| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 727.1 | a few thoughts | INK::KALLIS | Raise Hallowe'en awareness. | Thu Aug 27 1987 10:19 | 13 |
| Also, Dr. Alan Xanakas, (M.D.) on WRKO indicated he'd tried to get
in touch with Hartz for several days, but was told that no spokesperson
was available; nor has anyone from Hartz returned his calls.
Additionally, he indicated that he'd gotten reports of some folk
using Blockade _in conjunction with other insectisides_. He pointed
out that this could be highly detriomental to a cat or other pet.
Anyway, I'd personally be cautious about using this product on a
cat I loved.
Steve Kallis, Jr.
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| 727.2 | BLOCKADE & Death Related Incidents | HPSVAX::DERUSSO | | Fri Aug 28 1987 14:24 | 43 |
|
Heartz has been touting Blockade in an advertising blitz that claims
the product not only kills fleas and ticks, but stops them from
returning. TV ads show fleas fleeing from one side of a petri dish
sprayed with Blockade.
After viewing one of the TV commercials in June, Pam Whitby of Illinois
bought a seven-ounce can of Blockade for her Siamese cat, Romeo.
The day after Romeo was sprayed, Ms. Whitby's daughter discovered
the cat on the floor convulsing and rushed it to a veterinarian.
"He's lost control over his bladder and bowels, and the veterinarian
says he'll never be the same again.
Ms. Whitby wrote to Hartz about the incident. Hartz replied (this
is so TYPICAL!!!), "We would, in all sincerity, believe that the
problems your pet experienced were coincidental with, but not caused
by, the use of our product."
Kevin Shanley, a dermatoligist at the Univ. of Pennsylvania veterinary
hospital says the cases appear to be more than coincidental. He
has received about 20 calls from people whose pets became sick after
using Blockade. YOU'LL LOVE THIS NEXT SENTENCE, EVERYONE . . .
"Depending on the severity of the situation, the individuals whose
animals were affected, usually opted to put them to sleep," he says.
Veterinarians across the country are finding these incidents are
not isolated, and that patterns of symptoms are emerging and that
the correlation between the deaths and Blockade is too strong to
be coincidental.
I would appreciate anyone who reads this to pass this information
to anyone with a need to know. This is a quite serious situation.
Thank you.
Diane deRusso
"ABYluv"
TE KEE RUDDY ABYSSINIANS
(continuing the tradition to approved homes only)
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| 727.3 | Time to Check the LAbel | 25192::MECLER | FRANK | Fri Aug 28 1987 15:03 | 9 |
| I haven't read the label on the Hartz Blockade yet but will do so
this weekend. My bet is the active ingredient(s) is(are)
cholinesterase inhibitors. The symptoms are definitely those of
central nervous system toxicity. After I've checked the label I'll
post another reply. Cats do seem to absorb some things through
their skin very easily and they get an additional oral exposure
when grooming.
Frank
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| 727.4 | if you love your kitty, take care | 25175::KALLIS | Nyarlathotep. Just say 'Not now.' | Fri Aug 28 1987 15:49 | 7 |
| As I understand it, part of the Blockade mechanism is that the
chemicals are supposed to permeate the cat (thus, if a flea bites
one, it either is poisoned or it doesn't like the taste and leaves).
Something like this was tried in the early 1960s, if my memory's
not quite out of joint, and _it_ was later withdrawn.
Steve Kallis, Jr.
|
| 727.5 | | SAHQ::CARNELL | | Fri Aug 28 1987 17:02 | 7 |
|
In case anyone is interested 60 Minutes did a segment on Hartz several
years ago. I will not put anything in here I shouldn't but I do
not use Hartz products now.
|
| 727.6 | Never touch the stuff | NEWPRT::BARTH | Karl - the Pigasus rider | Thu Sep 03 1987 20:33 | 18 |
| Ummm...
We also do not use Hartz products at all. I saw the 60 minutes piece
mentioned in .5, but that isn't the reason.
This doesn't really have anything to do with .0, except the Hartz
connection, so you can NEXT/UNSEEN away if you don't care...
I used to be married to a veterinarian. She was an excellent vet.
According to her, Hartz products (all of them) are a waste of money.
Their quality is so comparatively low, and their prices so high
that you are much, much better off buying equivalent items from
almost anyone else. Especially anti-flea products. (Flea collars
come to mind most quickly.)
It's a free country...
K.
|
| 727.7 | | NEWVAX::BOBB | I brake for Wombats! | Mon Sep 14 1987 16:36 | 19 |
| There was just an article in the Washington Post this past week
about Hartz Blockade. It seems a woman in the area used it on her
3 dogs and was woken up in the middle of the night because the dogs
were howling, vomiting and having diarrhea. She called the vet,
washed them down, fed them watered down liquid (don't remember if
it was water or milk or what).
