My baby, Jade, is having a horrible flea problem. They are all over her, and I have tried everything I can think of to get them off. We have bathed her, bombed the house, vacuumed and washed everything in the house after the bombing, got the drops, tried the spray, tried the flea collar, and I take a flea comb to her daily. I am afraid to try anything on her right now because she has lost A LOT of her fur because of this, and she is covered in scabs. Her neck and head are the worst spots. I also just checked her gums after reading some of the discussions on here, and they are a pale pink, which I know is a sign of anemia. I am so worried, and I do not know what to do. I know that I need to take her to the vet ASAP. I am just hoping I can get the money from somewhere. My question is, has anyone went through this with their baby before? We used to have a cat and almost the same thing happened to her, so we put her outside and then she was fine. No more scabs or anything. But if anyone has any suggestions or advice, please let me know. I feel awful for her, and I know she has to feel horrible and down all of the time. She is really not the same cat she used to be, and I want to do anything to make her feel better and get her back to how she was. Thanks!
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Horrible flea problem is leading to health issues
- Thread starter xokati5xo
- Start Date
Have you tried the Advantage? I know it is sold as a preventative but it will kill fleas that are already on a kitty. I would stay away from the collars and any of the other flea drops especially Hartz. Frontline is safe but it seems that a lot of fleas have become immune to it. To help get them out of your house you can try food quality diatomaceous earth http://www.earthworkshealth.com/human-use.php I know Home depot is supposed to have it, probably in the garden center.
One thing you can do with the collars is cut them up and put them in the vacuum bag or the bin on the bagless vacuum. That will help kill the fleas that you vacuum up. I would take the vacuum outside to change the bag or empty the bin, pesky little fleas can survive a lot including being vacuumed up.
Many shelters and some vets use a product called Capstar for a heavy infestation. I don't know enough about it to recommend it though. It's extremely fast acting, you will literally see fleas dropping off after just a few minutes.
One thing you can do with the collars is cut them up and put them in the vacuum bag or the bin on the bagless vacuum. That will help kill the fleas that you vacuum up. I would take the vacuum outside to change the bag or empty the bin, pesky little fleas can survive a lot including being vacuumed up.
Many shelters and some vets use a product called Capstar for a heavy infestation. I don't know enough about it to recommend it though. It's extremely fast acting, you will literally see fleas dropping off after just a few minutes.
If it's that bad, you might need a professional exterminator.
What kinds of products have you used? The good ones like Advantage/Frontline/Revolution, or grocery-store types like Hartz (don't use it! Very dangerous!)?
It would best to at least talk to the vet about what he/she recommends.
I recommend using a Seresto collar. It's not like most flea collars---it has the same active ingredient as Advantage but the collar releases it slowly instead of one big dose a month. It will cost about $50 (Petsmart seems to have them on sale now and then) but that's cheaper than messing around with treatments that don't work. If her neck is very sore that might not be a good idea though. Comfortis (a pill from the vet) is very effective but some cats have a bad reaction and you can't exactly just wash it off :/. If you go with the collar, also get some Capstar tablets to give while the collar builds up effectiveness. Put salt or borax or diatomaceous earth on the carpet and vacuum every day. Wash her bedding in hot water.
What kinds of products have you used? The good ones like Advantage/Frontline/Revolution, or grocery-store types like Hartz (don't use it! Very dangerous!)?
It would best to at least talk to the vet about what he/she recommends.
I recommend using a Seresto collar. It's not like most flea collars---it has the same active ingredient as Advantage but the collar releases it slowly instead of one big dose a month. It will cost about $50 (Petsmart seems to have them on sale now and then) but that's cheaper than messing around with treatments that don't work. If her neck is very sore that might not be a good idea though. Comfortis (a pill from the vet) is very effective but some cats have a bad reaction and you can't exactly just wash it off :/. If you go with the collar, also get some Capstar tablets to give while the collar builds up effectiveness. Put salt or borax or diatomaceous earth on the carpet and vacuum every day. Wash her bedding in hot water.
Last edited:
