I didn’t know better but should have~ I picked up a single dose tube of Sargents Flea Drops .They were placed in a drawer that we keep pet products in. WE also had a 3 pack of Hartz Mountain that we were saving to use in August when more fleas are out around here since we already put new flea collars on each of our cats and dogs, but on that night my small grey cat started scratching like mad and even with the 3 week old flea collar,fleas were popping off her and onto the bedspread. I caught and killed those fleas and then went to the pet drawer and took out the already opened white tube of drops and though I knew it was a single dose, I put only 2 drops on back of her neck and then ontop the other 2 cats thinking it would help if the flea collars weren’t.
I had no clue that using so little could do so much harm! Had I used a whole tube she would have died for sure.
Well, I had also used them on the other cats so there were a couple of drops for each one and I squeezed out the last 2 drops to put them on the back of my little grey cat’s neck.
I could not read any of the microscopic fine print on the card anyway, as the vial was attached to as it was too blurry for my eyes but thought it might not be enough so planned on buying more the next day. The card it came on had already been discarded.
IF YOU USE ANY FLEA PRODUCTS ON YOUR PET, SAVE THE WRAPPING AND RECEIPT IN CASE YOUR PET HAS A REACTION!THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE WILL HELP YOU AND POSSIBLY PAY YOUR VET BILLS~!!!
I was only looking to give her some relief as her flea collar just didnt seem to work well enough. I assumed they were the small dog/puppy drops but also honestly didnt think there would have been much of a difference either way, since alot of meds like worm meds have similar ingredients just larger amounts for dogs.
Still I knew my cat was about 6 lbs and she was scratching terribly from the fleas that the dogs & other 2 cats brought into the house had found their way to her.
She had been extremely itchy & when sitting on my bed several fleas had popped on my bedspread, so I caught & killed them quickly and then looked for that open tube of flea poison for her as I had already had put some on the other 2 cats since they were the ones going outside. I was only able to squeeze out 2 drops on my finger and rubbed them on the back of her head.
3 hours later she suddenly was convulsing and writhing, foaming at the mouth and bursting into fits running and crashing into things. My son saw her first and called me saying he thought she had rabies .
My son caught her when she ran into a bathroom closet & we caged her. I told him since she had never been outdoors that it was impossible for her to have rabies & that she had a rabies shot last year anyway.
I said it had to have something to do with the flea drops I used on her, so I began looking up online symptoms and found that the drops could cause those symptoms.
We began calling vets , all closed ~ but the one located at Animal Crackers former building outside of Wellsboro was familiar with flea drop poisoning, so the Vet told us to come right down and a Vet Tech, Hillary met us there, took our cat and began treatment immediately.
There is a different flea killing ingredient in dog flea drops than in cat flea drops which when used on cats attacks their liver and central nervous system~ highly toxic to cats~but some are also toxic to dogs ! I wasn’t sure which one I had used as I had a tube for the puppies too and both were out of the cartons so I brought the tube that I used and gave it to the tech so that it might help in diagnosing what meds to give her.
So it isn’t size and weight issue, its an actual chemical poison used in flea drops that is the issue and my cat has almost died from it.Now I see dogs too are dying from it.
I just called the vet and she is still alive and may recover thankfully. She is still being treated. It will be a very expensive lesson on my part and is extremely traumatic and life threatening for my poor cat as she is less than 2 years old and trusted me to take good care of her!
Treatment includes bathing off all the residue of the drops immediately with a soap based shampoo.
Intravenous fluids are important to stop the dehydration and to admininster muscle relaxers since the poison attacks the cat’s central nervous system.
Other meds including sedatives and pain relief are also needed.
Although some cats/dogs can survive this poisoning , some owners decide to ‘ride it out’ without veterinary care, the cat/dog will most likely die~ the pain involved as well as the involuntary writhing and convulsing is extremely painful to the pet –
SO VETERINARY CARE IS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY~
DON’T WAIT IT OUT~Your pet is in excrutiating pain,convulsing,seizing,vomiting and running into things~!!
THERE IS NO HOME REMEDY TO SAVE YOUR PET~
YOU HAVE TO SEEK VETERINARY HELP IF YOU WISH TO SAVE YOUR PET~!
So an ignorant but well meaning action on my part, I caused my dear little cat to suffer horribly~ I called the vet today and she is responding to treatment since I got her there right away~ and she might be able to come home tomorrow~Thank God~! I didnt want her to die.
So I may be late with my rent this month, as the treatment is expensive, I am sure, as I have not received the billing yet~and will have to of course, pay for my mistake before bringing my cat home.
Included below is articles I found today, that explain what this poison does to cats~[since my cat was the one affected] so be aware that Flea Drops instructions have to be carefully followed but looking for signs of a reaction is very important as the toxins build up in the animal and may work one time but the next time could be the amount needed to be toxic.
Also it isnt merely a marketing issue that they mark some cards for puppies, dogs or cats as there can be other ingredient strengths that are not safe [none are actually ‘safe’] or that just because something is safe on dogs or other animals doesnt make it safe for cats or puppies !! I just saw a video of a full grown labrador retriever dying 3 days after a flea bath~!!
I am so sorry that I put my poor cat through this and will always look to check safety of a product in the future.My Vet says none of the over the counter flea products are safe and since many outsource to other countries that they may even have some mixtures stronger than others so they can not be trusted~
Now why these flea drop companies do put a some small warnings like do not use on cats -[if you can find the warnings hidden in the fine print] it should of instead been emphatic “WILL KILL CATS” Or Dogs~!
