Got to agree with finding a good vet. Too many drugs in our society!

I'm also interested in eventually making my cats' food. Here's a cool looking recipe:

http://www.catfood.catnutrition.org/pictorial.htm

[Demeter]

Most people don't realize how toxic flea repellent is. It repells bugs, it can't be that good.
My cat stays indoors, unless I take him out on a leash & harness. I have no need to give him anything for fleas. If one wants to go natural, eucalyptus in cats bedding is suppose to deter fleas.
I guess it goes to show us that us doing a little product research before we try something is never a bad thing.

[StanT]

My dogs get a heartworm pill that has something in it that works on fleas, as well. My dogs spend a lot of time outdoors and it has been a godsend. No flea baths, no flea collars, and best of all, no fleas.

[lurkette]

Demeter, tell me more about the eucalyptus bedding. Our dog goes outside, of course, and we use Frontline on her. But we haven't started using anything yet for our indoor-outdoor cat, and I'd love to switch to something less toxic and more herbal.

[betula]

I'm glad I don't have furry pets to worry about. Just turtles for me! Although, I think my girlfriend really would like a cat, but we need to wait until we're out of school and have a place with more room.

[*Nikki*]

Frontline or Advantage is the way to go. Don't purchase pet products anywhere but a vet clinic.

[raeanna74]

One bonus of having an ONLY indoor cat and no dog that needs to go out. Our cat has not gotten ear mites, fleas, ticks or anything in the year and a half we've had her. Safer for her and easier for us.

[Demeter]

Lurkette, it was so long ago I read that, I cant trust my mind...probably best to google some info on it.

[ForgottenKnight]

That's horrible! Thanks for posting this and letting us know!

[battlemouth]

what i've found is that if you're spending less than 10 bucks on your flea control products you probably shouldnt be buying them at all

[crony]

When I was a kid, I remember my parents using a Hartz product on one of our cats, some type of shampoo if I remember. He could barely walk after and his meowing was some of the most painful I've ever heard. He was fine the next day, but christ...

[MSD]

http://www.hartzvictims.org/
Here's a quote from a submission to that site:

I called the vet and explained that I had applied some flea treatment and I thought my kitten was having a reaction. The vet replied "It wasn't Hartz, was it?"

http://www.google.com/search?q=hartz+killed+my+cat

The 800 number on the flea collar (or whatever Hartz product it is) box directs you to their account with the ASPCA poison control center, which will charge the $30 to Hartz instead of you.

This: http://www.musicgraveyard.com/setedrflcofo.html is what I use for my cat. It's ammonium lauryl sulfate (an active ingredient in many shampoos,) and has not caused any problems for me.