Treatment FAQ

what to do if your cat ingests flea treatment

by Jamey Corwin II Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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What to do when cats ingest flea treatment

  • Look out for symptoms. When you are treating your cat of fleas, always be on the lookout for the symptoms of flea...
  • Give your cats a tasty snack. Flea treatments are bitter. Your cat may react negatively to the taste, not just to the...
  • Seek medical attention. Your veterinarian will know how to treat the specific case of your...

If your pet has ingested part of a flea collar, it is recommended to contact a veterinarian, the emergency number on the product package or Pet Poison Helpline at 800-213-6680 for assistance. Q: I gave my pet an oral flea medication containing Nitenpyram and now my pet is scratching, panting and acting agitated.

Full Answer

What kills fleas on cats instantly?

What kills fleas on cats instantly? Dish Soap. Believe it or not, even the most gentle formulations of dish soap have proven to be very effective at exterminating fleas. The dish soap breaks down the flea’s exoskeleton and kills them within minutes, even after it’s been diluted in water. How does Dawn get rid of fleas on cats?

Can fleas kill a cat?

The shocking truth and answer to this question is yes! Its real fleas can kill your cat. Most pet owners are adamant and doubt that flea bites can be detrimental to the cat, but the truth is, fleas can quickly kill your cat. Fleas do more harm than merely biting your cat.

How can I tell my cat has fleas?

You can spot it on your pet’s skin, or your pet could leave it someplace, like:

  • Its bedding
  • The carpet
  • That favorite chair they have been sleeping on even though you’ve ushered them off it a thousand times

Which natural flea treatments for cats really work?

To utilize this DIY flea spray, combine the following ingredients into a large container:

  • 1 gallon of white vinegar
  • 1/2 gallon of purified water
  • 16 ounces of freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 8 ounces of witch hazel essential oil

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What happens if my cat ingested flea medicine?

Common signs of toxicity from flea products containing organophosphates are diarrhea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, small pupils, muscle tremor, weakness or falling over, and drooling. Organophosphate toxicity can be rapidly fatal, depending on the ingredients and dose the pet is exposed to.

What should I do if my cat licks flea treatment?

If your pet happens to lick the topical flea medication, give them a small amount of their food to help relieve the bad taste. Next, contact your veterinarian or the APCC for additional steps to take and signs to monitor for.

Can flea medicine poison cats?

Some flea medication contains ingredients that can be harmful to cats, such as pyrethrins, pyrethroids and permethrins. Cats are more sensitive to these ingredients than dogs, but the poisoning can be harmful to both types of pets.

How long does flea medicine toxicity last?

Living and Management. Hypersalivation may recur for several days after use of a flea-control product on an animal. Most mild to severe clinical signs resolve within 24 to 72 hours.

What happens if cat licks flea medicine revolution?

Revolution is safe for an animal to ingest. During the testing phase, they gave it to the animals orally to ensure that it had the same effectiveness as if it were applied topically.

What happens if you get flea medicine in your mouth?

Flea killer contains ingredients that are harmful to humans but since just a tiny amount got into your mouth then its effect will not be poisonous. You need to wash your lips thoroughly with soap and water, gargle your mouth with water and spit it several times. Drink plenty of water or milk right away.

What flea treatment kills cats?

Ingredients like permethrin are commonly included in dog flea and tick treatments, which can actually kill cats.

What happens if my cat licks frontline?

If an animal is able to lick the product when it is wet on the fur or scratches the area and then licks their foot, the bitter taste of the product can cause the animal to salivate, foam at the mouth, become nauseous or vomit. Also, some cats have been known to become agitated and run around the house.

How do you treat a cat with pesticide poisoning?

Treatment. Depending on how long it has been since your cat ingested the toxin (if exposure was via ingestion), you veterinarian may induce vomiting for your pet. Your doctor may also wash out it's stomach with a tube (lavage), and then give it activated charcoal to detoxify and neutralize any remaining insecticide.

Can flea treatment hurt my cat?

CBC Marketplace has discovered that more than 2,000 animals are reported to have died in North America since 2008 as a result of exposure to flea and tick treatment products, which can contain dangerous chemicals that kill fleas but can also harm pets.

Why is my cat acting weird after flea treatment?

