Summerhill Vets News - Poisoned by flea treatment
Pet owners are warned to be vigilant when apply flea treatments to their cats. Certain types of flea control products that are sold for use in dogs are harmful to cats. Flea treatments containing synthetic pyrethroids or permethrins can cause cats to fit and die if they are used incorrectly.
Staff at the Summerhill Vet Centre in Maindee, have treated three cats for poisoning in the last week. Two of these were cats that had been incorrectly treated with an ‘over the counter’ dog flea control product. Sadly one cat died despite treatment. The others recovered after a lengthy stay at the vets. There is no specific antidote to treat the poisoning.
Summerhill Vet Jamie Allen warns owners to be extra careful when purchasing flea control products. ‘With the warm moist weather that we are having, fleas are rapidly multiplying and using the wrong treatment may actually kill your pet. If you are concerned, check with your vet about which flea treatments to use
Further Flea Treatment info
Signs of pyrthroid poisoning in cats include vomiting, diarrhoea, excess salivation, wobbliness, tremor, incoordination, twitching, muscle weakness and convulsions. Symptoms usually occur within a few hours of contact and can persist for up to 3 days.
Bob Martins Flea Treatment for dogs is clearly marked as not to be used on cats, but it is unfortunately a common cause of pyrthroid poisoning in cats when owners inadvertently apply it. One of the cats treated at Summerhill Vets was treated with a pyrethroid product designed for use on cats (Bob Martins Silent Flea Spray), but it still showed signs of toxicity.
The best advice to any pet owner is to consult their vet and ask for a recommended flea treatment such as frontline, frontline combo, stronghold, advocate/advantage, promeris or practice. Look at the article on flea control on this site.
[back]
