OHMIDOG! : Flea collars found hazardous to pets, people

Some flea collars for cats and dogs leave cancer-causing chemicals on their fur that are hazardous to the pets and their owners, the Natural Resources Defense Council says.
The council has filed a lawsuit, asking*the federal Environmental Protection Agency to order the removal*of two chemicals — propoxur and TCVP, or tetrachlorvinphos — contained in many flea collars. Up until now,*the EPA has said exposure to the chemicals in flea collars is insignificant.
The NRDC, in a report released yesterday,*says the*chemicals*left residue high enough to pose a risk of cancer and neurological damage to children that is*1,000 times higher than the EPA’s acceptable levels.
“Just because a product is sold in stores doesn’t mean it’s safe,” said Dr. Gina Solomon, a physician and a toxicologist with the environmental group and an author of the study.
The federal agency had no immediate response to*to the petition, or allegations that it failed to safeguard the public and their pets from dangerous pesticides.
The lawsuit, filed in California’s*Alameda County Superior Court,*claims 16 retailers and manufacturers, including chain pet supply and grocery stores, failed to warn consumers that they were exposed to unsafe levels of propoxur in violation of state law.
The group conducted tests on nine dogs and five cats. The tests for TCVP were conducted on Hartz Advanced Care 3-in-1 Control Collar for Cats and Hartz Advanced Care 2-in-1 Reflecting Flea & Tick Collar for Dogs. Tests for propoxur were done on Zodiac Flea & Tick Collar for dogs and Bio Spot Flea and Tick Collar for dogs.
Pet owners calling the National Pesticide Information Center have complained that dogs and cats wearing collars containing the ingredients had stopped eating or drinking and showed symptoms including vomiting, twitching, diarrhea. There was no confirmation that the collars caused the problems.
In the tests for TCVP, after three days, 60 percent of the dogs and 40 percent of the cats had residue levels that*exceed the EPA’s acceptable level for developing brains of toddlers who spend an average amount of time with a pet. For toddlers who have a lot more pet contact or have more than one pet, residue levels on 80 percent of the dogs and all of the cats would exceed the acceptable level.
In the tests for propoxur, after three days, all of the dogs had residue levels that would exceed the EPA’s acceptable level to for developing brains of toddlers spending an average amount of time with a pet.
You can read the NRDC press release here.
NRDC’s groundbreaking 2000 report “Poison on Pets” led to the ban of six other pesticides in pet products, but products containing TCVP and propoxur are still on store shelves.*
NRDC’s new report, Poison on Pets II, found flea collars containing TCVP and propoxur pose serious neurological and cancer risks. These chemical-laden flea collars expose humans to highly hazardous chemicals that can damage the brain and nervous system and cause cancer, especially among children.
The NRDC is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment.


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