Help!! my mom put Hartz ultraguard topical flea treatment on cat!!!!

moreknow

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So this morning i saw that my semi feral cat had wet fur on his left side and I was wondering why he had kept licking it, turns out my mom put this flea treatment on him and i saw the reviews on amazon saying that it's toxic and that cats almost die from it and etc etc and I got sick to my stomach. Now since i cant take the cat to the vet, I am really scared for him, what do i do?????? He seems to have a change in behavior and i feel like it could worsen im so scared
 

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Hi. Can you call your vet and tell them what has happened and see if they have some recommendations on how you might be able to help offset the toxins yourself, since he is semi-feral? Any chance to catch him to take to the vet if that is what they suggest to do?
 

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I tried to do a little research of my own on this, but it's pretty hard to find anything more neutral than "reactions are rare and almost never more severe than skin irritation" and "this is toxic and killed my cat". So there are a lot of extreme perspectives out there. Remember that people are more likely to leave a negative review than a positive one. While I don't doubt that cats have experienced adverse reactions from this, some of them severe, I think it is less common than reviews would have you believe (I tried to find some data on incidence of adverse reactions but I wasn't able to). I only say this to reassure you that your cat is not guaranteed to have a reaction and may in fact be perfectly fine.

That said, it's definitely not impossible, and Hartz has in fact caused serious reactions in cats. It's also not great that he's able to lick the spot. I agree that at least calling a vet for advice would be a good idea, as well as keeping an eye on him as well as you can. It's very likely that he won't have an adverse reaction, but it could happen.

Here's some signs of toxicity that I found that you should watch out for:
  • Excessive salivation/drooling
  • Tremors
  • Agitation or restlessness
  • Vomiting
  • Loss of coordination
  • Difficulty jumping, standing or walking
  • Shaking, twitching, muscle tremors (often mistaken for seizures)
  • Difficulty breathing
Again, not saying that he is guaranteed to experience this, just that if he does have a reaction those would be some common signs.
 
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moreknow

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Have you had a chance to call your vet?
Yes, they told me to call an animal hospital and so i called them and asked for recommendations and they told me to take him to the vet then just abruptly hanged up after i said thanks
 
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moreknow

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I just want to add that he’s a large long haired male cat
 

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Its bad that they still sell this stuff. How can it continue to be on the market when there has been so many bad cases to death from this product???
I think when Angel first came to me, I had used it once, not knowing any better. Thank god he was ok. I told the vet about it, when asked what I used on him & when she told me they saved/ treated 2 cats that day because of that stuff, I chunked it in the trash right then & there!
They should stop selling it. Maybe people who have had it affect their cat badly, or worse should start a petition to get it baned!
I hope your semi ferral boy will be ok.
 

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By the way, where did your mom apply it? It's usually applied at the back of the neck. You said he's licking his side, is it possible he's irritated by something else?
 
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moreknow

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By the way, where did your mom apply it? It's usually applied at the back of the neck. You said he's licking his side, is it possible he's irritated by something else?
she put it on his left side by his stomach. im pretty sure he licked it since this morning
 

angels mommy

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😬 Yeah, thats not good. The whole purpose of putting it on the back of the neck is so they can't lick it. Getting a good amount of it injested , no matter what brand isn't good, but especially that one.
 
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It's been around 12 hours and he seems to be okay, purring and normal behavior. No hair has fallen off from where she applied it (he does have hair fall off but that's only when we pet him frequently or use the flea comb on him since he is surprisingly furry despite the Houston heat) My brother told me that he was sleeping while i was at work. Only noticeable thing i see is that he's licking his lips occasionally. I will be on the lookout for tremors, lethargy and any other symptoms. He will sleep in my room tonight. I truly truly appreciate the feedback guys
 

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You're welcome. Im glad he seems to be doing ok. Licking the lips a lot is usually a sign of nausea. Im not sure if theres something you can safely give him for that, or if you'll just have to wait it out. Someone with more experience with that will have to chime in on that one.
As far as his hair, sounds like just normal shedding since he's a long hair, and probably doesn't get regular brushing, as often as a long haired would need. Almost daily.
 
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yeah and another noticable thing right now is that he's moving his tail around softly
 

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Well that sounds pretty normal for a cat. Has he spent the night inside with you before? It might just be some residual energy. As long as he doesn't seem irritated or annoyed, it sounds like he's ok. Just make sure he has some water to drink. Especially if he's feeling a little nauseous.
 
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Well that sounds pretty normal for a cat. Has he spent the night inside with you before? It might just be some residual energy. As long as he doesn't seem irritated or annoyed, it sounds like he's ok. Just make sure he has some water to drink. Especially if he's feeling a little nauseous.
I apologize for a late reply as i been at my job constantly :( but he spent the night and after a week he appears to show no signs of sickness, and since last Tuesday he's been behaving normally, except now, he's in "heat" i believe and he's outside looking for a mate
Nonetheless, thank you guys so much for the feedback :D
 
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