Flea and tick medications

Since our story aired, we've gotten a lot of feedback from pet owners and from the company. We want to stress that Sergeant's products, along with other over-the-counter and prescription flea medications in which pesticides are used, are regulated by the EPA.

The EPA states the medications can be safe and effective if used properly. But the EPA and Sergeant's both emphasize that there are significant risks if pet owners don't read, and follow the instructions before applying the product.

Here are some tips from the EPA when applying pesticides to your pets:

• Make sure you're using the right product for your pet's specific age and weight.
• Make sure you don't exceed the maximum dose.
• Only use the product on animals it's designed for. In other words, don't use dog medication on your cat.
• And, if any signs of sensitivity show up after you've applied the product, immediately wash and rinse your pet with liquid dish soap and call your vet.

Sergeant's has similar tips on their labels and one more tip.

If you have more than one pet, you need to keep them separated for at least 24 hours so they don't lick each other before it dries.

We also want to note that although our prior report discussed the use of Permethrin in OTC flea and tick medications; Sergeant's Gold Flea and Tick Squeeze-on For Dogs does not contain Permethrin, but rather a pesticide called Cyphenothrin.