Bathing a tiny kitten using shampoo or Dawn

I have often heard that we should use Dawn dishwashing liquid to kill live fleas on tiny kittens too young to treat with medication.  Here is my question:  will using a baby shampoo yield the same results as Dawn (i.e., dead fleas).  I am reluctant to use dishwashing liquid on such tiny foster kittens.  Anyone have experience with this?

The fleas are not killed by the shampoo but by the drowning.  If you have a tear-free baby shampoo that should be fine.  You need to make sure he is totally gooey with the shampoo against his skin and wait about 5 minutes to make sure the fleas have all drowned or been suffocated before you rinse him off.  Otherwise they will magically come to life when you start drying him.  I actually use a hair dryer on low settings propped between some couch pillows and comb with a flea comb in front of the dryer and the dead fleas will blow right out of his coat.  If they are alive, however, they will cling to him and you will have to pull them out with fingernails.

Darn, I was afraid of this!  I think I rinsed too soon.  5 minutes is an eternity when they are squirming and screaming!  I picked off the ones I found (about 50 on 5 kittens) but I'm sure I missed some.  Next week is their first vet visit for first distemper shots and worming so I will get them to place a drop of flea meds on them then at that time.  Thanks for the info Red Top Rescue!

I hate bathing tiny kittens because they can get so cold after... I got rid of a heavy infestation on the little boy who just came to me by picking them off and drowning them, combined with apple cider vinegar on the back of his neck.  I finally picked up a flea comb, so it's much easier now! It's been three days and I've only seen two juvenile fleas on him.

elkie said:

 
I hate bathing tiny kittens because they can get so cold after..

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Keeping animals warm after a bath is a must, especially for kittens and puppies. Dry them off thoroughly with a towel and keep them out of drafts until they are completely dry. Use a hair dryer very very cautiously as it is far too easy to burn an animal even if you think you are holding it far enough away. Use the lowest heat setting, hold the dryer at least a foot away from the pet (maybe even put the pet in the carrier and aim the dryer though the slots), and keep the dryer constantly moving to prevent burning.

Kitten shampoo will work, too. Most people use Dawn since it's usually on hand and it's cheap to buy.

LTS3 said:

 
Keeping animals warm after a bath is a must, especially for kittens and puppies. Dry them off thoroughly with a towel and keep them out of drafts until they are completely dry. Use a hair dryer very very cautiously as it is far too easy to burn an animal even if you think you are holding it far enough away. Use the lowest heat setting, hold the dryer at least a foot away from the pet (maybe even put the pet in the carrier and aim the dryer though the slots), and keep the dryer constantly moving to prevent burning.

Kitten shampoo will work, too. Most people use Dawn since it's usually on hand and it's cheap to buy.

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NEVER put any animal in a closed carrier and use a dryer. There have been animals killed doing this because they get so over heated. If you must contain them while drying use a wire dog crate (which is what I use) or a crate designed for drying. The wire dog crate is an open airy crate so heat doesn't build up.

@LTS3I would never leave a wet kitten running around! I wouldn't even leave an adult cat sopping wet. It's just hard for very small and sick kittens to regulate their temperature even when you dry them as soon as they're out of the bath.. I try to avoid giving animals baths in general though. 

I was able to get a teeny tiny dose of flea meds on them from the shelter vet tech.  Hopefully this will solve the problem.  Next Tuesday is foster kitten vet day so I will get the rest of them treated (I have 14 foster kittens).  Thanks for all the advice!  I have a really lame hair dryer from way back when so I can certainly set that up far enough away from the kennel to keep them warm and dry them off, plus I found (of all things!), a Sham-Wow at the shelter so I snagged it for next bath day, which I hope is none too soon.

a way to kill fleas in your house is to put a metal pie pan with water and dishwashing soap in it on the floor in the middle of the room. Set a lamp next to the pan of soapy water so that it is well lit. in a few hours check. it might be full of fleas. for some reason they jump in it.