Local Biz Owners Warn About Pet Flea and Tick Shampoos

NEWTOWN SQUARE–Burlap and Bean owners, Tara and Brent Endicott recently shared their horror story about using over-the-counter flea and tick shampoo for their 11-year-old Jack Russell terrier Ember with Philadelphia Weekly.

"We are trying to raise as much awareness as we can, in hopes that Ember's experience spares the lives of other cats and dogs," shared Tara over an email about the Endicotts' experience.

Though the Endicotts give Ember monthly doses of Frontline, a flea and tick control for pets, it wasn't until recently–post Hurricane Sandy–that they noticed serious health issues that began to affect Ember.

According to Philadelphia Weekly, after giving Ember a dose of Frontline just days before her monthly dose, the fleas did not disappear. So, the pet owners went into a local chain pet store and purchased Sentry Flea and Tick Shampoo.

It was then, after two baths with the new shampoo, that they noticed drastic changes in Ember's health and behavior. Ember began to "cry like a human" during the second bath, began shivering and shaking intensely, refused food, and days later began to vomit, according to Philadelphia Weekly.

Ember was eventually hospitalized overnight and was diagnosed with Addison's disease–a disease that affects an animal’s adrenal glands–which may have been triggered by the combination of the shampoo and stress from the hurricane, according to Philadelphia Weekly.

Ember is currently in slow recovery.

ConsumerAffairs.com currently lists 136 complaints about Sentry pet products.

Read the full story on Philadelphia Weekly here. 

Have you had this problem before with an over-the-counter pet shampoo? Tell us in the comments.