My cat had fleas and I sent my roommate out to get some shampoo. (we also gave him a cap star from the vet and administered frontline.) We wanted to wash all the dead fleas and eggs off. After his bath, I looked at the label more carefully and it says "do not use on cats" in small red letters on the back. He seems fine - has dried himself off and licked his fur for a couple of hours after. I'll call the vet tomorrow unless anyone here thinks I should call sooner. We used Sentrypro Flea and Tick Shampoo for Dogs and Puppies.
2007-09-30 15:26:24 · 14 answers · asked by svnopa 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
geez folks could you ease up? It was a mistake to use the dog shampoo - that's why I'm asking for advice. The vet gave the capstar and frontline and said to use both.
2007-09-30 15:35:56 · update #1
I don't see why it would hurt. If you can use it on puppies it shouldn't be that big of a deal. Just watch for excessive scratching. Good Luck
2007-09-30 15:29:09 · answer #1 · answered by Louise 4 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Well, the damage is done I guess, just the one application of dog shampoo shouldn't be very bad for the cat, however, I would suggest you call a 24 hour emergency Vet hospital and ask them what you should do just to be on the safe side. Probably the cat will be fine if you are sure you rinsed all of the shampoo off. Just keep an eye on your cat. I hope everything works out Ok.
2007-09-30 15:43:23 · answer #2 · answered by Dancing Leaf 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you've got the message by now. People are being heavy because cat's are so commonly killed by accidentally having dog products put on them.
You shouldn't have actually bathed the cat at all however, because you've just rendered the Frontline useless. It needs 24-48 hours before it's waterproof. You've also washed off the natural oils from the skin that Frontline requires to work. Wait at least 48 hours, and reapply the Frontline. Make sure it gets on the skin of the cat, not the fur. To do this you'll probably have to put it in at least 3 different places on the back of his neck. After, you can use a flea comb to remove dead fleas and flea dirts, and your cat will also groom them off himself. Don't bath him.
Chalice
2007-10-01 02:12:27 · answer #3 · answered by Chalice 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is a chemical in dog flea and tick products that is LETHAL to cats. You need to, at the VERY least, call a vet to seek further instruction.
Because cats are such detailed groomers, I would be willing to bet that your cat has ingested some of the shampoo residue.
Edit: The chemical is called permethrin and can be fatal to cats.
How long ago did the vet administer Frontline? You may have washed it off by bathing her as you have to wait a time before you can get them wet.
This cat needs to see a vet ASAP. It's totally overloaded on flea control products. They may not even be compatible with each other!!!!
2007-09-30 15:30:19 · answer #4 · answered by galapagos6 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You do not need to use Frontline and Capstar at the same time- that is not good for the cat. Pick one medicine and stick with it. Also, dogs and cats have very different skin types so it isn't good to use dog shampoo on cats; however, the cat should be fine- it will most likely severly dry and irritate the cat's skin.
2007-09-30 15:30:06 · answer #5 · answered by Madison 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Never use dog products on cats or cat products on dogs. You could cause serious irreversible damage to your pet. Cats and dogs have different systems. You need to keep a close eye on him and call the vet in the morning and get him checked out, maybe some blood work to verify everything is ok.
2007-09-30 15:30:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Dog shampoo can have tea tree oil in it which is ok on dogs, but very toxic to cats.
Check the label again and if it's got this, contact the vet.
2007-09-30 16:29:42 · answer #7 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Since it said "puppies" too, I would worry about having to call the vet tonight.
But I would call in the morning.
You really need to make sure you get a cat shampoo for cats...the other ones could be too harsh on the cats.
Just call the vet in the morning.
Make sure you rinsed the cat really good too.
Good luck :)
2007-09-30 16:01:19 · answer #8 · answered by MommaBear 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I would be more concerned about the fact you used Capstar AND Advantage. Plus, I'm unsure if Advantage is water proof.......if not, you just washed it off.
I would definitely contact the vet ASAP and tell them everything that's written here. They'll know if you went overboard or not.
2007-09-30 15:30:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Just use cat shampoo! Why do people want to use dog shampoo on their cats!?
2007-09-30 15:31:11 · answer #10 · answered by kittyluv 4 · 0⤊ 4⤋