EPA Declares Spot-On Flea and Tick Products Safe, But Not Everyone's Convinced

Troubled by a huge spike in the number of dogs and cats that reported health-related incidents after being treated with "spot-on" pesticide-based flea and tick control products, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last year that it would be "intensifying" its evaluation of such products offered by various companies. This week, the EPA announced that it had concluded its study and published its findings in a report.

The verdict? Spot-on pesticide-based flea and tick control products are safe to use, concludes the EPA, but need better labeling so that the products are not misused by consumers. The products will also be subject to further testing. (It is called "spot-on" flea and tick treatment because they are applied directly onto the pet's skin, typically between the shoulder blades once a month.)

"Immediately, EPA will begin reviewing labels to determine which ones need stronger and clearer labeling statements," the agency stated on its Web site. "Next, EPA will develop more stringent testing and evaluation requirements for both existing and new products. EPA expects these steps will help prevent adverse reactions." ABC News reports that "one warning expected to be on new labels: keep cats away from dogs that have just been recently treated with a spot-on product. There is a worry the cat might lick the dog's fur."

Those adverse reactions among dogs and cats, acknowledges the EPA in its published report, include "vomiting, diarrhea, salivation, itching, hair loss, skin ulceration, lethargy, nervousness, ataxia, terrors, seizure," and in the most severe cases, death. (In 2008, there were 44,263 such reported incidents, compared to 28,895 incidents in 2007, reports the Associated Press, including 600 deaths.) "Most incidents were classified minor," states the EPA report, "but all products had deaths and major incidents."

To address problems with product labeling and instructions, the EPA will require manufacturers to provide clearer instructions, especially regarding the proper dosage per pet weight and differentiate between products for cats and dogs, and "disallowing similar brand names for dog and cat products," among other measures.

In addition to the need for better product labeling, the EPA found that underlying safety studies were not always reliable. "Companion animal studies for the individual spot-on products were re-evaluated...and it was concluded that this study in its present form has not served to predict toxicity seen in incident reports," the EPA writes in its report.

Asked to elaborate, the EPA e-mailed Paw Nation a statement. "Our analysis showed that while the initial studies provided an adequate basis for registration, they may not adequately predict what will occur once the product is on the market, indicating that there is a need for broader studies similar to the Food and Drug Administration's post-market studies, i.e., the use of additional species as well as the more detailed followup. The EPA is inviting public comments on our plan to pursue new requirements. The docket number for comments is EPA-HQ-OPP-2010-0229 at www.regulations.gov."

So should you continue using flea and tick medicines on your dogs? There is much discussion about flea and tick products and many animal professionals and advocates disagree about exactly how to weigh the potentially harmful effects of the medicines on pets and humans with the clear benefits of protecting your animals-and homes-from potentially dangerous parasites.

Dr. Steven Hansen, an ASPCA veterinary toxicologist, told the Associated Press that "The important take-home message is that although adverse reactions can occur with all flea and tick products, most effects are relatively mild and include skin irritation and stomach upset,"

Other organizations take a more cautious view about over the counter and prescription flea and tick remedies. "It's good to see EPA taking action to help prevent people from misusing [the products] ," Miriam Rotkin-Ellman, a scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an international nonprofit environmental organization, tells Paw Nation. "Unfortunately, poisonings happen when flea and tick products are used correctly too, so the larger concern about the safety of the treatments themselves still needs to be addressed. And other dangerous pet products – like popular flea collars, which NRDC has found to be unsafe in independent testing – have yet to be revisited at all."

Rotkin-Ellman notes that "just because they're in stores, does not mean they're safe." "EPA and pet stores owe it to consumers to get all flea and tick products with harmful pesticides off store shelves immediately," says the NRDC. They urge the public to write to the country's two biggest pet product retailers to ask that harmful pesticide-based flea and tick collars be removed from store shelves.

The NRDC maintains an online guide to flea and tick products that is sortable and searchable by product brand name and pesticide, and the relative danger that each poses to help you better weigh the potential dangers with the parasite risks in your area. There is also a resource for how to control fleas without chemicals, and elsewhere, a list of home remedies. There's even a mobile option: just text "pets" and the name of the product to the NRDC at "69866" to get a return text with toxicity information and alternatives.

As always, do your own research and be sure to speak with your veterinarian so you can decide what makes the most sense for your animal and your household.

Tags: epa, flea, flea and tick control, FleaAndTickControl, NRDC, safety of flea and tick products, SafetyOfFleaAndTickProducts