Uncover the trap of flea removal products for cats and dogs! You may also fall into the trap of c...

There are flea control products on the market ranging from those produced in China to the United States, from small brands to big international brands. You may think that collars and sprays that cost tens of yuan are not safe, but you may think that the big international brands that cost 400-500 yuan are safe. It feels more reassuring, after all, when you shop around, you get what you pay for, but is this really the case? In case you haven’t read the following news!

[Well-known pet repellent collars have been involved in nearly 1,700 pet deaths in the United States, and injured owners are calling for reporting of adverse reactions]Recently, an investigative report by USA TODAY and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting pointed out that one of the most popular pet repellent products in the United States, “Seresto” (zero flea and tick collar) Since being launched in the country in 2012, it has been involved in nearly 1,700 pet deaths, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates products containing pesticides, has not issued a warning< /u>.On June 1, 2020, Rhonda Bomwell bought a flea-free collar for her 9-year-old Papillon Pierre, an indoor dog, on the advice of her veterinarian. Here She had not had any deworming collar before. A day later, Peel suddenly collapsed and stopped breathing. His eyes rolled back. Baumwell tried to perform CPR on him. Then she called the police, who assisted her. Pierre was rushed to the hospital, but he died before reaching the animal hospital. Baumwell did not think to remove Pierre's flea-free collar. "I just didn't think they were related," she said.

Baumwell is not an isolated case. EPA documents show that flea- and tick-free collars have been linked to the deaths of thousands of pets, may have caused injuries to tens of thousands of animals, and put the health of many people at risk. However, the EPA has done nothing to inform the public about this risk.It was disclosed that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency received nearly 75,000 complaints from 2012 to June 2020, of which 1,700 were cases of products causing pet deaths. Since some Hong Kong suppliers are still promoting them on the market, if you have already purchased Moms who are pregnant, please stop using this type of collar product as soon as possible (they also have anti-flea collars for cats). The focus of the news article is "Documents from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency show that Soresto (zero flea and ticks) was associated with the death of hundreds of pets." , thousands of injured animals were involved and hundreds of people were harmed. "Article 2" "Since the introduction of flea- and tick-free Seresto in 2012, the EPA has received at least 1,698 reports of pet-related deaths. 』』

The flea and tick free collar is a pet repellent collar developed by Bayer and sold by Elanco. It can be effective for up to 8 months. , which contains pesticides that are supposed to kill fleas, ticks and other insects harmful to pets and are safe for dogs and cats, but according to the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit group that oversees the EPA According to federal documents, the EPA has received at least 1,698 reports of pet deaths related to flea and tick collars since the product was introduced in 2012.

Overall, as of June 2020,EPA has received more than 75,000 incident reports related to flea and tick collars, nearly 1,000 of which involved Hazard to human health. Karen McCormack, a retired EPA employee who served as the agency's scientist and media liaison, said: "The EPA has known about this for years but failed to inform the public about the product's potential risks." /u>. McCormack said the collars have the most incidents she has seen of pet products containing pesticides, but the EPA appears to be turning a blind eye to the problem, telling the public they are continuing to monitor it seven years after incidents have been increasing. condition. McCormack said the level of damage caused by flea- and tick-free collars is uncommon. "I've never seen a product that was responsible for 75,000 incidents," McCormack said. The EPA declined to say how zero-flea and tick collars compare to other pet products, but in response to questions about the product's safety, an agency spokesperson said only in an email that it's based on the best scientific data available, including incident data. Two pesticides contained in flea- and tick-free collars "are considered eligible for continued registration."

The spokesman said: "No pesticide is completely harmless, but the EPA ensures that products are labeled with measures to reduce risks. Product labeling is a principle and users must follow the instructions on the label, but some pets are like some People are generally sensitive and may experience adverse symptoms after use." Miriam Rotkin-Ellman, a senior scientist at the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said this This is not the first time the EPA has failed to properly regulate insect repellent collars containing pesticides. NRDC petitioned the agency more than a decade ago after the EPA approved the use of tetrachlorvinphos on pet repellent collars. The pesticide has been linked to childhood cancers and brain development problems, and pet repellent collars containing insecticides continue to be sold under the brand names "Hartz Ultraguard," "Hartz InControl" and "Longlife."

