Feds investigating flea, tick products

There are probably few of us who haven't used topical flea and tick control medications on our dogs and cats.

Well, according to KDFW-TV in Texas, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is looking into pesticides used in those products after receiving reports about dangerous side effects.

According to the agencies Web site, the investigation mainly includes spot-on pesticide products, which are generally sold in tubes or vials and are usually applied between a pet’s shoulders.

While the EPA said these products can be useful for treating and protecting people and their pets from fleas and ticks that can transmit disease, the agency now recommends precaution. People should watch their pets closely for any adverse reactions.

Here's the entire article from the Fox television station's Web site.

The list of more than 200 brands of pesticides the EPA has been investigating include Hartz Advanced Care Brand Flea & Tick Drops for Dogs & Puppies, Hartz Ultraguard Plus Drops for Cats, Bio Spot Spot On Flea & Tick Control for Dogs and Advantage and Frontline products.

The EPA said pet owners reported side effects including skin irritation, seizures and death. The agency expects to complete its investigation in October.

The New York Times said the majority of the topical products are for dogs only. But more than 25 are labeled for cats and at least two can be used on cats and ferrets.

Cats are particularly sensitive to an insecticide called permethrin, the active ingredient in some spot-on flea and tick treatments. According to a study published online in The Veterinary Journal, cats overdosed with permethrin insecticides can suffer tremors, seizures, excess salivation, vomiting, loss of appetite and death. Steven R. Hansen, a veterinary toxicologist with the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, said there have been cases in which a cat has been poisoned by grooming a dog that had been treated with a permethrin pesticide, but such events, he said, are "extremely rare."

Here is a pdf document of the pesticides included in the investigation. The EPA said it will post the results of the study on its Web site.