Pedigree killed in flea product mix-up

Pretty catchy title.. using pedigree instead of dog. Does this make it worse? How would "Staffy killed in flea product mix-up" or "Dog killed in... "
Alas... lets read on..

A popular animal treatment is under investigation after an Auckland man accidentally killed his beloved family pet.

The distraught dad says he poisoned his pedigree pomeranian with an overdose of a fleakiller sold in supermarkets but had no idea the product could put his dog at risk.

I know what he means, but really... it is a poison that you are inserting into the dog.

If he would have read Doglinks, he would have read about the natural treatment and that is putting apple cider vinegar in the dog's water. Of course, it needs to be done at each water bowl fill up. I suppose that's difficult for people to remember.

The case has prompted an inquiry by the Food Safety Authority's Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Group which says it will look into the adequacy of labelling on the product, Spotton, sold by Bayer, and the circumstances of the dog's death.

The Auckland man, who asked not to be named, says he blames himself for the mixup which has devastated his family.

"I feel like the devil."

He applied a 1ml capsule of fleakiller three times over three months to his tiny pet, Lady failing to notice the label which said the product should not be used on dogs weighing less than 10kg.

I guess it true what they say about guys: they don't read instructions (chuckle) Ya ya, you say that this is no laughing matter..

(...)

"We thought it was something she'd eaten, then I noticed she smelled like the treatment and I thought `Oh God, it's the flea stuff' and I went and checked the label. That's when I saw it was for dogs of 10kg and up. I thought `what have I done?"' Doh!!

He said as his wife cradled Lady's body, she noticed that the dog "still had bloody fleas".

What ?! now that's more of a worry !

Read more about Spotton in the article.