Skip common site navigation and headers
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Pesticides: Topical & Chemical Fact Sheets
Begin Hierarchical Links EPA Home > Pesticides > About Pesticides > Fact Sheets > Health and Safety Fact Sheets > Taking Care of your Pet During Flea and Tick Season End Hierarchical Links
 

 

Taking care of fleas and ticks on your pet

Documents marked as (PDF) are formatted in Adobe Acrobat's Portable Document Format. Free Acrobat Reader software is available to enable you to read these files.

Quick Resources

Protecting Pets
Counterfeit Pesticide Products for Dogs and Cats

"Hartz to relabel and phase out certain flea and tick drops for cats and kittens"

Taking care of your pets responsibly includes protecting them from fleas and ticks. Before purchasing and applying pesticide products to pets to control fleas and ticks, there is important information you should know.

Purchasing and Applying Pesticide Products to Pets

  • If you decide to, and before you, use a pesticide product on your pet, carefully read and follow the product label.
  • Be sure you are choosing the correct product for your specific pet and for the particular pest problem. Certain products are approved only for dogs and not for cats.
  • Observe any age and/or size restrictions and any reapplication intervals identified. If you have questions, contact the manufacturer or your veterinarian before applying.
  • Do not use any pesticide product on debilitated, aged, medicated, sick, pregnant, or nursing pets, or on pets known to be sensitive to pesticide products without first reading the label to see if there are warnings about use on these sensitive animals and consulting a veterinarian.
  • Before applying any pesticide product, be sure to read the entire label and follow it exactly.
  • Never separate or discard the package, which contains the label, from the product container (such as individual applicator tubes).
  • Use only on animals listed on the product label.
  • Observe your pet after application for any sign of sensitivity.
  • If signs of sensitivity occur, bathe your pet with mild soap, rinse with large amounts of water, and consult a veterinarian immediately.

Emergency Information

In an emergency call your local veterinarian immediately or if unavailable, please call one of the following poison centers for assistance.

Fact Sheets for Commonly Used Pesticide Active Ingredients

All flea and tick pesticide products will have an active ingredient indicated on the product label. The following fact sheets for common flea and tick active ingredients provide information about the chemicals and the potential risks they may pose.
  • Phenothrin and Pyrethrum - fact sheet on synthetic pyrethroids. Exit EPA disclaimer
  • Methoprene - fact sheet in our biopesticides section.
  • Carbaryl - fact sheet on the Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision (IRED). (18.3 KB, PDF)
  • Imidacloprid - fact sheet from National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC). Exit EPA disclaimer
  • Fipronil - fact sheet from National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC). Exit EPA disclaimer
  • Permethrin - fact sheet from National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC). Exit EPA disclaimer
  • Cypermethrin - fact sheet from National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC). Exit EPA disclaimer

Regulatory Actions on Flea and Tick Products

At EPA's request, Hartz Mountain Corp. has agreed to immediately amend the labels of certain flea and tick products under two EPA registration numbers to protect the most vulnerable cats and kittens and to phase out uses of these products by March 2006. The products affected by this agreement are:

  • Hartz® Advanced Care™ 4 in 1® Flea & Tick Drops Plus+ for Cats and Kittens (EPA Reg. No. 2596-148)
  • Hartz® Advanced Care™ Brand Flea and Tick Drops Plus+ for Cats and Kittens (EPA Reg. No. 2596-148)
  • Hartz® Advanced Care™ 3 in 1® Flea & Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens (EPA Reg. No. 2596-151)
  • Hartz® Advanced Care™ Once-A-Month® Flea and Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens (EPA Reg. No. 2596-151)

For additional information please see the following:

  • Hartz Flea and Tick Drops For Cats and Kittens to be Phased Out -- Fact sheet that includes details of the agreement, information for consumers on controlling fleas and ticks, and label precautions for use of these products.
  • Questions & Answers: Label Instructions Tightened on Flea & Tick Control Products for Pets – Information on the 2002 action on these Hartz products
  • Hartz Web site - Information from Hartz.
  • Exit EPA disclaimer
  • Report incidents to EPA via the National Pesticide Information Center (1-800-858-7378). EPA will continue to evaluate and monitor pet products to determine if any additional changes are necessary.
  • Exit EPA disclaimer
  • Contact the National Pesticide Information Center (1-800-858-7378) for information about the pesticides contained in these products or for other information about effects of pesticides on people and animals. (NPIC is partly funded by EPA and provides science-based information about pesticides.) Exit EPA disclaimer

 

Publications | Glossary | A-Z Index | Jobs

 
Begin Site Footer

EPA Home | Privacy and Security Notice | Contact Us