Hartz Must Re-Label Pesticides After Cat Deaths

WASHINGTON, DC, December 2, 2002 (ENS) - Thousands of illnesses and deaths in cats and kittens have led to a reissue of some flea and tick products, along with new warning labels and other protective measures.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said last week that safety concerns stemming from use of two flea and tick control products for cats and kittens, led the agency to persuade the Hartz Mountain Corp. to enact measures to reduce potential risks to pets from using these products.

"EPA sought this agreement due to concerns over safety issues based on thousands of adverse effects incidents investigated by EPA," the agency said.

Under an agreement with the EPA, Hartz has ceased the distribution of Hartz Advanced Care Brand Flea and Tick Drops Plus for Cats and Kittens and Hartz Advanced Care Brand Once-a-Month Flea and Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens.

When the new packaging is available in January, Hartz will exchange it for the current packages, a spokesman said today. This is considered "an orderly product exchange" by the EPA, not a recall, and the company is permitted to sell those products that are still on the shelves.

Hartz is required to recover, repackage, and re-label currently available stock of the flea and tick drops and to educate consumers about their risks if applied incorrectly. "The actual product formulation will not change," said Hartz in a statement November 21.

In the so-called "stripe-on" procedure now recommended by the company to apply its flea and tick drops in a stripe down the cat’s back, the animals can reach around and lick it from their fur. The EPA says incident reports ranged from "minor adverse effects including skin irritation or hair loss at the application site and salivation to more serious effects on the nervous system, such as tremors (twitching of muscles) and, in some circumstances, severe full body tremors (convulsion). Unfortunately, in some cases, death has also been reported."

In the new process, the drops are applied at the base of the cat’s head. As part of these changes, Hartz will also include a more detailed precautionary statement on the label. The company worked closely with the EPA to develop this new packaging and labeling.

To continue to evaluate safety concerns for cats, the EPA is also requiring Hartz to submit an additional animal safety study conducted by an independent laboratory, and to submit additional quarterly reports specific to cats, summarizing any incidents of toxic effects from Hertz products.

The new product labels, which will start appearing on store shelves over the next several months, will direct users to consult with a veterinarian before use of these products on debilitated, aged, medicated, pregnant or nursing animals, or animals known to be sensitive to pesticides. The labels will advise that cats should be monitored after application of the product and if any adverse symptoms are observed, the animal should be washed with mild soap and rinsed with water and evaluated by a veterinarian.

The EPA is also requiring Hartz to conduct a consumer education program, which will include a website, direct mail campaign to pet owners, pet stores and veterinarians on the new safety improvements. If consumers choose to return either of the two Hartz products, the company is expected to exchange it for the relabeled product or refund the purchase price.

The company is also required to improve labeling on individual tubes of the affected products to help ensure consumers are using them correctly.

For more information on the EPA's action, visit: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/citizens/hartzq_a.htm

For information regarding the product recovery and label improvements, consumers may contact Hartz by phone at: 800- 275-1414.

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Hartz Must Re-Label Pesticides After Cat Deaths