Toxic Flea and Tick Treatments

Flea and tick treatments may contain toxic chemicals that can poison pets and harm people. Even when applied as instructed on the box, these chemicals are not safe, either for pets or humans. Certain chemicals in flea and tick products are linked to cancer, allergies and asthma and are suspected endocrine disruptors. Pregnant women and small children are especially at risk.

To help you make safer choices, NRDC checked the listed ingredients of more than a hundred flea and tick products to report which chemicals they contain and the chemicals' toxicity: whether they are linked to cancer, allergies and asthma or are suspected endocrine disruptors. Each product is categorized by its potential risk. Products that don't contain the most harmful chemicals are marked with a yellow paw. Pregnant women and parents of young children should try to avoid products from the red or orange categories. Check the product guide now for your product.

Children's normal behavior brings them in close contact with pets, and therefore to any poisons applied to those pets. In particular, toddlers' tendency to stick their hands in their months make it easy for toxic residues to be ingested. Because children spend their time where the residues from pet products tend to accumulate-crawling on rugs, playing with pet toys, handling accumulations of household dust, and more-they are likely to come in contact with these poisons even when they do not touch their pet. Toddler's nervous systems are still developing, so the effects of pesticides such as organophosphates can have more lasting damage.

Pet owners should take care to examine the active ingredients in all flea control products they buy. Download and print our pocket guide to identify chemical ingredients in flea and tick treatments and take it with you to the store or the vet.

Learn how to protect your pet without chemicals. Regular combing with a flea comb, bathing and vacuuming can reduce and control fleas. Pet bedding should also be washed in hot water once a week. Fleas tend to accumulate in bedding, so care should be taken not to spread the flea eggs and larvae contained in it. Vacuuming picks up fleas and eggs from carpets, floors and crevices, and from under or on furniture. Immediately after vacuuming, bags should be thrown away to prevent fleas from escaping and re-infesting the area. Severe infestations may call for professional carpet cleaning with steam.

simple steps

• Sign the petition on greenpaws.org and help us force companies to stop poisoning pets.
• Check the GreenPaws guide to brand name flea and tick products to find out which products could harm your pet or young children and print out the pocket guide to chemical ingredients in flea and tick treatments.
• Learn how to protect your pet without chemicals. Regular combing with a flea comb, bathing and vacuuming can reduce and control fleas.