By: Edie Lau for The VIN News Service

At least nine class-action lawsuits are pending against makers of topical flea and tick products in the wake of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigation into safety of the pesticides used on dogs and cats.

One law firm in New Jersey has filed seven of the suits — one each against Merial Ltd., and its parent companies Merck & Co., Inc. and Sanofi-Aventis U.S., Inc., maker of Frontline; Summit VetPharm LLC and its parent company, Sumitomo Corp. of America, maker of Vectra; The Hartz Mountain Corp. and its parent, Sumitomo, maker of UltraGuard; Bayer Healthcare LLC, maker of Advantage and K9 Advantix; Sergeant’s Pet Care Products, Inc., maker of SentryPro; Farnam Companies, Inc., maker of Bio Spot and Adams; and Wellmark International, Inc., maker of Zodiac.

An eighth suit filed by a lawyer in California working with another New Jersey firm targets Hartz, Sergeant’s and Summit VetPharm.

A ninth suit filed by lawyers in Chicago and New York names Central Garden & Pet Co., Farnam, Hartz, Sergeant’s and Sumitomo as defendants.

The lawyers involved said more suits may be coming.

The burst of litigation represents increasing public awareness of potential problems with the popular parasite-control treatments, especially since an announcement by the EPA on March 17 that safety concerns are real and that tighter regulation and oversight are justified.

Jacqueline Mottek, a class-action and consumer advocacy attorney in Sausalito, Calif., said she has been “absolutely inundated” with calls from pet owners as a result of the EPA action and subsequent news reports.

She said the proliferation of suits reflects the fact that victims number in the thousands. The lawyers, she said, want “to make sure that people are represented. We also want to make sure that the courts understand the gravity and extent of this problem.”

The EPA’s investigation began about a year ago when it saw that the number of reported adverse events in pets exposed to topical flea and tick products topped 44,000 in 2008, an increase of 53 percent compared with the previous year.

The rate of incidents was 16 per 100,000 doses sold.  Story continues at the VIN News website.

Gracie

I took the big leap this summer and am using only natural flea control on Gracie, my wonderful dog, instead of the horrible spot-on pesticides that the EPA is investigating.  Every summer I start out using natural products until July hits and the fleas here in the South get out of control.  Then, reluctantly, I would put Frontline on my dogs because it was the only thing that worked.  But not this summer.  I’ll never use those products again.  Ever.

Using only natural products for flea control, Gracie does have a few fleas and does itch more than she used to on Frontline.  And it’s a lot more time-consuming for me to flea comb and spray everyday but I truly believe it’s worth the effort.  To me, it’s really not even a choice.  Gracie is going through chemotherapy right now for a growth on her tongue and in her brain.  She’s already gone through surgery and radiation and there is no way that I would put any pesticide on her when her immune system is already being pushed to the max.  Why I thought it was ever OK to put poison on my dogs is a question I keep asking myself.

According to Jan Rasmusen on her  blog, Dogs4Dogs.com ,  “46% of dogs and 39% of cats dying of disease will die of cancer. Pesticides are proven to increase your dog’s (or cats) chance of getting cancer.  A University of Pennsylvania vet school study showed topical insecticides (aka preventatives) “significantly increased” bladder cancer risk, especially in overweight dogs. Other studies have shown cancer risks from herbicides. Some products meant for pets can even increase the chance you and your children will become ill.”

So this summer, I’ve been experimenting with different formulas and methods to naturally control fleas and have not settled on which one works the best. Along with daily flea combing, I’ve been trying four different things:

1.  Lemon Spray Repellent: Add a lemon that’s been sliced thin to boiling water and then let it steep overnight.  Spray your dog in the morning.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar Spray: Put half water/half vinegar in a spray bottle and spray away.  Be prepared for the smell of vinegar to take over your whole house.

3.  Rosemary Flea Dip: Steep two cups of fresh rosemary in boiling water for 30 minutes.  Once it cools, you can use it as a dip or spray. So far, this has been the most effective spray.

