Toxicity to pets

Pyrethrin and pyrethroids are common active ingredients in insecticides and there is a wide margin of safety for these chemicals with proper use. Improper use includes ingestion of pyrethrin/pyrethroids or use of a pyrethrin/pyrethroid product meant for one species upon a different species (e.g. applying dog topical pyrethroid flea drops upon a cat). Clinical signs of pyrethrin/pyrethroid poisoning are dependent upon the specific chemical, the concentration of that chemical, the species of animal, and the type of exposure (oral or topical). Common clinical signs of pyrethrin/pyrethroid poisoning are nausea, drooling, vomiting and lethargy. Severe poisoning results in tremor, seizure, collapse, and death.