If you have ever considered purchasing pet medications over the Internet, here is some information that you may find helpful.

According to the government news section in the most recent DVM Newsmagazine, the EPA is cracking down on widespread sales of counterfeit flea and tick products. The EPA explains that counterfeit pesticides such as Bayer’s Advantage and Merial’s Frontline appear to have been unlawfully imported and packaged in retail cartons, which are designed to look similar to legitimately registered products. Bayer has recently taken aggressive actions to stop unauthorized purchases and sales of their products by companies where no doctor-client-patient relationship exists.

Purchase through your veterinarian is the best way to be confident about the source of these medications.

The EPA says that legitimate products, when purchased in a box of multiple applications, will likely meet all of the following criteria:

Frontline products:

1. The lot # on the retail carton matches the lot number on the applicator package and/or individual applicators.

2. The instruction leaflet in included. It provides the following information:

First-aid statements, including emergency US telephone numbers; precautionary statements for humans and pets; directions for use; storage and disposal statements.

3..The pesticide is contained in a child-resistant applicator. The directions for opening includes an illustration that looks like the applicator package.

4. The legitimate applicator package has a notch between the individual applicator packages, which are generally absent on counterfeit products. Text should be in English only.

5. Once you open the applicator package, each applicator is labeled to include registrant’s name; the product name; the EPA registration number; the net contents in fluid ounces (not in metric measure); percentage of active ingredients and the statements “CAUTION”, “Keep out of reach of children”, and “See full label for additional directions”. Text should be in English only.

6. The applicator label for the dog products includes the size of the dog in pounds.

Advantage products:

1. The only way to determine a counterfeit product is to examine the actual applicator tube inside the carton. The most obvious sign is that the applicator tubes are printed in a foreign language, most likely French or German.

2. Legitimate applicator tubes include the EPA Registration Number, the signal word WARNING, and the child hazard warning (Keep out of reach of children). Counterfeit tubes may lack this information.

3. Legitimate tubes will also include a reference statement that refers users to the main labeling for directions for use and will include the manufacturer’s name.

4. Legitimate tubes contain an active ingredient statement that agrees with the active ingredient statement on the retail carton (9.1% imidacloprid). A counterfeit product may have an active ingredient statement that differs.

For more information, visit www.epa.gov.

With most of the companies, who manufacture flea/tick products as well as heartworm prevention, protecting the well being of animals is a first priority. They will not guarantee or stand behind a product purchased over the Internet. These manufacturers are often pursuing legal action in cases where it is being proven that purchase of foreign products is being sold by this method.

While we understand that everyone likes to save money, we do not want to see the health of an animal placed in jeopardy due to unsafe products of poor quality.