Treatment FAQ

why does my cat act weird after flea treatment

by Emanuel Ankunding Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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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.Feb 5, 2019

Is your cat acting weird after flea treatment?

You might be the one at fault, as well; if pet owners use dog flea medicine on cats, or adult cat medicine on kittens, their pets are likely to behave erratically after their treatment. Other common reasons behind crazy post-flea treatment behavior include fear, anxiety, a reaction to the flea infestation, and even other health issues unrelated to flea bites.

Why is my flea acting irritable?

How to get rid of fleas on cats?

Why does my dog go crazy after flea treatment?

Why Does My Cat Act Weird After Flea Treatment? It is generally not appreciated by cats to have flea treatments, but they do generally tolerate them. There is a possibility that some people will react in a weird way because they have been poisoned. If you use them correctly, your cat shouldn’t be harmed.

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Does flea medicine make cats act weird?

Cats generally don't appreciate flea treatments, but they do generally tolerate them. Some will react in a weird way and this is essentially because they have been poisoned.

How do cats react after flea treatment?

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.Aug 17, 2018

Does flea treatment irritate cats?

Treatment with a fast-acting topical flea and tick medication on a pet can cause itching or brief irritation at the application site, as the product does its job and kills pests. As the animal reacts to this irritation, it can begin to fidget and scratch.

What are the side effects of flea medicine for cats?

If your dog or cat is having a reaction to a flea and tick product, it may show some of the following symptoms:Skin effects. Irritation. Redness.Stomach or intestinal problems. Vomiting. Diarrhea.Nervous system effects. Trembling. Depressed appearance. Seizures.Aug 23, 2021

Can my cat sleep in my bed after flea treatment?

If your pet has fleas and sleeps in bed with you, fleas will likely end up in your bed. Fleas lay eggs into fur, and those eggs can fall off of your pet when they are sleeping.Aug 25, 2021

Why does my cat twitch after flea treatment?

Symptoms and treatment Symptoms of toxicity can include twitching, hypersalivation, trembling and seizures. If you start to see tremors shortly after applying the flea treatment, the best thing to do is bathe Fluffy or Fido in lukewarm water with a gentle dish soap like Dawn or Palmolive.Jan 14, 2015

How do I know if my cat is allergic to flea medicine?

If your cat licks any of the product or has an adverse reaction to the skin, he may exhibit the following symptoms....Symptoms of Advantage flea treatment allergy in cats include:Drooling.Vomiting.Diarrhea.Irritation of the skin.Shaking of the head.Seizures.Loss of appetite.Lethargy.More items...

Can I pet my cat after flea treatment?

You can usually cuddle and pet your cat immediately after receiving an oral flea prevention medication. Topical products can take a few hours to soak into the skin layer. Avoid petting your cat for 24-48 hours in the spot where you applied a topical medication.Mar 22, 2021

Can cats be allergic to spot on flea treatment?

Unfortunately, some pets can have an adverse reaction to these chemicals, especially those who are young, old or sick. Symptoms of pyrethrin and pyrethroid toxicity range from hives, itching, vomiting and diarrhea to depression and muscle tremors, and the consequences can be serious.Oct 15, 2017

How long do flea treatment side effects last?

These sensations begin within 30 minutes of application and may last 8 to 24 hours if untreated.

What if my cat licks his flea medicine?

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.Jul 25, 2016

Why does my cat react weirdly after flea treatment?

In some instances, a cat may act weird after flea treatment as a result of stress and anxiety.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Why does my cat get weird after flea treatment?

And, for sure, the sensitivity increases for pets which are young, sick and get any health problem before. If you see cat acting weird after flea treatment, there is no doubt that the sensitivity is on. To determine the illness, you can observe whether your cats undergo symptoms. For example, allergic reactions include congestion or itching.

How often should I wash my cat?

Things as bedding, sofa covers which cats touch should be clean. It is highly recommended to wash them once a week with hot water. Then, no flea and any insects can survive and influence pets negatively.

Can flea ticks go in water?

