Continuing saga of cats

[judecorp]

So yesterday I got Fin back inside the house. Score! Jen was worried about him bringing in fleas so she went to the store to get some sort of flea treatment for him. She ended up getting this Hartz stuff that was a three month supply so she decided to do all three cats, so all of them would be protected from fleas. Fine.

Daedalus started wigging out as soon as we put it on him. He was running all over the place and trying to lick it off. No big deal, right? So we went to bed. This morning there were wet clumps of fur all over the house and on further inspection, Daedalus had a huge chunk of fur missing from his body and was continuing to scratch that red area. Jen called a 24-hour vet who said to wash him off and be on the lookout for neurological symptoms.

I went to give him a treat to make up for the washing off, and he was salivating like a dog. The drool was just pouring out of his mouth and he was panting. His pupils were totally blown. So I drove him up to Deerfield to the emergency vet. Apparently the Hartz flea and tick stuff contains pyrethins which are toxic to cats and cause neurological and sympathetic nervous system issues. It could be fatal.

Daedalus is spending at least one night at the emergency vet receiving muscle relaxers and IV fluids to try to flush this poison out of his system. His liver and kidney functions are being tested and cats actually die from this. Estimates for his treatment, if it is successful, are around $800. The vet seemed very positive that he would be okay but of course couldn't make any guarantees.

This is apparently a common problem with Hartz products. I will be filing complaints with them when they reopen on Tuesday and I have been told they may reimburse some vet expenses if it is proven that it came from their product. I will give this a try, but mostly I am worried that Daedalus won't survive.

And where the hell do I get an extra $800? Sigh. At least (so far) the other cats seem okay. Please pray.

~//~

Also, Punk has a cold. A new one. And didn't sleep last night. And hasn't wanted to nap. And is cranky. And full of snot.

Comments

[childlight.livejournal.com]

Yeah Hartz is very bad. Check out
http://www.hartzvictims.org/

If you live near a Petsmart with a Banfield inside you can buy Advantage or Frontline both of which I have used without any problems.

I hope Daedalus is home safe and sound with you soon.

[lemur68.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my vet told me about Hartz. I've had good luck with Frontline; all three of my girls are currently flea-free (though that may change as I'm currently sheltering three stray kittens).

Looks like Cute Overload won't be getting any traffic from me as well. God, fuck those people.

[sacharine.livejournal.com]

I have heard the same things about many types of OTC flea meds, unfortunately. It blows my mind that they are still allowed to be sold to pet owners. The vet also steered us away from flea collars, etc.

[indigodove.livejournal.com]

I will pray for all of you, especially D. *hug*

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

I hope he'll be okay.

[eight.livejournal.com]

I hope he is okay - and there's no doubt in my mind Hartz is liable for your costs.

They really sell products for cats which contain cat poisons??

[sarahaubry.livejournal.com]

i will not comment of Hartz. i have already heard enough. poor D. call me back :(

[sassywoman.livejournal.com]

OMG. Your poor kitty. How can a company get away selling something that could kill the animal they are trying to protect. That is just awful. I hope you get some $$ from them.
Hugs to punkster.

[rexlezard.livejournal.com]

A *very* similar thing happened to my cat when I was a kid - she was convulsing, and having muscle spasms, etc.

(In that case it was user error - the stuff was supposed to be diluted 1:40 for use on cats, and my mom didn't read the directions.)

Rosie was totally fine and ended up living for a long bit after that. She finally went to the big kitty condo in the sky at 17, just a year or so ago.

$800 sucks, still, and you should totally complain to hartz. This is America! Sue them!

[kaleidoscopeeye.livejournal.com]

I have also read other bad things from Hartz. I hope it turns out okay for you guys and your cat. *hugs*

I have snot filled kids too...and my husband and I have the joy of catching it from them...so we have a snot filled house. Wheeee.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

i'm horrified by this. i hope things are ok.

[ladygreyy.livejournal.com]

Oh no, Dae! That stuff is evil, I'm amazed it's not been pulled from stores. Hartz KNOWS this, yet does nothing. So worried. :(

[kieron.livejournal.com]

I went to the walmart today, the one where I bought it last night, and spoke to a store manager. She pulled off all of the liquid hartz flea stuff and said she would speak to the buyer about it. I told her about the websites and what happened to Daedalus. She was horrified - she has two cats herself and was very upset.

[rizzo41.livejournal.com]

Holy cow! That's crazy outrageous that Hartz is allowed to profit off harming animals! I hope Big D is ok! I'd definately ask the vet to put something in writing that his vet bill is due to the Hartz product and go after them for the full bill and then some! Hughughug. I'm sending good thoughts your way.

[http://users.livejournal.com/__miss__world/]

Poor Daedalus. :( Keep us posted.

[cappucinogrrl.livejournal.com]

I'm really sorry. I'll be thinking of Daedalus. Hang in there.

[rockymtnhigh.livejournal.com]

Awww, I'm so sorry. Hope your kitty feels better soon! HUGS!

[ntiva.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry. I hope he's okay.

[thatpatti.livejournal.com]

poor d! i hope he's ok. probably a good thing he weighs 87 pounds, huh? keep us ponsted!!

[folkyboy.livejournal.com]

omg! i hope things are ok :(

[colleenod.livejournal.com]

i hope D. is okay. how awful!

[lizardjee.livejournal.com]

i am sorry to hear about Daedalus. our smushie did not make it past the bath :(, i hope the vet can work some magic.

[daddi-cade.livejournal.com]

where the hell do I get an extra $800?

I was going to say, sue the Hartz bastards. How on EARTH can they get away with selling a product that is toxic to the animals it is supposed to help is beyond me.

We all have fingers & paws crossed here that Dædalus recovers fully.

[(Anonymous)]

I went to look up this entry. I just started to put some Hartz OnePoint on Varmy, which I've used before and this one is from the same package. I normally use Frontline but I've not had problems with this product. I remember D and looked up online what the problem was. OnePoint *only* has S-Methoprene whereas according to the web, the previous Advanced Care had that and Phenothrin, which seemed to be the the culprit. Which product did you use? Did the vet say it was Phenothrin poisoning? Frontline also has S-Methoprene in stronger amounts than the OnePoint. I'm not worried about Varmy because I've used the product before, just being cautious. Which Hartz product did you use?