Pro-Spot?
Stenty
I picked up a brochure on a flea treatment called Pro-Spot at my
local PetSmart. It is applied to the back of the neck every two
weeks. It uses a medication called fenthion but the brochure says
that the FDA has not approved it for cats. It goes on to say that
PetSmart has found it to be quite safe for cats etc. etc.
Has anyone used this product? Is it really safe?
BTW I am in California and Advantage is not available yet. My vet
recommended Program but it took me a full day to get Caledonia to eat
it and the literature says it does not actually kill the adult fleas.
(She is an indoor cat so perhaps I am being too paranoid about the
whole flea thing but I really suffer if I get bitten.)
Thanks,
Linda
Jshartwell
>fenthion containing product, FDA hasn't approved it for cats.
Can you tell us who manufactures it? In the UK, a fenthion-containing
spot-treatment called Tiguvon (Bayer) has been passed as safe for cats. I
use it regularly on Queenie and no ill-effects (have even tested it on
myself and no problems). Fenthion should not be used on cats under 1 year
old or weighing less than 5 lb, it should not be applied more than once
every 4 weeks nor should it be used in conjunction with other flea
treatments (for safety - a clued-up vet may decide it is safe in
combination with certain other products, but don't risk this without
professional advice). If you have used another product you must wait 28
days before using a fenthion product and if you intend to switch
treatments you should wait 28 days to allow the fenthion to clear from the
cat's system. In the UK this is licenced for use on cats, so if it is
made by Bayer it is very likely to be the same product.
The alternative is Droplix (may have a different brand name) which
contains 20% w/v diazinon and is made by Virbac. It may be given to cats
over 6 months old every 4 weeks.
Other treatments include Frontline Spray (Rhone Merieux Ltd, contains
Fipronil) and Defencat Mousse (Virbac, contains a permethrin chemical).
Cythioate-containing oral treatments such as Cyflee tablets (from Cynamid)
are available, but must be used in strict accordance with instructions.
Program is another oral flea treatment.
This information is courtesy of the Feline Advisory Bureau and the Cats
Protection League Conference (Royal Veterinary College) and should be
pretty accurate.
At a guess, the product you have seen is the one known in Britain as
Tiguvon. If so, it is safe.
Sarah
sham...@inferno.com
ST> I picked up a brochure on a flea treatment called Pro-Spot at my
ST>local PetSmart. It is applied to the back of the neck every two
ST>weeks. It uses a medication called fenthion but the brochure says
ST>that the FDA has not approved it for cats. It goes on to say that
ST>PetSmart has found it to be quite safe for cats etc. etc.
ST>Has anyone used this product? Is it really safe?
ST>BTW I am in California and Advantage is not available yet. My vet
ST>recommended Program but it took me a full day to get Caledonia to eat
ST>it and the literature says it does not actually kill the adult fleas.
ST>(She is an indoor cat so perhaps I am being too paranoid about the
ST>whole flea thing but I really suffer if I get bitten.)
ST>Thanks,
ST>Linda
Don't use it, a slow liquid death. Kate
Catlady9
jshar...@aol.com (Jshartwell) wrote:
>>fenthion containing product, FDA hasn't approved it for cats.
>Can you tell us who manufactures it? In the UK, a fenthion-containing
>spot-treatment called Tiguvon (Bayer) has been passed as safe for cats. In the UK this is licenced for use on cats, so if it is
>made by Bayer it is very likely to be the same product.
From what I know It is *not* the same product. Advantages Active
Ingrediant is Imadacloprid, not Fenthion. If Pro-Spot hasn't been
aproved in cats in the US, please don't use it on your cat. At the
veterinary hospital where I work we had 2 dogs die shortly after
applying Pro-Spot by the owners. These dogs never had autopsies done
and the company was contacted and I'm not saying that Pro-Spot caused
these deaths as the test were declined by the owners but I will tell
you that we stopped carrying it afterwards. I think that it is made
by Haver but I am fuzzy as to that fact, so don't quote me. I'm just
letting you know my experience with the product.
>Other treatments include Frontline Spray (Rhone Merieux Ltd, contains
>Fipronil) and Defencat Mousse (Virbac, contains a permethrin chemical).