Even so, insecticide-containing repellent collars still cause far fewer incidents than flea- and tick-free collars, according to the EPA document, from From 1992 to 2008, the agency received approximately 4,600 reports of insecticide-related pet deworming collars, resulting in 363 pet deaths. Nathan Donley, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity and an expert on U.S. pesticide regulations, also pointed out that these numbers are likely to be underestimates, because in order to report an incident, people must first be aware of the death of their pet and deworm it. about collars, and know who to contact and how to report it.

Pet repellent collars are big business. In the 2019 annual report of German company Bayer, the revenue from flea and tick-free collars alone exceeded US$300 million. Bayer sold its animal health unit to Elanco Animal Health, a former subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Co., for $7.6 billion in 2019. The deal was completed in 2020 and as As part of the deal, Bayer received $2.3 billion in Relan stock.

The Center for Responsive Politics, a non-profit organization, said that since Lilan was spun off and became an independent company in 2019, the company has He lobbies the EPA every quarter on issues related to animal health and has spent $1.6 million on lobbying in the past two years, according to the political donation tracking website run by the Center for Responsive Politics.The flea and tick collar contains two pesticides: imidacloprid and flumethrin. Imidamide is a neonicotinoid pesticide and is the most commonly used pesticide on crops in the United States. The EU bans outdoor use of this pesticide but allows its use in pet repellent collars, and there is growing evidence that these pesticides also Can cause harm to mammals

As with most pesticides, the data supporting the registration of flea-free collars was conducted by the companies that make the products; most of Bayer's research examined each pesticide individually , but a 2012 study found that datamide and flumeline had a "synergistic effect," meaning they were more toxic to fleas when mixed together. In addition, Bayer conducted eight companion animal safety studies to confirm the effects of flea- and tick-free collars on domestic dogs and cats, which the EPA used to approve flea- and tick-free collars,although the California Pesticide Administration ( The California Department of Pesticide Regulation questioned the validity of two studiesbut approved the collar anyway.

Donley said this "synergistic effect" would likely extend to pets, and he said he wasn't sure why the two pesticides might cause Hurts, but clearly something is wrong with the product.

In addition to the harm caused to pets, EPA documents show that from 2013 to 2018, there were 907 reported human incidents related to zero-flea and tick collars, and 19 It was a serious incident, with eight people experiencing skin symptoms such as rashes or hives, and seven experiencing neurological symptoms, including paralysis and headaches. In 2016, the EPA issued a notice in response to public concerns about children's exposure to flea and tick-free collars, saying that the impact was minimal. The notice stated: "As stated in the precautions on the label, do not allow children to play with pet repellent collars. Also, after wearing the repellent collar, try keeping pets away from young children for a day to minimize exposure.

Donley said: "This does not only happen to animals, but pet owners are also affected. I have two children and they are always glued to our dogs. In dogs, I can imagine how high levels of drug residue people would be exposed to.

In the community, some were in the same situation as the Packards, dogsstarted wearing flea- and flea-free collars, and within weeks had seizures, and eventually some Dogs died, but other stories were less extreme, with pets experiencing milder symptoms such as hair loss on their necks, lethargy, etc. Packard encouraged everyone to report it to the EPA Their stories, he said, "I don't want other people to go through what we went through. Every time I read these stories I think of my dog, but if I can save some pets, I can get over it.

Are big-brand flea collars necessarily safe?

