Fleas will not go away.

[kittyl0ve4]

well we went today, i planned on getting him dipped but the vet basically told me to use the frontline on him. thats it. and i asked about the tapeworms, and i didnt take a stool with me bc he hadnt pooed yet. and they told me i would see it in his poop. i dont really look at it while he is going and he covers it right up after ward, so i guess i have to get a gas mask (lol) and stare at him while he goes and try to get a good look at it before he covers it. he got a round of shots when i was there nd i made an appt for his neutering. Nov. 29th. and i im going to feel so bad about not being able to give him his breakfast, and the night before i will have to take his dry food and his water away from him

then when i have to leave him im gunna feel so bad cuz he will probably think im not coming back for him... i kno im going to cry i just know it!!

 

[jen]

When I get a cat in who ha fleas or I get a bunch in my house, this is what I do. I bathe them in Dawn Dish Soap, lathering it up and letting it sit for a minute, then washing it off and combing any additional fleas out while they are still stunned and not so fast moving. Dip the comb into more warm soapy water so they stay contained and don't jump back onto your cat or the floor.

Then if there are still a lot, I treat with usually Frontline Plus. But yuo can use Advantage or Frontline or Revolution. Pet Supples Plus, Pet Smart, Pet Co and many pet shops sell most of these products. As long as it is a name brand and nothing from the grocery store, its fine. Plus it saves a ton of money rather then taking the cat to the vet and having them charge you $30 for the office call to confirm it is fleas and then you still have to buy the topical meds.

If the infestation was bad, I automatically treat for tapeworm when the cat gets its vaccines and general dewormer. So that takes are of that. Otherwise you will notice little white rice looking pieces around the cats butt, or in its stools or even where it is laying. It doesn't take a vet or a fecal to know what that is, it's tapeworm. Which if the cat has fleas as bad as you mentioned, you can assume it has tapeworms.

So then you can also avoid the vet's office call charge to tell you it is worms once again and yu can just go to Pet Smart (probably other pet stores too but I shop here) and lok for tapeworm tabs. The active ingredient MUST BE PRAZIQUANTAL. Praziquantal treats for tapeworms. It comes in a nice little bottle and is enough for one or two treatments. Just use one and save the other if youare treating routinely after a flea infestation, or treat twice (2 weeks apart) if you are physically seeing the tapeworm segments everywhere.

That is it folks. Worms are simple to treat once you get the active ingredients down. If you are seeing the worms, or have a new kitty, treat them, you don't need to have a vet do a fecal for something you can see with your own eyes. As long as you are buying the EXACT same active ingredient in the stuff the vet will give you (the brand name may be different but not the active ingredient), it will save a ton of money to care for your cats. I have been doing this for years.

 

[AbbysMom]

That's great if you have the knowledge to do so, but most of the posters here do not have extensive experience with it and really should consult with their vet before treating their pets themselves at home. Some pets have underlying medical conditions so they really should be seen by a vet prior to an over the counter treatment.

 

[jen]

Originally Posted by AbbysMom

That's great if you have the knowledge to do so, but most of the posters here do not have extensive experience with it and really should consult with their vet before treating their pets themselves at home. Some pets have underlying medical conditions so they really should be seen by a vet prior to an over the counter treatment.

Yes I know, that is why I am pointing out that they sell the exact same dewormers at the pet store, for far less then a vet would charge with everyting involved. It tells the dosage based on the weight of the animal so you know if you need to give a whole or a half a pill. It is simply put right there for anyone to use. I was in the same boat, I used to do the same thing, I used to freak out at worms and rush the cat to the vet. One time I had a cat literally with tapeworm segments all over him, I took him to the vet and the vet insisted on doing a fecal. That makes no sense to me and i was completely a waste of time and money and they just wanted more money and didn't care about anything else.

One day I started to look at ingredients and products available and realized the vet is basically an overpriced way to treat for something really really simple. I had to research and ask some questions too before I figured it out. Just trying to make things easy for some people. If you have an otherwise healthy animal and you see tapeworms, just pick up some meds from the pet shop and you are all set. It is the exact same thing.