>Cythioate-containing oral treatments such as Cyflee tablets (from Cynamid)
>are available, but must be used in strict accordance with instructions.
>Program is another oral flea treatment.
I don't like to use sprays and after reading the packaging on and
smelling Frontline, which is a spray, I will not even use it on my
cats if it was free to me, which it was. I have acess to Advantage
and that is my flea control of choice. But before that I used Mousses
which don't have a quick action kill but are pretty safe.
>At a guess, the product you have seen is the one known in Britain as
>Tiguvon. If so, it is safe.
But, if it sais it is not approved in the US you are still using it
*at your own risk*. I worked for Petsmart and I don't trust them.
Justine
Carol Byrd
ste...@ix.netcom.com (Stenty) wrote:
> I picked up a brochure on a flea treatment called Pro-Spot at my
>Has anyone used this product? Is it really safe?
>
I have used ProSpot on my Himalayan and Persian cats for three years
and have seen no side effects. They are indoor cats, but there are
two others which are in/outers, which are on Program. Two have
stayed on ProSpot because they refused to eat anything with Program
on it. Although my vet prefers Program, he insists he's never had a
problem when he had to resort to ProSpot. Since it's not approved for
cats, we go through a legal bit each time I get it. I'm totally sold
on it! One vet has insisted the kitties have a yearly liver function
test. No problems for us so far.
Carol
Allison Weaver
On Wed, 3 Jul 1996, Stenty wrote:
> I picked up a brochure on a flea treatment called Pro-Spot at my
> local PetSmart. It is applied to the back of the neck every two
> weeks. It uses a medication called fenthion but the brochure says
> that the FDA has not approved it for cats. It goes on to say that
> PetSmart has found it to be quite safe for cats etc. etc.
> Has anyone used this product? Is it really safe?
NO! This is the stuff my vet said was lethal for cats. From what I've
seen on this group it's the fenthion. Someone please tell PetSmart to
cease and desist.
> BTW I am in California and Advantage is not available yet.
Gee, I thought California got *everything* before the rest of us. Another
urban myth trounced in the litter.
> My vet
> recommended Program but it took me a full day to get Caledonia to eat
> it
Are you using liquid or pill? If your cat likes canned food (two of mine
won't touch it), then get the pills (actually for dogs of twice the
weight), crush and mix with a small amount of canned food.
> and the literature says it does not actually kill the adult fleas.
Doesn't kill the adults, but prevents more from hatching. Takes a little
while to break the cycle -- a couple of months?
> (She is an indoor cat so perhaps I am being too paranoid about the
> whole flea thing but I really suffer if I get bitten.)
Start the Program, and start other short term measures - baths, combing,
etc. until the Program kicks in, or the Advantage is available.
Allison
Jshartwell
>Can you tell us who manufactures it? In the UK, a fenthion-containing
>spot-treatment called Tiguvon (Bayer) has been passed as safe for cats.
> In the UK this is licenced for use on cats, so if it is
>made by Bayer it is very likely to be the same product.
>From what I know It is *not* the same product. Advantages Active
>Ingrediant is Imadacloprid, not Fenthion.
But I'm *not* comparing it to Advantage! I'm comparing it to Tiguvon
(Bayer) which *does* have the active ingredient fenthion. I explicitly
stated this in the snipping above. (Advantage does not exist in the UK.)
The other product we had is Droplix (Virbac) which contains diazinon.
Sarah
I've been using the fenthion product with no ill-effect.
Jshartwell
>NO! This is the stuff my vet said was lethal for cats. From what I've
>seen on this group it's the fenthion. Someone please tell PetSmart to
>cease and desist.
Fenthion has been licenced for use in flea products in the UK and has
caused no ill effects whatsoever. In fact it is the basis for the Bayer
product 'Tiguvon' which is very successful here and has been for a number
of years with no adverse reports. Fenthion will only cause problems if
used in conjunction with other flea sprays, phenothiazine derivatives,
other cholinesterase inhibiting compounds or muscle relaxants. It has
been thoroughly tested, plus we are subject to very strict European laws
on drugs for use on animals, and on its own has not proven lethal to cats.
