ProMeris - To Kill Ticks and Fleas

 

I've researced the warnings about this product and while the ASPCA does not have anything on their website at this time I found hundreds of forums where people had shared their experiences with this product. They all reported the same issues.

Below is just one comment that tells the experience all of the people who posted on forums had with this product. The level of symptoms varied a little, but not much, and all sizes and breeds seemed to be affected.

Example of Forum Posts:

This is Jo and this is a very important message to my family & friends who have dogs-cats--and to alert you to the hazard of using a new Flea & Tick Preventative called ProMeris http://www.promeris.com/consumer/.

This is a new product designed to be a more effective product than other flea/tick treatments that was just released this year. It is available thru a vet and not currently on-line. I got ProMeris this week for my 7 dogs (6 Huskies & 1 Golden-Airedale) , and the results were debilitating for nearly all of them-including me. Since my incident this week, my vet has pulled it from distribution and alerted the manufacturer, Fort Dodge.

Here are my results: Within less than 2 hours after applying, 4 of my dogs had vomited from 2-4 times, 3 were disoriented and stumbling, 1 was dragging his back leg, 1 was salivating. I had very similar symptoms like an allergic reaction-my lips were swollen, eyes very red, mucous membranes such as eyes, nose, and mouth were stinging. I was very disoriented- dizzy equilibrium and not able to drive. To make this a short story-all 7 of my dogs were admitted to the hospital for veterinarian care, and 3 of them remained for care, IV fluids and observation for 24 hours. I was in the emergency room. I'm home now and so are the dogs. We're all feeling much better. Vet bills were over $2,500 and Fort Dodge is paying for these. Not only can the product cause this reaction, it has a highly noxious odor that permeated the house and is just starting to dissipate after 3 days.

Your dogs/cats might not have the same reaction, but given my experience-I wanted to help you all become well-educated about the product.

Manufacturer's Comments:

Comments: The manufacturer of ProMeris, Fort Dodge Animal Health (a division of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals), has acknowledged in a statement that the case described above, involving multiple adverse reactions in seven dogs owned by the same person, was reported by the attending veterinarian on April 11, 2008. According to the statement the company's Professional Service Department is still gathering information on the case and will take appropriate action once all the details are known.

The statement also acknowledges "a high number of email forwards and Internet postings" (such as the one above) questioning the safety of ProMeris, all of which the company believes stem from this one case. That may well be true, but at least one other veterinarian, Dr. Paul Jaco of Kentucky, has also reported seeing "a fair share" of adverse side effects from use of the same product, including lethargy, nervous twitching, and hyper salivation. In an interview with WPSD-TV News in Paducah, Jaco said ProMeris isn't a product he currently recommends.

HOW TO USE GARLIC TO KILL FLEAS

Using garlic to repel and kill fleas has become quite popular in the pet world. Rather than use potentially dangerous chemicals to keep your dog flea-free, you can use garlic and get the same results. You should consult with your veterinarian before using garlic to make sure your dog can handle the treatment. Fortunately, it is quite easy to kill fleas with garlic.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Things you’ll need:

• Raw garlic
• Garlic supplements

o    1 Add fresh, raw garlic to your dog's diet. The amount depends on your dog's weight, so consult with a holistic veterinarian. Garlic makes a dog taste bad to fleas.

o    2 Give your dog supplements that contain garlic. Many pet stores sell products that contain garlic just for the flea killing and prevention. Follow the dosing directions on the label.

o    3 Feed your dog treats that contain garlic powder. To make these flea-killing treats, dissolve three beef bullion cubes in 1-1/2 cups of boiling water and set aside. Mix 2 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 cup of cornmeal, 2/3 cup of brewer's yeast and 2 tablespoons of garlic powder in a large bowl. Add 2 egg yolks and slowly add the beef-infused water while stirring. If done properly, the dough will become quite thick. Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it is 1/4-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out your cookies and place them on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes in a 350° oven, then turn the heat off and let the sheet sit in the oven for at least 3 hours. The garlic, along with the brewer's yeast, will keep the jumpy pests away from your pooch.

Dog Saves Boy

This report was in the AOL News today.  

When 22-month-old Tyler Jacobson wandered off into the dark woods surrounding his South Carolina home, he was wearing only his T-shirt and a diaper.

Rescuers using a bloodhound tracking team and an infrared-equipped search helicopter scoured the woods for the missing boy, but high winds and deep darkness forced them to call off their search until daylight Saturday.

After wandering away from home, 22-month-old Tyler Jacobson made it through a cold night in the dark South Carolina woods thanks to his family dog, the local sheriff said.

Thankfully, the toddler had someone looking after him. One of his family's dogs apparently had tagged along and stayed at his side through the night, keeping the boy warm and safe as temperatures dropped into the 40s.

"I believe that dog being with him is what kept him alive," Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews told AOL News in a telephone interview today.

"I was with one of my officers talking to the helicopter crew when we got the call, 'They found him.' And I was like, 'Is he alive?' We worried there was no way, because of the coldness and because he had been out there all night.

"When they said, 'He's fine,' I'm thinking, Wow. How did that happen? And the answer is because of that dog."

Tyler was reported missing about 8 p.m. Friday by his mother, Jacklyn Marie Jacobson, 25, who said that the child left the bedroom where she and her boyfriend were watching a movie to get some juice, according to local newspaper The State.

Dozens of police officers, firefighters and sheriff's deputies searched the woods, some using bloodhounds, while the helicopter circled overhead in a search pattern. But the infrared was looking for a little boy alone -- and without knowing one of the family's two dogs was missing as well, they may have missed the pair, Matthews said.

"We're surmising that's why the helicopter crew could not distinguish the child. They picked up deer and other animals, but they just did not see a small child alone," Matthews told AOL News. Around 3 a.m., with the helicopter needing fuel and winds increasing, they decided the search would resume Saturday morning.

That morning, as dozens of police officers and firefighters headed into the woods with volunteer searchers, a man walking down the road said he thought he heard crying in the woods, Matthews said.

The crying boy and the dog, a mid-size black Labrador retriever mix, were found about a quarter mile from home. The child was cold but otherwise uninjured, Matthews said.

Emily DuBose and Linda Harr, who live in the house near where Tyler was found, said they heard the helicopters overhead Friday night but didn't know a little boy was missing.

"When we saw the choppers last night, we just assumed a criminal was loose, so I locked the door. The last thing I was gonna do is go outside," Harr told local television news station WIS-TV. "I just wish I'd have known, I could have warmed him up, called the cops."

They praised the dog, who kept close to Tyler.

"Just thinking that a dog would watch a baby over the night, it's kind of like a movie instead of real life," DuBose told the station.