ABC Affiliate WHAM reports on vets warning to stay away from Hartz products.

Rochester N.Y. ABC affiliate WHAM has recently covered a story featuring the story of Valerie Stonehouse whose application of Hartz flea & tick products led to the death of her cat Reese. What makes this company think they can get away with this?

Again, if you unknowingly poison your animal by using an OTC flea & tick remedy please rinse your animal IMMEDIATELY with gentle dish soap (As it is used to clean animals after oil spills..) and mild water. Take your animal to the vet for proper care as the condition can rapidly deteriorate and lead to the DEATH OF YOUR PET.

The original story can be read HERE.



"Chili, N.Y.) -- Veterinarians warn pet owners to be careful using over-the-counter flea and tick sprays on their animals.

Valerie Stonehouse, of Chili, used Hartz Ultra-Guard Plus flea and tick spray, an over-the-counter on her six-month-old cat Reese.

“On Tuesday morning, we got up, and the cat was completely lethargic,” she said.

Stonehouse called several local veterinarians and described Reese's symptoms.

“They told us to immediately bathe the cat, get it off of her, and then take her to a local animal hospital,” she said.

The vet's office called that afternoon and said she was deteriorating. Three hours later, Stonehouse made the decision to put Reese down.

Her veterinarian believes Reese died from a massive overdose. He said the cat's symptoms were similar to alcohol poisoning.

Dr. Simon Kirk, an emergency veterinarian, said, “Sometimes there's ingredients in the sprays that allow the product to apply to the fur, and then it evaporates, like an acetone or an alcohol, so the cat might actually be having some reaction to that.”

Kirk, who didn’t treat Reese, said he's never seen a cat die from flea spay toxicity, but says pet owners often use too much.

"They use a dose for a cat that's heavier, or put two doses on by mistake," Kirk said.

Stonehouse said the directions weren't clear, so she used enough to soak Reese's fur. She said she used the spray because it was convenient and cheaper than a trip to the vet.

Now, she advises other pet owners, "It's so more worth it to go the vet, so you know its safe, and then you don't have to go through the trauma of losing a part of your family."

Kirk said the symptoms of overdose include drooling a lot, having muscle spasms, twitching ears or rippling skin.

Like the vets that Stonehouse called, he recommends bathing the pet immediately and get them to a vet. In a lot of cases, the animals survive if treated quickly.

In a statement, Hartz Mountain said the ingredients in this product were approved by the EPA and said there’s no alcohol in it.

The statement also warned customers to follow the directions exactly."

Another example of the blatant disregard and callous response from this heartless company Hartz Mountain Corporation who is owned by Sumitomo Corporation of America (based in Japan) whose products regularly harm, maim and kill innocent animals.