Healthy Spot Blog

Itchy little irritants. That’s the only thing you think of when you picture these pesky little hop-happy critters out to torment our beloved pets. You may recall our recent article on basic flea 101, and now we’ve got fleas on the mind again.







The growing concern with the use of flea control products, specifically Bio Spot, has been escalated recently with a class action lawsuit that was filed in federal court in San Francisco against Bio Spot flea and tick spray. It’s clear that there were enough complaints to warrant general concern. At Healthy Spot, we do not carry Bio Spot but we should keep abreast of all the latest news and products to see how it affects us as pet owners. So what’s the deal? What’s all this hub-bub about flea control? Are our pets safe? What should we do about it?

Should We Be Concerned?
Before we dissect what we know about flea control products, I want to emphasize that we should ALWAYS be concerned for our pets. It’s our duty to know what we are using on our dogs and cats, because they obviously don’t. Their lives are in our hands. It’s so easy to just pick up something off a shelf and say you’re going to try it out. But if you are already armed with the knowledge before going into any store by doing your own research, you could save yourself from buyer’s remorse among worse scenarios. We’re constantly trying to stay on top of the latest dog news for you. Hopefully by enlightening you with all that we know, we can help encourage educated dog owners to make wiser, more conscientious choices.







What is Bio Spot?
Flea control, just like any type of pest control, requires chemical substances to be introduced to the subject. The way Bio Spot works, as far as we know, is that it uses pyrethrins, chemical compounds that kill fleas and ticks by interfering with their nervous systems and paralyzing them. According to the Bio Spot website, “The ingredients in Bio Spot for Dogs dissolve into the natural oily layers of your dog’s coat and skin. They move around your dog’s coat by several processes including diffusion and capillary action, and transfer from hair to hair as your pet moves. Efficacy trials show that Bio Spot for Dogs spreads quickly enough through a dog’s coat to produce 92% control of adult fleas within the first 24 hours following application.”







Though it very well may be an effective way to kill fleas and their larvae, it is believed when ingested or absorbed through the skin excessively, this can potentially harm our pets, causing alarming symptoms such as lack of appetite, excessive drooling, high temperature, vomiting, diarrhea, and in worse cases seizures. Claims made in the lawsuit revolve around neurological and more severe health problems affecting the dogs, resulting in death in some cases.



What Do We Do?
Before you get all super-paranoid and start banning all chemicals in your household, take a deep breath and let’s get the facts straight. There are precautions you can take to make wise choices, but there’s no need to jump to drastic measures. Awareness itself, is a key step in taking action, so now that you know, the rest is up to you to make smart decisions for your loved ones.



Just Say No
The easiest way to avoid the possibility that this could even remotely harm our pets, is to avoid the product completely. The definite No’s go to – puppies, sick, medicated, pregnant, nursing, and older dogs. And definitely keep away from cats because Bio Spot is known to be toxic to cats. Since cats do enjoy licking, this could mean they can be more exposed and prone to ingesting the chemicals. This isn’t to say that the rest of the dog world is not immune to the same chemicals. The saying better safe than sorry, may apply here.







Safety with Use
However, if you do consider using types of flea control as a necessary means to prevent fleas in your home, do so safely. Read ALL labels and follow instructions carefully. Be wary of the dosage they recommend, and the exact weight of your dog, as this affects how much you should apply on your dog. Consult your veterinarian for more discussion about how you can safely administer the best type of flea control for your pet.



The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has recently taken action to increase the safety of spot-on pesticide products for flea and tick control for cats and dogs. Steps include reviewing labels and determining which ones need stronger and clearer labeling statements. The EPA will also develop more stringent testing requirements for these types of products in an effort to prevent adverse reactions from flea control spot-on products.



What to Do if Your Pet is Experiencing Adverse Reactions from Flea Control
- Wash your dog immediately with a mild detergent and a lot of water.
- Seek Veterinary Care. If your dog is still experiencing symptoms, take your dog to the vet for further testing. If your dog is experiencing extreme symptoms such as seizures especially, take him to the vet right away, if it is late in the night or a weekend, there are emergency animal hospitals that can assess your dog when your primary care vet is not available.
- Report it to the manufacturer. Make sure you keep all your flea control packaging etc., in case adverse reactions do result. Furthermore, you can report your incident to the NPIC








Go the Healthy Spot Route
Don’t forget to read Ruby’s tips on how you can stay flea-free.There are ways to maintain your dog and prevent fleas even without the use of heavy-duty flea control year-round. In addition to keeping your pet area including bedding regularly cleaned and vacuumed, we also recommend regular grooming to help keep critters at bay. We also offer a professional completely safe, natural flea bath in-house, come by and let us know how we can help. Our staff is always open to discussion and your thoughts on the great flea debate.