over the counter flea medication?

Question

We gave our kitten (about 13 or 14 weeks old) Hartz flea and tick treatment today (the kind you put on the back of their neck) She seems to be really sleepy now is this a normal thing or should i be worried.

Answer 1

OTC are more toxic than you think! Bring it to a vet. From experience I've seen Hartz make many many pets very sick.
Along with Advantage/Frontline from petmeds or internet sites that are not FDA approved.
Use the stuff from the vet...they sell it because it works

Answer 2

As long as she doesn't lick the stuff she should be fine. Just keep an eye on her. One of the reasons you put it one the back of their neck is because they can't reach back there to take it off.

On very rare instances some flea and heart worm medicines have been known to cause neurological problems such as seizures. This is mostly due to the fact that the pet has an allergy to something in the medication. Also, this side effect is more common in animals that are already predisposed to these conditions.

Always keep an eye on your pets when trying a new treatment. Sleepiness isn't an abnormal side effect to these types of products - remember that it is entering through her skin and helping to kill off all the little fleas. If the sleepiness persists more then a couple of days call your vet. If you are really worried wake her up ever hour to make sure she's doing okay. She may be cranky but oh well.

Also remember that there are other ways to kill fleas - especially throughout the home without putting medication on animals. Borax is actually a good alternative and is safe around pets. It kills fleas, ticks and other plagues (bugs, spiders etc) and their eggs. It can be sprinkled on carpets and then vaccumed up.

There are also natural products out there that have natural ingredients for killing fleas/ticks without the side effects. Contact your vet or pet store for more information on products.


*** A lot of people here recommend washing her to get the stuff off. That is not a bad idea in itself but rememer it is not an instant fix. It may help more from being absorbed into her skin, but it wont take back the product that has already entered her system. There's no harm in washing her, but depending on how much time has passed, it may not speed up the reversal of the side effects.

Answer 3

PLEASE...!!! dont ever use Hartz again...it is pure poision...!!! my cat went into seizures with Hartz flea treatment...I came very close to losing her...the best thing you can do for your kitten is bathe her and try to get as much of that stuff off of her as you can, however, depending on when you put it on her it may already be through her blood stream by now...from now on go to the vet and get her frontline or advantage it will pay in the long run...i end up spending over $400 to save my cat from Hartz' poison....good luck

Answer 4

Hartz is poison. Rinse off as much as you can and take your kitten to the vet if she doesn't seem right. Avoid over the counter flea products for cats, they are crap.

Answer 5

Give her a thorough bath and make sure ALL of the flea stuff is rinsed out.Use Dawn dish soap to make sure it is all removed.Dry her well,then give her some milk ( it helps absorb toxins).Then,watch her carefully for any signs of twitching,drooling,vomiting or weakness.If she shows any of theses signs,rush her to a vet! And if she's OK,consider yourself lucky,a lot of animals have died from Hartz and Sargeant's flea products.Get your flea products from a vet (Advantage or Frontline.) I hope the kitten will be alright.

Answer 6

Im sure she is fine but if your worried call you vet or local pet store. I will recomend some really good flea medications one is called Program it the best it only last for six months but it kills all the fleas. It is a little bit expensive but its better than having to experiment with three different kinds of medications!!! GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

Answer 7

It takes a lot more than that to get rid of flees. You have to clean any carpeting with a carpet cleaner that also kills flees, then bomb your place with a flee killer, while you take your cat(s) to a groomer that can use a flee killing shampoo.
Then put something to kill the flees like that flee treatment. But I've noticed they only last about three weeks. The flee collars last up to 8 months and don't cost so much either.
As far how your cat is reacting go to heart's Internet sight and see what they say.

Answer 8

The only counter I would buy flea meds from is the one at the vets. Shop bought stuff is rubbish at best and poisonous at worst.
Wash it off and keep an eye on her to see if she livens up again, if not get to the vets.

Answer 9

It's junk stuff, pretty toxic and your kitten may be having a bad reaction. Wash it off and call your vet. From now on, use only Advantage or Frontline.

Answer 10

All OTC flea medication is junk. I used to waste my money on it too, but try frontline or advantage. It is worth the extra few dollars, and once you try it will swear by it!