Cat has flea problems?

Question

My cat has a flea problem. Ive used advantage and revolution. He started getting these soars and is losing fur on these spots. He is on antibiotics for them but more have shown up and he has been on the meds for 5 r 6 days. What should i do?

Answer 1

You really need to take your cat to the vet. It sounds a lot more serious than a flea problem.

Answer 2

You should report back into your vet with this information, and let them figure this out from there. This is what we pay them for. Plus--your cat probably had a bad infestation, and sometimes it does take a while to get all the sores healed up. Also, if you have NOT treated the area (house, yard, etc.) where your cat usually hangs out, he/she is just going to keep getting the fleas right back. Now, I have a strictly indoor only cat, but have experienced an infestation with him twice in the 10 years that I've had him. From experience, I can tell you that Frontline Plus for CATS is the best thing in the world. I've never had to do more than one application. But, USE CARE--you cannot use any of this stuff (Advantage, Frontline, etc.) more than once a month. Speak with your vet about using Frontline Plus--I think you'll be quite satisfied, and so will kitty.

Answer 3

i've been working at petshop for 4 years. i have an experience bout flea. i normally suggest customer to use a 'spot-on' for flea treatment for their cats. and you have to folows the instruction carefully. if you cant make it the process will not completely success. if you done the treatment to your cat. you wait until a few weeks to see the effectiveness. dont ever use flea collar before do the flea spray treatment or 'spot-on' on your cat. because flea collar only for prevention. if your cat already have a flea, is no use to wear flea collar anymore. if you still want to use flea collar also...you can see only neck n ear area don't have a flea. but other part of body you will find some flea on it. you also can use flea powder on your cat. but if you put too many, the fur will falling of. Used the powder on your cat and leave it for a week. Then you can bath/ shower your cat. and it works, if me...i used powder and leave it for a weeks...and let it be. because it can last longer. but dont put too many, follow the instructions. you know...your cat can get ear mite also. ear mites normally can come in two ways. one from cat flea and 2nd from dirt in it ears if you didn't clean it. if you need more advices about any animal, do not hesitate to ask me.

Answer 4

I'd make sure that the Advantage has been put on in the last month because it's only good for a month. Also, spray your carpets with Flea Killer, they make natural organic ones too so not to hurt your cats (check out PetSmart) and wash all the bedding and clothes laying around on the floor. These are spots the fleas love to hang around and lay eggs. Also, make sure the litter box is fresh, and throw away any newspaper, boxes, the cat has been laying on.... Good luck!

Answer 5

How Old your kitten? Kittens under 8 weeks of age should not be treated with any type of chemical products for fleas as this could be fatal. Resort to a flea comb and gentle shampoo until appropriate treatment can be used if required. wash your pet with water and natural shampoo, the bath will drown the fleas on your pet and the natural shampoo( oatmeal +Aloe Vera) will be soothing to the skin.
More cat flea problems:http://www.pets.ca/index-articles.htm
More cat natural shampoo: http://www.opentip.com

Answer 6

Keep giving him the medicines. And treat the house for fleas: By now, I imagine it's pretty thoroughly infested.

Wash your bedding and curtains. While you're doing that, sprinkle your carpet and furniture with borax, and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Then vacuum it up, and keep vacuuming every day to make sure to get all the fleas and flea eggs.

And get someone to treat your yard for fleas, if you let your kitty go out.

Good luck!

Answer 7

Take him back 2 vet because there are several flea medications which might work better for your particular cat.

Answer 8

take it to your vet and say nothing is working and he is losing his fur and see if there is anything else they can do

Answer 9

see a vet to make sure they aren't ticks and they might give you are special shampoo.

Answer 10

The best approach to controlling fleas is to start with the least toxic and most natural choices, resorting to stronger measures only if reasonable control is not achieved. As a prerequisite to any flea-control program, I recommend building up your animal's health and resistance as much as possible through a healthy diet and lifestyle. Along with that, it's important to practice thorough sanitation and cleaning.

Understanding the life cycle of the flea makes it clear why cleaning is so important. Adult fleas live about three to four months. During that time they are steadily laying tiny white eggs on your pet that look like dandruff or salt crystals. Flea eggs hatch out into larvae that live in the cracks and crevices of rugs, upholstery, blankets, floors, sand, earth, and the like.

Because these tiny larvae cannot jump or travel very far (less than an inch), they feed on the black specks of dried blood ("flea dirt") that fall off along with the eggs during grooming and scratching. After one to two weeks, the larvae go through a cocoon stage (pupa). A week or two later, they hatch out as small fleas that hop onto the nearest warm body passing by (usually your pet -- sometimes you!), bite it for a meal of blood, and then start the whole process all over again. This cycle takes anywhere from 2 to 20 weeks, depending on the temperature of the house or environment. During summer -- flea season -- the entire cycle is usually just 2 weeks long. That's why fleas increase so rapidly at that time.

The bad news is that, no matter how many adult fleas you manage to kill, numerous future fleas are developing in the environment simultaneously. The good news is that these eggs, larvae, pupa, and the flea dirt they feed upon can be sucked up by a vacuum cleaner or washed away in the laundry. And because the developing fleas are so immobile, they are most concentrated wherever your pet sleeps, so you know where to focus your efforts.

Your important ally in the battle against fleas is cleanliness, both for your pet and your home, particularly in your pet's sleeping areas. Regular cleaning interrupts the life cycles of the fleas and greatly cuts down on the number of adult fleas that end up on your pet, especially if you act before flea season begins. So start your program with these nontoxic steps.

Steam clean your carpets at the onset of flea season (or whenever you begin your flea-control program). Though it is somewhat expensive, steam cleaning is effective in killing flea eggs.

Thoroughly vacuum and clean floors and furniture at least once a week to pick up flea eggs, larvae, and pupae. Concentrate on areas where your pet sleeps and use an attachment to reach into crevices and corners and under heavy furniture. If there is a heavy infestation, you may want to put a flea collar (or part of a flea collar) in the vacuum bag to kill any adult fleas that get sucked up and might crawl away. Or else immediately dispose of the bag or its contents because it can provide a warm, moist, food-filled environment for developing eggs and larvae. Mop vinyl floors.

Launder your pet's bedding in hot, soapy water at least once a week. Dry on maximum heat. Heat will kill all stages of flea life, including the eggs. Remember that flea eggs are very slippery and easily fall off bedding or blankets. So carefully roll bedclothes up to keep all the flea eggs contained on the way to the washing machine.

Bathe the animal with a natural flea-control shampoo. Use a nontoxic shampoo as recommended above, such as one containing d-limonene (dogs only).

Use a flea comb to trap and kill fleas that are on your pet. Most pet stores carry special fine-toothed combs that trap fleas for easy disposal. Make a regular habit of flea-combing your pet while you watch TV or talk on the phone. Depending on the degree of infestation and the time of year, this might be daily (at the onset of the flea season), weekly, or monthly.

Gently but thoroughly comb as many areas as your pet will allow, especially around the head, neck, back, and hindquarters. As you trap the little buggers, pull them off the comb and plunge them into a container of hot, soapy water (or dip the comb and pull the flea off underwater). Cover your lap with an old towel to catch extra clumps of hair and flea dirt and to wipe the comb off as you work.

When you're finished, flush the soapy water and fleas down the toilet.
Pruritus


As the flea feeds on a cat or dog, it releases saliva to stop blood from coagulating. This saliva contains chemicals that cause an irritant reaction and pruritis (itching) in the host.


Some animals have a high tolerance to flea bites and aren't disturbed by even large numbers. Other pets are more sensitive, and may show a reaction after exposure to smaller number of fleas.



Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD)


Recent research indicates that FAD may be caused by intermittent exposure to large numbers of fleas. Animals sensitized in this way may subsequently become intensely reactive to flea saliva. This is important as it suggests the way to prevent FAD may be to prevent repeated flea infestations.


The initial reaction is usually a reddened wheal, which forms a papule or swollen nodule and crusts over. After that, several secondary changes are possible:


superficial pyoderma (skin infections affecting the skin surface)
seborrhea (scaling, crusting, yellowish patches on the skin)
diffuse erythema (reddening of the skin over various parts of the body)
hair loss
"hot spots" - bare, eroded, oozing patches (a severe localized skin infection or pyoderma)
The itching that occurs in dogs with FAD is intense, and results in self-mutilation. Generally, clinical signs are distributed over the inner thigh and abdomen and along the spine and hindquarters. Corticosteroids are often used to temporarily relieve clinical signs. This recommendation must come from your veterinarian, but a flea control programme is needed to resolve the problem completely.



Tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum)


This species of tapeworm uses the flea as an intermediate host in its own life cycle. Eggs deposited by the adult tapeworm are shed into the environment where they are consumed by the flea larvae. If a pet then ingests an adult flea that consumed tapeworm eggs as a larva, the tapeworm parasite is passed on.


Although tapeworm doesn't usually cause serious disease in pets, they are disgusting all the same. They can usually be seen wriggling near the hind end of the animal near the base of the tail.


People can also become infected with tapeworm if they accidentally ingest an infected flea.



Anemia


Because fleas are blood sucking insects, a heavy infestation can produce parasitic anemia, particularly in young animals. Fleas have been reported to produce anemia in dogs, cats, goats, cattle and sheep. Severe flea infestations in young pups and kittens can cause anemia to the point of death.



Flea-Related Conditions in Humans


The most common species of flea on both cats and dogs is the Cat Flea. Cat Fleas will not live on humans, but they certainly will bite us!


Disease transmission due to fleas in man is not a common occurrence, but any suspected reactions should be discussed with a human doctor.