buttrfli
06-08-2005, 01:56 PM
I stopped using this stuff last year when our news station first aired their findings...
Tulsa - A mega pet product company is agreeing to quit making some flea and tick products. Today's decision comes more than three years after 8 On Your Side's award winning investigation that exposed potential problems. Cindy Morrison broke the story and now she has the latest developments.
This is home video of Kirby just hours after getting over the counter medicine. Could Hartz Advanced Care Flea and Tick drops cause tremors, shakes and even seizures? Dr. Angela Rose in Rogers, Arkansas shot the video and talked with us about her concerns more than three years ago.
"It has been so reoccurring and I got mad so I walked in and saw this cat and I said, I'm going home to get my video camera," Rose said.
Another cat, Pumpkin, was still shaking twelve hours after starting on muscle relaxers, valium and pain control medicine. Both Pumpkin and Kirby survived. But, here in Tulsa, Toni Dapolito's cat, Millie, wasn't so lucky.
"The next morning we realized something was wrong," Dapolito said. "So, we took her to the vet. He said there was nothing he could do."
The concern was an active ingredient in the Hartz product called Phenothrin, a synthetic form of a chemical called pyrethrin. Hartz paid bills for cat owners who signed releases. In 2002, the company told NewsChannel 8 it is strong medicine, but one they stood behind.
"In rare instances, some cats that are sensitive may not be able to tolerate this particular medicine," said Dr. Albert Ahn. "It's like peanut butter and children or like aspirin and people. So it's very important pet owners work closely with their veterinarian when selecting an appropriate flea and tick medication."
At the time, a spokesperson for the EPA told us they had opened in investigation. Remember, that was more than three years ago. Now, Susan B. Hazen, principal deputy assistant administrator at EPA says the agency "is taking this action because there are safety concerns with these products."
This action is an agreement with Hartz to cancel uses of several flea and tick products. The product brand names involved 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
Hartz Advanced Care Once-A-Month Flea and Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens
The agreement first calls for immediate relabeling of the products. The new labeling warns owners not to use the product on cats and kittens that weigh less than six pounds, cats older than 13 years, or kittens less than five months old.
Hartz will stop all new production of the cat and kitten products by the end of September of this year. They will not sell or distribute any this product after December 31, 2005. It is important that all pet owners completely read the new labels before using the product.
You can see all the details of the agreement by clicking here.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/b1ab9f485b098972852562e7004dc686/5c939b447d62b1f385257015007c6765!OpenDocument
Tulsa - A mega pet product company is agreeing to quit making some flea and tick products. Today's decision comes more than three years after 8 On Your Side's award winning investigation that exposed potential problems. Cindy Morrison broke the story and now she has the latest developments.
This is home video of Kirby just hours after getting over the counter medicine. Could Hartz Advanced Care Flea and Tick drops cause tremors, shakes and even seizures? Dr. Angela Rose in Rogers, Arkansas shot the video and talked with us about her concerns more than three years ago.
"It has been so reoccurring and I got mad so I walked in and saw this cat and I said, I'm going home to get my video camera," Rose said.
Another cat, Pumpkin, was still shaking twelve hours after starting on muscle relaxers, valium and pain control medicine. Both Pumpkin and Kirby survived. But, here in Tulsa, Toni Dapolito's cat, Millie, wasn't so lucky.
"The next morning we realized something was wrong," Dapolito said. "So, we took her to the vet. He said there was nothing he could do."
The concern was an active ingredient in the Hartz product called Phenothrin, a synthetic form of a chemical called pyrethrin. Hartz paid bills for cat owners who signed releases. In 2002, the company told NewsChannel 8 it is strong medicine, but one they stood behind.
"In rare instances, some cats that are sensitive may not be able to tolerate this particular medicine," said Dr. Albert Ahn. "It's like peanut butter and children or like aspirin and people. So it's very important pet owners work closely with their veterinarian when selecting an appropriate flea and tick medication."
At the time, a spokesperson for the EPA told us they had opened in investigation. Remember, that was more than three years ago. Now, Susan B. Hazen, principal deputy assistant administrator at EPA says the agency "is taking this action because there are safety concerns with these products."
This action is an agreement with Hartz to cancel uses of several flea and tick products. The product brand names involved 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
Hartz Advanced Care Once-A-Month Flea and Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens
The agreement first calls for immediate relabeling of the products. The new labeling warns owners not to use the product on cats and kittens that weigh less than six pounds, cats older than 13 years, or kittens less than five months old.
Hartz will stop all new production of the cat and kitten products by the end of September of this year. They will not sell or distribute any this product after December 31, 2005. It is important that all pet owners completely read the new labels before using the product.
You can see all the details of the agreement by clicking here.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/b1ab9f485b098972852562e7004dc686/5c939b447d62b1f385257015007c6765!OpenDocument