Helen Cassar wants people to think twice before strapping a flea collar on their pet. Photo: Darrin Zammit LupiHelen Cassar wants people to think twice before strapping a flea collar on their pet. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

The day after Helen Cassar put a flea collar on her cat, Bruce, he stopped eating and drinking and 10 days on had to be put to sleep after being diagnosed with acute kidney failure.

Ms Cassar and her husband consulted three vets who told them their pet’s death may have been triggered by the chemicals in the collar.

They are upset because the product they bought from a supermarket did not make any potential risks clear. The labelling was in French.

It warns the collar should be removed on the first signs of intolerance and should not be used on a sick cat. As far as the Cassars know, six-year-old Bruce was healthy.

“We are not after revenge but we want people to be careful before putting a flea collar on their cat, no matter what the brand is. We want to bring awareness that they could be dangerous and should carry clear warnings,” Ms Cassar said.

The consumer watchdog investigated the Cassars’ report. A spokesman for the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority said the product met EU regulations and did not feature on any database listing dangerous products.

However, the importer had been advised “to label the products still on the market in English and to seek registration because it most likely falls under the biocides legislation”.

A spokesman for one of the firms that import the collars confirmed they were in the process of being registered as biocides.

He noted the product in question was imported legally and registered through Customs.

He had not been asked to register it as a biocide before now. The manufacturer assured him the product was safe and more than two million were sold in Europe.

He pointed out that it had not been proven that the flea collar caused Bruce’s death, adding other factors could have contributed.

The Cassars said they had never tried using a flea collar before.

“It was Friday when we put the collar on him. He spent the day with it and went to sleep as usual. Then, on Saturday, he did not want to wake up,” Ms Cassar recalled.

She removed the collar immediately but the cat started vomiting and had loose stools.

The next 10 days were spent going between vets and giving Bruce medications but his condition worsened.

One vet’s certificate seen by Times of Malta read: “I strongly suspect that the cat was poisoned by the chemicals in the flea collar.”

Bruce had to be put down.

A vet’s words…

If a cat owner opts to use a flea collar it is advisable to air it for 24 hours before putting it on the animal, according to veterinarian Nikol Falzon, who was not involved in Bruce’s case.

It is also important not to apply adult cat collars on kittens. If, after putting it on a cat shows signs of irritation – such as itching, hair loss and redness – it should be removed immediately. More severe reactions include hyper-salivation, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Dr Falzon personally recommends using drops as opposed to flea collars since drops – applied by parting the fur at the back of the neck – spread more evenly throughout the body.

He had not heard of any cats dying due to a collar and said: “One has to bear in mind the cat may have had an underlying health condition.”

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