EPA: Hartz to Re-label and Cancel Flea and Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens

[The Straight Story]

EPA: Hartz to Re-label and Cancel Flea and Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens

6/3/2005 6:54:00 PM

To: National Desk, Environment Reporter

Contact: Eryn Witcher of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 202-436-2215 or [e-mail]

WASHINGTON, June 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- At EPA's insistence, Hartz Mountain Corp. has agreed to cancel uses of several flea and tick products that may be associated with a range of adverse reactions, including hair loss, salivation, tremors and numerous deaths in cats and kittens. The common pet product brand names which are involved in this action include: Hartz Advanced Care 4 in 1 Flea & Tick Drops Plus+ for Cats and Kittens; Hartz Advanced Care Brand Flea and Tick Drops(Plus) for Cats and Kittens; Hartz Advanced Care 3 in 1 Flea & Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens; and Hartz Advanced Care Once-A-Month Flea and Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens.

In the short term, the agreement calls for immediate relabeling of the products. The new labeling will state that the products of concern are not to be used on the most vulnerable animals, including cats and kittens that weigh less than 6 pounds, cats older than 13 years, or kittens less than 5 months old.

Hartz will stop all new production of the cat and kitten products by September 30, 2005, and not sell or distribute any affected product after December 31, 2005. The measures announced today will help ensure pets are protected. Pet owners should pay close attention to new labels and exercise good judgment when choosing pet products.

"EPA is taking this action because there are safety concerns with these products,'' said Susan B. Hazen, principal deputy assistant administrator at EPA. "Pet owners should be alerted to these concerns, and may choose to transition to alternative products. We take seriously our obligation to ensure that pesticide products, when used as labeled, are safe."

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=48358

[mike_c]

1. OMG, I used that sh*t on my cats once, about a year ago....

I was seduced by the somewhat lower price than Advantage-- one time only. It left their fur smeared with oily insecticide for more than a week. It was awful, foul-smelling stuff. I'm glad to see it off the market.

[napi21]

4. Always check with your vet before using any of that stuff.

I contacted my vet last month because I found this Frontline Plus alternative that was half the price of Frontline Plus. I asked her what she thought.

I don't even remember the name of the new stuff, but she said, you can probably use it on your dogs, just make sure you give the exact doseage and absolutely no more! She also said do not use it on your cats! She has know of several to die from it's use.

She told me the only way they could get to make the claims to compete with Frontline was to increase the % of pyrethrons (SP) A LOT! It does work, but it works because it has a high % of poison.

I opted to just pay the higher price and not take the chance!

[EFerrari]

2. This stuff is HORRIBLE. If you have any in your house find a safe

way to get rid of it.

And on top of being toxic as hell for everyone, it doesn't work.

[Skip Intro]

3. why not pull it all instead of labeling it?

can you imagine the poor cat's companion who reads that label, perhaps even knows the product will no longer be made, and still buys it because his/her cat fits the range of "not most vulnerable?"

Hartz had a problem with some other product years ago, I remember, but I can't remember what the name of the product was. It was some kind of flea killer, and some kind of cat killer too. I haven't bought anything from hartz since.

And I never will.

[acmejack]

7. They took a real beating on 60 minutes, I think it was

All those dogs with Neurological damage or worse from the same type of thing but for canines. I guess it was in the mid 80"s. Haven't ever bought a thing from HM after that. It was insufficient testing cut and dried.

[Robbien]

5. Agree, that stuff is bad

I bought some as a back-up just in case the Frontline protection wore out on my cats. Late in the fall, one cat got fleas so I used that stuff. He was sick for almost a week.

Never again.

[Gloria]

6. We don't use things like Frontline, either...in fact, my vet said

she doesn't use them on HER pets. I wash my dogs with smelly rosemary shampoo from the health food store...the smell is natural flea repellent. In fact, just washing them is natural flea repellent--fleas don't like water and will jump off. We walk on the sidewalk and they don't go into any natural areas, so that helps prevent tick infestation.

[Skip Intro]

8. MORE Hartz recalls from 10/04 - tons of stuff, from FDA website

PRODUCT
a) Hartz Advanced Care Hydrocortisone Spray.
Item Number 32700-94752. Recall # V-008-5;
b) Hartz Advanced Care Hydrocortisone Shampoo.
Item number 32700-94751. Recall # V-009-5;
c) Hartz Advanced Care Hydrocortisone spot with
Aloe. Item number 32700-98464. Recall # V-010-5;
d) Hartz Advanced Care Once-A-Month Capsule
Wormer Products. Item Numbers:
32700-84346 ‚ Once-A-Month Wormer for Puppies,
32700-84345 - Once-A-Month Wormer for Dogs
32700-84348 - Once-A-Month Wormer for Large Dogs
32700-84347 - Once-A-Month Wormer for Kittens
and Cats. Recall # V-011-5;
e) Hartz Advanced Care Liquid Wormer: Item number
32700-95122. Recall # V-012-5.
CODE
All lots.
RECALLING FIRM/MANUFACTURER
Hartz Mountain Corp., Secaucus, NJ, by letter on October 26, 2004. Firm initiated recall is ongoing.
REASON
Products do not meet manufacturing GMP requirements.
VOLUME OF PRODUCT IN COMMERCE
2,048,318.
DISTRIBUTION
Nationwide.

END OF ENFORCEMENT REPORT FOR December 29, 2004

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/enforce/2004/ENF00880.html

GMP evidently stands for "Good Manufacturing Practices"

[likesmountains 52]

9. What should a person use for flea protection for a dog? Plague here!

Our health department has posted signs in one of our local hiking areas that they have isolated plague carrying fleas in the area...I have never used any flea protectant but now I wonder if I should put something on my dog...

[ima_sinnic]

10. Advantage--because it is an insect growth regulator rather than

an insecticide (in sense of "poison")

Insect growth regulators disrupt some part of the life cycle of the fleas, much the same way hormones regulate positive growth processes. They are specific to the insects and don't affect or act as a poison to other organisms.

My vet recently recommended Revolution for my cats--it is much like Advantage but also has some other benefits (it prevents some other disease(s) but I can't remember what). Both Advantage and Revolution need to be applied only once a month.

[likesmountains 52]

15. Thank you, I appreciate the info. n/t

[Skip Intro]

11. Yes, you should do something - take him/her to a vet.

:hi:

[likesmountains 52]

14. No...my dog does not have plague...the fleas in the hiking spot carry it .

[EFerrari]

12. Yes, call the health department. They probably have a faq

sheet. And, you might check rescue groups in your area. They probably are on it, too. And if you have a vet you trust, that would be another venue to get good information.

:hi:

[likesmountains 52]

16. Thanks, I guess there have been some pet cases reported here.

[Vinca]

13. I'd rather hand pick fleas off my cats - if they ever got them -

than put this deadly crap on them. Cats are supersensitive animals who react very badly to many, many things. The last thing they need is a neurotoxin applied to their skin.