On Friday, May 6th, I went to Benson's Pet Center with the sole purpose of purchasing some flea and tick repellent for our two cats. I went to the check-out counter and asked an employee to help me find some natural repellent. I prefer to avoid toxic chemicals whenever possible, for us, and for the cats. She took me right to a display that is in full view of the counter, at the front of a very full store. She pointed out this product: Sentry Natural Defense Natural Flea & Tick Squeeze-On for Cats & Kittens. "That was easy!" I said to the employee, and bought the stuff, for $13.50.
That afternoon, my daughter and I applied the stuff to both cats. I had read every word on the box, and was a little surprised at the recommendation of wearing both gloves and eye protective gear while applying this product, which claimed to be "Safe for USe Around Children and Pets." Hm. Very shortly after applying the stuff, our male cat started to scratch at the application site. Now cats do not like anything applied to their fur or skin, so I noted the reaction, and kept an eye. Now the reason for applying the stuff in the first place was that our daughter had found a fully engorged tick in the house, under a chair where our male cat likes to sleep. Over the next couple of days, the cat continued to scratch at his neck. And on Sunday, we realized he had a tick there. Ok, so I figured the scratching was due to that. The cat went out for a few minutes, then came in, and I went to remove the tick. It had fallen off on its own, outside, thank goodness. (YUK) Monday morning, my daughter held the cat on her lap, and noticed that he was trembling. I looked, and yes, he had developed a tremor in his head. I called the vet, and brought him in, along with the flea/tick treatment I had applied. A short while later, one of the doctors called me to say that she had done some online research on the essential oils in the product, and found that one, in particular, clove oil, had strong suggestions against use on cats. (The product is 7.0% clove oil) She said also that peppermint is not well tolerated by cats. (The product is 10.0% peppermint oil) She told me that these ingredients can cause liver and kidney damage, and recommended blood work to test. I agreed, of course, and thank goodness, the tests came back normal. She told me the cat had been bathed, to remove the product, and that he would be bathed again before I picked him up. She then informed me that she had called the company that makes this "natural" product, Sentry, and filed a claim with them! She said she'd give me the information to do the same, once the cat is healthy again. (Why I had to wait for that I'm not sure) To add insult to injury, the cat had THREE more ticks removed while at the vet. So not only is the stuff toxic, but un-effective! Add to that the vet bill of $151.50. Gads!!
The cat has been home for two days now, and seems to be doing well. I have noticed no more tremors, and he is no longer scratching at the area we applied the product. We have washed the area of the other cat as well as we can, and she seems ok, though she did vomit this morning (Wednesday.) Related? I don't know.
The vet informed me that no flea and tick remedies are 100% effective, but she did recommend Front Line, which is applied in the same way that the Sentry stuff is apparently. She said that you weigh the pros and cons when using anything like this. I have yet to use anything else on the cats, and have yet to see another tick.... sighs.... but the cats are now only allowed to occupy one room in the house, which is closed off to the rest of the house. And they can go out.
I have to say that I am so disappointed in this company. I use essential oils in my home and on myself and my family, and like any medication, they must be tested and used with caution. It is so very irresponsible of this company to misuse them in this way. It's dangerous for the cats, makes all-natural products seem unsafe and dangerous, and in that way, promotes the use of toxic chemicals. When used appropriately (with lots of thorough research) natural products are far safer than the chemicals we assume are safe because they are widely marketed.
Additional Information:
The ingredients listed for the Sentry Natural Defense flea and tick product:
Active Ingredients:
peppermint oil 10.00%
clove oil 7.00%
lemon grass oil 3.0%
Other Ingredients:
canola oil, vanillin, citric acid 80.00%
A couple of websites with information about essential oils and cats:
essential oil safety and cats
essential oil and cats: a potentially toxic mix - the website includes a list of some essential oils that are known to be toxic to cats. The first on the list is peppermint oil.
do essential oils kill cats? - this website claims that it is not the essential oils that are harmful to cats, but the additives. It claims that therapeutic grade e.o.s can be used. Hm... not sure if I agree with this! It is well documented that several e.o.s are dangerous for cats - in any form! Here's a quote from this site: "Like their other senses, cats have an acute sense of smell. They are usually not too keen on being treated with essential oils – so it can take some ingenuity to sneak up on them and apply any oils." What?! Why would anyone do that? It devastates me that this kind of suggestion is out there. Cats have far better instincts in general as to what is good for them and what is not than humans do. We might do well to pay more attention to what they do!
There is lots and lots of information on the internet about all this. Do a quick search online on clove oil and cats. It's pretty clear. While clove oil is great as an insecticide, it is also pretty good way to get rid of your cats! The cats cannot metabolize the oils, they become toxic, and the cats suffer from liver failure. Essential oils and cats DO NOT MIX! Lesson learned.
