Public Will Be Warned About Toxic Pet Collars

Photo: Waldemar Dabrowski / Istock

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A court settlement in California means that flea and tick collars containing propoxur will come with a warning label telling pet owners that the ingredient is toxic and may cause cancer. Since 2007 in California, products containing chemicals like propoxur must be labeled, but pet collars had gone without warning labels. (That's where those label statements like "This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.")

The labeling only must apply to pet collars sold in California, but NRDC – which brought the lawsuit that prompted the warning labeling – has also petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the ingredient from dog and cat collars altogether.

So far the effort to de-toxify pet collars by NRDC has resulted in the removal of six other toxic ingredients, including most recently carbaryl, which was removed as of last fall. The last of the target chemicals are propoxur and tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP).

NRDC says that children are at greatest risk of exposure and health damage from toxic chemicals in pet collars.

The new settlement applies to 18 pet product retailers and manufacturers, including PetSmart and PETCO.

Instead of using flea and tick collars and other pesticides, the NRDC recommends:

• frequent use of a flea comb
• regular bathing of pets
• regular vacuuming and washing of pet bedding
• administering of chemical flea and tick controls by pill, only when absolutely necessary

Find more information at NRDC's pet site, greenpaws.org.

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