Any pet owner is familiar with fleas and their effect on a household. Although many treatments offer programs that can be used throughout the home, including on carpets and furniture, many owners are turning to pet-specific treatments like flea medicine. Like any pesticide, though, flea medicine can cause some serious side effects.
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Flea Facts
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Fleas are small, brown or black parasites that live on dogs and cats, sucking their blood and quickly reproducing. Flea eggs hatch in a matter of days, so two or three fleas can quickly turn into an infestation. Fleas infest bedding, rugs and furniture as well as household pets.
Hartz Flea Medication
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Flea medication is a topical pesticide used on both cats and dogs. The medication comes in pre-measured doses for cats and dogs, depending on their size and weight. The medicine spreads on an animal's skin to kill fleas and their eggs, preventing further infestations. Hartz is a leading flea and tick treatment company.
Application and Reapplication
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Owners squirt Hartz flea medicine between the shoulder blades of their dog or cat. The medication distributes over the animal on its own, and does not require spreading or rubbing. Flea medicine wears out after 30 days, and must be reapplied at that time or after a bath.
Toxicity and Seizures
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According to HartzSyndrome.org, Hartz products are problematic for both side effects and possible toxicity. Common side effects include seizures, general malaise and serious illness. Seizures associated with Hartz are generally short-lived, with staggering, foaming and disorientation. In rare cases, seizures may be fatal.
Causes
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Hartz products contain pesticide neurotoxins to kill fleas. These neurotoxins have had adverse effects on both cats and dogs. Hartz was required to take its Blockade flea product off the market in the 1980s, and the Environmental Protection Agency issued a cancellation order on Hartz flea medicine for cats in 2005 because of complaints. Hartz products were also named in an EPA public advisory in 1999.
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