That afternoon, my daughter and I applied the stuff to both cats. I had read every word on the box, and was a little surprised at the recommendation of wearing both gloves and eye protective gear while applying this product, which claimed to be "Safe for USe Around Children and Pets." Hm. Very shortly after applying the stuff, our male cat started to scratch at the application site. Now cats do not like anything applied to their fur or skin, so I noted the reaction, and kept an eye. Now the reason for applying the stuff in the first place was that our daughter had found a fully engorged tick in the house, under a chair where our male cat likes to sleep. Over the next couple of days, the cat continued to scratch at his neck. And on Sunday, we realized he had a tick there. Ok, so I figured the scratching was due to that. The cat went out for a few minutes, then came in, and I went to remove the tick. It had fallen off on its own, outside, thank goodness. (YUK) Monday morning, my daughter held the cat on her lap, and noticed that he was trembling. I looked, and yes, he had developed a tremor in his head. I called the vet, and brought him in, along with the flea/tick treatment I had applied. A short while later, one of the doctors called me to say that she had done some online research on the essential oils in the product, and found that one, in particular, clove oil, had strong suggestions against use on cats. (The product is 7.0% clove oil) She said also that peppermint is not well tolerated by cats. (The product is 10.0% peppermint oil) She told me that these ingredients can cause liver and kidney damage, and recommended blood work to test. I agreed, of course, and thank goodness, the tests came back normal. She told me the cat had been bathed, to remove the product, and that he would be bathed again before I picked him up. She then informed me that she had called the company that makes this "natural" product, Sentry, and filed a claim with them! She said she'd give me the information to do the same, once the cat is healthy again. (Why I had to wait for that I'm not sure) To add insult to injury, the cat had THREE more ticks removed while at the vet. So not only is the stuff toxic, but un-effective! Add to that the vet bill of $151.50. Gads!!
The cat has been home for two days now, and seems to be doing well. I have noticed no more tremors, and he is no longer scratching at the area we applied the product. We have washed the area of the other cat as well as we can, and she seems ok, though she did vomit this morning (Wednesday.) Related? I don't know.
The vet informed me that no flea and tick remedies are 100% effective, but she did recommend Front Line, which is applied in the same way that the Sentry stuff is apparently. She said that you weigh the pros and cons when using anything like this. I have yet to use anything else on the cats, and have yet to see another tick.... sighs.... but the cats are now only allowed to occupy one room in the house, which is closed off to the rest of the house. And they can go out.
I have to say that I am so disappointed in this company. I use essential oils in my home and on myself and my family, and like any medication, they must be tested and used with caution. It is so very irresponsible of this company to misuse them in this way. It's dangerous for the cats, makes all-natural products seem unsafe and dangerous, and in that way, promotes the use of toxic chemicals. When used appropriately (with lots of thorough research) natural products are far safer than the chemicals we assume are safe because they are widely marketed.
Additional Information:
The ingredients listed for the Sentry Natural Defense flea and tick product:
Active Ingredients:
peppermint oil 10.00%
clove oil 7.00%
lemon grass oil 3.0%
Other Ingredients:
canola oil, vanillin, citric acid 80.00%
A couple of websites with information about essential oils and cats:
essential oil safety and cats
essential oil and cats: a potentially toxic mix - the website includes a list of some essential oils that are known to be toxic to cats. The first on the list is peppermint oil.
do essential oils kill cats? - this website claims that it is not the essential oils that are harmful to cats, but the additives. It claims that therapeutic grade e.o.s can be used. Hm... not sure if I agree with this! It is well documented that several e.o.s are dangerous for cats - in any form! Here's a quote from this site: "Like their other senses, cats have an acute sense of smell. They are usually not too keen on being treated with essential oils – so it can take some ingenuity to sneak up on them and apply any oils." What?! Why would anyone do that? It devastates me that this kind of suggestion is out there. Cats have far better instincts in general as to what is good for them and what is not than humans do. We might do well to pay more attention to what they do!
There is lots and lots of information on the internet about all this. Do a quick search online on clove oil and cats. It's pretty clear. While clove oil is great as an insecticide, it is also pretty good way to get rid of your cats! The cats cannot metabolize the oils, they become toxic, and the cats suffer from liver failure. Essential oils and cats DO NOT MIX! Lesson learned.
this product KILLED my cat and if that wasn't enough the vet bill was well over $700 .. My cat didn't scratch at it or go crazy, but a few days later he wasn't himself (he was a very active cat) stopped walking, eating, etc we washed the stuff off of him took him to the vet, his liver and kidneys shut down, it was a heartbreaking experience .. and I thought by getting a natural product I was doing the right thing
ReplyDeleteI wish I had seen this sooner, this is my story
DeleteSTAY AWAY FROM SENTRY NATURAL DEFENSE ANIMAL PRODUCTS..... IT KILLS YOUR PETS. I KNOW, I just lost my little girl this morning. She was a fighter, she lived through having her left rear leg cut off by a sick person that then tossed her in a ditch when she was days old. We bottle feed her for weeks and she was a great cat. We will never forget our Itty Bitty Kitty. And yes that is/was her name.
