They’ve been killing animals since I was a kid. Anyone remember Blockade I think it was? This company could care less about animals. They waited until the furor died down and brought the exact same product back to the market with a new name where it killed new pets. There are plenty of companies out there that don’t make poisonous products and peddle them to the inexperienced owner, just don’t buy anything from them, please!
Oh good Lord! I had no idea…
Thank you so much for starting this thread.
I just typed up an email about HARTZ and the dangers of their products. I sent it to all of my animal-loving, pet-owning family and friends, and encouraged them to pass it along to everyone they know who is an animal lover/pet owner…
If anybody wants the message text to put together their own email, let me know. I can PM it to you, or post it here.
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I’m just amazed that this company is still around. I knew how bad their products were when I was a kid and that was 30 years ago. How they are still in business is a mystery to me.
They’ve been killing pets forever.
I’ve used Seven Dust without a problem on cats and dogs. 10% is most effective, but they seem to have stopped sellling that. 5% works OK, but not as well. I’ve found flea powder they sell in stores is useless!!
[QUOTE=paulaedwina;6299705]
The Frontline isn’t cat toxic -it’s the absolute same ingredients in the dog vs cat formula. You just have to know what dose to use on a cat. I first got the low down from a cat rescue and confirmed it with my vet.
Advantix is different and will straight up kill your cat.
Paula[/QUOTE]
Yep. I use Frontline (or rather the generic/knockoff sold under the name PetArmor because it’s cheaper) because the other common anti-tick medicines are dangerous to cats. While I don’t treat my cats, I can’t keep them away from the dogs or rugs and beds the dogs touch and I’m not taking any chances.
I’ve used bird products from Hartz. I don’t know anyone who’s used the dog or cat products. That stuff always came from the vet.
[QUOTE=SonnysMom;6299443]
I remember hearing about Hartz flea dip and flea spray causing seizures and death in small dogs and cat about 20 years ago. I confirmed with my vet that he had a client that lost a pet.
Since that time I have never purchased any Hartz product. I will NOT support a company that continues to produce and market unsafe products.[/QUOTE]
Me too. I’ve been quietly boycotting Hartz products for years. The EPA had to step in to get Hartz to stop selling a series of products which were known to cause problems in cats. Even then, Hartz worked out an agreement to let the stuff stay in the retail pipeline for another six months.
Ask for a copy & use it!
ReeseTheBeast wrote a really wonderful letter about this horrid issue with Hartz to email to friends. Ya’ll should take her up on her offer to freely use it. Nicely done Reese, nicely done. :yes:
I hadn’t even realized that a lot of the formulas for dogs are toxic to cats. I just treated my dog with PetArmour, and I’m relieved to know that I can continue using it without trouble for my cats.
Off topic: If my dog is treated and my cats are strictly indoors only, should I be treating my cats with the cat appropriate dosage?
Thank you, TTSP! 
Since my PM box is almost full, I’ll just go ahead and post the email here, and people can copy/paste/edit as they wish… Hopefully it helps :yes:
Here goes:
"Hey everyone.
Just in case you were not aware, it is very important that you stay away from all HARTZ brand animal products. HARTZ manufactures flea, tick and other products for dogs and cats. (Apologies in advance if any of you are already aware of these issues, and this email is redundant.)
The following site lists owner documentation of the severe reactions (up to and including death) that these products caused to their pets (specifically, cats and small dogs)… these cases go back to 2002; and this list doesn’t include the cases that occured prior to this website’s stand-up. Google of course pulls up more websites related to HARTZ and the problems their products have caused to cats and small dogs.
http://www.hartzvictims.org/author/admin/
Some of the stories are very difficult to read (especially the one from the woman who lost 4 out of 5 of her cats within days of each other because of using a HARTZ flea treatment), but I thought it was very important to share all of this with you… please pass this along to all current/future/past pet owners you know. The word needs to be spread… most pet owners are not aware of the risks associated with these products, or the chemicals in them.
