I was in for our last booster shot at the vet this morning and while we were waiting a HUGE GSD came in obviously distressed. The owners (a couple and a boy) said he was 4 years old and they had bathed him the day before. He apparently threw up right after the bath and was distressed all night. He was having trouble walking, his stomach was bloated, and he was having spasms. It was AWFUL. The vet came in the waiting room and said it was poisoning and immediately got an attendent to get an IV set up for him. In the middle of this we of course got called into our examination room. On our way out, we saw they were outside crying and I talked to them for a bit. The vet said they didn't know if he was going to make it. They showed us the shampoo bottle- it was Hartz 2in1 flea shampoo.
I felt so bad for them- the guy kept saying the dog was his best friend and he couldn't believe that a shampoo could do this to him. We got interrupted and they were called in, so we left.
Unfortunately, as we were driving past, I saw the boy come running out of the office crying hysterically... so I'm assuming the worst
I FEEL SO BAD. Anyone have any experience with OTC flea products? This is so messed up... very traumatic experience. The dog didn't have fleas, but they said he smelled because he was playing in water so they probably just used whatever they had on hand to wash him up.
I don't think I'll ever use an OTC flea product, ever. Not after seeing that...
Mixing different products can cause reactions as well. Heartworm meds /flea treatments. It is very scary! I worked at an exotic bird store that also sold pet items 16 yrs ago, and we always warned clients about this. We did not sell any Hartz products(knew better, even back then).
OH this is just awful. I have never heard of such a problem. I don't use those products but I know I never will now!!! Thanks for letting us know. I'm so sorry for the dog and his family.
That is so sad. I was thinking about giving my dog a bath today with a Sargents flea and tick product. The only reason why I was considering that was because my body is breaking out from either poison ivy or poison oak. The only way I could be getting it is from the dog running through some bushes in the back yard. I'm reconsidering that after reading this because she already is on the Frontline Plus.
Yes, I burst into tears when the vet was in the waiting room and said the dog was poisoned. I felt so hard for all of them... poor family. The worst part is, I believe I recognize where they live and I ride my bike past their house when I go mt. biking (they are right near the trail head). I always talked to him when he barked at me. I feel so sad
You would not believe the stories you read on the internet about the same thing happening to dogs and especially cats. it's SO terrible! there should be a big warning on the products.
Your post may have just saved another dog. I'm sitting here stunned at this information. I had no idea... Never bought Hartz (always my vet's products or pet specific places). Had some that was from a drugstore buyout (lots of pet stuff, mostly Hartz). I kept the new collars, leashes, toys for rescue donations, but I held onto the shampoos and some other Hartz products. The other day it was 100+ degrees and had Po outside, sent my partner in the house to grab whatever was handy and I proceeded to slather him up (the exact stuff you mentioned). This wasn't a planned bath, just an impulsive move because Po has just recovered from a bout with his hips and was long overdue. He seemed so strong and happy, it just seemed a good moment for a bath. I did take extra care with rinsing and drying him because his long coat really demands it. He was okay for a while after the bath, but by sundown, he was definitely not feeling well. For the next 2 days, he was not himself at all and I thought maybe a slight relapse with the hip discomfort. He just had that "Mom, I feel like I'm going to throw up" look and was not eating and drinking per normal but enough that I was not totally alarmed. After a couple days of careful watchful waiting, he is totally okay now. I attributed him being down in the mouth to his recent hip bout and the extreme heat that he so hates to go out in even to potty. Of course, in retrospect, had I known what I now know, I would have rushed him to the vet.
I simply had no idea and it never occurred to me that the shampoo could be the issue. I have no defense for my ignorance - how could I miss this? My vet of 20 years (just retired) has warned me on certain products but never a word about Hartz. I guess he assumed I would never use a product of this quality (lack of). I'm just beginning to process the loss of 3 dogs nearly back-to-back - I can't begin to fathom losing this boy, especially due to my own actions.
My heart goes out to this family. I am also very grateful for this information. Thank you for posting.
Tammy thank you for posting the link. It would be nice to get the word out to all pet owners that these products are indeed poison. Anyone who posts on other boards may want to remind others of this and post the link Tammy provided.
I wouldn't use a Hartz product no matter what the cost. There have been numerous poisonings from their products concerning flea products. People were putting the small dog product on cats and killing them with it. It took them a very long time to change their packaging. My husband worked at their site in Jersey cleaning it up( he is an Enviormental Geologist/ Hazardous Waste Consultant). He said he has never seen a place so messed up.
I would use J & J baby shampoo on my animals before using anything from Hartz.
Originally Posted By: DHauThat is so sad. I was thinking about giving my dog a bath today with a Sargents flea and tick product. The only reason why I was considering that was because my body is breaking out from either poison ivy or poison oak. The only way I could be getting it is from the dog running through some bushes in the back yard. I'm reconsidering that after reading this because she already is on the Frontline Plus.
Throw that Sargents flea and tick product away too. That is also one of the products that people have had problems with. It is mentioned on the link I provided..
Originally Posted By: onyx'girlTammy thank you for posting the link. It would be nice to get the word out to all pet owners that these products are indeed poison. Anyone who posts on other boards may want to remind others of this and post the link Tammy provided.
i always prefered to use my shampoo & conditioner on all of my dogs. didn't see any point in the pet brand stuff. hair is hair afterall. during dylan's last bath, he managed to get a good slurp of the shampoo while it was still on my palm. i was sweating that one out, but he showed no signs of side effects at all. what if i'd used the poison stuff.......
i feel so badly for that family. i can't imagine........
Very sad about the dog. I'd be crazy over that one.
Be very careful what you use on your dog. Please don't just assume you can use the same shampoo that you use yourself. A dog's body is completely covered with fur and much more affected by the shampoo's contents than you or I. We might get an itchy scalp - their scalp covers them completely so imagine how awful that would be. They also lick their fur. Now maybe some of you lick your hair but so far I haven't been tempted....
Shampoo is not universal and hair on humans is not the same as fur on animals.
WDJ (Whole Dog Journal) did an article on shampoos a year or so back. One thing that they reommended as safe is castille shampoo or castille soap. You can get the shampoo at the health food store & you can get the soap at the grocery. The soap is a lot cheaper 69 cents I think it was.
Then be sure that you rinse you dog thoroughly. If you want to error on the side of caution, use a bit of vinigar in your rinse.
Any shampoo you use on your dog (well, probably on yourself for that matter) you should be able to look at the ingredients. Lots of dog shampoos do not list all the ingredients. The WDJ artical wouldn't recommend shampoos that didn't list their ingredients.
My groomer recommended Johnson & Johnson over puppy shampoo. Morgan has a habit of getting herself very nasty playing in the yard with the kids. If there's dirt, she'll get into it.
It works great to make a soapy bucket of water, spill it over the dirty dog down, rub her all over and send her to the pool to rinse.
Why this obsession about having dogs that smell like flowers or are squeaky clean?
i know that 99% of the members of this forum are women so that may have something to do with it.
They are dogs not toys.
Think how many dogs have died in the name of some odd human expectation of what they s/d smell or look like. The dog's health s/d be number one.
Give your dogs a good brushing regularly. Let them play in the rain, that s/d be all the bath they need LOL.
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