Smokey

U.K. government photo

Smokey had to undergo surgery after exposure to a fake Frontline spot-on flea treatment that contained pirimiphos-methyl, an insecticide toxic to cats.

Authorities in the United Kingdom are alerting pet owners about counterfeit topical flea and tick treatments that have poisoned at least one cat.

A bogus treatment given to that animal, bought online through the popular e-commerce site eBay and bearing the Frontline brand, was found to contain pirimiphos-methyl, a powerful insecticide that is toxic to cats.

The alarm about the fake treatments was raised last week in a press release issued by the U.K.'s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD).

Authorities declined to disclose the name of the seller, as investigations remain ongoing, Helen Barnham, the IPO’s deputy director of intellectual property enforcement, told the VIN News Service.

Barnham indicated that sales of the products are not limited to the U.K.

"We do know from our work with colleagues across Europe that counterfeit flea treatments are in circulation, and it's not just a U.K.-specific problem," she said. "I should explain that while our primary focus here has been to highlight this issue to members of the public in the U.K., we recognize that this type of crime is, by its nature, global."

British authorities work closely with their counterparts in other countries to share intelligence and help coordinate action, Barnham added. "Through the use of e-commerce platforms and fast parcels, the criminals involved are able to rapidly target consumers around the world. Addressing this threat is both a local and international challenge.”

Topical antiparasitic treatments for pets, commonly known as spot-ons, are liquid products dabbed on the skin between the animal's shoulder blades and sometimes along the back. Genuine Frontline contains the insecticide fipronil, which has relatively low toxicity in mammals, including humans.

Smokey, a cat from Preston in northwest England, became "very unwell" after being treated with the phony Frontline, according to his owner, Alan Wall, whose experience was described in the government press release. The cat needed emergency surgery and spent a week recuperating at the veterinary hospital.

"When he became ill …. we were terrified," Wall is quoted as saying in the press release. "Watching him suffer, not knowing whether he would pull through, was heartbreaking."

Dr. Heilin-Anne Leonard-Pugh, a veterinarian at the VMD, said exposure to pirimiphos-methyl can prevent a cat's body from breaking down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, leading to an overstimulated nervous system.

"This can cause symptoms such as vomiting, uncoordinated gait, muscle tremors, weakness, paralysis, increased sensitivity to touch, difficulty breathing, restlessness, urinary incontinence, low heart rate and seizures," she said in the press release. "In some cases, even death can sadly occur.”

In what the U.K. government said was a separate incident, another vendor was removed from eBay after it sold 211 parcels of suspected counterfeit medicines and supplements for dogs and cats, including fake Frontline flea and tick treatment and Pro Plan FortiFlora probiotics.

Sue Horseman, a cat owner in Bristol in southwest England, had purchased some of that false Frontline but didn't use it because she became suspicious. Horseman, the press release states, said the product was difficult to open and "had a distinct smell of white spirit and paraffin."

As for the counterfeit Frontline used on Smokey, the packaging wording had a telltale sign the product was fake: Mostly written in English, it used the Italian word for cats, "gatti," and "gats" — the latter apparently an incorrect spelling or typographical error.

Fake

U.K. government photo

The counterfeit treatment packaging has a clue that the product is fake: It uses "gatti," the Italian word for cats, and the misspelled or nonsense word "gats."

Spelling or grammatical errors are common warning signs of sham medicines, as are poor quality or damaged packaging; missing leaflets or expiration dates; a suspicious smell, color and texture; and poor-quality tablets, capsules or vials that have a homemade appearance, according to the IPO.

Pet owners, it warned, also should be wary of heavily discounted products and flash sales, always questioning the price if it's much cheaper than elsewhere.

Last year, the VMD issued 122 seizure notices for the selling of unauthorized animal medicines and supplements, the U.K. government said.

Drs. Mark Grossman and Tina Wismer, who are United States-based veterinary toxicology consultants for the Veterinary Information Network, an online community for the profession, said they were unaware of any such poisonings occurring in the U.S. but would be watchful.

Wismer, who has more than 26 years of experience at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, didn't recall ever seeing pets in the U.S. poisoned by fake spot-ons. Still, she said, counterfeit flea control products have surfaced in the country before, noting the identification in 2020 of phony flea collars bearing the Seresto brand.