1. Make sure you know the exact weight of your pet before purchasing a product. Your vet should allow you to weigh your pet for free! This is important because a lot of toxicities seen with flea and tick medication are from inappropriate dosing. Never guess your pet's weight. As a comparison, keep in mind that one gallon of milk weighs approximately 8 pounds.
2. Read the package directions, and then read them again! Despite the small print, it's important to know how to properly apply the flea and tick product. We see lots of inadvertent, unintentional toxicities from pet owners applying the product onto the wrong sized animal, the wrong species (putting a dog product on a cat), and by the wrong route (i.e., some people accidentally give the product orally instead of dermally on the skin!).
3. If you have both cats and dogs, beware. Certain types of flea and tick preventative are very safe for dogs, but very toxic to cats. Using a "small dog" product on a cat can result in life-threatening tremors, seizures, and even death if untreated! If you just applied the product to your dog, and your cat grooms or rubs himself onto the dog (and ointment), toxicity can occur! Separating pets until the product is completely dried is important!
4. When in doubt, call for help. If you think you applied the product erroneously, or if your pet develops adverse reactions, call your veterinarian immediately. In addition, there is often a medical information phone number listed on the packaging - these are typically open 24/7, so when in doubt, call for medical advice!
5. Make sure to always store the box, packaging, and tubing all together, so you have all the information in one area. After using the product, hang on to box for few days, in the event of a reaction.
6. Never, ever split the product. In other words, don't buy a big dog flea and tick product to split and apply onto two medium-sized dogs. This is very dangerous, and the product is not labeled or intended to be split this way.
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