In my last post, Warning! Health Hazards from Flea and Tick Products, I wrote about how my dog, Leny, had a number of seizures after an application of BioSpot. Here is what happened next.
Following the advice of James TerBush of BioSpotVictims.Org, I called the manufacturer of BioSpot, Farnam Pet Products. The phone number for the Risk Manager/Consumer Relations for BioSpot is 1-800-234-2269. If you are making the call, have the box of Biospot that you used handy, and a copy of your vet bill. After getting your information and a summary of the situation, they will ask you to submit the following so that they can refund the price of the product and consider reimbursement for the vet bill:
1. Proof of purchase for the BioSpot product that gave you the problem--either a receipt or the bar code from the package.
2. A copy of your vet bill.
3. A copy of the vet's notes from your visit.
I'm expecting that they will probably refund the cost of the product and will most likely deny responsibility for any adverse reactions and will thus deny the claim to have the vet bill reimbursed.
The reason I am feeling so cynical is that after I talked to the customer service rep, she transferred me to an Animal Poison Control Center, where they said they were not connected with the company that makes BioSpot. The rep there told me that her resident vet expert was telling her that my dog's 4 grand mal seizures after getting her BioSpot dose were just a coincidence, and due to something else. She suggested that my dog perhaps got into some human anti-depressants (there are none in my house)--somehow implying that my dog has opposable thumbs when I am not looking at her and that she is able to wrestle open child-proof lids on drugs that we don't even have.
The Poison Control rep said that she would like to chat with my vet on the phone to explain to him that he came to the wrong conclusion in connecting the BioSpot with the seizures.
It was kind of creepy.
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Update, May 2013: The manufacturer eventually sent me a check to cover what we had paid for the product and what we had spent at the vet's office. The check had no indication of what is was in response to, and there was no admission of wrongdoing on their part or on behalf of their product. Leny continues to have seizures about once a month. We will never know for sure if the product caused the onset of seizure activity.
5 comments:
After doggysitting my niece Leny for a couple of hours yesterday, my fears are finally abated. She's going to live!! She was happy and hungry and very energetic, even on valium. I was greatly relieved.
If they refuse to pay the vet bill, use the L-Word* on em and see what happens. And please let us know what your vet has to say about the educational lecture he received from the poison lady.
* lawyer!!!!!!
Leny seems a little awkward today and just fell on the dining room floor. I'm hoping that it is just the Valium. She does pretty well hopping on and off the furniture, though.
Clair, I'm so sorry about Leny's troubles---that must have been so scary for your sister to see. I would be a little cynical, too, about that "Animal Poison Control Center." Very interesting that the rep wanted to convince your vet that he was wrong....hmmmm.
Thanks so much for writing about this. We are on the verge of getting a dog and had wondered what the best tick and flea control methods would be because we have a lot of ticks and fleas around here. At least, I know to stay away from BioSpot.
Hope Leny feels a lot better soon.
I happened to view the flea & tick meds that the local vet sells and then I searched on the internet for it; finally buying it from an Australian company. I have used this product on both of our dogs with no problem at all. Saying that, I have not bought any of the product in quite some time and there have been no issues with any fleas or ticks. When we lived in Sierra Vista AZ (similar climate as here), there were absolutely no problems with fleas & ticks. In my experience, the only place I have seen them have been hot, humid places in the U.S. I have not heard or seen advertised BioSpot.
I just would like to add my experience with biospot. I applied the med on my 5 lb chihuahua. He soon started having ear twitches just on the left side. they came about every 3 minutes. I immediatley took him to the vet. They knew right off that it was the BioSpot. They said they treat dogs often for this reaction to this drug. It is the Permethrin. They said its too strong for some dogs and it causes tremors, twitching, and seizures. My Chihuahua is still in ICU but is doing better. The vet told me that once a med is approved to be sold on the market it is almost impossible to get it taken off. How many dogs need to die or have adverse reactions before something is done about this?
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