When To Apply New Flea Med After 1st Had To Be Washed Off

[kathyfrank]

I have a new cat from a shelter that brought fleas into the house. I applied Vectra to her in the morning and went to work. When I came home she was acting weird. She was jumpy and very reactive. She wouldn't let me near her, and I think the application site was sore (bc of how she was acting towards me). She was also looking at the walls like she was seeing things. I called the shelter and they told me to watch her, so I did and she did seem to improve. By the next morning she was better but still a little off. I called the new vet I had set up, and they told me to wash it off of her. I told them I couldn't get near her, much less the application site, so I brought her in and they washed it off with Dawn. So the Vectra was on for a little over 24hrs. The vet told me I could put on a new med in a week. I'm afraid of another reaction, and I don't know how much of the Vectra would have gotten into her system - so I don't know how much med is actually in her (and then adding more - will that make too much med in her). I have searched online to try to figure out how much Vectra would be in a cat after 24hrs but I am finding nothing. I HAVE to get in control of the flea problem. I have another cat too, and we are all getting bitten up. It is a nightmare. I should be able to trust the vet's suggestion of waiting a week, but after the Vectra incident, I am very nervous. In addition to all of this, the vet suggested Cheristin. The vet practice is a holistic one, so they use a lot of herbs etc. They won't prescribe a med unless it is absolutely necessary. I know others say to stay away from Cheristin, but she said it is the only one that really works where I live (in florida on the gulf-flea central), and she said they have never had a problem with it. She also told me she would never suggest Vectra. I need to get the cats treated bc then I can figure out when to set up the exterminator to treat the house. Any thoughts on all of this big mess?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, can you try diatomaceous earth? I don't know the details of exactly how to use it in the house, (be aware it's dusty) and I think even on the cats but check with your vet...it's also mentioned ln this;
Homemade Flea Remedies For Cats

 

[kathyfrank]

Thanks for replying to me. I can look into it.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Food grade (NOT garden grade, make sure it's food grade) DE works, but it doesn't work as quickly as a topical medicine that poisons the fleas so be aware of this.
We've had cats react poorly to flea medications, so we no longer use them (we're not in a flea crazed area), but being in the Gulf I understand the need.
Is Vectra relatively new? If nothing else, go with one of the older tried and true applications that have been around for years.
Sometimes the newer stuff works quicker, and sometimes it's hasn't been around long enough to REALLY know the potential side effects.
Years ago, we used a product that was pulled from the market almost immediately after it was released...and almost lost a pet from it.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Also, you're going to need to treat the environment. The floors, carpets, rugs, bedding (Wash in hot water and tumble dry) and flea bomb if you have to...but get the cats and yourself and any other living things OUT of the house of course!
Flea comb the crap out of your friendliest cats and they will tell you how bad the problem is by what you pull off (in fleas, dirt, etc.)

 

[kathyfrank]

Also, you're going to need to treat the environment. The floors, carpets, rugs, bedding (Wash in hot water and tumble dry) and flea bomb if you have to...but get the cats and yourself and any other living things OUT of the house of course!
Flea comb the crap out of your friendliest cats and they will tell you how bad the problem is by what you pull off (in fleas, dirt, etc.)

Where i live the frontline and advantage don't work. The fleas have adapted to the most common meds and so they are ineffective. As a matter of fact, I got a new cat from a shelter and the shelter uses advantage - and this is the cat that brought in fleas and got us infested. So there are limited things to use - unfortunately. I don't know if Vectra is new or not. I will say that I bought it off of Amazon, and I am wondering now if I didn't get a bad product. Not all amazon purchases can be trusted. I don't know - but the reaction that both cats had was so significant that I have to wonder if I got bad product. Oh, and I had the exterminator in the other day. They put down a precor product. We stayed out of the house for 6 hours, and when we returned I smelled nothing. Now I am vacuuming and washing everything. I never knew what kind of hell a few fleas could do. I think I am getting on top of it now (knocking wood) because I am no longer getting bitten up, and the cats seem okay.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Where i live the frontline and advantage don't work. The fleas have adapted to the most common meds and so they are ineffective. As a matter of fact, I got a new cat from a shelter and the shelter uses advantage - and this is the cat that brought in fleas and got us infested. So there are limited things to use - unfortunately. I don't know if Vectra is new or not. I will say that I bought it off of Amazon, and I am wondering now if I didn't get a bad product. Not all amazon purchases can be trusted. I don't know - but the reaction that both cats had was so significant that I have to wonder if I got bad product. Oh, and I had the exterminator in the other day. They put down a precor product. We stayed out of the house for 6 hours, and when we returned I smelled nothing. Now I am vacuuming and washing everything. I never knew what kind of hell a few fleas could do. I think I am getting on top of it now (knocking wood) because I am no longer getting bitten up, and the cats seem okay.

Good call on the exterminator, and I've heard people say that Advantage and Frontline aren't working as well =(
Glad you're getting on top of things!

 

[tinydestroyer]

I would think that your vets suggestion of Cheristin is the only way to get rid of the flea problem. I've heard similar complaints about Vectra, that the side effects of extreme sensitivity are too severe. Most of the medicine is absorbed by the cat in the first 24-48 hour with topical, through the process of translocation as the Med is absorbed through the oils in the skin and spread. If you bathe the animal soon after, you greatly reduce its efficacy by removing the oils and preventing translocation. Therefore, I'd say she didn't get full protection from Vectra, though she might have had a full dose. Also, this medicine does not have the same active ingredients as Cheristin.

Cheristin is a tried and true does Med where I live, but it doesn't kill flea eggs like advantage, so it may take up to a month to be flea free. However, it kills 98-99% of all adult fleas within 24 hrs, so you should all feel some major relief soon.

Most flea medicines are tested for animals at many times their recommended dose, just in case people accidentally double up, or buy the wrong dose, or to prevent against accidental ingestion, etc. I think your cat will be ok taking the Cheristin as well after a week, but only you can decide whether you'd rather not risk it, or rather deal with the fleas until next month.

 

[jen]

I would second the Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. Sprinkle it everywhere. You can also give it to your pets and take it yourself as a suppliment. It is dusty so don't inhale it too much. But works wonderfully.

 

[kathyfrank]

I would second the Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. Sprinkle it everywhere. You can also give it to your pets and take it yourself as a suppliment. It is dusty so don't inhale it too much. But works wonderfully.

Is it safe to ingest? I read it is and then I read it isn't. So confusing!!

 

[basscat]

Precor everything (everything) every two weeks (for six weeks). Vacuum a couple times a week.
If your cats do okay on advantage or frontline, use one of those. They are effective. They don't repel fleas though, they kill them. So, you will continue to see fleas on your cat until all the fleas in the environment are gone.
Makes you think it doesn't work, but, it does.
Your cat is constantly attracting fleas every day and advantage is constantly killing yesterdays fleas.

Food grade DE is edible. As in it won't hurt you to eat a little bit of it every now and then.
The way it kills fleas is via friction. The same way beach sand in a swimsuit would eventually cause a rash. DE in the cracks and crevices of bugs/fleas will eventually wear through the exoskeleton and kill the flea.
Nothing even remotely quick about it though.