The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced it will increase restrictions on topically flea and tick products because they recently documented “a significant increase” in the number of cats and dogs suffering adverse reactions to these products. Dermal, gastrointestinal and neurological effects were the reactions most commonly reported.

Over the last five years, the deaths of at least 1,600 pets related to topical flea and tick treatments were reported to the EPA. Because this was a dramatic increase in such events, the EPA recently conducted an intensive review of these products.

The Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) collaborated with EPA. The combined group studied incidents involving cats and dogs, looked at active and inert ingredients and evaluated product labeling. Data was collected from the manufacturers (or registrants) and other available sources.

The evaluation was somewhat problematic because each company collected different data on adverse reactions and information reported by pet owners was sometimes inconsistent. Incidents that weren’t included in the EPA’s evaluation were those from products without EPA registration numbers (I assume these are herbal products, but I’m not sure about this); those from other countries; reports that were considered to be  ambiguous; those that involved other pesticides or drugs (because the reaction couldn’t be definitively tied to the product); and incidents that involved multiple animals (because many of these included ambiguous data).

EPA stated that their evaluation indicated that additional restrictions should be applied to these products, though they didn’t provide much information on what these restrictions might be and they didn’t state whether restrictions will apply to over-the-counter products, prescription products or both.

They reported that small breed dogs were affected more often than medium and large breed dogs. This effect was especially pronounced in products containing cyphenothrin (the active ingredient in TriForce, Sentry Pro and Sargeants Gold) and permethrin (the active ingredient in K9 Advantix, Bio-Spot On and Vectra3D ).

They noted that thinner skin and a larger skin area to body volume in small dogs may be a factor in these reactions. However, EPA also stated that dosage ranges for many products appear to be too broadly defined on the lower end of the scale. They noted that pet owners who overestimate their dog’s weight and subsequently overdose their dogs may also be a factor. Attempts to save money by purchasing large doses to split between small dogs were believed to cause some problems as well. EPA emphasized the importance of following the manufacturer’s directions carefully, as misapplication may have been related to many incidents.

I was frustrated to see that while the EPA stated that they believe that the “inert” ingredients in these products are an important factor in adverse reactions – they aren’t discussed in the report because most of them are proprietary ingredients.

It was also disappointing to see that the EPA stated that the data currently required to assess the safety of these products don’t provide an adequate picture of the potential risks they pose to pets and pet owners. Apparently we should be a bit more cynical about the trust we put in the agency to protect us from chemical hazards.

Because most reactions occurred in dogs that were less than three years old, EPA encouraged pet owners to monitor their pets carefully for adverse reactions the first time a product is used. This is likely a factor, but I wonder if the fact that there are more young than old dogs and the strong possibility that young dogs are more often out in places where they’re exposed to pests and are therefore get treated more often, may be important too.

EPA notes that “a comparison of the absolute numbers of incidents among the different spot-on products in this report are not appropriate.” Ironically, they do not provide information on the number of incidents for each product – so I guess we just won’t worry about that (after all, we don’t want to stress out manufacturers). Problems in direct comparison include the fact that some products are used more frequently than others; some products have different market niches (which may affect usage and reporting); the relative ease of product use may affect incidents; data were collected and recorded by different entities; negative publicity about a product can have an effect on reporting; and as noted above, some incidents were not evaluated. While these are valid points I think that the consumer’s right to see this data outweighs the potential harm to manufacturers and vendors.

I couldn’t review the data but EPA noted that deaths and adverse incidents were reported for all the products included in the study.

In the end, the EPA recommended that pet owners get a veterinarian’s advice before using any product — especially if you are treating a weak, geriatric, sick, pregnant or nursing pet; a pet that is on prescription medication; or a pet that has previously had  a reaction to similar products.

The agency is inviting public comment on how to implement new measures to safeguard our pets from these products. A Federal Register notice announcing the opening of a docket was published on March 19, 2010. The docket number is EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0229. Go here to comment.

Tips for safe use of topical flea and tick treatments

Weigh your pet before applying any treatment. Especially if you have a small dog. Overdosing is preventable!

