# Please never use Hartz flea preventatives for dogs or cats!



## 20887 (Mar 16, 2011)

Yesterday at work a couple brought in a cat having a seizure because they had applied Hartz dog flea preventatives to it. I had to carry the poor cat back to treatment, it was just awful. I can't really say much more about it since I am not supposed to talk about other's pets, but I just wanted to give a warning. 

Also, in my opinion if your pet is having a reaction to a medication put on it, I don't think you should take the time to try and wash it off before taking it to the vet. Maybe I am wrong here, but at that point the chemicals are already in the pet's system, and it needs to be treated for toxicity. Can someone correct me if I am wrong?


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## ~LS~ (Oct 29, 2011)

Oh yes Missy, that stuff is garbage. I've seen pictures of reactions dogs had to
that stuff...not pretty. I was never fond of any of their products, I never had
any problems/reactions, just did not find them effective at all.


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## LostLakeLua (Sep 6, 2009)

Thank you for sharing! I saw first hand quite a few cases of Hartz victims back in my day at the vet clinic; it was heartbreaking. Not only did they come in ill, but they were typically still loaded with fleas. >.< Sickens me that this stuff is still on the shelves!


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## chaiteahuahua (Jul 2, 2012)

Ugh, someone was recommending Hartz over Frontline on a natural website I frequent. Diamoctaceous Earth, baby shampoo baths, and a good old fashion flea comb work alright for us


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## pupluv168 (Mar 7, 2012)

Hartz is horrible. I think just the fact that you can buy it at Walmart across from Puppy Chow and Beneful is enough to turn me off of it. And that was before I started hearing the horror stories!!


Sent from my iPhone using PetGuide


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## Onyx (Nov 28, 2011)

I hate all of the topicals, even Advantage, etc.

I used Hartz years ago and now my Chi has a permanent little bald spot on her back where her tail starts. That's where quite a bit of the chemicals were applied.

Onyx can't handle any topicals so far. I've tried Frontline and Advantage, the so called reputable companies, and both times she got severe red burning rashes and itched herself till she bled. After doing research on these products, I refuse to use any of them, even if she didn't react like that.

Currently, I use Comfortis flea pill which I'm still not 100% comfortable with but feel it's much better than the topicals. Natural routes so far aren't an option. Fleas are damn near indestructible here in California  Everything I've tried naturally has failed miserably.


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## 20887 (Mar 16, 2011)

Onyx said:


> I hate all of the topicals, even Advantage, etc.
> 
> I used Hartz years ago and now my Chi has a permanent little bald spot on her back where her tail starts. That's where quite a bit of the chemicals were applied.
> 
> ...


I have the same problem... The natural stuff just doesn't work for us. I tried a natural topical and the oils in it left a burn on Lion's skin, and they still had fleas. I have used Comfortis in the past and I haven't seen any adverse effects.


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## Lindsayj (Apr 18, 2012)

We use frontline but only every other month. I haven't noticed any adverse effects. Is it bad? Sorry that its slightly off topic.


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

I have been fortunate so far and have not had a problem with fleas. But I used a Hartz product similar to frontline on my dogs about 21 years ago. It about scared me to death! They became very lethargic and acted weird within about 30 minutes! But, me being over-protective as I am, used about one third to one half of the recommended dose. I did use Zodiac spray a few times. I am very leery of any flea medications. I hope I never have to use any.


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## Onyx (Nov 28, 2011)

ljwilson said:


> We use frontline but only every other month. I haven't noticed any adverse effects. Is it bad? Sorry that its slightly off topic.


In my opinion it is. There are risks with all of the flea chemicals out there, especially the topicals. Does it mean your dog is going to die if you use it? Doubt it, lol. I would just try to use it as little as possible if you must use it in your area, like only if my pet were to pick up fleas.

Here's a great article on the affects of some of the popular flea meds.
http://www.apnm.org/publications/resources/fleachemfin.pdf


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## Lindsayj (Apr 18, 2012)

Onyx said:


> In my opinion it is. There are risks with all of the flea chemicals out there, especially the topicals. Does it mean your dog is going to die if you use it? Doubt it, lol. I would just try to use it as little as possible if you must use it in your area, like only if my pet were to pick up fleas.
> 
> Here's a great article on the affects of some of the popular flea meds.
> http://www.apnm.org/publications/resources/fleachemfin.pdf


We absolutely have to use something here. The fleas are terrible. We've already had to get rid of them once. It took about 2 months to get rid of them. So I do want to use a preventative and not just treat when we get them because that's inevitable. What kind would you suggest?


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## Onyx (Nov 28, 2011)

ljwilson said:


> We absolutely have to use something here. The fleas are terrible. We've already had to get rid of them once. It took about 2 months to get rid of them. So I do want to use a preventative and not just treat when we get them because that's inevitable. What kind would you suggest?


Well so long as you feel comfortable using the Frontline and it is working for you, I'd probably keep using it. I don't want to make anyone feel bad about using flea meds, that's not my intentions  I know depending on where you live, flea meds can be a must. And using a preventative is much better than letting your pets become infested. I just like to let everyone know the risks so that way if natural remedies are an option in their area, they can try it.

I currently use Comfortis and I'm very happy with it. It is a monthly pill. Not sure it would meet your needs though because the fleas DO still get on the dog. It basically kills the fleas once they bite and kills them before they can lay eggs and multiply. My dog is allergic to flea bites so that is a little downside but I don't have much of a choice since she has bad reactions to the topicals.

I have also been using a natural spray to try to keep them off her but if it fails, the Comfortis will just kill them off Vetri-Repel Flea & Tick Spray or Wipes for Dogs and Cats I get a decent sized 8oz bottle for $10 off of Amazon.

I also regularly go over Onyx and the kitten with a flea comb because it will pick up any that hop on. So far, I've gotten rid of the horrible infestation I had and everyone's flea free.


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## 20887 (Mar 16, 2011)

ljwilson said:


> We absolutely have to use something here. The fleas are terrible. We've already had to get rid of them once. It took about 2 months to get rid of them. So I do want to use a preventative and not just treat when we get them because that's inevitable. What kind would you suggest?


Personally I like Comfortis. It works really well. Yes it is a chemical, but I think it is a bit safer than Frontline.


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## LittleGemma (Apr 1, 2012)

I always hated having to treat my pets with flea medicine in the US. I just hate how chemical and toxic it all is. I felt so bad applying it to them, but it was a necessity because of how bad the fleas were. Diatomaceous Earth worked alright and I think it would have been enough if all of out pets were indoor pets, but it was not enough to keep them off the indoor/outdoor cat, who then would always give fleas to all the other animals. I'm so thankful that Sweden doesn't seem to have fleas. Must be too cold!


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## BlueJax (Jun 25, 2012)

missy_r said:


> Yesterday at work a couple brought in a cat having a seizure because they had applied Hartz dog flea preventatives to it. I had to carry the poor cat back to treatment, it was just awful. I can't really say much more about it since I am not supposed to talk about other's pets, but I just wanted to give a warning.
> 
> Also, in my opinion if your pet is having a reaction to a medication put on it, I don't think you should take the time to try and wash it off before taking it to the vet. Maybe I am wrong here, but at that point the chemicals are already in the pet's system, and it needs to be treated for toxicity. Can someone correct me if I am wrong?


Yes, Hartz is a horrible product. The reaction seen in that kitty is called organophosphate toxicity. 

Depending on the severity of the reaction and how long it had been since the product had been applied I might give my pet a bath first with dish soap (such as Dawn) to help strip the rest of the product off the coat/skin.


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