4. Diatomaceous earth: comb it into your dogs coat  and the fleas who come into contact with the razor-sharp silica in the DE , become dehydrated and die within a day.   When applying DE, you should wear a mask and keep your dog’s face protected with a towel because the silica can be inhaled and can irritate the throat and lungs.  I use this once a week.

Please let me know how you’re controlling fleas this summer because we can’t do it the old way anymore.  I’ll keep you posted on which of my methods is working.  We all know too much to go backwards.

Flea combs and the Ticked Off Tick Remover and now available at happydogsplay.com.

Photo of Gracie by Sisters Pet Pics.

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A  Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) follow-up investigation has found that Petland stores are still supporting puppy mills, including some of the largest and most notorious in the country. The documented problems of puppy mills include: overbreeding, inbreeding, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of human socialization, overcrowded cages and the killing of unwanted animals. The new intensive study analyzed thousands of pages of public interstate health documents in multiple states, revealing that almost every Petland store in the country is buying from puppy mills, either directly from commercial breeding facilities or indirectly through middleman brokers.

The new investigation of Petland’s puppy sources also traced shipments of puppies from out of state brokers to more than 95 percent of Petland’s domestic stores, revealing once again that the chain is supporting puppy mills.  More than 80 stores were linked directly to the Hunte Corporation alone, a massive Missouri broker that resells about 80,000 puppies a year and has documented Animal Welfare Act violations.

If you want to know where your local Petland stores get their puppies, find out here.

To learn more about HSUS’s investigation and what you can do, visit HSUS Stop Puppy Mills.

To stop Petland from profiting on the suffering of dogs, don’t shop there.

When the EPA warned that some spot-on flea treatments are toxic, they only listed seven products.  

Not all essential oils used to treat pet pests are safe for pets or people. Herbal or natural products that
contain cedarwood, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary and thyme are likely safer. Use herbal or natural products
containing citrus, cinnamon, clove, d-limonene, geranium, tea tree, lavender, linalool, bay, eucalyptus,
and rue oils sparingly because they can cause allergic reactions in people—and severe reactions in cats and dogs have been reported.

Avoid the use of any flea or tick product containing pennyroyal oil. It can cause seizures, comas,
and even death in animals.

What DOES work to keep fleas and ticks off our dogs?  I don't know the answer to that question but I keep trying different things.  Here's what I've been trying in different combinations every year:

NUTRO Products Inc. denies it’s under investigation by the  Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — even though an official of that agency told ConsumerAffairs.com on Monday that the pet food maker is the focus of a probe.

An FDA official who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed that ongoing investigation is the reason the FDA’s Division of Freedom of Information denied a ConsumerAffairs.com request for a list of complaints and lab results the agency has collected about NUTRO pet food. The FDA did not elaborate on the focus of its investigation, saying only that it could be criminal or civil in nature.

Hundreds of pet owners nationwide have told ConsumerAffairs.com their dogs and cats have experienced sudden and recurring bouts of vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems after eating various flavors of NUTRO. In many cases, the animals recovered after their owners switched them to another brand of pet food. Others died.

NUTRO has repeatedly defended its products, saying they are 100 percent safe, and also denies that it is being investigated.

To read more, go to ConsumersAffairs.com.

In the ASPCA newsletter this morning, there was a reminder about how deadly the Sago Palm can be.  Please make sure your puppies, dogs, kittens and cats do not have access to these plants.  For more information, visit the ASPCA website.

Sago Palm

Additional Common Names: Coontie Palm, Cardboard Palm, cycads and zamias

Scientific Name: Cycas revoluta, zamia species

Family: Cycadaceae

Toxicity: Toxic to Cats, Toxic to Dogs, Toxic to Horses

Toxic Principles: Cycasin

Clinical Signs: Vomiting, melena, icterus, increased thirst, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, bruising, coagulopathy, liver damage, liver failure, death