Or better Warning “Just ONE DROP CAN KILL YOUR PET ” would have been more to the point- STRONGER WARNING LABELS ARE NEEDED~
Naturally then no one would buy them~! So they hide the danger in how they word things on their packaging , so most people assume they’re safe.
The Vet & also blogs show this is a common mistake many pet owners make. I am not the first fool to do this~
Safety of Flea Drops
As mentioned above because topical flea treatments utilize modern drugs targeting insect nervous systems or growth hormones they are much safer for your pet than older flea poisons, or so they claim!
There are endless amounts of cases of side-effects but they are few and far between and usually extremely mild.
The most common form of side effect is an allergy to the non-active components in the flea drops. These are usually very mild vomiting or temporary hair loss at the site of administering the product. Animals with such allergies are obviously better treated with a different form of flea control in future.
The widespread fear of flea drops comes primarily from incorrect use of the products, according to those selling them, but the toxins used can affect each animal differntly so they should be banned.
For example giving a small animal a dose specified for a much larger one, or even more dangerous, giving dog medicine to a cat, but they dont know what to say to the person who used the medicine according to directions and the animal still dies~
Cat’s are highly sensitive to one ingredient often used in dog flea control products so should never be given anything other than a cat flea treatment, but then again ones designated for cats specifically still can kill cats.Likewise ones made specifically for dogs are still killing dogs ~ so there is something else the manufacturer is not doing right. It’s easier for them to blame the grieving pet owner and try to confuse them by saying they had to be the ones who did something wrong, when a pet owner can not always recognize the signs of an allergic reaction or of a toxic reaction.
For some more information about your cat flea treatment click on the link.
Some ingredients are meant to render female fleas unable to lay viable eggs. If an insect is affected it is unable to reproduce so drug-resistant offspring should not be a problem, according to those manufacturing it, but this ingredient also enters a cat and dogs sebaceous glands through the skin, so as a poison will have some sort of accumulative effect and while one dog or cat may be more resisitant to side effects another one may not as is the case in all those who have reactions and all those who die from the flea products.
Longer Lasting Flea Control
With most flea killing products there is also opportunity for a residual effect. Because flea drops are actually absorbed in the animal’s oil gland network the active ingredients remain at the surface of the skin for a relatively long time.
All the leading topical cat flea treatments will remain effective for at least a month. In practice some such as Frontline will actually carry on providing complete flea protection for six weeks and while Frontline and Advantage are more expensive to use, they are safer than Hartz or Sargents, since they use cheaper ingredients which are more dangerous.
Safety of Flea Drops
As mentioned above because topical flea treatments utilise modern drugs targeting insect nervous system or growth hormones they are much safer for you pet than older flea poisons.
There are cases of side-effects but they are few and far between and usually extremely mild to severe and to fatalities that often go unreported.
The most common form of side effect is ‘said to be an allergy’ to the non-active components in the flea drops, but some reactions are to the toxins in them and not allergic but actually lethal to many pets.
Manufacturers dont want the bad publicity so sometimes pay off victims as it is still cheaper than changing their product ingredients to something safer.
The manufacturers say reactions are usually very mild vomiting or temporary hair loss at the site of administering the product, as they downplay the danger of their products and exploit the owners need to be rid of the fleas.
Animals with such ‘allergies’, they will concede, are obviously better treated with a different form of flea control in future, should the owner be lucky enough to recognizze the milder reactions.Or if the pet survives ~
They claim that the widespread fear of flea drops comes primarily from incorrect use of the products according to the manufacturers, but thats a lie since many die from correct usage as well !
For example giving a small animal a dose specified for a much larger one, or even more dangerous, giving dog medicine to a cat, are their obvious arguments , but what about the larger dogs who die suddenly from accurate dosing? What chances do the smaller dogs and cats have when big dogs also die from it?
How many pet owners who are not doctors, vets or scientists, rely on and trust the manufacturers to supply a safe effective product?
It is already known and admitted that cats are highly sensitive to an ingredient often used in dog flea control products so should never be given anything other than a cat flea treatment, but they are also sensitive to other ingredients and so there is still a problem with keeping these products available for public use.
Ingredients that are toxic to animals should not be used~!There are many nontoxic ingredients available but Hartz & Sargents are too greedy to use them and rather let pets die.
Toxic ingredients need to be banned and made illegal.
They should be removed from the shelves of stores.
For more information about your cat flea treatment click on the link which has some info but may be jaded by the special interest groups .
