Fleas

[Ak423]

I have two kittens that are 10 months and 11 months old. I purchased hartz flea collars for kittens that's supposed to kill fleas, ticks, and prevent eggs from hatching. I put then on them and noticed the fleas got worse within the first week. I figured it was one of those things that got worse before it got better. Like the fleas started going crazy, mating more and feeding more, because they were dying. I left the collars on them for a little over a month but the fleas kept getting worse. A week ago, I noticed one of my kittens was red around the neck where the collar sits and her fur started coming out a little so I took the collars off both of them and cleaned their necks. They haven't been wearing the collars for a week so the fleas are still getting worse. Tomorrow is payday and I was wondering if it would be safe to use a topical flea treatment, such as frontline, only a week after using the collars. Should I fully bathe them first and let them dry off before applying it or should I wait a little longer than a week? I don't know if it's safe. Another thing, are they still considered kittens? I need to know so I can purchase the appropriate flea medicine for them.

 

[Norachan]

Hartz flea products are often linked to severe allergic reactions and even deaths in cats and dogs. I suggest you throw these collars away and ask your vet for some advice.

If you Google Harts products kill/harm pets you'll see lots of terrible stories.

 

[darg]

Agreed. You may want to discuss the spot on treatments with your vet. But if you go it alone, stay away from unknown brands. Stick with something like Advantage, Frontline or one of the other topicals that are often recommended by vets. You can see the most popular ones on any of the online retail pet supply sites and they all have reviews.

 

[Rhall]

Way back when I had a flea problem Advantage took care of the problem. It was really amazing how quickly it worked.

 

[basscat]

Advantage is what I use. Well, I now use Advecta (same stuff, considerably cheaper).
Yes BATHE them! Bathe them in Dawn or any mild, liquid dish soap. Repeat the following day.
They will basically have no fleas on them after a couple of baths. Then, if you start seeing them again. It means they are getting new fleas from somewhere.
Then it's time to find out where and work on that.