| You may not realize it, but inhumane animal | | | | and used for additional testing. |
| testing is most likely used in the registration | | | | A few of the adverse health conditions suffered |
| process of your dog or cat's flea and tick control | | | | by animals given chemical flea and tick pesticides |
| product. | | | | include uncontrolled whimpering, labored breathing, |
| The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | | | | unsteady gait, convulsions, diarrhea, enlarged |
| requires drug companies that manufacture and sell | | | | kidneys, thyroid cancer, and brain tumors. Clearly, |
| toxic chemical flea and tick pesticides to perform | | | | these adverse health hazards occur with large |
| animal testing on helpless laboratory dogs and | | | | doses applied over a short period of time. What is |
| cats. The procedures involved will not only break | | | | not so clear is why the big drug companies |
| your heart, but also send you searching for | | | | expect consumers to continue their testing by |
| natural flea and tick treatments instead. | | | | applying smaller doses to our beloved dogs and |
| One common test is called the Lethal Dose 50 | | | | cats over a longer period of time. And why we |
| Percent (L50). This procedure exposes animals to | | | | do it. |
| a particular chemical in order to determine the | | | | Simply stated, if the label on your flea and tick |
| dose necessary to kill 50 percent of the test | | | | product carries an EPA Registration Number, it |
| population. Between 60 and 100 animals are | | | | means that cruel, unthinkable and often unreliable |
| required, and testing spans a time period from | | | | animal testing was performed (including the L50 |
| two weeks to several years. | | | | test) during the product's registration process. |
| Since animals refuse to swallow noxious chemicals, | | | | On the other hand, if the label states that the |
| they are force-fed liquid chemicals by stomach | | | | product qualifies for exemption from registration |
| tube or through a hole cut in the animal's throat. | | | | under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and |
| Other variations of animal testing include forcing | | | | Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), this means the EPA has |
| the test subjects to breathe the chemical fumes, | | | | classified the product's active ingredients as |
| or applying the poison to the animal's shaved skin, | | | | "posing insignificant risk to humans, animals and |
| or injecting the substance into the animal's | | | | the environment." |
| abdomen. | | | | Let your conscience and good judgment be your |
| No painkillers are used as these substances may | | | | guide. While I recommend TripleSure Natural Flea |
| affect test results. No remedial treatment is given | | | | and Tick Spray For Dogs and Cats, please switch |
| to injured animals. Those innocent creatures not | | | | to any one of the many effective yet safe and |
| fortunate enough to die from animal testing are | | | | natural remedies available today. |
| eventually killed and used for autopsy, or recycled | | | | |