With the purpose of removing the flea tick medication, bathing is one of the best simple ways. Due to the oily state, the medication will not go with water only. You had better make use of shampoos specialized for pets.

Is pyrethrin safe for cats?

On the other hand, the latter is synthetic with a wide range of sub-ingredients. In some cases, toxins in these can result in an adverse reaction. They are all not good for the nervous system of cats at all. There is a continuous disorder in nerve axons. If they do not stop, nerve discharges will take the first steps.

Why does my cat eat flea treatment?

Ingesting Flea Treatment Residue While Grooming. Your cat may well be the cause of its own sickness. A cat’s instinctive need for cleanliness may be the culprit. While grooming their fur, they may ingest enough of the flea treatment residue to harm themselves.

Why do fleas react weirdly?

Some will react in a weird way and this is essentially because they have been poisoned. One thing you have to remember is that flea treatments are chemical solutions to a flea infestation. Fleas are extremely resilient creatures. They’ve been around since time began and so they are hard to kill off. Because they are so hard to kill the chemicals ...

How do you know if you have flea toxicity?

Key symptoms of toxicity are hypersalivation, trembling, twitching, and seizures. Sometimes these can happen shortly after application of the flea treatment, but the symptoms can also take some time to manifest as the level of toxins ingested build up.

Can fleas affect cats?

Unfortunately, the toxins in flea treatments may affect the kidneys, liver, or even the brain of your cat. No cat lover will deliberately give these treatments to their cats to ingest, but that is the most common cause of flea treatment poisoning.

Can cats reach themselves with flea treatments?

That is why some flea treatments have been developed to apply to a spot on the back of the neck. It is one place that cats cannot reach themselves. To stop other cats from licking the medication, the treated cat should be isolated.

Is flea spray toxic to cats?

Because they are so hard to kill the chemicals used are very toxic. Supposedly only toxic to the fleas, but that isn’t always the case. Flea treatments come in all sorts of preparations, such as sprays, dips, shampoos, powders and collars. Used correctly, they shouldn’t cause any harm to your cat. If your cat reacts in a weird way, you need ...

Can you treat fleas on both dogs and cats?

If you have both dogs and cats make sure that you use the correct treatment on the correct animal. This advice may sound obvious, but people can get distracted and make mistakes. Dog flea treatments are a bit different and stronger than the ones used on cats and will probably contain a higher dosage of pyrethroids.

Why does my cat react to flea serum?

Other times, your cat might simply have an adverse reaction to the serum because of a weak immune system. You might be the one at fault, as well; if pet owners use dog flea medicine on cats, or adult cat medicine on kittens, their pets are likely to behave erratically after their treatment.

How to treat a cat with fleas?

How to Perform the Treatment. Deworming and anti-flea treatments are crucial for your cat’s safety. Administering them is a bit uncomfortable for the cat, however. You have to take a pipette and apply the anti-flea serum onto the nape of your cat’s neck. The process is rather simple:

What do fleas eat?

For instance, flea larvae tend to feed on tapeworm proglottids. Each proglottid stays inside of the larva during the pupal stage. Once a cat ingests the pupa, the tapeworm can manifest inside the cat and continue its life cycle.

Why does my cat change his behavior?

A change in your cat’s behavior always causes concern. Your cat’s changing behavior may result from illness, injury, pain, stress, or fear, but before you can bring your cat comfort, you must get...

What is a flea?

Fleas are external parasites. They attach themselves onto the body of a host, usually a mammal, and bite their flesh. Most often, a flea will simply jump up from its natural habitat and attach itself to the host. However, animals (as well as humans) can also pick up larvae while walking through tall grass or wooded areas. The larvae will then develop on the host’s body until they mature into adult fleas.

Can cats get flea spray?

When you apply them onto the fur, the cat can ingest them by accident and get flea treatment poisoning. In fact, it doesn’t even have to do it consciously. For example, if I were to get an anti-flea spray, I could accidentally spritz some of it into my pet’s mouth. And it doesn’t end with ingesting the product, either.