Fleas and ticks will feed on pets' blood and nutrients to reproduce. A female flea can lay up to 2,000 eggs in three weeks. These tiny insects can transmit various diseases, make pets' skin itchy and sensitive, and even transmit fleas to humans, causing damage to the entire home. Therefore, using various flea and tick removal drugs is the most effective method, but be careful that many of the ingredients in the drugs actually have negative effects on pets or humans. Nowadays, the natural essential oil ingredients advertised by many brands can be harmful if used improperly.So-called: Natural flea products Be wary of natural flea-killing ingredients: essential oilsNatural essential oil ingredients advertised in product advertisements, such aseucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, lemongrass, tea tree oil, etc., are actually toxic to dogs or cats. Many brands now use the ingredients of natural essential oils to attract consumers to buy them. There are even many videos online teaching pet owners how to mix different proportions of natural essential oils and dilute them to remove fleas and ticks.Dangers of essential oilsEssential oils are concentrated natural extracts from plants. Undiluted essential oils are highly toxic to pets and can cause poisoning reactions. In particular, cats are small in size and lack the enzymes to decompose certain essential oils in their bodies, so they are very sensitive to essential oils. Therefore, I do not recommend that parents who keep cats at home use essential oil products, especially aromatherapy.Natural essential oils will be absorbed by pets through breathing, skin contact, licking, etc., and accumulate in the body to a concentration that causes toxic reactions. May cause drooling, vomiting, tremors, ataxia, respiratory distress, low heart rate, hypothermia, and liver failure.Even dilute use can be dangerous. Because it is impossible to determine how dilute it should be to maintain effective flea removal without causing harm to the pet's body. The risk of self-dilution is even higher.Lack of regulation on the use of essential oilsIn fact, natural essential oils have not been scientifically tested to determine their safety for use on or around dogs and cats, nor have they been specifically tested for effectiveness in killing fleas and ticks.There is a lack of scientific understanding of essential oils, not to mention how to regulate the types, amounts, and concentrations of essential oils used in various products. Therefore, whether flea-killing products with essential oils as the main ingredients are effective and worthy of purchase and use is a matter of opinion.

Are natural essential oils safe for cats and dogs?

Traditional flea control productsMost of the ingredients traditionally used are synthetic insecticidal ingredients. The advantage is that they can only be used after being reviewed by government regulatory agencies and based on scientific research. The disadvantage is that you need to be careful when using it, and improper use may lead to ineffectiveness.When using these pesticides at the same time, you need to be aware that the pesticides may remain in the environment, which may pose a threat to pregnant women, children, other pets, and pregnant pets.collarDrug ingredients are usually present on the surface of the collar. There will be no drugs inside the collar in contact with the pet's skin to avoid causing skin sensitivity or skin absorption. The position of the collar can also prevent pets from licking the medicine.You need to be aware that collars may contain some dangerous pesticides, including Tetrachlorvinphos, Carbaryl, Propoxur, etc.Things to note when purchasing:

If you have other pets at home, you should avoid using a collar because other pets may lick the collar wearer;
The drug should only be present on the outer layer of the collar

Oral medicationsPets eat them in the form of chewable treats and pills, and when an adult flea bites the pet, the medication gets into the flea and is spread to other fleas, ultimately killing the fleas with a chemical compound.The advantages of oral medications are that they are very efficient, their use is strictly controlled and approved by the government, and there is historical data as evidence. The medications will not remain in the surrounding environment and affect other pets, people, babies or pregnant women.Common ones includeLufenuron, Spinosad, NitenpyramSkin dripLocal drug drips are usually applied between the shoulder blades on the back of the pet's neck, and most require continuous and repeated administration for a period of time.Common ones includeFipronil, Imidacloprid, Pyrethroids

Ingredient analysis reference and suggestions for each brand’s product catalogThe Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) has published ingredient studies on more than 100 flea and tick products. It also made suggestions on the hazards of various ingredients and how to use such products. This is a very good reference website. It is recommended that you go to this website to check whether there is relevant information before purchasing a certain brand of flea-killing products.URL:https://www.nrdc .org/flea-and-tick-products-directory(Uncover the trap of flea removal products for cats and dogs! You may also fall into the trap of being advertised as "natural")NRDC Recommendations:

Avoid the use of organophosphates, including Amitraz, Fenoxycarb, Permethrin, Propoxur, Tetrachlorvinphos;
Use topical products with caution, especially if there are pregnant women or children at home;
Consider using oral medications under the guidance of a veterinarian to reduce the impact on the environment and other organisms.
Use natural pest control steps
- Use a flea comb every day to remove fleas from the hair, and put the fleas in soapy water to kill them;
- Shower often and regularly (once a week);
- Vacuum every day;
- Regularly wash bedding that pets come into contact with and soak it in hot water to kill pests and eggs (once a week).