I wish I read this and other articles before applying those drops to my cat~! I never would have used them at all and now will only use what the Vet recommends~
| http://www.buzzle.com/articles/understanding-topical-cat-flea-treatments.html |
Here is another case & people also trying to raise awareness:
http://www.hartzvictims.org/2004/07/27/flea-medicine-poisoning/
Symptoms of one ingredient in many flea drop remedies: http://pethealth101.com/poison/PoisonSigns&Symptoms.shtml
Permethrin poisoning Cats is another one for example: http://www.petalia.com.au/templates/storytemplate_process.cfm?specie=Cats&story_no=2147&pafid=2349
Flea poison ingredient for dogs is different than for cats but both can still kill your pets~ http://www.nearlydrferox.blogging4life.com/?p=436
Cat owners accidentally poisoning their cats ~!http://www.cats.com.au/articles/486/catownerspoisoningtheirpets.shtml
while many products do say not to use on cats, many owners assume the ingredients to kill the fleas wont kill their cats but that it is merely stronger medicine, so think applying smaller amounts would be safe ~ when in fact it isnt safe and can often be deadly~
BEFORE YOU CAN FIND A VET : IMMEDIATE FIRST AID FOR CATS and Dogs is to wash them thoroughly with Dawn dishwashing detergent to remove the oily base holding the poison in the fur and on the skin of the animal [not to be instead of vet care ,only if a vet is unavailable]http://www.bigcatrescue.org/poisons.htm
Even some flea collars can kill your cat~! http://www.getipm.com/articles/letters/flea-collar.htm
Manufacturers need to stop using ingredients that are toxic to animals and meanwhile make stronger stated warnings on their products and not simple benign statements such as ‘DO NOT USE ON CATS’ – because buyers are not aware of how deadly these products are and assume they are safe since they are sold over the counter in supermakets and pet stores.
My cat is expected to recover. The bill is going to be very high and I can not afford it , living myself on disability~ All I can do is hope to raise awareness to prevent this from happening to others.
Ave Hurley
Ave 
Pingback: FLEA DROPS almost killed my cat~ FUNDRAISER FOR VET COSTS « Ave Hurley
As I assumed that I must have used the dog drops because of the violent reaction my cat had suffered, I found out afterwards that the tube I had used the 2 drops from was the white tube that was actually Sargeants Cat Flea Drops~!! not the puppy drops ~ as the tubes of puppy drops are still sealed shut.
I couldnt tell which was which because both were off the cards, sitting in the drawer they were being stored in.
After seeing what happened to my cat, I was so glad that the same drops didnt hurt the other 2 cats who were larger and stronger than my little cat is. One did have some vomiting that week but she is doing well. The other got a little fur falling out.
My cat was detoxed and released 2 days after her ordeal and the Vet Bill was $485~! They put another cat safe flea drop treatmnent on her – by Frontline ~ but it has caused her fur to fall out in different spots on her lower back and sides. She looks pathetic~ but at least there are no sores as some cats get and she is back to running around and playing and eating well.
So still even with the ‘safe’ drops, she has had a reaction, although not life threatening, she looks aweful with all the fur that has fallen out and how thin the remaining fur is.
There are signs of new growth already and the Frontline drops are supposed to wear off in a few weeks. I wont use them again either~ I have seen that there are all natural remedies that are supposed to be safe but dont kill eggs yet I rather use them and bathe her than to risk any more reactions to the ones with any poison in them at all.
So are you saying that it was cat flea drops that made yours sick? Unfortunatly I recently deflead my cat ( one ) and my kitten (7 weeks ) by useing hartz small dog flea medicine. The little guy is doing fine BUT my Baby isn’t… he has been throwing up he has pain in his left side he is weak and stuff. I did call our vet and they advised me to wash him in dawn dish washing detergent so i did, twice… oh my i hope he’ll be o.k….. they said if he is not better in three days he will have to go in. 😦
At the time I was besides myself seeing what happened to my cat and I assumed I must have used the puppy drops, initially because I couldnt imagine cat drops doing so much damage~ Both are poison..
Hindsight 20/20 now I know but when I bought them, I assumed they would be safe and especially using less instead of more, I had no idea they would hurt my cat like they did~!
Type into any search engine : Flea Drops Kill Cats , or , Flea Drops hurt cats or dogs. You will see many of the horror stories related to these products which should be banned from sale~
I gave the tube to the vet at the time , not knowing if they would need to look up the id number on it for some antedote or something. They knew all too well about flea drops poisoning and detoxed my cat, washing in Dawn is very good but sometimes you need to wash several times.
Unfortunately this poison enters their skin on contact and travels in their sebaceous glands quickly and that is also how it kills the fleas, emitting a neurotoxin back through their skin int their fur and repelling and killing fleas.
What they dont make clear is it is also poisoning your pet and while Hartz & Sargents contend only about 1:1000 have such reactions, there is no real totals as many people lose their pets not knowing it was caused by the flea drops since it can happen weeks or even months later with reapplications building up toxins in their systems. It is still a deadly poison and you would think the government would better regulate it but currently they dont~!
Oh, BTW had I saved the tube or even the wrapper, Sargents said they would have reimbursed my Vet bill but they also told me to send my almost $485 Vet bill to them which I did but here 7 weeks later I have received no reply, so you cant count on them to make things right.
Its criminal what they cause our pets to go through as these neurotoxins cause waves of exbrutiating pain and cats in particular tend to slink off and hide when they are in pain and sometimes dont show any outward appearance as to how much they really are suffering.
Methocarbamol 500mg pill split in 1/4’s is what my vet gave me to give my cat 2x a day for the spasms .They also gave her an IV for 24 hours to prevent dehydration while they administered a generic for valium to help her rest.
She lost more fur for the last 2 months and got real skinny but otherwise is getting her strength back.
My other 2 cats had minor reactions. One vomited on and off for 2 weeks and some fur came out.The other, an angora, lost alot of fur but only vomited a couple of times and so she did the best of the three.
If they told you to wait 3 days, they probably think the worst because we called several vets and the first to call us back said to get her in immediately or she could die.
Make sure to make the kitten drink more fluids and maybe wash her a few more times with the Dawn fully soaping her up to try and draw some of the oils out of her skin which might help draw away more of the poison concentrate . Call your vet back too and ask if you can buy some med for him to try at home, but maybe because he is so young there may be nothing more than bathing and giving him fluids that might be all you can do to help him.
