Ping: Pet Owners

[terpkristin]

My dad sent this to me, he's on some EPA mailing list. I don't know how much of it is overreaction (etc), but figured I'd share it here if it impacted anybody.

03/17/2010: EPA to Increase Restrictions on Flea and Tick Products

EPA to Increase Restrictions on Flea and Tick Products Cautions consumers to use products with extra care


Release date: 03/17/2010
Contact Information: Dale Kemery [email protected] 202-564-7839 202-564-4355



WASHINGTON – Due to a significant increase in adverse incidents, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking a series of actions to increase the safety of spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control for cats and dogs. Immediately, EPA will begin reviewing labels to determine which ones need stronger and clearer labeling statements. Next, EPA will develop more stringent testing and evaluation requirements for both existing and new products. EPA expects these steps will help prevent adverse reactions. In dogs and cats that can include skin effects, such as irritation, redness, or gastrointestinal problems that include vomiting or diarrhea, or effects to the nervous system, such as trembling, appearing depressed or seizures—from pet spot-on products.
“EPA is committed to better protecting the health and safety of pets and families in all communities across our nation,” said Steve Owens, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances. “New restrictions will be placed on these products, and pet owners need to carefully read and follow all labeling before exposing your pet to a pesticide.”
Following the 2008 increase in incident reports, EPA received additional information from the pet spot-on pesticide registrants and others and began an intensive evaluation of these products. Today, EPA is reporting the results of this evaluation, and taking steps to address the spike in reported incidents.
Among immediate actions that EPA will pursue are:
· Requiring manufacturers of spot-on pesticide products to improve labeling, making instructions clearer to prevent product misuse.
· Requiring more precise label instructions to ensure proper dosage per pet weight.
· Requiring clear markings to differentiate between dog and cat products, and disallowing similar brand names for dog and cat products. Similar names may have led to misuse.
· Requiring additional changes for specific products, as needed, based on product-specific evaluations.
· When new products are registered, granting only conditional, time-limited registrations to allow for post-marketing product surveillance. If there are incidents of concern associated with the product, EPA will take appropriate regulatory action.
· Restricting the use of certain inert ingredients that EPA finds may contribute to the incidents.
· Launching a consumer information campaign to explain new label directions and to help users avoid making medication errors.
In addition, to improve the regulatory oversight of pet products, EPA will require more standardized post-market surveillance reporting on adverse effects, require submission of more sales information so the agency can better evaluate incident rates, and bring up-to-date the scientific data requirements on pre- and post-market testing so they are more in line with the Food and Drug Administration’s requirements.
Flea and tick products can be appropriate treatments for protecting pets and public health because fleas and ticks can transmit disease to animals and humans. While most people use the products with no harm to their pets, the agency's analysis determined that smaller dogs tend to be disproportionately affected by some products and that the exposure of cats to some dog products is a concern.
People should carefully follow label directions and monitor their pets for any signs of an adverse reaction after application, particularly when using these products for the first time.
EPA recommends that owners consult a veterinarian about the best way to protect their pets from fleas and ticks or whether pesticides are needed, especially before using any product on weak, aged, medicated, sick, pregnant or nursing pets, or on pets that have previously shown signs of sensitivity to pesticide products.
EPA is coordinating these actions with Health Canada as Canada also identified similar concerns about the use of spot-on flea and tick products last year, and with the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.
The agency is inviting public comment on how best to implement these new measures. A Federal Register notice announcing the opening of a docket will be published on March 19, 2010. The docket number is EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0229.
EPA’s report on the evaluation of products and incidents is available at: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/petproductseval.html EPA recommends that veterinarians use the National Pesticide Information Center’s Veterinary Pesticide Adverse Effects Portal to report incidents: http://npic.orst.edu/vet

More information on pet products and safety tips: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/pets.htm

/tk

[DaddyTorgo]

thanks TK. Pet-safety info is always a good thing.

[Schmidty]

As a person who works in the pet industry, NEVER use Spot-on, Zodiak or similar products.

Advantage and Frontline are ok, but make sure that you get the correct weight of your pet before buying the corresponding product, and never use a dog product on a cat, and vice versa. They're a bit expensive, but definitely worth it.

[Sun Tzu]

Yep...good info. We use Frontline or Advantage (I forget which) that we order from 1800petmeds.com. It seems to work, and it only has to be applied every once in a while, so we keep buying it.

[path12]

Originally Posted by Schmidty

As a person who works in the pet industry, NEVER use Spot-on, Zodiak or similar products.

