EPA to monitor safety of pet flea treatments

WASHINGTON - Complaints of dogs and cats injured and sometimes even killed by flea treatments have increased significantly, the Environmental Protection Agency said yesterday as it outlined plans to make the products safer.

The EPA says it will develop stricter testing and evaluation requirements for flea and tick treatments that are applied to pets' skin. The agency also will begin reviewing labels to determine which ones need to say more clearly how to use the products.

The EPA's effort follows increasing complaints from pet owners that the "spot-on" products have triggered reactions in dogs and cats, ranging from skin irritation to neurological problems to deaths. - AP