Pet Safety / Compounds / Tau-fluvalinate

Is Tau-fluvalinate safe for dogs and cats?

Low risk for pets

Dogs are tolerant of tau-fluvalinate at use concentrations; no specific concerns with Apistan beehive strip handling by pet owners; accidental ingestion of a single Apistan strip by a dog is unlikely to cause serious toxicity given the low active ingredient content per strip and dogs' efficient pyrethroid metabolism.

What is tau-fluvalinate?

The IUPAC name is [cyano-(3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl] (2R)-2-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)anilino]-3-methylbutanoate.

Also known as: [cyano-(3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl] (2R)-2-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)anilino]-3-methylbutanoate, Klartan, Fluvarol, Fluwarol.

IUPAC name
[cyano-(3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl] (2R)-2-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)anilino]-3-methylbutanoate
CAS number
102851-06-9
Molecular formula
C26H22ClF3N2O3
Molecular weight
502.9 g/mol
SMILES
CC(C)C(C(=O)OC(C#N)C1=CC(=CC=C1)OC2=CC=CC=C2)NC3=C(C=C(C=C3)C(F)(F)F)Cl
PubChem CID
91768

Risk for dogs

Low risk

Dogs are tolerant of tau-fluvalinate at use concentrations; no specific concerns with Apistan beehive strip handling by pet owners; accidental ingestion of a single Apistan strip by a dog is unlikely to cause serious toxicity given the low active ingredient content per strip and dogs' efficient pyrethroid metabolism.

Risk for cats

High risk

Tau-fluvalinate is a type I pyrethroid (lacks alpha-cyano group) — cat toxicity is in the high range rather than extreme, consistent with its type I classification and somewhat lower potency relative to type II pyrethroids; nonetheless, cats should be kept away from Apistan strips and treated surfaces. The T-syndrome (tremors without salivation) predominates in cats exposed to tau-fluvalinate. Treatment: bathing, methocarbamol, supportive care.

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Tau-fluvalinate.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
WHO—Class IIBased on characteristic dermal effect (paresthesia)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where pets encounter tau-fluvalinate

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Tau-fluvalinate:

  • Physical/mechanical pest control (IPM)
    Trade-offs: More labor-intensive. May not be sufficient for severe infestations.
    Relative cost: Variable; lower long-term

Frequently asked questions

Is tau-fluvalinate safe for pets?

Dogs are tolerant of tau-fluvalinate at use concentrations; no specific concerns with Apistan beehive strip handling by pet owners; accidental ingestion of a single Apistan strip by a dog is unlikely to cause serious toxicity given the low active ingredient content per strip and dogs' efficient pyrethroid metabolism.

What products contain tau-fluvalinate?

Tau-fluvalinate appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

See Tau-fluvalinate in the pets app

Look up products containing tau-fluvalinate, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in pets View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. US EPA Pyrethroid Reregistration Eligibility Decision — cypermethrin/deltamethrin/lambda-cyhalothrin/bifenthrin/cyfluthrin/fenvalerate/tau-fluvalinate/fenpropathrin; type I/II classification; aquatic toxicity; cat sensitivity; sodium channel mechanism; human paresthesia; buffer zones (2011) (2011) — regulatory
  2. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: Pyrethroid Toxicosis in Cats and Dogs — type I vs type II CS/T syndromes; extreme cat sensitivity (sodium channel/UGT deficiency); bathing decontamination; methocarbamol tremor control; cyproheptadine; lipid emulsion severe cases (2023) (2023) — veterinary

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →