Question about fleas

Prego has fleas. I know because her bedding on the porch has flea dirt and lots of little white specs. Are the white specs eggs?? And is there a flea treatment that can be put in food? This really sucks because Zoey just got over tapeworms, even though there are no fleas on either her or Saki or their bedding. They are being treated with Advantage but it still makes me nervous that a flea festival is so close to my patio door.

This is a good site that lists safe flea control options:
http://www.healthypets.com/healthypetscom/fleas.html

Capstar is an oral flea killer. I've never tried it but here's some info:
http://www.healthypets.com/healthype...blufordog.html

Other than that, Program is the only oral flea control product that I know of, and it stops the fleas from reproducing, but it doesn't kill the adults. It's very safe - I've used it before, with good results on indoor cats.
http://www.healthypets.com/healthype...fleconfo1.html

Hope this helps.

Thank you! I will look into those.

Sicy , the eggs from flea are black not white . Maybe she has a little dandruft (sp)problem . Maybe try skin ? Or she could have flea alergie , then they have that crusty stuff on the body and it looks like flakes when it get off from her . Ginger has flea allergie and is in need of flea meds all the time , even winter now so she wont break out with allergie .

Good luck with Prego

Actually, flea larvae is white, and the black spots you see is skin that has shedded when the fleas bite. You will see both black and white spots in the bedding.

Don't know what type of material that the bedding is made of, but I would also wash it out on a regular basis and sweep (or wash) off your patio regularly. Your climate is warm enough that you will have flea problems year round (yech!).

Yeah, outdoor cat flea problems are the hardest.

Thanks for the info Momofmany I tought they where black . Learn every day something new

That's what I thought.. white eggs and I thought the black was flea poop. I have an old flannel blanket out there for her to sleep on. I dont even want to carry it through my house or put it in my washing machine so I dont know what to do. lol. *paranoid* I shook it out over the balcony yesterday. I need to go find that oral flea stuff.. maybe they sell it around me somewhere.

Sicy, you should be able to get the oral flea control from your vet. Ask him or her about Capstar and Program.

As for the flannel shirt, you could get some flea spray that's safe for cats & spray down the shirt with it, after you've shaken it out. Then you could wash it. Your vet should have cat-safe flea sprays, and even an area treatment to use on your porch. Hopefully, that should help to get things under control.

The problem with my vet is I dont think they will give me anything unless they have seen the cat I wanted to get dewormer for Prego but they had told me that the cat has to have been seen here at least once.

Tell them it is for Zoey lol

Actually, these products are OTC (over the counter - no prescription required), so the vet should sell them to you without having to see the cat. He's required by law (at least here) to see a pet before prescribing anything, but OTC products are a different matter.

http://www.fda.gov/cvm/efoi/section2/141-175s061103.pdf

This page mentions that both Capstar and Program are OTC. That's how they can be sold on the Internet, without a prescription.

Program for cats is a liquid that you mix in with canned food or something yummy you're sure she'll eat. Capstar is a pill - you'll probably want to split it into smaller pieces if it's big with a pill splitter or a scalpel blade, and hide it in a soft kitty treat or a little dab of canned food.

Thank you! I think the liquid would be easier.

One year Snoopy had fleas. I never knew how he got them, because he never goes out. I must have brought them in, on my clothes, anyway, I went to the vet's once a month and got him Program for a year. I never had to take him in to the Vet's to get it. So, you should be able to get it without taking Prego in.

Hmm what about liquid tapeworm dewormers? She has those too *sigh*

I think tapeworm meds only come in a pill or a shot. The shot really hurts, too, so I wouldn't try that. Does she go for soft cat treats like whisker lickin's? If she does, you can try getting a pill splitter (you can get one cheap at any drug store), splitting the pill up into small pieces, and hiding it in soft treats or a little dab of canned cat food. I've done that with my feral kitty.

I've heard there's an OTC tape worm tab available made by Trade Winds. I think I've seen them at PetSmart. Or you might be able to talk the vet into selling you a dose for Prego if you explain she's feral. Where did you take her to get her spayed? Maybe that vet will prescribe tapeworm meds for you.