From:
elnrrgby1@aol.com
Date: 2002-04-16 19:19:00 UTC
Subject: Severe (anaphylactic) reaction to pet deodorant!?!
Hello all,
Just a little while ago, I was cleaning the ferret cage and
changing out bedding and all the usual stuff. Since I was
putting fresh hammies and beds in, I figured I'd go ahead and
"freshen" the ferrets as well. The deodorizer I used (and
have used numerous times in the past) is called Refresh
Deodorant for Pets and is made by the Bramton Company (makers
of Simple Solution). Less than 2 minutes after applying it,
one of my guys, Bonzai, began running in circles around the
cage and was gagging. He had just checked out the newly
cleaned litter box, so I thought maybe some dust got in his
nose (the litter is Ecofresh and 100% recycled paper in
granule form vs. pellet). I forced a glob of Laxaire in his
mouth and made sure he ate it and then set him down to watch
him. He again began running around frantically and continued
to gag. I grabbed him and threw him under the faucet and
rinsed him off thoroughly and then put him in a carrier to
watch him and to try to figure out what was going on. At that
point, projectile vomiting and diarrhea started
simultaneously, and his color was bright red. All I could
think was that he was going into anaphylactic shock so I
immediately gave him about 2.5 mg of diphenhydramine and 5 mg
of pred (both oral as that was all I had available) and rinsed
him off with warm water a second time. That was about 45
minutes ago and, at this point, he seems to be okay and is
resting semi-comfortably. Breathing is fairly normal now,
color is normal, and the vomiting/diarrhea have both stopped.
He has had a few itching spells and sneezed a few times, but
otherwise is fine. I've got him in an isolation carrier right
next to me so I can monitor him frequently. I've also alerted
the vet and he's prepared to meet me at the clinic if needed.
I'm going to repeat the diphenhydramine in a few hours just to
be on the safe side and will continue to monitor him
overnight.
Now for the million dollar question...Could the pet deodorant
really have caused all of this??? Once things calmed down, I
checked the cage and surrounding area and found no sign of any
spiders or any other bugs. No sign of any bites on him
either, at least none that I can find at this point. No other
products have been used in the ferret room or the cage in the
last week, and even then, the only products used were a
nontoxic cage deodorizer (KOE) and diluted Nolvasan
disinfectant. Both products have been used routinely for
several years without problem. No other recent treatments
with any products/medications in the past month.
There also is no ingredient list on the Refresh bottle or on
the manufacturer's website. I will call them in the morning
though to let them know about this and will also try to find
out if any other similar cases have been reported. There are
no warnings listed on the label other than "Do not spray in
eyes, open wounds, incisions, or sores" and "keep out of reach
of children". The product is also specifically labeled "for
use on dogs, cats, ferrets, hamsters, rabbits and other small
animals". And, again, Intrepid (Bonzai's brother) was
treated just prior to him this evening and is still absolutely
fine. No problems whatsoever. Was Bonzai's reaction a freak
occurrence? Am I missing something more obvious? And, is it
really possible for such a seemingly benign product to induce
such a severe reaction?
Thanks!
Stacia