Keep records of the products you use and the dates you treat your pet. This helps prevent over-dosing and can also be helpful information to your vet (and the reporting agency) in the event of an adverse reaction.

Read the label and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Pay attention to prohibitions against using a product on weak, elderly, sick, pregnant, or nursing pets. Follow all age restrictions. Only use a product on the species it is listed for (i.e. don’t put a product made for dogs on your cat and vice-versa).

Don’t put a product on your pet right before you leave for work or at bedtime – especially if this is the first time you’ve used this product on your pet or if the pet has had adverse reactions to products before. Keep an eye on your pet for a few hours so you can catch an adverse reaction quickly if it happens.

Keep the package the product came in. Don’t throw it out after you use it. Lot numbers and other product data are vital information if your pet has an adverse reaction.

Consult your veterinarian before using any product on a weak, elderly, sick, pregnant, or nursing pet; on a pet that has had adverse reactions to flea and tick products; or a pet that is on a prescription medication.

If your pet has an adverse reaction – call your vet immediately. If your regular clinic is closed, call an emergency clinic or the Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. Have the product information ready and keep your pet in a quiet area where you can watch him.

Reporting adverse reactions

EPA recommends that veterinarians use the National Pesticide Information Center’s Veterinary Pesticide Adverse Effects Reporting portal to report incidents. This page is ONLY accessible by vet clinic staff. Please encourage your vet to use this service.

You can report adverse reactions to the company that manufactured the product. When you do, they are required to report it to the EPA. You should be able to find contact information on the product package.

You can also report adverse reactions to the EPA via their “ask a question” page. To do this go to the Pesticides Frequent Questions Web page and select “flea and tick” in the drop-down box. Then click on the “ask a question” tab and use the fields there to submit information on the product and reaction instead of asking a question.

And that’s where the trouble begins – not just with the fleas themselves, but with the vast array of commercial flea control products available. Ironically, the majority of these products, even the most popular ones, contain unsafe, harmful ingredients. Often these ingredients are toxic to the very animals they are supposed to protect – and can even do harm to you and your family. The National Resource Defense Council’s website for pet owners, www.greenpaws.org, offers a comprehensive list of commercial flea and tick products, their ingredients, and whether they are safe. You’ll be surprised to learn that most of them contain harmful chemicals.

The most popular treatments require expensive monthly applications during flea season, for the life of your pet. Frontline Plus, for example, can cost from $10 – 15 for each application. This means flea control can become costly, very quickly.

What’s the alternative? Natural Flea Control!

Natural flea control uses natural techniques and substances in the fight against fleas. In most cases, you will find that natural substances are commonly available and, as a result, are much cheaper than commercial products. Natural substances are often far less toxic as well. It’s important to point out, however, that “natural” doesn’t always mean safe.

Here is an example. Natural substances effective for flea control include “essential oils,” which are botanical compounds in highly concentrated form. One of these essential oils, pennyroyal, has been proven effective in flea control – but pennyroyal is toxic when applied to the skin of a dog or cat. In fact, it can be deadly if ingested. Since animals commonly lick themselves when they have fleas, they could lick the pennyroyal with dire consequences. You might make the assumption that pennyroyal is safe because it is a “natural” oil. You would be dead wrong. That’s why you need to carefully evaluate any natural flea control substances before you use them on your pet.

Please refer to our book, Flea Control: How to Get Rid of Fleas Naturally, for comprehensive information!

Commercial topical products such as Frontline, Advantage, K9 Advantix, and Revolution are, of course, formulated to control fleas. Each of them contains different chemicals, many of which are hazardous. (See the post about dangerous chemicals.) Some of these chemicals may be more effective than others in flea control.

A flea is a very resilient creature — difficult to control because it reproduces so rapidly, and difficult to kill because of its bodily structure. Can a flea build up a resistance to chemicals such as fipronil, a key ingredient in Frontline? Quite possibly. Evidence exists that insects can become immune to certain chemicals over time.