 

[mzjazz2u]

I'm sorry you are still going through this. This forum is for pet owners, like yourself. Not everyone on this site is a professional and all we do is share with each other what we've found to work. Even then, not all advice is always good. We can listen to advice others give us but nothing can replace the advice and treatment of your vet. I always research things myself before I apply any advice I'm given me. Even if it is from this site. I hope you get this problem solved soon! It looks like you are headed in the right direction now.

 

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by mzjazz2u

I'm sorry you are still going through this. This forum is for pet owners, like yourself. Not everyone on this site is a professional and all we do is share with each other what we've found to work. Even then, not all advice is always good. We can listen to advice others give us but nothing can replace the advice and treatment of your vet. I always research things myself before I apply any advice I'm given me. Even if it is from this site. I hope you get this problem solved soon! It looks like you are headed in the right direction now.

I agree completely. Sometimes the meds you get over-the-counter are NOT the same strength or as safe as the vet supplies. There is also the question of age and weight of your cat. Then the real serious question of whether your cat has any underlying issues that you don't know about because you diagnosed and treated the cat yourself without seeking out the advice of a vet and end up having your pet die.

I would not advise anyone to diagnose and treat their animal themselves unless they've had many years of experience in dealing with these issues.

Not all vets are out to make as much money as possible. Like anything, you may have to shop around to find a good one and definitely speak to people you know to see who they use as a vet and why.

As Jazz says above, we can only share our stories of our experiences with you but when it comes to your cat you really need to get expert advice.

None of us would diagnose our own illnesses and take OTC medication for whatever we "thought" was wrong with us and we owe our pets no less consideration.

 

[mermaid]

Don't panic. Fleas, as others have said, live largely in the environment as eggs or pupae. (cocoons). A very small percentage of fleas in an infestation actually live on the cat. The good news is that the fleas that are on your cat do NOT jump off. This is a common misconception that even some vets still believe is the case! The fleas you see hopping around are newly hatched fleas. They bite you because they are programmed to seek out the first warm blooded creature they can find and jump on.
If you keep treating your kid with spot treatment once a month, the population will die out. You do need to plan on re-applying the Frontline in a month. This is important.
The bomb is effective against adult fleas, but eggs and pupae are pretty much protected by their casing, they have good defenses. There are flea bombs that are extremely good but since the bomb may not kill off all the eggs in the envirnment, it's entirely possible that you may see more fleas soon. If this happens, don't panic. Your kitten has been treated and when these fleas jump on him, they will die.
If you keep treating your cats with a spot on once a month, the fleas in the environment will die off. Just give it a couple of weeks, and you'll see. Hang in there.

 

[mom of 4]

We've had fleas a few times (knock on wood) in the last thirty years. Treating my Old English Sheepdogs, Golden Retriever and cats is a pain. Not to mention dealing with my three children - I never find them when it is convenient. We get them from the wildlife that roams in our yard.

Capstar is available from a vet for both cats and dogs. It is safe for nursing mothers and babies 2 months old (much be 2 lbs). It starts working in 30 minutes and wears off in 8 hours. I consider it a miracle as it gives me a chance to deal with everyone at once.

The flea bombs can only be used when there are no living creatures in the house for the four hours of treatment. I also air out the house for 4+ hours before returning ( have asthma and am very sensative to odors). The latest ones available no longer require as much preparation a they did years ago. I still do major cleaning when I return, even though they supposedly don't need it anymore. According to best recommendations from the vet and the manufacturer, the treatment should be repeated in 3-4 weeks. We also have to treat the yard because of the dogs.
We spent the night at a hotel once whie the bombs worked - and drove over in the middle of the night to air out the house. I've also spent hours in our SUV, watching movies with the kids while the treatment works.

Only you can decide what you are willing to do to get rid of the fleas and how long you are willing to put up with them. Part of my decision to act immediately is based on my Golden's allergic reaction to fleas. It can result in his being put on high doses of prednisone for several weeks (not good).
And please be careful if you over the counter treatments. They scare me.