Most of us are familiar with permethrin for the elimination of fleas and ticks. In fact, I discuss permethrin extensively in my article How to Beat Fleas & Ticks.

Therefore, when I heard of a newer drug called Zeta-cypermethrin (a spin on the original), I became interested in the canine product Spectra Shield, which has Zeta-cypermethrin as an active ingredient, so I decided to do a little research on it

Zeta-cypermethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid, like permethrin, and in much the same way is likewise used as an insecticide in large-scale commercial agricultural applications as well as in consumer products. It behaves similarly, as a fast-acting neurotoxin in insects, and is highly-toxic to most insects (good ones too, including bees) as well as fish.

Sadly, this is where the similarity ends. Where permethrin is fairly non-toxic to mammals, and is even used on humans for lice, Zeta-cypermethrin might not be so safe.

I looked up Zeta-cypermethrin and didn't find too much, but what I did find was that its root ingredient (Cypermethrin) not only is a carcinogen in animals (including humans) but it also causes pregnant animals to give birth to offspring with developmental delays. In male animals exposed to zetacypermethrin, the proportion of abnormal sperm increases, and in general it causes genetic chromosomal abnormalities to adults, including increased numbers of bone marrow and spleen cells.

I am not sure if these same hazards apply to Zeta-cypermethrin, but I thought I would give folks a heads-up about it.

Jack