If you are using a commercial topical product like Frontline, be sure you are following the manufacturer’s application instructions precisely. If you suspect it is not controlling your pet’s fleas, you may, in certain cases, be able to reapply it in as little as two weeks and try again. Speak to your veterinarian about this first.

One alternative is to switch to another topical product. Another alternative is to supplement the topical product with another product that works internally, such as Capstar.

Based on the research conducted for our Flea Control book, however, we believe the best alternative is a natural one. We think it is safer and more effective to switch from commercial products with potentially unsafe chemical ingredients to natural products — products that nature designed to control fleas. For example, using predatory nematodes in your garden is one way to control fleas naturally outside your home. A way to control fleas naturally inside your home is to apply diatomaceous earth or salt to your carpet. A way to control fleas naturally on your pet is to use neem oil.

These natural substances have been proven effective for controlling fleas for a long time — longer than the chemicals that are used in most commercial flea control products. The natural substances mentioned here are just a few alternatives to chemical products — you’ll find others in the Flea Control book.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): “Many Americans believe that commercially available pesticides, such as those found in pet products, are tightly regulated by the government. In fact, they are not. Many of the products sold in grocery, drug and pet supply stores, even when applied as instructed on the box, can cause serious health consequences to pets and humans. Just because these products are on store shelves does not mean they are safe.”

The EPA did ban six types of organophosphates from the pet products market because they were found to be extremely harmful to pets and children. The banned substances are: chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, phosmet, naled, diazinon, and malathion. One organophosphate has not yet been banned: tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP). Be certain you avoid pet products with any of these ingredients. Carbamates, another dangerous class of chemicals, should also be avoided.

The NRDC offers the following advice:

Products with the following chemicals should be avoided:

Amitraz, fenoxycarb, propoxur, and tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP)

Products with the following chemicals should be used sparingly:

Fipronil, imidacloprid, metaflumizone, pyrethrins, selamectin

Products with the following chemicals are considered generally safer:

Lufenuron, nitenpyram, pyriproxyfen, s-methoprene, spinosad

Note that cats are particularly sensitive to the adverse effects of pyrethrins and pyrethroids (synthetic versions of pyrethrins). If products with these ingredients are used on dogs with cats in the home, cats can still be exposed to toxicity.

If you are planning to use ANY flea control product, it is advisable to read the label not just for warnings, but for a list of ingredients. Refer to the NRDC’s website, http://www.greenpaws.org, for detailed information about pet products with harmful chemicals. Download the handy toxic chemicals pocket guide (PDF) here: http://www.greenpaws.org/_docs/GP_pocketguide.pdf

Vacuuming and steam cleaning carpets and rugs will help, but there are natural treatments that can be even more effective.

One of these treatments is safe and uses a common everyday substance – salt.  Yes, you can get rid of fleas with salt! The salt acts as a dehydration agent and dries out the bodies of the fleas.

How to kill fleas using salt:  Obtain some highly refined household salt or sea salt. Make sure it is as finely ground as possible, almost to a powder consistency. Sprinkle it lightly but evenly over your carpet. Brush or rake it in. Leave this in your carpet for 12 to 48 hours, then vacuum thoroughly.

Salt can attract moisture, so do not leave it in for very long in very hot or humid conditions.  Otherwise, you’ll end up with salty, wet carpet.

For serious infestations, salt can be mixed together with boric acid. This chemical is found in a number of commercially-available products, such as Borax. Use the same technique as with refined salt; however, check with the carpet manufacturer to make sure your carpet can withstand boric acid. While boric acid is generally non-toxic, long-term, low-level exposure to boric acid can cause some health conditions in humans and pets, so this treatment should not be used frequently.

The accompanying video explains more about how to get rid of fleas with salt.

More information about how to get rid of fleas with salt and other natural, safe, effective methods and substances you can use to control fleas is available in Flea Control: How to Get Rid of Fleas Naturally.

“Harmless as a flea” may be a common expression but, unfortunately, fleas are not entirely harmless. At the very least, a flea bite will cause an animal to scratch. Because one flea is just a sign of many fleas, animals typically get multiple flea bites, which causes even more scratching.