I've posted a fuller report on the fenthion containing product Tiguvon
(produced by Bayer but *not* the same as Advantage), which is probably
similar to Pro-Spot; but some of my postings take 3 days to reach
rec.pets.cats. The report is from Bayer. I have also contacted Bayer for
more information about fenthion itself, but it appears that it is *not*
toxic to cats unless it interacts with some other treatment the cat is
having or where owners fail to follow the instructions on frequency of
application.
Sarah
Jshartwell
This is the information provided by Bayer who manufacture the
fenthion-based 'spot-treatment' flea control product Tiguvon. You may
wish to compare the amount of fenthion with that in Pro-Spot. Tiguvon is
the only Bayer-produced spot-treatment flea control product in the UK.
TIGUVON 10 - For the control of fleas on cats (Bayer plc)
Only for use on cats over 1 year of age and weighing more than 2 kg (4.5
lbs).
For the control of fleas on cats. Each plastic pipetted contains 0.3 ml
of 10% w/w fenthion solution (30 mg fenthion).
Dosage and Administration
ONLY FOR USE ON CATS OVER 1 YEAR OF AGE AND WEIGHING MORE THAN 2 KG (4.5
LBS).
Use one pipette per cat. Place the tip of the pipette on the skin and
squeeze several times to empty its contents directly onto the skin. Care
should be taken to avoid excessive wetting of the hair, since this hinders
absorption and could lead to less effective treatment. It is particularly
important to apply the dose to an area where it cannot be licked off.
Warnings.
Wash hands after use and wash off any skin contamination immediately with
soap and water. To avoid possible irritation, the fluid should not be
massaged into the skin. The full systemic effect is achieved only if the
entire dose of active ingredient is able to penetrate the animal's skin.
For external use only. Do not use on cats weighing less than 2 kgs (4.5
lbs) bodyweight. Do not use on cats less than 1 year old. Do not use on
queens within 7 days of anticipating kittening.
No other cholinesterase inhibiting compounds, flea control agents,
phenothiazine derivatives, or muscle relaxants should be administered in
the 28 days before of after treatment with Tiguvon 10.
Do not treat during the day. Treat in the early evening. Do not handle
cat for 8 hours after treatment. Recently treated cats should not be
allowed to sleep with owners, especially children.
In situations where the product is applied frequently (e.g. Catteries)
rubber gloves should be worn (Nitrile or Butyl rubber 0.3 - 0.5 mm thick).
Do not use more frequently than once a month.
Medical Advice to Users and Doctors
Fenthion is an organophosphorus compound. DO NOT USE if under medical
advice not to work with such compounds.
If you have breathing problems, or if you have felt persistently unwell
after using a product containing organophosphorus compounds, you should
consult your doctor before using this product.
Further Information
Additional measures should be taken to control adult fleas and their
developing stages in the cat's environment.
Occasionally cats may show minor signs of excitement immediately after
administration. This effect is believed to be caused by the smell of
fenthion which cats find unpleasant. These signs pass off rapidly and
should not be treated.
Antidote for cats.
Atropine sulphate by subcutaneous injection of up to 1 mg/kg repeated if
necessary until atropinisation occurs. Cholinesterase reactivators such
as 2-PAM (pralidoxime iodide) 15-30 mg/kg or toxogonin (obidoxime
chloride) 4-8 mg/kg may be of use, but should be administered promptly.
Tiguvon 10 is harmful to fish. Do not contaminate ponds, waterways or
ditches with the product or used containers.
Rhonda Rubin
In article <4rd99k$b...@sjx-ixn6.ix.netcom.com>,
ste...@ix.netcom.com (Stenty) wrote:
> I picked up a brochure on a flea treatment called Pro-Spot at my
>local PetSmart. It is applied to the back of the neck every two
>weeks. It uses a medication called fenthion but the brochure says
>that the FDA has not approved it for cats. It goes on to say that
>PetSmart has found it to be quite safe for cats etc. etc.
>Has anyone used this product? Is it really safe?