If your flea already has a flea infestation, then they might be acting irritable or annoyed because of the fleas. It might take a little time for the treatment to become effective. Another reason your cat might be acting weird is that you have had to take them to the veterinarian.

What happens if my cat licks Bravecto?

If licking of the application site occurs, transient mild to moderate salivation and coughing or vomiting may be observed.

How to treat fleas in cats?

Your cat may react negatively to the taste, not just to the toxicity. Give your cat a snack to make her drink water afterward or just flush her mouth with water directly. Seek medical attention.

When will flea treatments be available for cats in 2021?

June 13, 2021 by dealwithpests. Flea treatments for cats can come in many forms, and many of them are applied topically. This generally wouldn’t be a problem, but cats will be cats. They will probably lick the flea treatment you have applied. So, should you be concerned if your cat licks their flea treatment?

What are the ingredients in flea treatments?

Another set of active ingredients you often find in flea treatments is organophosphates. They are the products with chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dichlorvos, haloxon, malathion, phosmet, or tetrachlorvinphos in their labels. They are more dangerous to your cat when ingested. Your cat can experience diarrhea, difficulty in breathing, lethargy, ...

Why is it bad for my cat to lick my fleas?

If your cat licks her flea treatment, you should be concerned because of the risk of flea treatment toxicity. This can be a major health risk. It can also be fatal, especially if your cat doesn’t receive the necessary medical attention.

Is flea treatment toxic?

Flea treatment toxicity is real and it is fatal if it is severe enough. When treating pets of fleas, always keep flea treatment toxicity in mind to minimize risk. Don’t use more than one flea treatment on your pets unless instructed by a professional.

Can you separate a dog from a cat for fleas?

Avoid third-party ingestion by separating pets who are undergoing flea treatment. This is especially true if the other pets being treated are dogs because their flea treatments have different formulations and are more dangerous when ingested by your cat .

Can you use flea medicine without reading the instructions?

Follow the flea treatment instructions diligently. Some pet lovers simply apply the medication and expect results without reading the instructions. If you don’t follow the instructions from your veterinarian or the label of the flea treatment’s packaging, the product can become ineffective and unsafe.

How do you know if your cat has flea and tick poisoning?

Symptoms of Flea and Tick Medicine Poisoning in Cats. You may notice the signs of flea and tick medicine poisoning within the first six hours of exposure. Take your cat to the veterinarian if you notice any of the following symptoms: Drooling. Vomiting.

What to do if your cat is poisoned?

The best thing you can do for your cat in the case of poisoning is take them to the veterinarian immediately. Your veterinarian will start by asking questions about their medical history and the signs they are displaying at home. You can also expect your veterinarian to ask about their exposure to the chemicals.

What to expect from a veterinarian for a cat?

Expect your veterinarian to order blood work as part of the physical exam. Your veterinarian will use your answers, the cat’s signs, and the test results to make an accurate diagnosis. It is vital to take your cat to the veterinarian as soon as you notice the signs of flea and tick medicine poisoning.

Why do cats get fleas and ticks?

The causes of this condition are as follow: Sensitivity to the medicine. Medicine clinging to hair coats. Unusually low body temperature. Overdosing of medication. Ingestion of topical medication.

How long does it take for a cat to be released from the hospital?

The good news is your cat may be released from the hospital in just two to three days.

How long do you have to monitor a cat after poisoning?

Constant Monitoring. The medical staff will monitor your cat for several days to ensure they are recovering from the poisoning. This includes monitoring their blood glucose, body temperature, and kidney function. Your cat may need to remain hospitalized until their symptoms fade and their body is functioning normally.

Can ticks kill cats?

The effects range from mild to severe, depending on the amount of exposure and condition of your cat. Flea and tick medicine poisoning can be fatal if it is not treated by a veterinarian. Flea and tick medicine poisoning occurs when your cat has a negative reaction to the medication.

What to do if my cat is fleaing?

Two of the most popular include applying a spot-on flea treatment and using an anti-flea collar. Some cat owners prefer taking a trip to the vet. Regardless of which flea treatment you prefer, it’s possible for your cat to act weird afterward.

What happens if my cat gets fleas?

Some of the things that you may notice include hiding, loss of appetite, lethargy and failure to use the litter box properly. For most cats, a trip to the vet can be an overwhelming experience.