You may not think a few flea bites amount to much, but they can be a source of your pet’s constant scratching. If this scratching continues, the flea bites can become infected, and lead to a skin condition called flea allergy dermatitis.  A report by CNN indicates flea allergy dermatitis is a growing problem for pets.

Flea bites are considerably worse if the dog or cat is allergic to the flea’s saliva. According to Sandra Diaz, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, the most common form of allergic reaction in dogs is to flea saliva. 

In smaller sized animals such as puppies, and sometimes in young children, fleas can actually cause anemia. The host loses blood through the flea bites and excessive scratching and becomes anemic. Anemia is a serious condition if it remains untreated.

Dogs and cats can scratch flea bites until they bleed and even become infected. This just makes it easier for fleas to get more blood from their victim, so it really is a vicious circle for an untreated animal.

One effective natural remedy for flea bites, which soothes and heals the flea bites themselves and helps prevent fleas from returning is neem oil. Neem oil is derived from a plant widely used by native Americans. When diluted with water and mixed with vinegar, neem oil can be applied directly to an animal’s skin.

More information about flea allergy dermatitis and natural, safe, effective methods and substances you can use to control fleas is available in Flea Control: How to Get Rid of Fleas Naturally.

This is a remarkable substance that is a desiccant – it actually dries out the waxy outer layer of fleas so they dehydrate and eventually die. As an added benefit, diatomaceous earth can eliminate other insects.

So yes, in some respects, it is a miracle cure for fleas. It’s a product we’re pretty proud of, and consider to be worth the investment in the long term, in the same way you’d invest in insulation, or o2 broadband. Never having to worry about fleas working their way deep into your home is a comforting thought for those with pets who love the outdoors.

But even though diatomaceous earth is a natural substance, its dust is dangerous to breathe for both humans and animals. Using it requires gloves and a dust mask. Be certain to read any cautions that come with the product and use it only as directed.

Outside the home, spread it around the foundation and entry points. Inside the home, spread it around windows, doorways, and baseboards and rub it into the carpet. If you use this method, always use gloves, a dust mask, and goggles, and leave the house for several hours after use. It is not safe to inhale this substance when any particles are floating in the air. Fish, birds, and animals should not be left in the house. When you return, vacuum thoroughly.

Some people spread diatomaceous earth directly on their pets, essentially using it as a flea powder. If you do this, be aware of the potential risks. Since it is a drying agent, diatomaceous earth can dry out your pet’s skin. It can also be irritating to the eyes and lungs. Make sure you are using “food grade” diatomaceous earth if you want to try it on your pet.

Watch the accompanying video for an interesting if lengthy explanation of diatomaceous earth.

Diatomaceous earth is one of the natural substances discussed in Flea Control: How to Get Rid of Fleas Naturally.

Video Timeline
0 – 1:00 Barry´s background/motivation for writing the book
1:00 – 1:55 What does “naturally” mean?
1:55 – 2:35 Why use a natural flea control approach?
2:35 – 3:55 Risks with common commercial flea control products
3:55 – 4:30 Where to apply natural flea control treatments
4:30 – 7:20 Barry shares specific natural flea control tips

There are about 2,200 flea species throughout the world, but don’t panic. Humans typically encounter only a few:

Cat flea – This is the most common flea in the United States. Despite its name, the cat flea will suck the blood of not only cats, but also dogs and humans.

Dog flea – The dog flea really does like dogs best. It is more common in Europe than in the United States.

Human flea – The human flea is so named because it is particularly toxic to humans. Its bite can cause allergic reactions or dermatitis, a skin condition. This flea also is a carrier of tapeworms, which can be transmitted to dogs.

Oriental rat flea – This flea is less common in the United States, but it does occasionally appear in warmer weather. The Oriental rat flea prefers rats and mice, but when these animals die, the flea moves elsewhere. The flea might carry with it a bacterial disease known as plague. You may recall from history that bubonic plague, or the “black death,” was one of humanity’s most serious challenges. Today, these fleas can still carry plague. Animal infection is possible, but human infection is rare in modern society. Antibiotics are available to effectively treat an infection.