Okay, so last week, you know, when we thought we were going camping for the weekend, I noticed that my dogs were out of Canine Advantix. So, since we were going to the woods, and since I’m allergic to fleas and not welcoming to ticks, I put this on the “To Buy” list when I went to PetsMart for dog food. Thi Thi was with me on that trip and we went together back to the Flea Treatments to check out what they had. Because, in the past, I had used Biospot with the same success as the prescription products, I decided to shop around and check out the other products available. You know, because we’re trying to cut back anywhere we can. After reading every label back there, we both decided to try the Sargent’s Sentry Pro XFC on our furry family members. Because, you know, it supposedly did everything that Advantix did, for a lot less money! Now, mind you, I am a very conscientious pet owner. In fact, most everybody familiar with my pet-rearing standards would tell you that I am almost obsessive about my canine kids. I go so far as to interview kennels, I have my pets on extremely high quality food, they don’t eat very much human food at all, I carry pet health insurance, and they are on a first-name basis with our Vet because they are in there every time I see anything unusual going on at all. In short, I chose to add these animals to our home and I feel it is my responsibility to do everything in my power to make sure that they are kept healthy and happy for their entire lives. However, today I am regretting greatly the fact that I purchased this product and really doubting myself for not first investigating this product more thoroughly prior to applying it to the dogs. Because today I was very surprised to learn that a company like Sargeant’s (a very old and well-respected pet care brand) apparently does not share my same focus on pet healthcare. Why do I say that? Well, because that new flea and tick treatment? That Sentry Pro XFC? Yeah, that stuff is horrible. In fact, in the last 24 hours we’ve figured out that this seemingly helpful product has poisoned two dogs in my and my sister’s collective households. The smallest- their Angel- was seriously affected, and the medium-sized one - our Lulu - is still dealing with the aftereffects from exposure to this product. To the point, this product is a topical poison. In fact, one of the active ingredients in this product is the same insecticide that is used in some Ant Killers. According to this site (and others) on the web, there have been dogs getting sick from this product for over two years. Further, even though Sargeant’s has been made aware of the risks and the illnesses, they are still selling this horrible product. I’m quite sure that any attorney would agree that this kind of disregard for pet health is tantamount to reckless endangerment - for animals and humans. Why humans? Well, because Bub also got a topical rash on Friday evening after spending some time playing with Lulu and her poison back stripe. So, yeah, it’s extremely dangerous for us too. Now why would it be considered okay for animals?
To recap what we’ve collectively dealt with so far, from Thursday night until today, Lulu’s personality has completely changed. She has been jumping, spasming, biting at imaginary things, licking at the air, and has been much more aggressive than I’ve ever seen her in her entire life. Also, we had some drooling over the weekend as well as obsessive licking and she’s drinking a huge amount of water. To be sure, since she was groomed on Monday she has settled down some, but we’re still seeing some after-effects and I’m taking her to the vet just in case. Now, as for Mabel, so far so good. But you have to keep in mind that Mabel is a much larger dog than Angel and Lulu, so it would take much more exposure to this poison over a much longer period of time in order for us to see any of the same effects with her. As for Angel’s side effects, you can read all about them here.
To be very clear, I am mad as hell over this. Shame on you Sargeant’s Pet Care for endangering my pets!!! These are expensive dogs that we share our lives with. We have made a large investment in them, their health, and their comfort. We have done everything we can to ensure that their lives are as long as possible and as good as they can be. WE do not unnecessarily expose them to toxic chemicals, and we very naively trusted the companies who provide us with pet care products to do the same. To find out that yet another company is not is sad. To confirm that your only focus is on the business of making as much money as possible, no matter how many pets are harmed while you do that is criminal. Simply criminal. I know I might sound obsessive here, but honestly, I cannot lab test every item that I use for or on my dogs. However, I’m not sure that there’s any other way to prevent somebody else’s shoddy production and poor product testing from killing our furry family members.
Please be aware of this product and the lack of regard that the Sargeant’s petcare family has for the health of your pet. Hopefully all of our furry kids will be okay, but you can be sure that if they are not then there will be answers sought from somebody, somewhere at the Sargeant’s company. Both my husband and I, as well as our pets, deserve to know why a large company felt it was acceptable to poison animals with a product that they require in order to live in comfort and without the risk of Heartworm disease from Mosquito bites. Do yourself a favor and check your pets, remember that almost all of the flea prevention products on the market today are basically insecticide that you are applying to your dog or cat’s skin. It does absorb into their bodies, that’s how it kills fleas and ticks. It is dangerous after enough usages. Think about that. And remember that if the product is that dangerous to your animal, then what could it do to the humans in your home if they were to be accidentally exposed to it too? The lives you save could be your own.