6-27 NWR Flea Meds are Pesticides

Summer has officially arrived in the Northwest and the Oregon Department of Agriculture is offering advice to pet owners who can take several steps themselves in providing relief from fleas:

When the weather gets hot, so does flea activity. Pet owners may resort to using specific products to effectively control fleas. They need to remember those products are pesticides and need to be handled properly. ODA's Rose Kachadoorian summarizes the steps people can take to help their cats and dogs this summer:

 KACHADOORIAN: "Keep checking your animal, vacuum a lot, launder the bedding. If you need to use a flea control product, use that but do that in conjunction with all of these other practices. And definitely work with your veterinarian on product selection."

There are a number of effective adult flea control products on the market, including spot-on topical products:

 KACHADOORIAN says it's important for pet owners to realize that flea control products are pesticides, and need to be handled carefully and properly:

 "We need to read that pesticide label very carefully and make sure we are applying it to the right animal. For example, you might have a product that says for dogs only. We have products that are not toxic to dogs but they can actually kill cats."  

State fish managers have reopened Puget Sound marine areas, rivers and lakes that were previously closed because of an impasse between tribal and state officials. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said Friday that it has received federal approval for its salmon fishing season and Puget Sound waters will reopen immediately.