New incident report
Incident Report Number: 2020-1503
Registrant Reference Number: 2020-US-001474
Registrant Name (Full Legal Name no abbreviations): The Hartz Mountain Corporation
Address: 400 Plaza Drive
City: Secaucus
Prov / State: New Jersey
Country: USA
Postal Code: 07094-3688
Domestic Animal
Country: UNITED STATES
Prov / State: ALABAMA
PMRA Registration No. PMRA Submission No. EPA Registration No. 2596-83
Product Name: Hartz UltraGuard Flea and Tick Collar for Cats and Kittens
Other (specify)
CollarYes
Unknown
Site: Animal / Usage sur un animal domestique
Animal's Owner
Cat / Chat
Unknown
1
Female
1
5
lbs
Skin
>15 min <=2 hrs / >15 min <=2 h
<=30 min / <=30 min
System
Persisted until death
No
No
Died
Treatment / Traitement
(eg. description of the frequency and severity of the symptoms
On 30-Jan-2020, a 1 year old, approximately 5 pound, female cat of unknown breed, in unknown condition, with no known concomitant medical conditions, was administered 1 collar of Hartz UltraGuard Flea and Tick Collar for Cats and Kittens (Tetrachlorvinphos) via the topical route by the animal owner. The cat was a stray that was recently found by the animal owner. Approximately 1 minute post product application, the cat became reluctant to move and she rolled on her back with her feet in the air. Approximately two hours post application, the collar was removed and the cat was rinsed with water. The prior symptoms persisted and the cat also developed fecal incontinence, weakness and anorexia. At an unspecified time post collar removal on 30-Jan-2020 the cat was bathed with degreasing dish soap by the animal owner but the symptoms persisted. Overnight, the cat developed vocalization and restlessness and fecal incontinence continued. On 31-Jan-2020, the animal owner found the cat deceased. The cat had not been evaluated by a veterinarian. It is unknown if a necropsy was performed. No further information was received.
Death
Assessment: This product has a wide margin of safety in cats and is not systemically absorbed following topical application. The cat's initial signs of being reluctant to move and rolling on its back were likely a behavioral response if the cat did not like the feeling of a collar in general. If ingested via grooming, only mild signs of oral irritation or gastrointestinal upset including drooling, vomiting, and decreased appetite would be expected. Weakness, fecal incontinence, anorexia, vocalization, and restlessness persisting until death are not expected following dermal use of the product. Without more information such as veterinary examination and diagnostics (including necropsy) it is difficult to assess this case further. Other causes including unknown trauma, infectious disease, severe flea bite anemia, underlying metabolic disease, and toxin exposure should be considered given the young age and unknown history of this cat. The information contained in this report is based on self-reported statements provided to the registrant during telephone interview(s). These self-reported descriptions of an incident have not been independently verified to be factually correct or complete descriptions of the incident. For that reason, information contained in this report does not and cannot form the basis for a determination of whether the reported clinical effects are causally related to exposure to the product identified in the telephone interviews.