Why does my cat have anemia?

Many things can cause a cat to suffer from anemia. One of them is a severe flea infestation. Fleas can drink lots of blood, which can deprive a cat’s vital organs of much-needed oxygen — the blood, the red blood cells (RBCs), in particular, are the carriers of oxygen.

Why do cats run around after flea treatment?

When cats sense the overly active fleas on their bodies, they may run around, scratch, rub themselves against surfaces, vocalize, and pant. Worry not because your cat’s strange behavior after getting flea treatment will go away on its own, usually when all the fleas on it are already dead and no longer moving around.

Why do cats pick up fleas?

Because cats are very curious animals, they can pick up fleas rather easily. As a matter of fact, up to 18% to 19% of cats have fleas. The good news is that a flea infestation is highly treatable. However, once upon a time, you may have noticed a cat acting weird after flea treatment. There are five most common reasons why ...

How long does an anti-flea collar last?

What’s so nice about an anti-flea collar is that it can provide results for five to eight long months. On the other hand, a spot-on flea treatment’s effect can last for only about one month. But for an anti-flea collar to keep your cat free of fleas for months, it should be worn by your pet all the time.

Why does my cat scratch so much?

Sometimes, a cat may experience severe itchiness and scratch violently because of flea allergy dermatitis. As the name suggests, it’s a form of dermatitis resulting from flea bites, and it can cause skin infections, scabbing, and hair loss.

How old do kittens have to be to use flea and tick products?

In addition, all flea products have a minimum age for use, kittens must reach a certain age before they can be treated with any kind of flea or tick product. Most products also have a minimum weight. The amount (or dose) of pyrethrin used in a formula often will vary according to a cat’s weight.

Why are cats more sensitive to fleas than dogs?

Cats are much more sensitive than dogs are to pyrethrins, and because the level of pyrethrins will be higher in a flea repellent that has been formulated ...

What causes a cat to become toxic?

Toxicity can also occur as a result of ingestion, such as when a cat grooms itself or licks another animals (including dogs) that have been treated with a pyrethrin product.

Can pyrethrin be used in cats?

Because pyrethrins are so effective at insect control, products that are formulated for insect control in and around the home, including gardens, can also be found in the cat’s environment.

Do you have to separate cats after flea treatment?

Also keep in mind that because cats groom each other, you will need to keep them separated after applying a flea or tick product until the product has dried. Common synthetic pyrethroids: bifenthrin, permethrin, allethrin, tetramethrin, cyfluthrin, cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin.

What to do if you accidentally put flea and tick medication on your cat?

If you accidentally applied dog flea and tick medication to your cat, contact your veterinarian, an emergency veterinarian, or an animal poison control center immediately . The sooner you treat it, the less poisonous it may be and the less expensive it may be to treat.

What is the best flea and tick medication for dogs?

Allethrin. Deltamethrin. Cypermethrin. Permethrin. Cyphenothrin. Many of these active ingredients are used in high concentrations in flea and tick topical spot-on medications for dogs without any problem; however, in certain species (like cats and fish), this high level of a concentrated pyrethroid can result in severe poisoning.

What is the best treatment for cat tremors?

Hospitalization. If your cat has clinical signs (e.g., tremors, seizures), hospitalization is a must to stop the tremors with muscle relaxants (e.g., methocarbamol) or antiseizure medication (e.g., phenobarbital, valium). These medications should only be administered by a veterinarian, unless otherwise directed by your veterinarian.

How do you know if your cat is poisoned?

Signs of poisoning in a cat can be severe and include the following: Drooling or vomiting (typically due to grooming the product off and tasting the bitter chemical) Gastrointestinal signs (such as inappetance, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.)

Can flea and tick spray be used on cats?

These chemicals are very safe for dogs, but should never be used for cats.

Is it safe to spray fleas on cats?

Other sources of these chemicals include household insect sprays and topical flea sprays and shampoos; however, these are typically in very low concentrations (<1% pyrethrins or pyrethroids) and are generally safe for cats and dogs.

Can you bathe a cat?

