RECOGNIZING AND RESPONDING TO REACTIONS
Dr. Van Horn – Recognizing and Responding to Reactions
Millions of pets have been (and continue to be) successfully treated with Sergeant’s Gold flea and tick control products. The reality is that pets, just like humans, can have reactions to products. Just like our pets, our bodies all react differently to products we put on our skin, whether it’s medicine, lotion, etc. In the rare event these symptoms last longer than 24 hours, we recommend the pet owner contact our hotline, as well as their veterinarian.
In any case, if you have an emergency, question or concern, we encourage you to contact our 24-hour hotline at 1-800-224-PETS (7387).
Responding to Reactions
Sergeant’s cares about your pet’s health and well-being. We are in the business of taking care of pets, so any consumer concern is taken very seriously. Below is a listing of how to respond to potential adverse reactions.
As always if you have an emergency, question or concern, we encourage you to contact our 24-hour hotline at 1-800-224-PETS (7387).
Quick Links: For Dogs | For Cats
A very small percentage of dogs experience “transitory” symptoms, or short-lived symptoms. Some of these symptoms can include skin irritation, itching, scratching, drooling or foaming at the mouth. These symptoms can happen with any flea and tick control product, and will usually go away within 24 hours.
If you are concerned about any of these symptoms or if your dog has other symptoms to a Sergeant’s branded product, we encourage you to call Sergeant’s 24-hour hotline at 1-800-224-PETS (7387).
*Product misapplication on a young puppy*
Sergeant’s Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs is not recommended for young puppy’s under 12 weeks old. Be sure to look at the label before using any product on a young animal. If you have used the product on a young puppy, it will more than likely not experience any adverse affects. However, as a precaution, we recommend bathing your pet with a dish soap (like Dawn) at the application site in order to remove the product from the skin. Shampoo your puppy again and continue to monitor your pet for the next 24 hours for signs of a reaction. If you observe any abnormal reactions, contact your vet immediately.
Ingestion, drooling or foaming at the mouth
As with any flea and tick control squeeze-on, if a dog is drooling or foaming at the mouth, it most likely means the dog got the product in its mouth and is experiencing a bitter taste. The dog is drooling or foaming at the mouth due to the bitter taste.
One thing that is very important to point out – A dog can get the product in its mouth in a number of ways, such as misapplication of the product and/or by not separating the treated dog from other animals.
Skin irritation and agitation
Just like the human world, nothing can be 100% allergy free, so, unfortunately, some dogs may experience irritation of the skin or other short-lived symptoms. If your dog is acting agitated after application, it is a possibility that the dog is sensitive to something in the product.
Flea bites create small open sores on a dog’s skin. If there are a lot of bites, it can cause discomfort, similar to the human discomfort of getting hand lotion in a cut. While it’s not serious, the dog does not understand what is happening and may be surprised and/or become irritated.
If the symptoms do not stop or if they intensify, bathe the dog with a dish soap, like Dawn. We recommend repeating the bath twice to guarantee the product has been removed. Symptoms will generally subside shortly after the baths, but depending on your dog’s skin sensitivity, it can take up to 24 hours for the reaction to completely disappear.
Allergic reactions
Typical signs of an allergic reaction include skin sensitivity (such as redness or a rash), hair loss and discoloration at the application site, itching or loss of appetite. If your pet shows signs of an allergic reaction, we recommend you thoroughly bathe your pet with a regular, non-insecticidal shampoo and large amounts of water. Symptoms will normally improve within a few hours to 24 hours of the bath. If signs continue or worsen, call the Sergeant’s 24 hour hotline at 1-800-224-PETS (3787) or your veterinarian.
*Product Misapplication on Cats*
Sergeant’s Gold Squeeze-On for Dogs can be highly toxic to cats. Regardless of whether the cat is showing signs of a reaction, you should immediately bathe the cat with a dish soap (like Dawn) at the area of application and a detergent based shampoo/soap over the entire cat with large amounts of water.
After the bath, take your cat to the veterinarian immediately. It is important to take the product packaging to your vet’s office so that he or she can obtain the active ingredients from the label
Ingestion, drooling or foaming at the mouth
It is most likely that the cat is responding to the taste of the product on the tongue after grooming its fur. Cats have a natural detergent in their saliva, and this detergent can be stimulated when there is a foreign taste present in the mouth. If the cat is showing no other signs of a reaction (such as muscle tremors), feed the cat a treat or offer them some tuna juice / milk / water. Once the cat has eaten or drank something, the foaming will usually stop.
Allergic reactions
Typical signs of an allergic reaction include skin sensitivity (such as redness or a rash), hair loss and discoloration at the application site, itching or loss of appetite. If your pet shows signs of an allergic reaction, we recommend you thoroughly bathe your pet with a regular, non-insecticidal shampoo and large amounts of water. Symptoms will normally improve within a few hours to 24 hours of the bath. If signs continue or worsen, call the Sergeant’s 24-hour hotline at 1-800-224-PETS (7387) or your veterinarian.