WATCH: Health Canada is encouraging more pet owners to read labels related to flea and tick products. Global’s Brion Robinson reports.
MONCTON – Health Canada is encouraging more pet owners to properly read labels before administering products to keep ticks and fleas away.
Donald Bourgeois is the department’s regional manager for the pesticide compliance program and says Health Canada is continuing to get reports of animals getting ill through tick and flea products.
“If you’re not following the product label you could potentially be putting your pet at risk or you might not put enough so it has no effect on your pet,” he said. “Read the labels and follow directions and use the products as appropriate.”
With tick season in full swing and the spread of Lyme disease a concern, a group committed to rescuing cats and controlling feral cat populations says it carefully follows directions before administering its products.
“We bring kittens in and they’ll have fleas running all over their face here and there and we have to have a product that we use to get rid of that stuff,” said Cat Rescue Maritimes spokeswoman Nancy Vanderhorst.
Dr. Chantal Houle is a veterinarian at the Oaks Vet and says she recommends using brand name liquid based products applied to the back of the neck.
“We basically recommend applying it to the back of the neck simply because we don’t want the animals to be able to lick it off,” she said, noting dogs and cats require separate products.
“You cannot put dog products on cats because they can have a very toxic reaction because sometimes the drug is different in the dog product than in the cat product.”
Comments