I have recently been made aware of the deadly toxicity of Melaleuca Oil (Tea-tree Oil) to cats and dogs. The knowledge has been around at least since 1995 when findings were published in a UC Extension Newsletter after veterinarians observed toxicosis in pets following treatment for skin conditions. The National Animal Poison Control Center was also informed at this time.

Trouble begins when a product containing the oil is licked off an animal’s fur. Seizures and other neurological symptoms may occur 2 to 8 hours after ingestion, followed by death in some severe cases.

Since both cats and dogs self-groom, all sorts of things are taken into the body orally. For this reason, shampoos and skin/coat treatments formulated for dogs should never be used on cats as they may contain higher concentrations of potentially dangerous ingredients.

How is it, then, that there are still a lot of pet products out there containing substances harmful to our beloved pets? Lots of shampoos and dermatologic remedies containing Tea-tree Oil are on the physical and virtual market shelves. There are even topical products for dogs that contain Lidocaine, a powerful anesthetic known to cause seizures and death in humans.

Ingredients may not always be listed online in their entirety, as in the case of the PetMD Anti-Shed Spray containing the Melaleuca Oil. The particular warning I received stated that this product was being sold through Publisher’s Clearing House in Canada, and the oil was listed as an ingredient in the flyer. However, online on the PetMD.biz website, it is not listed. In fact, the list of ingredients is quite different! The question now arises, was “bad” product dumped across the border and the US product reformulated? Another very scary thought as both are on the market.

Products containing Melaleuca Oil are not the only suspect items for sale on the web. The pet market is not as scrupulously controlled as the human one is, and with online shopping these days, it is not always possible to read the label before buying. Even if you recognize the product packaging as something you are familiar with, inspect it carefully upon arrival.

This summer we shopped around for the cheapest source of Advantage for our fight with fleas on the feral cats and kittens. We found a great deal at Joe’s Pet Meds online, or so we thought.

The product came and we began using it, only to find that it wasn’t killing fleas. After examining the packaging carefully, I discovered that the contents were in kg instead of the familiar mL, and the 800 number to call with questions was a digit short because it was for Australia! I finally tracked down the US-based division of Bayer, only to be told that they did not know what the Australian formulation was. I was flabbergasted, and kept repeating, “But it’s Bayer, right…?” The woman just advised me to send the Advantage back for a refund.

Luckily, Joe’s honored its refund policy, but we had a lot of unhappy foster homes that had to be treated for fleas, mine included.

“Buyer beware!” and “Read the label!” never sounded so right. Just because a label displays a cat or a dog, does not mean it is safe. Do your own research before you apply any product to your pet.