Cuddling and holding him wrapped in a blanket might comfort him too as he sporadically might get tremors but the reversed warmth may help relieve some of his pain.
I hope you pets recover. I know its take 2 months so far for mine and the Vet Bill put me so far behind in my other bills that I have been grounded all summer without being able to get out to visit relatives since both my car & van had to wait to be repaired and registered because of the Vet bill, but it was necessary as my cat was suffering terribly and it wasnt her fault. i was the one who put the drops on her, so I took responsiblity even though it was a financial nightmare for me as well.
CC: Letter sent to my Congressman, who is on the Agriculture Committee in Washington~
It was sent via web contact form directly to his office. This can be copied and sent to your Congressman, in your state.
The more people who make Congress aware, then there is a chance that legislation can be drawn up to stop the use of lethal toxins in over the counter pet care products~!
Sir:
Since you are part of Agriculture, I feel it is the closest topic that might relate to this problem, so ask you to consider looking into this further.
Topic: Over the Counter Flea Pet Products
Purpose:They are killing 1000’s of pets & causing high vet bills to treat poisoned pets.
Goal:New Regulations to Ban lethal ingredients from Over the Counter Pet Care Products.
Reference: 1000’s of Victims stories all over the Internet wanting something to be done.
Manufacturers Responses: Pet Owners faults.They claim they label properly & only a small % of pets die from their products.In some cases they will reimburse Vet bills on some victims, but require proof of purchase, containters & cartons.In most cases, they take these proofs and never reply back or reimburse victims!
Victims:John Q.Public Pet Owners:
Misleading labels present over the counter products as safe to use, when in fact even when they are used exactly according to directions, cause animals to convulse, seize, suffer and die.Just that these are being sold over the counter represents them to be safe and effective, when in fact they cause toxic effects on pets from mild-severe and cost between $500-750 avg to detox a pet at the Vets and try to save the pet.Survivors often have permanent damage and ongoing medical needs as a result costing JohnQ,Public Pet Owners financial hardship, heartache, inconvenience and no recourse under current laws, since Manufacturers claim to be in compliance with current regulations governing their licensing to sell these products publicly in grocery stores, shopping centers and more, which imply their safety to the public.
Recourse sought: New Laws concerning regulating these products, closer government monitoring, to make Manufacturers liable for their actions.We need Congress to protect John Q.Public PetOwners from these over the counter flea care products, compelling the manufacturers to not use potentially lethal ingrdients when safer ingredients are already available.We need these products banned.We need these Manufacturers to be held liable and to recall these products as well as to reimburse John Q.Public Pet Owners for their Vetinary Medical bills related to using their products and to compensate John Q.Public Pet Owners for their losses and restitution to those who have lost their beloved pets as a direct result of using Manufacturer’s flea pet products.
Research: Ample to be supplied on request, many John Q.Public Pet Owners are willing to testify to the suffering their pets went through as a result of using these products and can present the Veterinary bills that substantiate their claims.
Actions: Grass roots movement has already begun online with John Q.Public Pet Owners posting the details of their pets ordeals and the results they have suffered along with their pets because of these products which include Hartz, Sergeants, Bansect and other over the counter companies offering these lethally toxic ingredients in their Pet Care products which include: Flea Collars,Flea Drops, Flea Powder, Flea Bath & more
Veterinary: Most Vets are already aware of these toxins and document the poisonings, while trying to save the pets.Many are already outspoken on the issue, but the need points back to Congress to help protect John Q Public Pet Owners, by investigating and implementing laws that will save pets and relieve John Q.Pet Owners who are daily being added to victims lists nationwide.
Sir,
I will start petitions online and collect victims names and stories to back up this growing epidemic of pet poisonings in our country.
I have spoken with Sargeants who have informed me that due to outsourcing the production of these products, that certain ‘vats’ are sometimes improperly concentrated which adds to the problem, while they still were not willing to recall their own products~!
Products that they do recall they resell to Dollar Stores, so more pets are killed slow agonizing deaths and pet owners are strapped financially when attempting to get Vet care to save their pets.
Your response and help in this matter is anticipated and greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ave Hurley
602-539-4053
ave1954@msn.com
1901 Route 660
Mansfield Pa 16933
Hi Ave,
I made the same mistake Monday eve.
We have 2 dogs and a cat. My husband picked up
Advantix K9 using Advantage in the past on several cats
never a problem.
Dumm me assume ok, husband said lady said don’t use on
cats I thought the same when I only needed a drop or 2
We didn’t spend the extra 20.00 for a tube.
Today Thursday, last night I really didn’t notice anything other
then her being lazy.
She ran outside normally a house cat. I went to find her
I brought her inside she hissed at me.
We got her fixed a few months ago, we just thought
well she is acting like in heat how is that possible..
She managed to get back outside and she really doesn’t
like being outside all.
This was about 7:00pm Wed. Now it is Thursday 6:00pm
almost 24 hrs. missing
Decided to check online for more information after crying and looking all day.
I found your story thank-you for the therapy I know she
must be hurting really bad where ever she is.
I let my dog loose to try to find her, he always finds her
they play.
My dog had no luck I’m sure we will be looking all night.
Thanks.
Permethrin Permethrin
There is no reason any flea or pet medicine should contain
this incredient. Permethrin a NO NO and NOT NEEDED in meds.
