Flea shampoo question?

Question

I have 10 cats and generally just use carpet powder and flea shampoo. It works fine. It does not prevent flea but after I use it they die. My vet told me flea shampoos can be absorbed into the body and can be harmful. I know flea colars are bad but I have never heard anything about flea shampoos. My vetraniarian is a very knowlegble person and I trust her opinion but I would like to get a few second opinions. It is soooo darn expensive to buy Frontline and it seems silly to when shampoo and carpet powder kills the fleas. But if it is best for my cats, then I will happily spend the money for frontline.

Answer 1

If you want to save money onfrontline...buy the dog 88-132 lb dose and dose your cats with a small amount of the liquid. You should be able to dose 10- 10 to 13 lb cats with a single dose. It's not difficult, and it is very hard to over dose them with such a small amount.

Our vet reccomends it to clients who have very little money.

Answer 2

Frontline prevents fleas as well as kills them, and prevention is better than cure.

Flea shampoos and carpet shampoos are outdated, and often ineffective. You've said yourself they're not preventative measures, so what's the point in them? You're right about flea collars as well - pointless and sometimes dangerous.

You'd probably save money in the long run by use of Frontline Plus as it treats the environment as well as the animal.

Chalice

Answer 3

I used to use flea shampoo with fairly good results but the flea's ALWAYS come back. WIth frontline, you only have to use it every 2-3 months to kill fleas and they NEVER come back. It's very unhealthy to live with fleas in the carpet and every where. They can bite you too. It's best to spend a little money to avoid the mess all together. And your kitties will thank you )

Answer 4

I would get a second opinion, or ask her to give you her best solution to this. Remember vets get subsidised (like with Hills Science diet sales) for certain products.
If your cat has never had a reaction and his bloodwork shows up fine, I really doubt there is cause for much concern. There would have been an outcry about this if it was true, and as for putting toxic stuff onto an animal, with Frontline it's not only toxic but concentrated too.

Answer 5

You might wanna try Murphys Oil Soap. I was told to wash my dogs in it cause of fleas and dry skin. Read the ingredients and it's mostly vegetable oil.. My dogs are itch free and flea free. Also their coats are so shinny. Do check with your vet before. With it being cats. Also you can put the same product in a sprayer and mix with water and spray around the ground that the animals are at. It really does kill the fleas. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

I would definitely use the shampoo, just look at the ingredients and make sure there is nothing harmful in it.
I like the one with oatmeal in it. They love it too, makes them wanna clean themselves more, LOL.
Water will kill flees so even if you decide not to use the shampoo just bathe them often.
And the flees hang out in the grass.
I assume most if not all are outdoor cats. So when they go out they will bring more flees in every time. All you can do is continually clean them and try using some of that powder in your own yard. But it probably won't help for long. Good Luck.

Answer 7

Try this it's all natural http://www.take1products.com it will kill fleas and not harm your cats. There are other natural shampoos that will kill fleas as well too just check around. Good luck;^)

Answer 8

actually you don't need flea shampoo, you can use any mild shampoo that lathers. the fleas are killed by suffocation - so just lather them to death.

You can use Borax on your carpets & floors. Yeah the stuff from the grocery store. 20 mule team borax.

google borax for fleas

Answer 9

Unfortunately, your vet is right. You're putting toxic chemicals on your cat's skin, and it's inevitable that their skin will absorb some of it.

It's the same with RID for people. It's not safe for use again and again.