Found A Flea After Spaying

[Yoiko]

Hi everyone, nice to meet you all!

Dad dumped a 4mo kitten in our house this August. Went to checkup, vet spotted flea dirt but not sure of actual fleas, given med but postpone for various reasons. Forward to this Tuesday, got her spayed. Keeping her in a room for 7-10 days. Hate the e-collar, wearing a suitical. Thursday, noticed a little bug under her chin that jumped away when held. Also flea dirt.
Idk if she had them from the beginning or just recent (she's completely indoor), but I'm on full panic mode. I've been researching and making a todolist:

• Wash/treat cat with flea med every month
• vacuum/wash home everyday (which I'm sure is impossible; huge house with carpet floor, alot of furniture and stuff, most of family is either busy or uncooperative),
• use spray/trap/whatever to treat places

....already being overwhelmed. I have so many questions, but main concern is should I start treatment right now or can I wait until at least next Tuesday? I read that the cat is the main culprit so I need to start by treating her, but not sure if her incision's healed or the med can get disrupted with the suitical.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ If the veterinarian did not do so already I would use a topical insecticide like Frontline or Advantage . They work quite well and also prevent the birth of new fleas .
Good luck ....

 

[abyeb]

The VCA website says not to bathe a cat with an incision or allow the sutures to get wet: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/care-of-surgical-incisions-in-cats

Flea meds (like Advantage or Frontline) I think should be ok, but ask your vet first, just to be sure!

 

[Yoiko]

~ If the veterinarian did not do so already I would use a topical insecticide like Frontline or Advantage . They work quite well and also prevent the birth of new fleas .
Good luck ....

We were handed 1 dose of "Vectra" in our first checkup, but kept postponing it's use. Will use that for now, and look into the other two products for the following month. Thank you!

The VCA website says not to bathe a cat with an incision or allow the sutures to get wet: https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/care-of-surgical-incisions-in-cats

Flea meds (like Advantage or Frontline) I think should be ok, but ask your vet first, just to be sure!

Ah, never thought of contacting the vets. Thank you for the advice! True, I should listen to the vets and not get wavered by everyone else (one of them was a super cat veteran, so...). They said to wait 2 weeks, but I'll ask if I can use the flea meds. Hopefully they can help figure out how to use with the recovery suit still on...

 

[abyeb]

Hopefully they can help figure out how to use with the recovery suit still on...

You should be able to put the flea meds on her even with the e-collar. Just part the fur on the back of her head, apply the fluid, and stick the fur back together.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Yeah, check with vet first about applying any flea treatment during spay recovery - although I would imagine it is OK. Not sure what you can do about applying it while she has the suitical on - unless it would have a small zipper down the back.

All topical flea treatments would normally be applied at the base of the neck, by parting the hair maybe 2-3 inches, and squeezing the contents on the skin where parted. When I used it, I would always wait 20 seconds or so to ensure most of it was absorbed into the skin, and then push the hair back together to cover the part. You might be able to do something similar right above the suitical? If it's a little higher than the base of the neck, that really shouldn't be a problem.

That is, if the vet says it's OK. If not, then there isn't much you are going to be able to do to eradicate the fleas in the meantime. No matter what you do to try to remove them from the house, they will remain until she is treated.

 

[jen]

Don't bathe the cat, just apply the topical. I had to google suitical but I don't see needing that for more then a couple days. I have spayed dozens of cats and never even used a cone collar unless they were too itchy. It is ok for them to lick the incision to to help it heal.

Pick up a flea prevention from the vet, many have a buy 6 months get one free or some deals going on so ask about that. I like Revolution personally.

For your house, I put a flea collar or two in the vacuum bag or canister and so every time I vacuum fleas are killed when they are sucked up. That flea you found could have literally come from anywhere. The eggs or larvae lay dormant in your carpet for a ridiculously long time, they can come inside on your pant leg, from another pet, through the screen.... etc...

 

[Yoiko]

Thank you for the kind advices, everyone. It's been stressful trying to handle both cat and college, so it really helps. I haven't been seeing flea dirt or fleas after the initial encounter, but when I opened the bottom of the suitical (it looks like this) to see her incisions today, I found flea dirt around it. Looks like the fleas moved to her belly/under the suitical? While I'm very concerned of infections and whatnot, hopefully this means less chance of her eating them. For now my mom got a bag of food grade DE reccomended from her friends, and I got a flea comb. Also more vacuuming.

You should be able to put the flea meds on her even with the e-collar. Just part the fur on the back of her head, apply the fluid, and stick the fur back together.

I wasn't sure if the same can be done with a suitical. But if it's being applied to the skin maybe it is possible. If not, I can try switching to e-collar while it's on.

Hi. Yeah, check with vet first about applying any flea treatment during spay recovery - although I would imagine it is OK. Not sure what you can do about applying it while she has the suitical on - unless it would have a small zipper down the back.

All topical flea treatments would normally be applied at the base of the neck, by parting the hair maybe 2-3 inches, and squeezing the contents on the skin where parted. When I used it, I would always wait 20 seconds or so to ensure most of it was absorbed into the skin, and then push the hair back together to cover the part. You might be able to do something similar right above the suitical? If it's a little higher than the base of the neck, that really shouldn't be a problem.

That is, if the vet says it's OK. If not, then there isn't much you are going to be able to do to eradicate the fleas in the meantime. No matter what you do to try to remove them from the house, they will remain until she is treated.

We contacted the vets, they gave us an OK for flea meds! Hopefully she can start tomorrow. Unfortunately the suitical can only be opened from the bottom/rear. The neck part is a bit higher than the collar area and a bit loose, so it may work. The first clinic said to apply between the shoulder blades and go up to the back of her head, so I was a bit worried.
And yeah, needing to deal with the cat first is the main source of my stress. Out of all times to happen...!!!

Don't bathe the cat, just apply the topical. I had to google suitical but I don't see needing that for more then a couple days. I have spayed dozens of cats and never even used a cone collar unless they were too itchy. It is ok for them to lick the incision to to help it heal.

Pick up a flea prevention from the vet, many have a buy 6 months get one free or some deals going on so ask about that. I like Revolution personally.

For your house, I put a flea collar or two in the vacuum bag or canister and so every time I vacuum fleas are killed when they are sucked up. That flea you found could have literally come from anywhere. The eggs or larvae lay dormant in your carpet for a ridiculously long time, they can come inside on your pant leg, from another pet, through the screen.... etc...

I heard the cat should wear them for 7-10 days, and even then my mom's cat veteran friend said it shouldn't take that long, but when we contacted the vet they said the cat must wear the e-collar/suitical for a full 2 weeks. Which sucks. But it's the vet's words... But I like the vacuum idea, will try it out asap!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Just get the flea meds on her, even above the level of the suitical. Fleas will not go away until that happens, no matter how much you vacuum.

 

[Yoiko]

Just get the flea meds on her, even above the level of the suitical. Fleas will not go away until that happens, no matter how much you vacuum.

Good news: I finally did! She did not give a fuss at all. Was worried so applied it in 2-3 places. One between the shoulders, one on the bottom back of her neck, and one on the back of her head.
Bad news: I kept the suitical on her. I pulled the cloth away from her skin and waited 20-30 seconds after applying before pushing her fur back and letting go. The cloth was loose so I was hoping it would be okay.Peeked a bit later, the tag inside the cloth (it's right above her neck/back) is soaked; looks like the suitical sucked some of the flea med up. Is holding the cloth as I type.

....praying it still works......X(

 

[Yoiko]

Sorry for double-posting, but small update: I just took off her suitical for now. Distracting her with a bird video.