KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Fleas and ticks are a big problem, but pet owners across the country said they're spending thousands of dollars to save their pets after applying some products meant to repel fleas and ticks.
"I wondered every day if he was going to make it," Jan Jaffe said.
Jan Jaffe said her dog, Choe, became sick 48 hours after her vet applied a second dose of FRONTLINE Plus.
"Vomiting. I knew he was quite ill," Jaffe said.
Jaffe said her dog required four blood transfusions and expensive drugs to keep him alive and that her dog was never sick until after the flea and tick product was applied.
"It just never stopped. Never stopped," Jaffe said pointing to a stack of vet bills.
Jaffe spent $10,000 to save Choe, and she's not alone. In Texas, it took $5,000 to save Sassy the cat.
EPA investigating flea and tick products
Manufacturers reported adverse reactions to the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA said from 2007 to 2008, incidents increased by 53 percent.
The EPA said pet owners reported symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, salivation, itching, hair loss, skin ulcerations, lethargy, nervousness and seizure. That prompted an EPA investigation in 2009 and a warning in 2010.
The EPA's investigation and warning focused only on spot-on products. These are the drops you apply to your pet's back. It includes products like K9 Advantix and FRONTLINE Plus, but they're not the only products on the market for flea and tick control. There are also shampoos and powders from companies like Hartz and Sergeant's.
Despite all the choices, the EPA is only focusing on spot-on products because it said that's where it saw the increase in complaints. The EPA said it hasn't noticed a trend for the other formulas; although, there are complaints.
Our investigation of the latest data found 34,849 incidents were reported in a 16-month period. There were 26,977 reported in the calendar year 2010 and 7,871 more reported from January 2011 to April 2011. When the EPA evaluated the data in 2008, it found approximately 44,000 incidents.
Vet thinks spot-on products are safe
"When you take into account the billions and billions of doses that are used, how big a percentage are 34,000 compared to billions?" Veterinarian David Koncal, DVM asked. Koncal is vice president of the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA). He also has a practice, Northfield Veterinary Clinic. Koncal said he believes spot-on products are safe.
"I'd be willing to bet that 99 percent of the adverse reactions that are reported, there is something else going on in that animal that created that demise. It's just a coincidence the flea product was used on them," Koncal said.
Serena Turner with the Fairway Animal Hospital in Fairway, Kansas told NBC Action News that any risk outweighs the benefits from the product. "If you're looking at a high risk of ticks getting on your dog and therefore a high risk of disease transmission, it's worth the risk to apply those medications,” said Turner.
In a letter, FRONTLINE's parent company, Merial, told Choe and Sassy's owners that the symptoms of their pet were not consistent with the use of FRONTLINE.
Merial has sold more than a billion doses of FRONTLINE. In a statement the company said:
The EPA's analysis also shows that the overall numbers of adverse events reported for FRONTLINE products are extremely low and the vast majority is minor, for example skin irritation at the application site.
The Humane Society of the United States is pushing the EPA to do more
It's not just consumers who continue to fight with letter writing campaigns, websites and class action lawsuits. The Humane Society of the United States also wants change.
"I think we are only scratching the surface as far as the actual injuries or deaths that occur as a result of these products," Adam Golfarb of the Humane Society said.
In a letter, the Humane Society told the EPA it wants a National Poison Control Hotline so complaints are processed in a central location. The Humane Society wants that number added to the labels of flea and tick products.
The EPA's own investigation found it needs standardized reporting and more detail about the reported incidents. The reports the EPA gets now detail the number of incidents per product and the severity is classified into a category. There are no details about what the pet owner says happened.
While the EPA wants a better system, reporting has not yet improved. The data the EPA sent us was gathered the way it was in 2008 when the investigation started.
Some consumers who've reported problems wonder if their complaint ever made it to the EPA. "Why would the EPA allow the manufacturer to police themselves?"
Jaffe asked. We asked the EPA for an interview, but our request was denied.
EPA looking at labeling changes
The Humane Society wants consumers to see all the ingredients in the product, but some are not disclosed because they are considered confidential business information.
"We believe the proprietary nature of
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