Toxin Tuesdays: Pyretherins

Pyretherins can be found in over the counter flea products. Always check with your veterinarian prior to applying a product to your pet (Image Source)

Pyretherins are a class of medications that were widely used as insecticides. They are found in some of the early versions of topical flea medication. This is before many people started to realize they pose a toxic threat to many of our pets. While they have mostly fallen out of favor there are still over the counter flea products that contain these drugs. It is important to know what you are purchasing prior to administering to your pet! Just because it is over the counter does NOT always mean it is safe.

When applied to skin the toxicity is lower than if the patient ingests it. This would include grooming it off of themselves. The onset of clinical signs can be rapid and severe. Sometimes we will see patients start to have symptoms as soon as 30 minutes after application or ingestion. These can include seizures in cats, skin irritation, increased salivation and vomiting. If you applied this product to your pet and they become symptomatic you need to call your veterinarian right away. Depending on the symptoms they may have you give your pet a bath prior to coming to the clinic to help remove further exposure to the product.

Local reactions can occur where the product is applied. Call your veterinarian if this happens! (Image Source)

Cats seem to be particularly sensitive to this product. It is imperative that you NEVER use a dog product on a cat. Also some cats are so sensitive that if they come into contact with the dog after the medication has been applied, they can start to demonstrate side effects. In some cases the exposure can become fatal despite our best efforts to treat the symptoms.

Once the patient is presented to the veterinary clinic they may recommend blood work to rule out other causes for the symptoms. From here treatment will depend on the clinical signs. If patients are seizing they will need medication to help calm their nervous system. If they are vomiting it will be important to ensure they do not become dehydrated. If the symptoms are confined the skin, repeated bathing and treating the lesion locally is usually required.

NEVER put a dog product on a cat!!!! (Image Source)

While these products are not widely used today they are still available over the counter. If you are looking for flea and heartworm preventatives for your pet ask your veterinarians prior to purchasing and applying any medications! This can save a lot of heart ache in the future.