Can you use anti-flea serum on a kitten?

But taking care of a cat is not always the same as taking care of a kitten. Kittens are delicate and frail compared to adult cats. They are still developing, so you can’t use any adult products on them. Even a regular dose of an adult cat anti-flea serum could harm the kitten by poisoning it.

Why do dogs smell weird after flea treatment?

Here’s a synopsis of the many reasons I heard on why they think their dog acts weird after flea treatment: Dogs hate the smell of flea treatment as it can be very strong. The flea treatment is strong enough to burn their skin a little. Some dogs simply don’t like the sensation of medicine being applied. The smell one makes sense to me.

What does it mean when a dog is tired after flea treatment?

Lethargy is another symptom often described by dog owners when the topic of weird behavior comes up with flea treatments. Whilst I am not a vet and so cannot advise on what to do, if my dog was showing tiredness symptoms after taking flea medicine, I would be very concerned and would seek professional advice.

What do dogs do after flea treatment?

Tries to shake the treatment off. Runs around. Excessive scratching. Rolls on the floor.

How long does a flea collar last?

The collar is said to work for up to 8 months and means you don’t have any strong odor or need to apply messy monthly spot-on treatments – which could be the root cause of your dog acting weird. To find out more about it and see whether it could work for your dog, check out the flea collar on Amazon.

How long does it take for a dog to wash out fleas?

Handy Hint: Did you know that the effectiveness of flea treatment can depend on the natural oils in your dog’s coat, so you must not wash them out within 2 days of applying the medicine. We find this really helps to keep the fleas and ticks at bay.

Can flea medicine cause hair loss in dogs?

The PetCareRX.com website says this about making the possible switch in how your dog takes his flea medicine: “Oral treatments are a great alternative for dogs that have adverse reactions to topical treatment. Side effects of monthly pills or chewable tablets are rare, but can include nausea, diarrhea and hair loss.

Can flea medicine cause a dog to react badly?

These are insecticides used in some dog flea treatments and have been known to cause bad reactions in a small number of dogs. Whilst bad reactions are rare, it’s worth considering if your dog is acting weird after being given their flea medicine. Here’s what could happen:

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What Is “Weird”?

Bad Reactions

  • These supposedly safe products can poison your cat, but it isn’t as straightforward as that. As stated before, flea treatments have to be toxic to kill the parasites. There are many brands on the market, and all have different strengths and chemical components. Your cat may react badly to any one of those chemicals. Just like humans, cats have their individual tolerances and sensitivi…
See more on tuxedo-cat.co.uk

Ingestion

  • It is unlikely that your cat will be poisoned by absorbing these chemicals through the skin if you follow the application instructions correctly, but if swallowed and they reach the internal organs, they can make your cat very sick. The effects can range from mild to severe, depending on the product and how much is taken internally. Unfortunately, the toxins in flea treatments may affec…
See more on tuxedo-cat.co.uk

Ingesting Flea Treatment Residue While Grooming

  • Your cat may well be the cause of its own sickness. A cat’s instinctive need for cleanliness may be the culprit. While grooming their fur, they may ingest enough of the flea treatment residue to harm themselves. Even other cats that haven’t been given treatment may fall ill because they have licked the fur of one that has during play or mutual groo...
See more on tuxedo-cat.co.uk

Mistakes

  • Don’t mix up dog and cat flea treatments. If you have both dogs and cats make sure that you use the correct treatment on the correct animal. This advice may sound obvious, but people can get distracted and make mistakes. Dog flea treatments are a bit different and stronger than the ones used on cats and will probably contain a higher dosage of pyrethroids. Long term use of chemic…
See more on tuxedo-cat.co.uk

Conclusion

  • If your cat’s behaviour has changed and there are symptoms of sickness shortly after flea treatments you can try bathing it with soap and water. Make sure your cat has completely dried afterwards and hopefully that will get rid of whatever treatment residue is left. If your cat continues with signs of sickness or strange behaviour, then take it to a vet. Whatever the cat is s…
See more on tuxedo-cat.co.uk

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