FLEA TREATMENTS
CAN POISON PETS
Des Moines Register, 07/23/2001

Iowa veterinarians are cautioning pet owners that chemicals in over-the-counter flea products can be dangerous. Kids are also at risk because of their tendency to cuddle the family's animal.

The Humane Society of the United States has also weighed in, advising that active ingredients in these products can cause serious problems.

Dr. Denise Mankin, a veterinarian at the Animal Emergency Clinic in Des Moines, said she has treated a number of cases of poisoning on pets from over-the-counter products such as Zodiac, Hartz and Top Spot topical applications and some shampoos. Symptoms range from muscle tremors to heavy
salivation and tearing, hyperactivity to semi-comatose conditions, and seizures. At the extreme, the outcome can be brain damage or even death.

"During the actual flea season, we'll see one or more cases a week, sometimes up to half-dozen a week, depending on how severe fleas are," she said.

She was on duty a few nights ago when a cat was brought in with the symptoms of chemical poisoning.

The animal had been treated with a few drops of a liquid topical spot product, apllied between the cat's shoulder blades. Topical spot products are systemics, meaning it invades the flea's nervous system on contact with the
host animal and causes the flea to die.

The product's active ingredient is pyrethrin, a seemingly harmless derivative of chrysanthemums. Pyrethrin is one of the most common ingredients in over-the-counter flea products and the culprit in many of the cases Mankin
treats.

Felines are especially susceptible to chemical toxicity. By far, the most common problem is cats poisoned by a flea product meant for dogs.

"This happens so frequently to cats," Mankin said. "A lot of it has to do with a cat's sensitivities to a lot of compounds. They don't metabolize them in the same way people or dogs do."

"Cats get a double dose," said Dr. Sarah Garst, a veterinarian at Garst West Veterinary Hospital in West Des Moines. "The product goes onto the skin and then they ingest it when they lick themselves."

Symptoms can show up very soon after application.

"The animal starts absorbing the chemical very quickly," Mankin said. "It's a matter of minutes to a few hours before they're showing severe symptoms."

If caught early and treated aggressively, the cat can do well, she said. Despite the optimistic prognosis, the toxicity can cause problems that may lead to death.

Over-the-counter flea powders, collars, shampoos and sprays also may contain longer-lasting pesticides called carbamates and organophosphates -- OPs -- for short.

Two weeks ago, the Humane Society issued warnings about those chemicals, based on a report done last fall by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The report, "Poisons on Pets: Health Hazards from Flea and Tick Products," recommended that the Environmental Protection Agency ban organophosphates and carbamates.

The report suggests that the active ingredients in flea and tick products, in combination with other pesticides, herbicides and other toxic chemicals commonly used around the home, can compound the effects. They pose health risks not only for animals, but also for children.

Children are at high risk for damage to their nervous systems because of their smaller size and tendency to cuddle pets and put hands in their own mouths. The report also noted that exposure rates of children and adults to OPs in pet products has not been adequately measured.

"Far too many people believe that just because these products are on a shelf, they must be extremely safe. That's not always the case," said Amy Suarez, regional director for the Midwest region of the Humane Society of the United
States.

Dr. Albert Ahn, a veterinarian with Hartz Mountain Corp., acknowledged that the company's products contain OPs, carbamates and pyrethrins, but he pointed out that the company works closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration to monitor them.

Hartz, one of several companies that manufactures the over-the-counter flea products, has been in the pet products business for 75 years.

"All of our flea and tick products are regulated or covered by either the FDA or the Epa," Ahn said. "Both the EPA and the FDA have a rigorous and methodical review process."

"The EPA believes these products can be used with reasonable certainty of no harm or they wouldn't register them," said Dr. Terry L. Miller, professor of toxicology at Oregon State University.

The EPA looks for "reasonable certainty of no harm" in its assessments, he said. "But any chemical is poisonous in the right dose. Organophosphates have the potential to be, certainly, if exposed to a high enough dosage."

Miller also directs the National Pesticide Telecommunications Network, which is funded by the EPA. Hotlines handle about 25,000 calls a year from people who suspect they've been exposed to pesticides, Miller said.

The largest number of calls are received from animal owners who have used a flea product meant for a dog on a cat, he said, which confirms what veterinarians say is a way-too-common problem.

