How to Report Problems with Flea and Tick Products – Truth about Pet Food

New information provided by FDA.

If your pet has an adverse reaction to a flea and tick product, the reaction should be reported to government authorities. The problem has been – who is the proper authority to contact?

The FDA has recently provided this information to pet owners in a consumer update.

The FDA states:

Flea and tick products for pets are regulated by either the Food and Drug Administration or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Generally speaking, the FDA is responsible for approving animal drugs and regulates flea and tick products that are given orally, including pills, chews, and swallowable liquids, or by injection. EPA, with some exceptions, regulates those products that are applied to pets topically – to pets’ skin or fur. This includes shampoos, collars, dust or powder, sprays, and spot-on flea and tick products.

You can tell which agency regulates the product by looking at the packaging. For FDA-regulated products, look for the letters “NADA” or “ANADA,” followed by a six-digit number in this format: NADA-xxx-xxx or ANADA xxx-xxx.  Products regulated by EPA will carry an EPA registration number: EPA Reg. No. xxxxx-xxxxx. These numbers help identify the exact product better than the name of the product alone.

To report problems with FDA-approved flea or tick drug products, contact the drug manufacturer directly (see contact information on product labeling) or report to FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine on a Form FDA 1932a. For more information, please visit www.fda.gov/reportanimalae.

To report problems with EPA-regulated products, contact the manufacturer directly (see contact information on product labeling), EPA, or the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) at 1-800-858-7378.

Reporting a reaction from a flea and tick product (or an illness from a pet food) might be the last thing you think about when your pet is sick. However, your report could result in an unsafe product being pulled from store shelves (saving the lives of other pets). Please report any incident you feel is related to a flea and tick product to the above, and report any pet food/treat incident to FDA here.

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
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