Bob Brenchley. wrote:
Yes - I really think you SHOULD check out the FACTS.

The facts are that Hartz produce a wide range of flea/tick
preparations, all of which have been widely tested and even more
widely used.

So far there is not one single scientifically proven case of a pet
being harmed by their products when their instructions have been
followed. Last year, due to the illiteracy of so many pet owners in
the USA, Hartz did a voluntary recall of a lot of anti-flea products
in order to repackage them with even clearer instructions. If nothing
else, that recall, done at Hartz's own expense, shows the level of
care and responsibility they show.

Are their products dangerous to our cats - NO, not if used by a
sensible person who reads the instructions.


I beg to differ. My wife are both sensible and literate, and read the
instructions carefully on our Hartz flea medicine. We applied LESS than the
prescribed dosage to our four cats, who were all suffering from fleas. (This was
about two months ago, and was purchased from WalMart I believe).

Less than two hours later one of the cats suddenly started convulsing right in
front of us, and he was asleep right before that. We rushed him to the vet,
which was 10 mins away. By the time we arrived his eyes had rolled back in his
head had bit through his tongue, and was shaking violently. The vet gave him
some shots to calm his muscle spasms down so he could relax.

Preliminary tests were conducted, but the results would not be available for at
least a couple of days (it was a Saturday). Jasper's condition was deteriorating
rapidly, and the vet had to keep upping the dosage to try to keep him calm,
although now his eyes were bulging out of his head.

We were faced with a difficult choice: spend at least $600 (on top of the $250
for the current vet bill that we were incurring) or have him put down. The vet
felt that she should not venture an opinion without having analyzed the results
from the test first, so I made the awful decision myself. We had him put down.

We arrived home later that night with heavy hearts to discover that another of
our cats had disappeared, which was odd for her. So next day I went searching
for her.
She was under our sundeck, dead, and looking a lot like Jasper did before we put
him down.

That's two cats dead, and one other who moped around the house for a couple of
days, before regaining her usual spring. Our fourth cat was fine.

Coincidence? Maybe.


I only write this in response to your posting about the FACTS. I never did hear
back about the blood test (if it was ever completed, which I doubt as we didn't
pay for it). Hopefully others will notice signs of distress in their cats if
they use that Hartz product, before it's too late for their pet, too.


Sincerely,

Bricklen