Most all other flea products are ok to use on both dogs and cats.
Information I found from (I Hope ok to ad this page info)
wasn’t sure if I could copy and paste their details info
on a few of pet products at end of page.
http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/fleaandtickprevention
This one is from the Animal Poison Control Center
http://vetprof.com/clientinfo/permethrincats.html
http://www.hartzvictims.org/
Hi Again Ave
This story I found that is airing on tv and also youtube
for submitting to Congress etc laws.
If you haven’t read it, it would be great for all of these complaint sites of pet products to collect data from all of them
or team up with all of them to change laws.
I couldn’t check out any of the videos I’m too big of a baby
Well 3 post in a row I think I’m done and thanks for your
blog.
Greatly Appreciated
Kim
We lost one of our cats this morning. I thought the same thing. Just less of a dosage on our kitties. We foster kitties and our house was loaded with fleas. 8 cats had or still having seizures. One died this morning, four have recovered a bit (one like nothing ever happened).
To save your cats, get Dawn Dish Washing Detergent. It is important to thoroughly soap them up and rub the detergent into their skin~!!! Even if they seem like they are recovering this comes in waves to the cats as it affects their neuro system.The poison is absorbed through the skin into their sebaceous glands and will spread over their lymph system througout their body.The poison lasts 6 -8 wks and so it is very important to hold them down, shampoo them thoroughly every day for the next few days at least. Also if you can get Robaxin from your Vet to give them and Valium. You need to check the dose with the Vet, but my Vet gave me pills that were 500 mg cut into 1/4ths so my cat took 125 mg 2x a day. This helps with the seizures as does the pet Valium. Since you have multiple cats, your vet may give you enough for all the pets on one visit charge, but check with him first. It isnt enough to let them ride it out. Hydration is very very important too, even if you have to put spoonfuls of water in their mouths every hour or so. My Vet placed my cat on IV fluids for 1 day. Dehydration will kill them fast.
Even after the accute care treatment, my cat lost alot of fur and weight. She laid around all summer very weak, though occasionally getting playful, she was not the same. I had used flea collars on her since she was a small kitten and she was always kind of thin but as you know getting a house full of fleas is good for no one and so you do what you can to rid yourself of them.
Now I use lemon juice in a spray bottle with a little water and rub against the grain on the cats.It has citronella which repels the fleas and is safe if they lick it. I also got an electric flea glue trap that takes a while but works, as well as vacuuming daily so it is under control now.
Since I stopped using the flea collars, my cat’s fur has regained its luster and is now getting fuller.The sparce sections have regrown and she is gaining weight. It has taken 3 -4 months for her to recover from these poisons. Also I was wrong when I first thought I used the puppy drops as they were already out of the carton. I used the white tube which was Sargents flea drops for cats. I have been researching since this has happened and it appears that although they warn not to use dog drops on cats, that even the cat drops are dangerous anyway as both formulas have poisons that kill alot of dogs and cats , even when used according to directions.
Check HartzVictimsOrg’s wordpress and you will read more about how terrible this stuff is and how it needs to be regulated by the government better and the toxic formulas need to be banned.
I contacted Sargents and their CS asked for my Vet bills but later they didnt repay as they only checked their liability and calculated that I wasnt in a position to go ahead and sue them.They do this to many people who have lost pets or have high vet bills to save the pets as they prey on the public who want to be rid of fleas but take advantage by using inferior toxic products that they outsource to other countries and whose ‘vats’ are sometimes not diluted properly so many 1000’s of pets now die annually in the US and not enough people are complaining to their Congressmen about it. WE all need to complain to have these products banned as there are safer ingredients available such as are used in Frontline.
Good luck with your remaining pets, please wash and rewash them thoroughly, even if difficult, it is necessary and be sure to make them drink plenty of water~!
I used Sargents flea repellant for a 61 lb and over dog on my 16 lb cat by mistake. Both the cat and dog stuff was in a green tube and I didn’t look for my glasses to be sure because I was in a hurry! He suffered terribly, but survived! I took him to a vet the next day because he seemed to be off balance. They told me to wash him iwith dish soap and give him lots of fluids. I bought tuna in water, chicken broth, and mackeral. He drank the liquid readily. I also gave him as much canned cat food as he would eat. Then I remembered I had a bottle of milk thistle extract for animals called liv-herb. It is a herbal supplement for animals with liver problems. I am putting it in his food daily and praying he will have no lasting affects from my “stupid” mistake! I have 4 large dogs and 2 cats. I live on ssi but always have put flea suff on my animals, even though it’s expensive. I will be looking for “natural” flea remedies from now on. Please remember, you are poisening your animal as well as the fleas! And never, never, put dog flea repellant on cats! You will kill them in a horrible fashion!
My poor cat Boots has had such a hard time from the Hartz flea treatment. I gave her the full treatment and a few days later pacing started. I thought that I was going to have to put her down when she wouldn’t respond to my voice, she had head tremors, couldn’t find her litter box and messed the floors, she was under great stress, trying to climb walls, not eating (I don’t think she could smell). Lost lots of wieght, and she was only 8lbs to start. She has lost her vision and now the vet tells me that she only has 25% kidney function. She is 13 years old, but she was healthy before this treatment. I was recommended to use a product called, Rescue Remedy, which I put 4 drops in her water and her pacing stopped within 24 hours. She has had a couple of relapses, but she is getting better. It is now 6 weeks. She is permenantly blind, but her pacing has stopped. I continue to give her the herbal remedy, with other natural products. I have to say that the vet wasn’t that great, but I have had suggestions from a naturopath that I believe saved Boots. I hope that no one ever uses this flea product. I hate to think that my Boots has suffered, and I may have shortened her life.
the pet store here in our area offers me a great deal of discount when i buy from them :~*
7 years ago I administered flea medicine to my 3 cat. I was told by the clerk at a farm store it should be fine although it said “dogs only” I was being cheap and didn’t want to buy two different ones.
