Sergeant's Flea and Tick Gel Side Effects: When the Cure Is Worse Than the Disease

May 13, 2010, 6:00PM. By Gordon Gibb

Austin, MNKAAL Television in Austin, Minnesota recently reported that John Hoops used Sergeant's flea and tick gel on the family pet, only to see "Bob" experience a severe reaction to the gel.

Angella, a US resident blogging, echoed the Hoops' story on the online Consumers Complaints Board. Her small dog also had a horrific reaction to Sergeant's Gold Flea and Tick Squeeze-On for Dogs. "Within an hour, my little 12-pound dog was vomiting white foam, seizuring, and choking," she writes. "He had licked the pesticide off of his back and down the side of his body, and his skin was red and raised."

Angella notes she had used the product in the past without incident, but was shocked when she went online and discovered information suggesting that such flea and tick products were allegedly responsible for "poisoning deaths and nervous system damage of hundreds, maybe thousands of pets for at least the last 7 years. The symptoms of this type of poisoning were exactly what my dog was exhibiting."

The incident occurred on a Friday, when her veterinarian was not available.

"I took off his collar in case the poison had gotten onto it. Then I immediately washed the Sergeant's Gold Flea and Tick Squeeze-on for Dogs off my dog's body with baby shampoo. I dried him off and gave him water to drink in a dropper. I kept him on a towel in case he threw up again, then promptly removed the towel each time so he wouldn't get any more poison onto his skin. When he seemed to be done vomiting, I gave him more water, half of a Benadryl tablet, and soothed coconut oil onto his rashy back.

"He struggled most of the night since his seizures continued even through his sedation. In the morning I began giving him unflavored Pedialyte in the dropper to keep him hydrated. By noon he ate some canned chicken, but still would not drink on his own…"

By the third day, Angella writes, her pet was much better. "A great improvement from the first day, when his seizures were non-stop. From what I've read online, most deaths took place within 3 days. I have used this product on my other dogs also, with no side effects, but since it's obviously possible for the pet to silently reach a toxicity level before anyone notices a problem, I will definitely NEVER apply this poison again to any of my pets."

It should be noted that Sergeant's, a private company, has recently released a line of all-natural products purported to contain no harsh chemicals or toxic substances. Nature's Guardian, according to the FAQ section on Sergeant's website, "contains natural active ingredients that kill fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes on contact. In addition, the natural ingredients are highly effective in repelling pests."

The company further states that the pet will come to no harm if it accidentally ingests the product, such as while grooming. "The active ingredients in the Nature's Guardian products are all natural ingredients and are safe of ingestion. However, your pet may have a bad taste in his/her mouth. Simply give your pet a treat or something to drink to help with the bad taste."

There is a warning on the label nonetheless: "Nature's Guardian is a natural product. However, some animals and people can still have allergies to some of these ingredients. Also, the ingredients for Nature's Guardian are oils. If oils get in eyes they can cause some irritation. If this occurs, simply rinse the eyes with water to remove the product. If your eye continues to be irritated, please consult your doctor."