The newest entry into the flea kill market is produced by a company in Athens- Rhone Merieux [pronounced Rome MaryLou]. According to sources, they were formed by those scientists/chemists, et el, who lost employment due to the down- sizing of several major drug companies. The ad company has done a great job. The TV commercials are as slick as the better quality paper that is used for their promotional materials of "Frontline". According to the product literature, it is safe for dogs, cats, puppies and kittens. The active ingredient is a chemical call "fipronil" and to make a very confusing description easy, it disrupts activity in the central nerous system of invertebrates. It settles mostly in the secretions found around the hair follicles. The package literature states that it will kill fleas on a dog for up to three months and on a cat for one month. It kills ticks for at least a month. The paragraph that I found really interesting, states: Sunlight, immersion in water, and bathing do not significantly impact performance. It won’t wash off! They sent me all the glossy literature that they have prepared for the veterinarian to give to you, but not the package insert. I did get a MSDS sheet for my OSHA Book by asking for it. The main ingredient, fipronil, is carried in a isopropanol base. That’s alcohol by the way and it is highly flammable. Now on the material safety data sheet [MSDS] it states that the health hazards to humans is great. It can cause eye irritation; you should avoid breathing dust, it is harmful if absorbed through the skin. You should avoid contact withthe skin, eyes, clothing and you should not ingest it. Treatment for exposure, by a physician, should be based on clinical symptoms as there is NO specific antidote. Whenworking with or applying, you must use nitrate or latex gloves and a face shield. You know one like the dentist wears to protest him and you. You are told not to eat, drink or smoke while applying this product. You should wash hands before eating, drinking or smoking. Wash all protective clothing thoroughly after using. The MSDS also tells you that this product is an environmental hazard and is toxic to aquatic organisms. Fish and stuff can be killed in ponds, lakes and below high tide mark. Look! I am just telling you what it reads. And oh, by the way they did their testing on rabbits, rats and guinea pigs. The client information tells you that you must dampen the pet thoroughly with Frontline and massage the hair coat to get good coverage. It also states that the flea does not have to bite the animal for the product to work. It tells you to use latex gloves in a well-ventilated room. Keeping pet still, ruffle hair and pump one pump per three pounds of body weight. These directions change from the 100ml to 250ml bottle. It also states you have to use more on long haired animals. Has this gotten through to you yet? It is expensive, it could be dangerous. It has not been on the market long enough for there to be adverse reactions in the general per population. Think people!
