After a nearly nine-month investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) into their safety, “spot-on” flea-and-tick products will not be taken off the market. However, their labels will soon be changed to provide clearer information for pet parents.
Spot-on products are liquid flea-and-tick medications that are applied externally to a dog or cat’s skin, typically between the shoulder blades.
The investigation was prompted by the deaths of more than 1,600 pets during a five-year span due to spot-on treatments. ABC News reported that about 44,000 pets got sick and 600 died after being given the medication in 2008 – a 60-percent spike over previous years.
When Steve Owens, an EPA assistant administrator in the office of prevention, was asked by ABC News if spot-on products are safe, he replied, “Yes, the products are safe, but the labeling is inadequate.”
According to Pet-Super-Store.com, the confusing labels have caused pet parents to mistakenly give small dogs doses intended for larger dogs, and to use flea products intended for dogs on their cats.
“Immediately, EPA will begin reviewing labels to determine which ones need stronger and clearer labeling statements,” the EPA stated in a news release. “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. ”
According to the EPA Analysis and Mitigation Plan, some of these new requirements will include the following:
Dosing: Label or packaging changes will be required so there is a narrower range of pet weights per vial size. This will help ensure that small, medium and large dogs receive the correct dose for their weights.
Labeling: To avoid confusion between dog and cat products, the same brand name cannot be used on both. Labels must clearly state if the product is for dogs or cats. They must also include a warning to avoid exposing cats to dog products, since some cats became ill or died after licking the product off of dogs. Larger fonts and pictures must be used to make the labels more understandable.
Inert Ingredients: The EPA expressed concerns about whether the inert (non-active) ingredients in these products could be toxic. For now, inert ingredients can no longer be used interchangeably in the formulations of flea products. The agency will determine whether additional information about the inert ingredients is needed and, if so, require that information to evaluate certain inert ingredients, and not allow any ingredients that have any suspected toxic effects.
Other tighter regulations for spot-on products will include standardized reporting on adverse effects and sales; clinical trials before they become available on the market as well as post-market surveillance of any issues; and conditional registrations for new products so the EPA can continue to ensure the safety of the products after they are available to the public.
The EPA recommends that pet parents talk with their veterinarians about the best way to protect their pets from fleas and ticks or whether pesticides are needed. This is especially important before using a flea product on weak, aged, medicated, sick, pregnant or nursing pets, or on pets that have shown sensitivity to pesticide products.
The EPA will closely monitor the new labeling. Any company that does not voluntarily update its packaging will be legally forced to do so.
If you think your pet is showing side effects from spot-on flea-and-tick products, the EPA says you should do the following:
Contact the product manufacturer. Pesticide makers are required by law to report incident information to the EPA . Tell them the name of the product, the EPA registration number, the type and breed of your dog, the symptoms you observed and any other pertinent details.
Report the incident to the EPA on its Pesticide Frequent Questions web page. Select “Flea and Tick Products” from the “Search by Topic” drop-down list and click the Search button. The first question that displays will provide information about reporting an incident.
Tell your veterinarian, who can report the incident using the Veterinary Pesticide Adverse Effects Reporting Portal, which is not available to the public.
Call the National Pesticide Information Center at 800-858-7378 to report the incident.
PHOTOS: petmedication365.com, ehow.com, gsrne.com
Has your dog ever gotten ill or shown side effects from spot-on flea-and-tick medication? Please tell us about it in the Comments area.
Category : Fleas and Ticks &News
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