I used this product and my 2 year old hyper cat went from only a couple of itches to being infested with fleas. She started acting off so i called the number on the back and washed it off her (all the while tiny fleas where trying to get in her eyes) in the end it was to late my cat passed away last night before I could get her to the vet this morning. I went from my normal brand to this and I will never ever do that again with any animal and blame myself for her death. Stay away and save yourself the heart ache please
I specifically asked for a natural product, thinking it would be better - safer - than the usual stuff. I am horrified to hear your story. I'm so sad and ANGRY that this product is still on the market. My one consolation is that this blog entry gets a lot of attention and in that way the word is spread. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDelete~Dais (author: JEDSpeak)
We used this product on a healthy cat and 3 days later, after experiencing vomiting, diarrhea and seizures, she died. Heartbroken, we searched the internet to see if anyone else had experienced problems with using this "natural" product and found many other heartbroken pet owners who also lost their companions. Cannot advise strongly enough - DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT ON YOUR CAT.
ReplyDeleteI don't use any flea/tick products on my cats. They don't need them and I am happy they are chemical free. Writer wrote:
ReplyDelete" but the cats are now only allowed to occupy one room in the house, which is closed off to the rest of the house. And they can go out."
Here's a solution: Keep your cats indoors. Problem solved. No ticks, no chemicals, no cost.
Works for me and my cats.
Not true. All ot takes is one flea jumoing on your shoe or pant leg from you going out side. Happened to my indoor cst and we didnt know she had fleas for a while because she didnt scratch a lot (all cats are different). Then i kept noticing black specs like dirt all over her fur and come to find out there was a bunch of flea poop on her (the black specs). Comb your cat bet u find flea poop too.
DeleteThnnk you for this reply. All of these products can be problematic. I have used Sentry's natural remedy with no problems. Frontline is toxic and does not work. Advantix, same deal. The big brand names all contain toxic chemicals. That is the simple truth.
ReplyDeleteCorporate shill, obviously.
ReplyDeletei used the product as directed... the problem i encountered in both my cats was that this product is OIL and it takes longer to dry than a cat can possibly resist licking or scratching (not to mention that both scratched like crazy like their skin was burning after a few seconds of having it on). My younger kitten is the only one to have licked it, and he foamed at the mouth terribly. I read other reviews that said their cats foamed and dry-heaved and several lost large amounts of hair... Some even died. I just don't think that it is a safe enough product for ALL CATS. It shouldn't remain on the market.
ReplyDeletethese also happened to me yesterday my 3 cats from 1 to 3 years got poisoned by these product. they were vomiting and drooling and had a very hard time breathing and moving . they only got better wen i cleaned up the product by bathing theme whit 2diferent soaps i had used some common chemical products for fleas on one of them before and never hard a problem. I made a call to pet smart about the product but they said its not in there hands.
ReplyDeleteThis product needs to be taken off the market. My kitten was perfectly healthy. After applying it she was not herself.. I washed it off but she was still not herself. Wouldnt move or eat for two days. After the 3rd good scub down the second day i saw an improvement and she is now back to her old self. You could see it in her eyes how much pain she was in and wouldbt pur or even perk up for treats or her favorite toy. Something is seriously wrong with this product. Essential oils shouldnt be used on cats. Period. The creators of this product/company should be ashamed of themselves.
ReplyDeleteDON'T EVER BUY THIS PRODUCT
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful, looking at the time and effort you put into your weblog and detailed information you provide.
Jasper Flea & Tick Spray For Cats
Are y'all using the *entire* tube per cat? You are likely overdosing them if so. I have used this product for several years now on all four cats I've had over the years and never had any problems ... BUT, I do NOT use the whole tube on any one cat. I use absolutely no more than 1/3 of the tube per cat, I only apply it directly between their shoulder blades (not down the entire nape), and I use a flea comb to precisely part the fur and apply using a fine tip plunger-style irrigation syringe (no needle of course) so I can apply drop by drop and keep the oil off the tips of the fur.
ReplyDeleteI then lightly comb the fur over against the grain to "cover"; you should not see any oily residue on the outside of their coat and the scent should not be overpowering.
If needed, I take a microfiber cloth lightly dampened with some cat-safe waterless spray bath and carefully dab the fur tips.
Yes, I have to apply it a little more often than once a month, but the tradeoff is worth it to me to prevent any skin irritation or ill effects while still doing its job. Of course, keep the oil away from where they can ingest or get it on their paws and preen it off, and make sure that cats do not groom each other until the oil dries.
My cats are very healthy and haven't gotten sick since they were kittens.