Immediately after administering the flea medication, all 3 cats starting convulsing and foaming at the mouth. I stayed up all night forcing liquids and holding them in a blanket. All survived but all had long term issues. Now, 7 years later, 2 are dead (8 years old) and my oldest (now 13) has a central nervous disorder from the medication and you cannot touch her on her back without convulsions. It’s tragic, it should be publicized but I never see much about it. Thanks for getting the word out. Undoubtedly I will have to put my sweet cat down soon as the suffering is increasing and I will forever live with my irresponsibility. I hope the manufacture is living with theirs.
There are meds that for example, you can buy an adult dose and divide it for pups of a certain age. What comes to mind is the old wormer meds that would go by weights of the animal per so many capsules from pups up to full grown, which used to make me think that it was okay to divide some meds on animals. I also have seen my cats catch fleas from the dogs, so hadnt a clue that while they are the same bug that in order to kill them, you have to use meds that the dog or cat can handle and apparently some of the ingredients used in the dog version are highly toxic to cats. Warnings on the label dont seem emphatic enough.
I had just started buying the flea drops when i got them on sale and didnt use them immediately as my pets wore flea collars. I kept all; their meds in the same drawer so the day the cats were scratching so much, I had a single dose of drops, but didnt give any a full doze~ If anything its should have been too weak, but I was only seeking to help relieve them of their incessant itching and scratching and would have bought more the next day to complete the doses they began… I never got that far as my cat seized horribly violent and nearly died.
I got her to the animal hospital and they saved her.
The poisons used travel via the cats’s/dogs central nervous system~! The stuff needs to be banned in the US.[and elsewhere] While it may work to kill the fleas, the cumulative effects on pets is reprehensible~! Some die faster than others . Some suffer alone not even showing they are in pain. Its toxic~
my vet has done this to my cat im so upset n dont know what to do
Hmm is anyone else encountering problems with the images on this blog loading? I’m trying to figure out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Not sure~ I have had problems periodically loading images, but if you go to another site and can upload where you pick up the picture in html. then you can copy and paste it back on WP when editing, just click on the html mode. Hope this helps 🙂 Ave
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This happened to a cat of mine years ago, the room mate put flea drops for dogs on her. I spent 48 hours administering shots and holding my finger in her mouth after that. She’s hail and hearty now, and in a good home. What I learned: cats should NEVER be given dog flea drops. The first time you use cat flea drops only put a tiny tiny amount and watch close for alergic reaction, if no reaction is apparent by the next morning your cat should be fine with that brand. Some brands are worse than others so pay attention to ingredients.
Thought my cat was going to die twice from the flea drops. First time was bought at pet store. Foaming at mouth convulsing and going crazy. So next time took him with me to vet, they administered their drops to back of his neck and we watched him for about 15 min. Seemed fine so took him home with drops for my other cat and dog. As soon as got home, put drops on other two animals and looked over at domino. His pupils were dilated, mouth hanging open, tongue hanging out and appeared to look like he may die. I rushed back to vet and he seemed to be a little better by then. But, for this cat, no way for ANY of the drops!!! They have starcap that is a pill for fleas. No bad reaction from that.that was aug 2010 and now almost 2 yrs later I’m doing all I can for the same cat who has high liver enzymes and eats like a horse but continues to lose weight. He’s had about every test known to man done, except for liver biopsy, and haven’t found problem. No tumor, obstruction, diabetes, thyroid problem, fiv, leukemia, or anything positive so far. Makes me wonder…
I read on the Hartz site a few years back , comments from one Vet that sometimes the signs dont show for a while in some animals but the accumulative effects are there, poison is poison and no matter how its introduced it will build up in the animal’s system and while some animals seem strong enough to not show outward signs of the effects, its still there and other animals can be more sensitive to smaller amounts that are introduced. It took a long time for my cat to recover. She is now doing great, but I had taken her to my daughter’s and there are no other pets there so she is no longer exposed to any flea contamination. We never used any remedies again. One safe and seems to be a proven method some have used is to mix vinegar and water and rub it into the animal’s fur, which the fleas dont like and it wont hurt the animal.It may have to be repeated frquently during the heightr of flea season, but at least you wont be harming your animal and will also save on trips to vets.The vinegar water can kill the bugs ~!!
Sargent silver flea product killed my best friend my cat
So sorry this happened to your cat~! I know how much my cat suffered from it but fortunately we were able to get her treatment and she survived. Many people dont realize how deadly this stuff is and how painful it is on the cat’s central nervous system, causing some cats to hideaway and possibly die and others to run frantically harming themselves more.With all the horrible things going on in the world, its hard to draw attention to the fact that these big time companies are torturing and killing out pets through poisoning and insult to injury is they lie to us and present the stuff as safe and some poor animals build up the toxins in their systems and owners dont realize they are in pain! Other pets react violently after a small single dose and either their owners find help in time or the pet dies. My cat was lucky but it took her months to recover . I now keep her at my daughter’s as she has no dogs so my cat cant catch fleas again [inside pet] so she is safe. I miss having her with me but I wanted to do what was best for her.