The primary active ingredients in HARTZ flea and tick products are Tetrachlorvinophos, Phenothrin, and S-Methoprene; which are all very strong pesticides. Incidentally, Phenothrin is KNOWN to be extremely toxic (and very often, lethal) to cats… so why is HARTZ using it in the products they manufacture for cats?? The cats who have been affected/killed by HARTZ products have suffered acute systemic phenothrin toxicity; which causes seizures, muscle tremors, skin rashes, lethargy, decreased heart rate, fluid build-up in the lungs, hair loss, blindess, and ataxia/neurologic symptoms, among other issues.
Tetrachlorvinophos (TCVP) is an organophosphate pesticide used to kill fleas and ticks. It classified as a “likely human carcinogen,” and is known to be toxic to the human nervous system… cats are notoriously sensitive animals (even moreso than humans); so again- why is this chemical being used in a product manufactured for cats?
Based on some of the posts on the above-listed site, it sounds like there are people who are banding together in order to file a class-action lawsuit against HARTZ. If you or someone you know (or someone they know) has ever lost a pet, or had a pet experience undue suffering due to the use of HARTZ products, you/they may want to join the suit. According to some of the other websites I’ve browsed, at least two class-action lawsuits have already been filed; with many more filed by individuals.
Of course winning a lawsuit against HARTZ won’t bring a beloved pet back or undo the sadness of their loss or suffering. But it will at least send a message to HARTZ and the FDA/EPA that allowing the production of these products, and then allowing them to be sold for use on pets in this country (respectively), is unacceptable.
Sorry for the long-windedness… when it comes to animals, I am very passionate (like I know all of you are, too). Thank you so much for passing this information on to every pet owner you know, and for encouraging them to pass it along to every pet owner they know… There is strength in numbers, and I know that if we all work together, we can make big changes!"
Is there someone that we can get a list of all products manufactured by Hartz? I was reading on the posted website about cats being harmed by Hartz Cat Treats, and I didn’t even know they made cat treats! It would be helpful to have a list to know what products to avoid.
Uh - just do a websearch on “Recalled Hartz Mountain Pet Products”, & you can take the time to make your own list.
Wow, how horrible what some of these pets and owners have had to go through. :no:
Walmart has a ton of Hartz products, and people do buy them. I can’t see how these people are still in business with all these pets having horrible reactions to it.
Its so very frustrating that these products are still on the shelves. Part of the problem is that EVERY SINGLE VET knows, but can do so very very little to get them off the shelves. The process to report adverse events is so lenghty and complicated the vet has to choose between treating the animal or spending the time trying to report it. Then you do report it, and Hartz finds some other reason that the cat is suddenly tremoring and seizing after their product has been applied. I’ve had to sit for 12 hours monitoring a cat in an induced coma because it was to only way to stop the seizures and prevent heat stroke/brain damage. If I never have to do it again it will be too soon!
Because these products are pesticides they are only forced to comply with EPA’s much less stringent regulations rather than the FDA that should be in control since it is really a medication. The FDA would have this garbage off the shelves so fast it would make your head spin.
And for anyone who still is unsure, Sergents, BioSpot, and Sentry products are just as bad.
Also, fly sprays for horses are even more toxic to cats, so use some common sense when spraying them, move away from the cat napping on the tack box, and do not think you can help with any bugs on the cats by spraying them.
Here’s my own personal story from hell. Rescued an airedale terrier mix when I was about 16/17. Mom made me give the obvious wormy puppy Hartz dewormer. Puppy started passing massive amounts of blood. Rushed to vet, vet thinks parvo. I kept telling him it wasn’t parvo but something to do with the dewormer. He tested her bloody excrements. 24hrs later we got the tests results back. Not parvo. The dewormer had worked but it had caused the hook worms to shred the intestinal lining. She lived but it was touch and go. Mom finally agreed to never use Hartz products again including the stuffed animals. As for the pup, Sheba, she made it out damn good. Went from an abandon puppy that the boys were going to shoot to a personal therapy dog riding around in BMWs and being doted on every second of her life. She is still kicking back in the lap of luxury. Her owner passed away but left the bulk of his estate to her well being. Even if she lives to be 40years old there would still be plenty of money. Lucky dog indeed.