While I don't know anyting definite about Pro-Spot, I do know that fenthion
is highly toxic to animals. Years ago, my family had a dog with a terrible
flea allergy. The vet prescribed it as a last resort and gave my mother a
long lecture (and written instructions) on how to properly administer it.
He let her know that it was very dangerous to use. Our dog did not die, but
I don't think *I* would ever use a fenthion-based product on my pet without
really looking into the safety testing of that product.
>BTW I am in California and Advantage is not available yet. My vet
>recommended Program but it took me a full day to get Caledonia to eat
>it and the literature says it does not actually kill the adult fleas.
>(She is an indoor cat so perhaps I am being too paranoid about the
>whole flea thing but I really suffer if I get bitten.)
Program does not kill the fleas. It renders them sterile. In addition, it
takes a few weeks to be in your pet's bloodstream enough to do that job.
The flea must bite your pet for Program to work. If your cat is an indoor
cat and you have no outdoor pets, Program could be a very good alternative
for you. It's highly unlikely you'll have a bad flea problem.
Rhonda
Trapper, Stash, Abbie BK (and Katie the Yorkie)
--
"The dew fell with a particularly sickening thud this morning."
Stuart McGuinness
> In the UK, a fenthion-containing
>>spot-treatment called Tiguvon (Bayer) has been passed as safe for cats.
>> In the UK this is licenced for use on cats,
I know of two cats who had fits following the application of
Tiguvon,both recovered.Vets would not confirm or deny this was a
possible side effect of the drug. Neither owner now uses this product
anymore.
Fran McGuinness
What are you doing in October?
Why not visit the Guernsey Real Ale and Cider Festival.
Festival Home Page: http://www.io.com/~njrw/camragsy/gsybeerf.html
Stenty
jshar...@aol.com (Jshartwell) wrote:
>>fenthion containing product, FDA hasn't approved it for cats.
>Can you tell us who manufactures it? In the UK, a fenthion-containing
>spot-treatment called Tiguvon (Bayer) has been passed as safe for cats. I
>use it regularly on Queenie and no ill-effects (have even tested it on
Sorry the brochure does not name the manufacturer.
>myself and no problems). Fenthion should not be used on cats under 1 year
>old or weighing less than 5 lb, it should not be applied more than once
>every 4 weeks nor should it be used in conjunction with other flea
>treatments (for safety - a clued-up vet may decide it is safe in
>combination with certain other products, but don't risk this without
>professional advice). If you have used another product you must wait 28
Well it says it can be used on pets over 3 months and applied every
two weeks. It also says "However, if fleas are already a problem, we
would advise you to use additional products to kill them."
Thanks for your input and for the information provided from Bayer.
With two young children in the house I think it sounds a little too
toxic for us (don't touch for eight hours etc). Also it sounds as if
the vets at PetSmart are not following as strict standards for using
the Fenthion products as they are in the UK.
This is a quote from Sarah's other posting taken from Bayer's
literature about the Tiguvon product:
>No other cholinesterase inhibiting compounds, flea control agents,
>phenothiazine derivatives, or muscle relaxants should be administered
> in the 28 days before of after treatment with Tiguvon 10.
>Do not treat during the day. Treat in the early evening. Do not handle
>cat for 8 hours after treatment. Recently treated cats should not be
>allowed to sleep with owners, especially children.
Does anyone know if Advantage carries the same sorts of warnings?
Thanks,
Linda
Catlady9
jshar...@aol.com (Jshartwell) wrote:
>>Can you tell us who manufactures it? In the UK, a fenthion-containing
>>spot-treatment called Tiguvon (Bayer) has been passed as safe for cats.
>> In the UK this is licenced for use on cats, so if it is
>>made by Bayer it is very likely to be the same product.
>>From what I know It is *not* the same product. Advantages Active
>>Ingrediant is Imadacloprid, not Fenthion.
>But I'm *not* comparing it to Advantage! I'm comparing it to Tiguvon
>(Bayer) which *does* have the active ingredient fenthion. I explicitly
>stated this in the snipping above. (Advantage does not exist in the UK.)
>The other product we had is Droplix (Virbac) which contains diazinon.
>I've been using the fenthion product with no ill-effect.