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Yes and it is very dangerous for young kittens~!Absorbs thru skin into theitr lymph glands and then from there goes all over.It can make some animals seem tired or listless but is wreaking havoc on their nervous system. Since most will just sleep it off many dont realize how it affects them. Others like my cat had an immediate severe reaction but most have an accumulative effect that builds up in their system over time.
You an lessen the effects by bathing the cat in DAWN – until the poison is definitely worn off.
http://www.countrysupply.com has alternative fle rememedies for cats and dogs that are not expensive. Ivermectin[LIS] is a good one for both dogs and cats.
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If you want an all natural flea killer use Diatomaceous earth (make sure it’s the real 100% stuff meant for pets). It’s a powder product that is perfectly safe and healthy for cats and dogs. What it does is it dries out the fleas exoskeleton causing them to shrivel up and die. You sprinkle it on the pets and on the pets beds and where ever else the fleas and their offspring may be.
Also vaccuum like crazy and put a flea collar in the vaccuum bag (not on your pets, flea collars are hazardous in direct contact with pets as well). The flea collar will kill any fleas you vaccuum up. Also hot water mop your floors and tiles and steam clean your carpets. Extreme heat kills fleas on contact.
When using a flea comb always dunk the combed out fleas straight in hot water to kill them before they escape the comb.
A good natural flea deterrent too that keeps them off of your pet is coconut oil or Apple cider vinegar mixed with water. You can either rub coconut oil into your pets fur (kinda oily) before taking them outside or you can spritz them all over with a mix of 50% Apple cider vinegar and 50% water. Both are good for a pets health and coat as well as being natural flea repellents.
I work at a pet product store and this is the tips and tricks I always recommend to customers when they come in.
Sounds like its worth a try. I have heard of the vinegar & water before as it also keeps dogs from chewing up hot spots they sometimes get.
The diatamaceous earth I heard had some good things but never about it killing fleas but it seams safe enough to try although the dog would get pretty dirty wouldnt it? I have safely used hair gel to get out fleas with a flea comb and also there is a gel that Sally Beauty supply sells
in an all natural lice kit for use on kids that is simply a gel the bugs get stuck in long enough to be combed out.Then you just rince them. I had to use that once on a friend’s kid that had gone to a chicken farm and came home with lice in her hair and her mother freaked out and didnt know what to do about them as her daughter was only 3 at the time and she didnt want to use any poisons so I went to Sallys and they recommended a product that was just a big jug of plain gel and a lice comb and it worked good getting them out of her hair without using any chemicals.
I had to use a coffee can filled with soapy hot water however to keep dunking the comb into as the fleas came out and would be stuck in the gel but it didnt kill them just made it harder for them to escape so I drown them in the can of soapy water.The same stuff is safe on pets and does leave the coat shiny after rinsing too.
Aw, this was a very nice post. Finding the time and actual effort to create a great article… but what can I say… I put things off a
whole lot and don’t manage to get anything done.
What can we do to stop this needs to be address can I sue for the pain and suffering my pet went through its important to me it’s like loosen a family member the first one was real bad on me I’m 61years old I felt real bad because I’m suppose to take care of them very very sad I miss him so mush this was.my little one I cry for snowball my love. Sal
Hi Sal, I am sorry for what you had to go through with your pet. Its aweful that this happens.After I learned what went wrong with my cat I made this post and scoured the internet and found Harts Mountains site where they have a forum on the damages this stuff does.
To sue, you need to have the original carton of the product that killed your cat. You also need the Vet notes and bills. The one that I had contacted sent me all questionaires and also called but when they found out I no longer had the vile or wrapper since I brought those to the vet and the vet threw them out ~ then they stopped calling about my cat as they only cared that there was no proof to use against them.They said IF I had sent them in the vile and the wrapper that they would have paid the Vet bill.
That was as far as they were willing to go claiming that my cat had an allerbic reaction and that it happens to a small percentage of cats but claimed overall their product was safe. Without the label my State Representative didnt act either nor the Attorney General. I didnt get any answer from the Congressman.
Initially I thought I thought I must had used the puppy med on my cat because her reaction was so violent and both viles were in the same drawer but was relieved the next day when my son showed me that all the viles for the dogs were still in the drawer so I had used the right med but it was poison to my cat. Oddly I had only put a tiny bit on her as she and our other 2 cats each had flea collars that were still active but they were still infested so I split the one vile among the 3 of them but it was my cat that went into the convulsions in a matter of minutes.
It was horrible and thank God we were able to get her to a Vet and get them to reopen as an emergency, but took almost my whole social secutiry check the next day. They said it was going to be about $120 but next day when I got her back they charged me nearly $500 or they wouldnt release her and charge me board as well. People take advantage of our love for our pets, even some vet offices. Hindsight now I know what to do but at the time I needed help for my cat. I didnt know how important it was to bathe them in DAWN~! It has to be done every day for a while thought because the poison absorbs rapidly into their skin and is given off by their lymph glands to the surface all over to kill the fleas but is also harming them. It doesnt do it like that to all pets but even 1 is too many.
I am also 61 and since the govt is also allowing our food supplies to be tainted with all sorts of junk I couldnt find anyone to want to deal with what they are doing to our animals. My one cat recovered but it was horrid for her for a long time and another cat we had succumbed to just the dang flea collar.
