Kittens with fleas, how old for their first bath???

How old do the kittens need to be when they have their first bath?
The problem is, they have fleas, I'm finding individual live fleas and flea dust on all the kittens.

I've consulted a vet who said not to use any flea products like Frontline or Advantage or anything like that until the kittens are 8 weeks old.

They're 3 weeks now.

The flea comb and dawn dish soap isn't working at all.

Any ideas???

I figure, if Mama is treated with a flea medication and babies are rid of fleas, we should clear up the problem.

Do I really have to wait until 8 weeks???

My vet told me that Capstar is safe for kittens as young as 4 weeks old. He said to divide one pill four times and give each kitten 1/4 of the pill. Capstar works immediately and the fleas will literally start falling off within an hour or so. It does only work for 24 hours but clean all the bedding, vaccum thoroughly (buy a cheap flea collar from the store and cut it up and put it in the vaccum bag), and treat mom with Advantage/Frontline, etc at the same time and you should have great results.

Ok great, thanks a bunch for that info. I have a week to plan this all...
These babies are so much work, but man oh man are they worth it times a million!!!!!

my vet has always advised me to use frontline if the problem is bad it can be used on 4 day old kittens, but best to wait untill there at least 3 weeks old.

Originally Posted by XxtashaxX

my vet has always advised me to use frontline if the problem is bad it can be used on 4 day old kittens, but best to wait untill there at least 3 weeks old.

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Really?

Can you give me the low-down on what exactly he advised??? If that can be used at three weeks, I may be able to give that a shot, can you give me a little more information???

when anne had her kittens they was only a week old when i noticed flees, i had to go down to the vet with one of the others for his yearly shots so i asked them about it, he asked how old etc how many i saw. he said frontline spray (not spot on) but the spray one can be used on pregnant mums,nursing mums and kittens from 4 days old , he should me the bottle and the leafet that is stuck to it and it does say that, he said if it was only 1-2 flees i was seeing then combing them with a flee comb every day was a good idea, but if the problem was more then just a few then i could use it, i waited untill they was just over a week old and i used it with no problems atall, you cant let mum near them untill their dry and you cant let the kittens nurse from mum untill she is dry. but after that all should be fine. follow the instructions from your vet ( or you can go by the kittens weights and it will tell you how many sprays) with young kittens its best to put the rubber gloves on spray the flee stuff on to your hand then rub the kitten over with it, this way you know its not getting into their eyes.
the only thing you do have to be carfull of is over dosing. thats why i said speak to the vet first.

Thank you so much Tasha!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I also read on here a tip about putting the spray on a cottonball and rubbing that on the face (missing eyes and mouth of course VERY carefully) then using the spray so that the fleas don't run to the face.

good advice everywhere,

Thanks so much!!!!!!

Definitely will be trying this asap!!!!

yes the cotton ball idea is a great one. if you really dont know how much to use, then a vet will guide you.

I am such an advocate for vet advice,(I just want to make that clear, most vets are the number ONE source I think everyone should go to ) but my vet sucks...as does EVERY vet in a 25 mile radius. I spent over a week contacting every vet in the area only to receive the same results. ERGH!!!!!!!!!!

I have cried, I have thrown things....I'm at the point where I've concluded I can find better information from those with experience.

AND common sense.


Good LOOORD what are they in it for these days anyway???

So yeah, I'm going to try the cotton ball idea.

I'll nurse these little angels....I vow to that!!!!!!!!!!

The Frontline website says not to use Regular spot-on Frontline in cats under 8 weeks of age.


Is there any exceptions to this rule?

I guess I'm just afraid of screwing up with the spray.

And like I've stated......I have not found one vet in my area that I trust or like.
It amazes me that these people go into the practice with such rude disregard for the parents of their patients. It' almost makes *ME* want to go to veterinary school!!!!!

I'm trying to make the best informed decision.
Opinions on using Frontline on 4-5 week olds?

Originally Posted by XxtashaxX

. he said frontline spray (not spot on).

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thats right the spot on is a stronger dose which is true strong for kittens under 8 weeks old, but the spray is safe. give me a min i will try and find a bottle of it here and tell you exclaty what it says for you.

ok here is what the leaflet says. if you want to know everything on it it will take me a while to type it all out but i will give you the basics etc.
Q. is frontline safe to use on puppies and kittens??

A.puppies and kittens may be safely treated from 2 days of age. allow litters to dry before returning them to their mother.

indications.
for the treatment and prevention of infestations by flees and ticks and as part of a treatment strategy for flea allergy dermatitis in dogs and cats.
for the control of infestations with trichodectes canis biting lice in dogs and felicola subrostratus biting lice in cats.
administration and dosage.
method of administration: spray the entire body of the animal, and apply from a distance pf approximately 10-20 cm.
Apply aginst the lay of the hair and make sure that the entire coat of the animalis dampened. ruffle the coat. especially in the long haired animals., so that the product penetrates down to the skin. for treatment of the head region, and when treating young or nervous pets, applicattion may be carried out by spraying on to a gloved hand and rubbing the product into the coat. allow to dry naturally. do not towel dry.

dosage: in order to dampen the coat down to the skin, depending on the length of the hair. apply 3-6 ML per kg bodyweight. (7.5 to 15 MG of active ingredient per KG bodyweight) I.E. 6 to 12 pumps applications per KG body weight.
each pump action delivers 0.5 ML
Treatment of multiple animals: good ventilation is particularly important where several animals are to be treated.
treat multiple animals outside, or reduce the build up of vapour by removing the animals from the treatment room while the alcohol is evaporating and ensure that the treatment room is well ventilated and avoid housing several recently treated animals within the same air space.


hope this helps.

What about their first bath with Dawn?
Can that be done at 3-4 weeks???

i have bathed kittens at 3 weeks old , just put a towl in the dryer just before so its nice and warm. make sure the kitten is dry before putting them back in the nest as they can get chilled quickly.

Yes, I was thinking that, drying them off nice and good and then sticking them on a heating pad on low in case they get chilled.

I'm not worried about bathing them..just the momma cat is going to be a pain and obviously after I bathe them all, she has to be bathed as well and all the bedding needs to be bleached and washed in hot water before anyone can return. Oh what a project this shall be while I wait for my frontline in the mail.

Oh Tasha (if that's your name), you are so helpful!

it can be a pain i know lol.
and yes my name is Tasha, and your welcome.

Well everyone had their first bath to rid them of those critters, including Lily.
NOBODY was happy about the situation, as I'm sure you can imagine, but here they all are recovering and warming up in a box I made for them with a huge cushion, heating pad, and towel over the heating pad:





Everyone's falling asleep, except for Mommy who is still a little wet.

aww how sweet. not easy is it lol

Originally Posted by XxtashaxX

aww how sweet. not easy is it lol

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LOL not at all!
After cleaning their room, their bedding, bathing them, cleaning all towels used and my clothes...they're all sleeping peacefully and here I am exhausted and ready for a nap!!!

But gosh they're worth it!!!!!!!!