Keep in mind that cats are very hard to bathe at home, and when in doubt, you should never put yourself (or your cat) at risk of harm. If you can’t bathe your cat, seek immediate veterinary attention so they can bathe your cat to remove the topical spot-on medication. Note that since the flea and tick medication is very oily, it will not come off if you're only using water or a dog/cat shampoo alone. Your cat should be bathed with a mild liquid dish soap (used specifically to wash the dishes in the sink) such as Dawn.™

How does anti-flea poisoning occur in cats?

How does anti-flea treatment poisoning occur in cats. The contents of the anti-flea treatment pipette are absorbed into the skin. Intoxication can occur when the components are too strong for the individual cat's system. Perhaps they have a weakened immune system or are an otherwise vulnerable cat.

How do you know if your cat has flea poisoning?

They will show signs of irritation which may include vocalizations and even slight aggression. However, these behaviors should stop eventually once they have calmed down. This is why it is very important to know the symptoms of flea treatment poisoning in cats.

Why does my cat act weird after flea treatment?

Other reasons your cat acts weird after flea treatment. While poisoning is the most worrying reason your cat might act weird after flea treatment, it is not the only one. If your flea already has a flea infestation, then they might be acting irritable or annoyed because of the fleas.

Why do cats put flea treatment on their neck?

This is why flea treatment is applied using a pipette on the nape of the neck. Prepackaged pipettes control the dosage and the placement prevents the cat from ingesting the toxic chemicals. While deworming and flea treatment is relatively very safe, you may wonder why your cat is acting weird after flea treatment.

What diseases can fleas cause?

There are many other possible diseases which can be caused by flea infestation. A report from 2017 even claims that “the prevalence of flea-borne diseases has been greatly underestimated by health practitioners and agencies” [2]. The same report reveals some of these diseases which include: 1 Rickettesial disease (caused by the bacteria Rickettesia) 2 Bartonellosis 3 Plague 4 Tapeworms 5 Flea allergic dermatitis 6 Feline leukemia virus (FLV) 7 Calicivirus

How do fleas pass on to cats?

Fleas are an external parasite and pass on to the feline host by attaching themselves to their coat. This occurs either by an adult flea jumping on to the coat of the cat from another animal or person, or by the larvae developing in the environment and attaching themselves to the cat.

How long does a cat's hair stay in a pipette?

Most applicators will come in a prepackaged pipette which gives your cat enough protection for a certain amount of time, usually around 3 to 6 months. The hair is parted at the back of the cats neck and the contents are squeezed out. The area is then gently massaged into this part of the cat.

What it Means and What to Do

It's concerning to see your cat drooling after flea treatment. My small female kitty, Alice, did not tolerate topical treatments well at all. I just knew her little body was panicking, as she hid under a bed and held herself stiff as a board, with huge eyes, for many hours. We didn't repeat that treatment.

Here's what it means if you see your cat drooling after flea treatment

According to MedVet, drooling and excessive salivation are symptoms of flea control product toxicity. Toxicity can occur from one to twelve hours after application, and vary from pet to pet.

Tips for avoiding cat drooling after flea treatment and other toxic reactions

Review the medicine before applying, making sure it's labeled for the correct species, weight and age of pet. This is especially important in multi-pet households.

1. Drops

This topical treatment from Cat MD was the first thing we tried. I purchased this brand because it was significantly cheaper than Advantage, which is the only flea treatment I’d heard of (like I said, I’m new to the parasite prevention business).

2. Shampoo

I really, really did not want to go this route, but shampoo seemed like the most direct way to attack the problem that would yield the most immediate results. My boyfriend said he’d successfully used shampoo to kill fleas on a dog once, so that was encouraging.

3. Powder

At the same time I bought the shampoo, I stopped by another pet store and grabbed a container of Zodiac Flea & Tick Powder as a backup plan. When the shampoo failed, I put on my trusty dishwashing gloves and dusted each cat liberally, massaging the powder into their fur.

4. Cleaning all of the things

After dusting the cats and the house with flea powder, I went on a mad cleaning spree. I threw away all of the cats’ old toys and all of the pillows on the couch. I vacuumed under the couch cushions, behind the dresser, and along the baseboards.

5. Drops again

On my final visit to PetSmart, I approached an employee nearly in tears and practically begged him to tell me what to do. “I’ve tried everything,” I insisted. “Literally nothing has worked.” That’s when he revealed the secret to killing fleas that no one else had told me.

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