Its so difficult because fleas are the main problem we face and then we trust these greedy manufacturers who get away with it because often pets die a long slow death over many doses of the drops that the owners dont even realize their pets are deteriorating from the neurotoxins that are being absorbed through their skin into their lymph system deliberately as it kills fleas.
My sons cat Fluffy, a few years later was infested so badly but he was afraid to use anything because of what my cat had gone through, so we bathed her and combed out the fleas, but it was too late, as she was too debilitated from the fleas even though she hadnt had any flea poisons in over a year~ but the effects of the poisons do stay in them, so she may have died as a lingering result as well.
She was a white fluffy cat so as she got skinnier it wasnt as noticeable for a while ~ til she got to the latter stages. I had been away for several months over the winter and it wasnt til I returned and saw how debilitated she was that we tried the nath but it was too late.
I hope that as more people become activists for animals that they may do something collectively but havent heard from any and have had this post up for years now. I do get contacted occasionally by owners in trouble needing help and tell them how to bathe their cat/dog saily in DAWN and comb them out.
There is also safe chemical free water based gel that Sally’s Beauty Supply sells that comes with a little comb and is designed for lice removal on children ~ which has no toxins ~ so that could be an alternative for some owners in manually removing the fleas ~ but then the pet would still need to be bathed with the DAWN afterwards since they lick themselves.
The benefit of the gel is it holds the lice as you comb them out and then you dip the comb in a bucket of water to release the bugs into the water~ as you clean the pet just making removal easier ~but there is no easy solution at present.
There have been other posts made by naturalists that suggest putting lemon in water in a spray bottle in that it wont harm the pet but repels the fleas.
I wrote to s few places initially but never received any replies,not to say that perhaps now if you were to write to you state representative or congressman and the FDA with a detailed complaint that maybe if enough people have also sent in complaints, one day they could do something.
When you have both cats and dogs another issue is the drops that work on dogs goes through there system a little different so its a different chemical permethins and if the dog and cats are friendly, a cat just licking a treated dog can become poisoned that easily as well.There has been cases where cats died just bedding with dogs they were friendly with as many owners get pets to get along but dont know that the meds on one can absorb to the other.Its recommended that if either or both are being treated for fleas that they be kept apart completely.
I have since met a vet that sends me meds when needed that are safe.He also sends me meds for worms for the dogs when needed but thankfully we have not had fleas in our area for the passed 2 years so our dogs didnt need treatments of any kind.
My cat stayed with my daughter now the passed 5 yrs and is doing fine still so I didnt bring her back as she never liked my son’s dogs..
We have a new Himalayan female cat, declawed&spayed that was a rescue cat some people needed to get rid of when they moved. My son was helping them and they told him it was their Grandfather’s cat but he went into a nursing home and so the cat was dumped on them and they were moving and didnt want it. They were just going to release her when moving so my son brought her home here. I wasnt looking for another cat though.
I think its mean to declaw them and worse to dump them. We have had her now for over 5 months but have not found a home for her so guess she’s the cat who came to dinner but didnt leave, lol.She’s a mans cat though and while she is friendly enough she spent so much time in previous bathrooms that she does that here too. She does venture out and runs all over and is a bit clumsy but then heads back to her room~ She uses the cat pan to pee which is good but she poops in the shower! NEVER FAILS~ Her previous owner taught her to poop in the shower as to him it was easier to scoop up and toss down the toilet. I had to get her 2 cat pans and while she pees in them no problem she still wont poop in them. Luckily she doesnt go poop or pee anywhere but the bathroom but it still annoys me as I had hoped she would start pooping in the pan by now and it hasnt enabled me to bond with her as with my previous cats. Still I wouldnt want any harm coming to her and with no front claws she can never be let outdoors. Makes me feel a bit guilty at times but her personality is just so different than my other cats were. She doesnt like to be held and wont stay sitting on my lap to watch TV, she’s always looking to go somewhere else, although she is sweet and friendly she’s the kind that just rather get a quick pet and be talked to and will talk back as well. She’s more self contained than my other cat was. My other cat I raised from 3 wks old and was used to being held and on my lap to watch TV. This cat rather look out the window. Its all ok but like I said I wasnt looking for another cat and just felt sorry for this one getting abandoned.
She’s a fatty too, only eats dry food but nibbles non stop. Tried fresh meat, cold cuts, hamburger,chicken and bought all flavors of canned cat food – she just looks at them like they are poop and walks away. Never saw a cat like her to turn down real meat or canned food.Having a cat is a commitment and for the long haul, so even though I only agreed to take care of her temporarily, now that its passing the 6 month mark, I guess she’ll be with us another 15-20yrs unless I find someone who wants a fairly clean quirky self contained declawed female…which is not too likely. She is pretty and a full blood Himalayan I heard they are valued high so perhaps a Himalayan lover will come along before we get too attached. I do think she prefers men though and that may be why she acts as she does. She seems to like when my son comes down but she doesnt seem to care too much for his dogs though she is tolerant and they are goofballs so they dont mind if she hisses at them.
Have a good week – I hope you can find some answers maybe from one of your local officials as the ones here didnt care.
There needs to be a movement on this but with the world gone wild as it is nowadays, poor cat legislation issues often get ignored.
This is pretty scary stuff! A safe bet is to use home remedies such as those proposed in this article: https://www.animalwised.com/home-remedies-for-fleas-in-cats-1890.html
But is it OK to use them without the vet’s suppervision?