All three dogs survived, but the vet (happens to be the same one
I go to) says that she has seen several cases where it looks like
the Blockade is the cause of illness.
I use that Hartz reflective flea collars, not because they do anything
to keep the fleas away (infact, when you lift the collor that's where
all the *&^%^&^ fleas seem to be nesting!) , but because of the
reflective strip. I haven't found any other Hartz anti-flea product
that even slowed the fleas down.... too bad Blockade appears to
be going to the other extreme!
janet b.
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| 727.8 | Stilling Searching | 25192::MECLER | FRANK | Mon Sep 14 1987 17:40 | 17 |
| Took a little longer than I expected but I finally found some Hartz
Blockade in the store. To be quite honest I am not familiar with
one of the components but will continue ot track it down. My money
is still on a neurotoxin. The other component is a close relative
of DEET the active ingredient in 6-12, Off, Old Woodsman, and Cutter's
all human insect repellants. When I use the more concentrated
products, I get instant skin reddening (irritation). This increased
blood flow to the skin enhances skin absorption of chemicals. Will
continue my search for information on the other major component.
BTW, Hartz is marketing a dog and a cat formulation. The active
ingredients and their concentrations are identical. If there is
any difference in the formulations it has to be in the 99% labelled
inert ingredients. Good marketing ploy for households with both
dogs and cats.
Frank
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| 727.9 | EPA deals self in | TOXMAN::MECLER | FRANK | Mon Sep 28 1987 09:58 | 22 |
| Hi Folks,
Still haven't looked into the toxicity of Hartz Blockade in detail.
Apparently the EPA thinks Hartz has not looked into it very well
either. EPA has ordered HARTZ to conduct additional toxicity testing
on the two products. There have been 201 reported incidences of
illness and 26 reported deaths following use of Blockade. The two
ingredients had been previously tested alone and are among the safer
pesticides/repellants available. There may be something about the
particular way they are combined in Blockade.
In addition, EPA has ordered additional labeling warning consumers
NOT to use the product on cats under one year of age or pregnant;
on dogs younger than three months; and on sick, old or debilitated
pets. The new labeling will advise to apply sparingly and not to
use more often than every 7 days and to observe pets after application.
As an aside, neither EPA nor Hartz has enough data on other flea/tick
products to determine if the illness/death incidence seen for Blockade
is "unusual". Makes you think.
Frank
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| 727.10 | 20/20 | CIRCUS::KOLLING | Karen, Sweetie, Holly; in Calif. | Mon Nov 16 1987 23:18 | 3 |
| According to TV Guide, 20/20 is doing a segment on Hartz Blockade
next week (that's the 27th? I think).
|
| 727.11 | BLOCKADE video showing | FRAGLE::REILLEY | Reil | Mon Dec 28 1987 13:07 | 53 |
|
I have reserved a conference room here in Northboro
for a noon time showing of the recent 'ABC News 20/20' segment
on Hartz Mountain's BLOCKADE Flea & Tick Spray for Tuesday,
January 5, 1988.
Where: Munich Conference Room, NRO5
Northboro, Mass.
When: Tuesday, January 5, 1988 12:15 pm.
Directions: From I-495 North or South, take I-290 West
towards Worcester. Take the first exit off I-290
which is Solomon Pond Road.
At the top of the exit ramp, turn Left
and go about 1 mile to a rotary.
Go three-quarters of the way around the rotary
and take Whitney Street going west. At the top of the hill
continue past NRO1 on your left.
Just beyond NRO1 turn Left on to Forbes Road.
NRO2, NRO3, NRO4 and NRO5 will be on your Right in that
order. Follow Forbes Road down to the end and turn Right.
New construction is going on off to the left
so watch for truck traffic, etc.
Follow the driveway all along the front of the
building until you come to the large parking lot at the
West end of the building. Park & lock your car and then
walk back to the second door along the front of the building
(directly opposite the Handicapped & Security parking spaces)
to enter.
The Security desk will be on your right as you
enter. Turn left and go 50 feet to the main hallway.
Turn right and the Munich CR is the 3rd CR on your right.
The conference room is located right next to the
cafeteria. The video segment runs for about 20 minutes.
I have the conference room booked from 12:00 - 1:00
so if anyone is late arriving we will still have time for
a second showing.
NOTE: I am not a regular reader of the FELINE conference
so please contact me directly if you have any questions
about the directions, etc.
Tom Reilley
President, DEC Kennel Club
NRO5/P2
DTN 234-5356
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