"In terms of treatment with animals, we've rarely heard of problems with dogs, but cats can have significant neurological problems," said Chris Mueller, a nurse and specialist with the Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center in Sioux City.

Treatment for both pets and people is typically to wash off the pesticide and, depending on symptoms, administer atropine, Valium to calm the patient, a general anesthesia or a combination of drugs.

The Humane Society recommends products carried by veterinarians as safer choices than the OPs and carbamates in over-the-counter products. The active ingredients in those products are the next generation of flea and tick products, and include chemicals such as lufenuron, methoprene, fenoxycarb, pyriproxyfen, fipronil, selamectin and imidacloprid.

Veterinarians describe these prescription products as non-pesticide growth inhibitors and newer insecticides. They indicate that they rarely treat cases of toxicity since their clients have switched to the newer products.

Safety issue aside, veterinarians also indicate that the effects of these products are longer-lasting and more effective than the over-the-counter products -- several months vs. a few weeks.

"Yes, they are more expensive, but for the longer term, they may cost the same and they are more effective and safer," veterinarian Mankin said.

Over-the-counter products average $5 to $10 per container. Products through veterinarians can cost that much, or more, per dose.

A representative for the insecticide Frontline said the company prefers selling through veterinarians because they monitor the treatment. Frontline costs $10 to $13.60 per dose, depending on the animal. A multi-dose spray bottle costs $25.

Revolution is a another product that protects against fleas, as well as ticks and heartworm. The prescription product averages $9.79 to $13.28 per dose, depending on the size of the animal. Treatments are required every 30 days until a hard frost.

Before getting the itch to begin a treatment, Garst said, it's best to decide if it's really necessary.

If you do treat a pet, remember that almost 95 percent of the fleas are in the environment, not just on the animal, she said. Where the pet lives and plays should also be treated.

"Fleas can jump 6 feet in a single bound and travel one mile in an hour. I urge apartment dwellers to contact their management if they discover them. Chances are, the neighbors have them, too."

Garst suggests pet owners consider treatment only if they see numerous fleas.

"You have to consider the poison potential vs. the degree of misery. If the kids are being bitten, you need to treat," she said.

Give the pet a rubdown over a white surface and check the number of black specks that fall off the animal. That, Garst said, is flea poop.

"If there are more than 20 specks, consider fumigation."

Be cautious, however.

"To my knowledge, there are no environmental insecticides that are not poisonous to mammals," she said.

The Humane Society suggests alternatives, such as frequent bathing of the pet or using a flea comb.

Garst recommends a thorough vacuuming, then sealing the bag and discarding it outside the environment.

Sprinkling diatomaceous earth, a very fine sand, around the pet's area is another option. When the fleas come in contact with it, "it's like eating ground glass for them," she said.

Citronella, or products made from citrus fruit, also might work.

"My understanding is it doesn't kill them, but they don't like it and will stay away," Garst said.

Ingredients to know in flea and tick products

Over-the-counter products

Veterinarians have reported incidents of chemical poisoning in animals treated with flea and tick products that contain the following active ingredients:

* PYRETHRIN: It is an insecticide derived from chrysanthemums, commonly used in flea drops and flea shampoos.

Permethrin and phenothrin are synthetic pyrethroids used in some of theproducts.

The Humane Society of the United States has issued a caution that these chemical ingredients can be harmful to pets and children:

* ORGANOPHOSPHATES: Active ingredients include chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, phosmet, naled, tetrachlorvinphos, diazinon and malathion.

* CARBAMATES: Active ingredients include carbaryl and propoxur.

Veterinary-only products

The Humane Society recommends that consumers consider using products with the active ingredients below. Veterinarians report that incidents of poisoning from these chemicals have been rare:

* INSECT GROWTH REGULATORS are not pesticides, but act as birth control for fleas. These are available through veterinarians and include lufenuron, methoprene, fenoxycarb and pyriproxyfen.

* NEWER INSECTICIDES, available through veterinarians, include imidacloprid, fipronil and selamectin.FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT INGREDIENTS and possible toxicity, call the Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center in Sioux City, (800) 222-1222.

TO REPORT A TOXICITY INCIDENT, call the EPA's National Pesticide Telecommunications Network, (800) 858-7378.