Advantage and Frontline are ok, but make sure that you get the correct weight of your pet before buying the corresponding product, and never use a dog product on a cat, and vice versa. They're a bit expensive, but definitely worth it.

I'll try you with this question then, Schmidty. I had a guy tell me not to buy Frontline anywhere but a vet because the stuff in the stores tends to be older and not as potent. (this guy was not a vet, though he did try and sell me a six pound bag of chalk or some such to put on the dog -- um, no).

Anything to that?

[gstelmack]

We've used Sentinel (pill product) forever. We were given one of the drop products to use for a rescue puppy, and I'll never use one again, just WAY too much hassle to be safe with.

[stevew]

I accidentally put the Dog stuff on my cat once. Luckily he pulled through, but it was touch and go for a minute there.

[stevew]

We just got 2-6 pound Shih-poo's the other day. Can I split a dose between them of something like Advantix, or Frontline Plus?

What better, anyways, between all the stuff.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by path12

I'll try you with this question then, Schmidty. I had a guy tell me not to buy Frontline anywhere but a vet because the stuff in the stores tends to be older and not as potent. (this guy was not a vet, though he did try and sell me a six pound bag of chalk or some such to put on the dog -- um, no).

Anything to that?

I've never heard anything like that. As long as the stuff isn't past it's expiration date it should be fine.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by stevew

We just got 2-6 pound Shih-poo's the other day. Can I split a dose between them of something like Advantix, or Frontline Plus?

What better, anyways, between all the stuff.

Just from general research Advantix seems to protect from more things...

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by path12

I'll try you with this question then, Schmidty. I had a guy tell me not to buy Frontline anywhere but a vet because the stuff in the stores tends to be older and not as potent. (this guy was not a vet, though he did try and sell me a six pound bag of chalk or some such to put on the dog -- um, no).

Anything to that?

I've never heard that. We go through Frontline and Advantage like water. We don't sell much Advantix at all though, and that seems to be the case everywhere else I've seen.

Also, since my wife has been at Costco for 11 years, I don't feel bad saying that if you can get Frontline at Costco, do it. It's way cheaper, but it isn't always in.

Next time I'm at work, I'll ask corporate (or my RM's office) about any reduction of potency because of age.

[Swaggs]

We've used Frontline and Advantage for a number of years. I can't recall at the moment, but one supposedly works on ticks, while the other doesn't -- so, we tended to use the tick one during the warmer months, when there are more ticks out and then switched back (due to cost).

Our little dog got fleas, pretty badly, before we started using the protection, but has never had them since we started using it (probably close to five-years.

[stevew]

Flea infestation is possibly the worst thing that can happen to your house. It seems like once you realize there is a problem, you have a huge fucking problem.

[Kodos]

Having a strictly indoor cat is a nice way to avoid having to mess with this stuff.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Kodos

Having a strictly indoor cat is a nice way to avoid having to mess with this stuff.

If only that were 100% effective

Went through this about 10-12 years ago, turns out we brought the fleas into the house ourselves & created a world of misery for our indoor-only cat.

Seems that fleas love the monkey grass stuff we had by the front walkway & we were picking them up as we went in & out.

[Kodos]

So far we've done okay with it. I've never seen a single flea on one of our cats. Actually, if we were to ever have a problem, I'd think it'd be with ticks, as Connecticut is tick central.

[stevew]

Re: Frontline. This thread came up in search.

I've been using Pet Armor Plus on the dogs, which Is the Wal Mart frontline plus knockoff. I notice the cat formula seems to be the same ingredients. I was wondering if I could buy the larger dog size and split it between my 3 pets. I already split the medium size dog between my smaller dogs with no issues. I know that other formulations are toxic for the wrong type of pet, but I think frontline is different?

[DanGarion]

I'm not going to touch that question.

[MizzouRah]

We use frontline as well, except during the winter. I wouldn't split any dosess, but that's me. I always buy the proper weight for each dog.

[HeavyReign]

Originally Posted by stevew

Re: Frontline. This thread came up in search.

I've been using Pet Armor Plus on the dogs, which Is the Wal Mart frontline plus knockoff. I notice the cat formula seems to be the same ingredients. I was wondering if I could buy the larger dog size and split it between my 3 pets. I already split the medium size dog between my smaller dogs with no issues. I know that other formulations are toxic for the wrong type of pet, but I think frontline is different?

My sister has been doing exactly this for my grandma's 3 cats for the past year.