Important cat information

[58limited]

Since, judging by recent message threads, many of you have cats, I decided to pass on some important information. You might already know this, but NEVER use over the counter pyrethrin-based flea products on cats. Cats are very sensitive to these products. Some go into seizures and some even die. Several manufacturers have voluntarily discontinued these products, but many have not. I am a veterinarian and I am currently treating a cat that had a DOG dose accidentally applied. This cat was seizuring when it came to my clinic. We stabilized the cat and yesterday it seemed to be responding although it is paralyzed.

Today, the cat spiked a 106.5 degree fever and I decided to bring it to my house to care for it over the weekend. Usually, if the product is washed off and the seizures are controlled, the cat will recover but sometimes they die despite treatment. I have seen this type of reaction with the CAT doses also. I truely believe that using these products is playing with fire. The only safe spot-on cat flea products currently on the market (in the USA) are Frontline, Advantage, and Revolution. These are available at vet clinics, online pet catalogs, and online pharmacies.

I have discussed this subject with the head of the toxicology department at the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at Texas A&M and he is in agreement that the use of pyrethrin based spot-on products is very dangerous in cats. They are not illegal because no one has spent the research money to prove they are toxic, and some cats are unaffected by the cat dose (if the dose is increased, these cats will eventually show symptoms too). These cats can also suddenly show symptoms despite previously not having any problems in the past. These products are safe on dogs.

 

[aquarius1984]

thanks for letting us know. My 2 cats scooter and smudge have just had their spot on flea treatment. Il check the ingredients. Although being in the UK the ingredients may be different. Nick.

 

[pekedogs]

This is scary. I am glad that where I live in the high desert in California it seems to be too dry for fleas to live. When I lived out on the coast the fleas ate my animals alive. My cat is so happy without fleas bothering her. I will certainly pass this information on, though, to my other friends who own cats.

 

[retroguy]

Thank you for the info.

Although I use Frontline on my kitty, I'm glad to see this information put out. I'd hate to think of anything bad happening to any pet. But to have it happen with good intentions.... Horrible. Perhaps we should dampen the necks of those putting out the poison products...you know...see if they like it.

 

[gizmo]

cats react different to dogs

intersting stuff. I only use advantage or frontline on our two, I'm not too fastidious about it as fleas are not really a problem where we live now. When we lived in the city we had to be right on top of it.

An interesting aside about differences between how cats and dogs react: as you probably all know, Australia is well stocked with venonous critters. about a year ago our tough tabby cat Millie seemed just a bit off colour one night. Her chin seemed "collapsed" like an old lady's chin drooping down. She seemed to be in a bit of a daze. Next morning when I fed her breakfast, she seemed unable to pick up her dry food, she pushed it around her bowl with her mouth but couldn't co-ordinate to eat it. I phoned the vet who said it sounded like poisoning or spray drift, we live in farming and forest area so there a few agricultural chemicals used round here. I took her in (an hour drive) and they agreed she wasn't herself, they were looking for chemical exposure. By this time she was losing more co-ordination and unable to stand up. She was kept overnight for tests and observation. Next day she was almost completely paralysed. Her eyes wide open unable to focus. Chemical tests negative. Vet says little idea but it doesn't look good. Later vet phoned, says he decided to test for spider or snake bites. Positive test for Tiger snake or Brown snake - probably tiger around here as they are more common and more aggressive. Their venom slowly attacks the nervous system, causing lack of coordination, paralysis, liver failure, death. She had to go on a high volume drip to dilute and flush out toxins and help the liver. Diagnosis was too late for antivenom, which has its own nasty side effects anyway. Liver failure was the big worry at this stage. She basically couldn't move but was fully conscious, a cruel situation. Due to the drip she produced lots of urine, she could muster just enough strength to walk a step or two to the litter tray and collapse into it, relieve herself lying down, then stand up just long enough to collapse out of the tray, exhausted. She couldn't eat so had intravenous supplements. Amazingly she could still recognise my partner and me, we travelled an hour each way every day to visit her, she would purr really loud when we were there, a rough uneven purr but unmistakeable. The vet nurses were great with her, heaping praise on her every improvement. After about ten days she had recovered enough to eat a little canned food, watered down to a mush and squirted into her mouth with a syringe. I did this each day when we visited. She ended up in hospital paralysed for over three weeks. She was recovering at home for another couple of weeks before she was really her old self again. Her purr has never recovered, it is loud but uneven, faltering and she snores in her sleep a lot. Otherwise she is the same tough old tabby eating machine.
The vet said if she were a dog, even a big dog like a rottweiler, she would have been dead in an hour. Cats are much more able to tolerate the snake venom. He know of cats that have been through it and survived three times.

Chris
And Millie.

 

[58limited]

More cat differences

Very interesting about the snake bite, Gizmo. I have never treated a cat for that, but have treated numerous dogs, most recently my own "Lady," for this. She was bitten by a cottonmouth, or water moccasin, in my back yard, which prompted a major cleanup and brush removal program. She recovered much quicker than most of my other patients, probably because I recognized her condition within a hour of the bite and started treatment immediately. She was bitten on the upper lip and tongue - I have yet to talk to a veterinarian who has seen a dog bitten on the tongue. We were worried that she might not survive: if the tongue was irreparably damaged, she could not eat or drink and would die. She recovered fully within 4 days.

More cat differences:

Did you know - Tylenol (and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs [NSAIDS]) will kill cats. Aspirin is harmful or fatal if not used carefully under a doctor's orders. Cats, however, tolerate steroids much better than dogs and humans. Cats have different enzyme systems and metabolic pathways that prevent clearance of some drugs, or convert them to toxic compounds. A rule of thumb in veterinary medicine is: "Cats are not small dogs." Many things that are fine for dogs are dangerous for cats. Always ask your veterinarian before trying to treat your beloved kitty.

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Yes David, Thanks

For the Heads Up about the over the counter kitty anti flea
treatment. I have always used Frontline, but a few times have almost bought stuff from Kmart. I would be horrified to in-jure my dear friends.

 

[peterh770]

I take my herd to a vet that only treats cats. I'll have to post pics soon. I'm at the tail end of a flea infestation. I love "Advantage".

Boscoe
Babs
Benita
Nikki
Blackjack
Tiger
Casey
Tigger
Choco
Whitey

 

[sudsmaster]

I have two cats and I use Frontline Plus on both of them. They tolerate it well.

The little female cat, however, has had a bad reaction to Advantage, which I no longer use. It gave her a very negative reaction to any spot-on anti-flea product, so usually I have to sneak it up on her. With Advantage, she developed muscle spasms, and could only go a few steps before stopping and doing a rabbit kind of floor kick. When this happened more than once after Advantage dosing, I dicontinued using it (a couple of years ago). She still gets a bit twitchy at times but nothing like with the Advantage. I have read (product literature) that some cats can have negative nervous system reactions to Advantage, and I guess this cat is one of them.

The other cat, a big male Burmese, tolerated Advantage but since I switched the other one to Frontline Plus, that's what he gets as well.

I've known about not using pyrethrins on cats, also, cats are very sensitive to Lysol spray (I think it's the carboxolic acid or phenol it contains), so if you have cats, don't use Lysol where they might walk or rest.