Bump as an FYI for any new board readers.
We almost lost our rescue kitten to the Hartz formula. He had been fine for days on.the dry food he had been on before we got him, but obviously way too small for that and needed formula. He threw up on the long car ride to our place after a couple formula feedings and became totally lethargic, showing little signs of life, you would pick up his head and it would flop down. Thought he was on his way out but rushed him to the ER vet. He came to and seemed fine but was a little wobbly. Thought he was just carsick. Next couple days he went in and out of being fine and NQR, kinda wobbly and disoriented at times. Woke up one morning to him unable to see or walk straight, kept going in circles and running into the wall. I happened to notice that the formula my mother in law had bought was the Hartz brand one. I had seen the website when researching flea meds so I thought there might be a connection. I found stories of many people experiencing the same symptoms with their kittens and even death. I immediately tossed it, got another formula, and he was totally fine the next day. Never wobbled or threw up again and has grown into a happy healthy kitty. Makes me sick that this company continues to produce products that kill so many pets but they can get away with it. I will never buy anything from them, even toys.
Every veterinarian knows that these products are awful. None of them recommend over the counter flea and tick preventatives. Sadly clients think that they know better and that the veterinarian community is just out to nickle and dime them. No really, we truly care about the life of your animal.
I had a close call with Hartz Flea and Tick with my sensitive-to-everything cat. I put the drops between her shoulder blades and within an hour, she was listless and her eyes were dilated. I promptly put her in the bathtub and shampooed her to get the stuff off. Then I did a google search and was mortified with what I found. Kitty improved after the bath and was fine the next day.
Same kitty had had a similar reaction the first time I used Febreeze in my house shortly after I brought two puppies home. The vet who saw us completely blew off my concerns about the Febreeze because P&G had sent out a huge marketing campaign denying that Febreeze can harm pets.
Rimadyl: my heart dog (lab mix - one of the aforementioned puppies) died last fall as the result of a four day course of Rimadyl. I followed all the instructions and called the vet at the first sign of an adverse reaction. Actually, there were two phone calls and one office visit in one day at the first sign of an adverse reaction. They completely blew me off. “Give her some chicken and rice.” was the response I got each time. Two days later the whites of her eyes had turned mustard yellow. When I took her back into the clinic that evening, they finally did some blood work and concluded that something was wrong - acute liver and kidney failure. She died a month later after I spent ridiculous amounts of money on dialysis trying to save her. One of these days I’ll post a detailed thread about it.
One of my co-workers lost her heart dog, an aussie cattledog, a few days after giving her an ivermectin-based heartworm medication, which is known to have adverse reactions with herding dogs. Her veterinarian was oblivious to these risks.
In short, as we all know, we must be our pets’ best advocates. We may not be veterinarians, but we know our pets and know when something is wrong. We’ve all had good doctors for our own medical care and doctors who are not so good. When it comes to our own medical care, it’s easier to identify those occasions when a doctor isn’t hearing what we’re telling them. When it comes to our pets, we have to trust our own judgment that we know our pets and know when to push harder (or consult another veterinarian) when the vet isn’t hearing what we’re telling them.
Know what you’re giving your pets. Be aware of the symptoms of an adverse reaction. Know when to consult a veterinarian and, if necessary, when to get a second opinion.
I wish this issue were more visible, I had no idea and used the flea drops on my to cats – I was lucky, one got a little bit ill and the other more so, but nothing too serious or tragic since I was able to research and bathe quickly enough.
Makes me want to print up little stickers that say “Hartz Kills” with a skull and crossbones or something plus the website address or a QC code, and casually go stick them on Hartz products in stores. :winkgrin:
Vive la vérité! :yes:
