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WARNING TO CAT OWNERS REGARDING FLEA CONTROL.
This is not a question but a warning to anyone considering using cheap flea control medicine on their kittens/cats.
Yesterday I applied Sargeants (gold box) 60 pd and over flea control to my German Shepherd (with the warm weather stretching into winter - we just can't seem to get rid of them). My dog only goes out to do his business and maybe will run around the pond for a few minutes, but for being an indoor dog - he was massively attacked by fleas this last summer (Vet said something to do with climate changes & the soil/dirt). I provide a private rescue to cats/kittens - dogs/puppies. Unfortunately when the dogs were coming in and out - the created an infestation throughout my home and most of the cats and kittens also became affected by flea - it's a nightmare and so hard to get under control (even now in the winter).
I aplied the Sargeants (gold box) to my dog who is over 60 pds. I also had the Sargeants for cats under ten pounds on the counter to treat two cats I found fleas on. I don't know what I did but I grabbed the wrong flea control medicine and accidentally applied a small amount of the dog flea control to my these two cats (one girl is 5 and one is almost 7).
A couple hours past and the dog was fine and all the sudden my husband came racing into the kitchen with Mittens our 5 year old and said she was acting goofy. Suddenly, she began to twitch, foam at the mouth and began seizing. While I was caring for Mittens I remember my other girl Babe. I screamed oh my God - I gave flea control to Babe and my husband raced to find her. He brought her into the kitchen where I had Mittens and almost within minutes of having Babe in with me checking over - she began to twitch. I don't know what made me think of this but I screamed get the "DAWN" dish liquid and we need to get thei #### of them so they don't lick it, as I'm sure most of the medication had already absorbed itself into their skin and was now in their system. So we got them in the bathtub twitching and frothing and bathed them to get the remaining Sargaents flea guard off their hair.
the muscle spasms and the seizure occurred for hours (once an hour).
I had access to a computer to seek information to help them so I called my mother who said the cats were doomed. We sat there with both cats wrapped in blankets (me being ready to perform CPR or whatever I could do to keep them alive). Finally after over 6 hours our cat Mittens seemed to snap out of it. She was very weak at first but was able to be put down on the floor and she did eat and I used a syringe to give her water. Babe was a little harder to get to come around, but eventually did - she could walk but was real mechanical - almost like a robot trying to walk. She couldn't sit and she couldn't lay down and then get back up. I got her to eat and drink water too by 4am this morning.
The neuro symptoms remain - Mittens is was using her litter box, eating and drinking but walking in circles. Babe was still shaky this morning at 6am and although she was walking easier without the robot type gait - she was still shaking a bit, and was having a hard time getting up from a lying position.
I have had these girls since they were babies and before my rescue began - we're original family pets. We love our cats and willl and would do anything to save any of them or our rescues (since we are private - my vet account is amazing, as well as medication and food bills).
I made a horrible mistake when reaching up for the flea control meds and used a small amount of the dog flea control on the girls. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE mistake - I still could go home today and find that we lost them after everything we did for them and how they came around by 6:30am when we left for work. We contained them where they couldn't try to jump and offered them water and canned shredded food (so they wouldn't choke possibly on hard food). The anticipation and fear of what I might find when I get home has me in a complete panic.
So let this be a warning to all pet owners. Follow your Vets advice on what kind of flea control to use - if the Vet is closed - don't take it upon yourself to go out and buy this cheap poison (Hartz and Sargeants). As I've researched all morning - these two brands have actually killed cats (when the owner used the cat flea control), same thing for flea collars - they are toxic, especially if the cats gets the crap from the collar or the tube on the nape of their neck in their mouths.
I think my cats were lucky that I only used a small amount on them - I don't even know why I didn't use the full tube (God was watching over me)? I truly have no idea. Being a nurse I know better not to just reach for things and not look at the container .. I was so busy with all the animals I was just moving right along - so take it from me .. Do not use cheap stuff on things you love - use the medications your Vet wants you to use that are safer. My cats could be dead as a result of my serious mistake. I pray when I get home tonight - they are alive and well. I hear the neuro issues could last forever if they do survive and these two cats were happy healthy - playful cats that did not deserve this.
My Vet recommends Vectra which I've never had a problem with and I only wish I wouldn't have been impatient and sent my husband out for the cheap stuff - for my dog or the cats. I've read Hartz and Sargaents are not safe. I read of horror stories of cat deaths due to these products. I accept my negleect in not reading the labels like I should have but ...... To spare another pet owner the agony we went through last night and the suffering I put the cats through. READ THE LABELS & ALWAYS ALWAYS follow your Vet recommendations. My impatience to get the fleas out of my house almost killed my pets.
Thanks for your time and for reading this - I hope it saves someone else from experiencing what we did and remember my negligance over not reading labels and being in a hurry. I save animals .. To kill them would kill me. What I did to the cats is typically lethal from my research. I hope this saves some in a hurry unsuspecting pet owner - who would have ever known we are actually placing poison into the napes of our animals necks to avoid fleas. I don't know if I'll ever with my heavy heart and conscience be able to apply flea control <- whatever kind to any of my animals.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Yesterday I applied Sargeants (gold box) 60 pd and over flea control to my German Shepherd (with the warm weather stretching into winter - we just can't seem to get rid of them). My dog only goes out to do his business and maybe will run around the pond for a few minutes, but for being an indoor dog - he was massively attacked by fleas this last summer (Vet said something to do with climate changes & the soil/dirt). I provide a private rescue to cats/kittens - dogs/puppies. Unfortunately when the dogs were coming in and out - the created an infestation throughout my home and most of the cats and kittens also became affected by flea - it's a nightmare and so hard to get under control (even now in the winter).
I aplied the Sargeants (gold box) to my dog who is over 60 pds. I also had the Sargeants for cats under ten pounds on the counter to treat two cats I found fleas on. I don't know what I did but I grabbed the wrong flea control medicine and accidentally applied a small amount of the dog flea control to my these two cats (one girl is 5 and one is almost 7).
A couple hours past and the dog was fine and all the sudden my husband came racing into the kitchen with Mittens our 5 year old and said she was acting goofy. Suddenly, she began to twitch, foam at the mouth and began seizing. While I was caring for Mittens I remember my other girl Babe. I screamed oh my God - I gave flea control to Babe and my husband raced to find her. He brought her into the kitchen where I had Mittens and almost within minutes of having Babe in with me checking over - she began to twitch. I don't know what made me think of this but I screamed get the "DAWN" dish liquid and we need to get thei #### of them so they don't lick it, as I'm sure most of the medication had already absorbed itself into their skin and was now in their system. So we got them in the bathtub twitching and frothing and bathed them to get the remaining Sargaents flea guard off their hair.
the muscle spasms and the seizure occurred for hours (once an hour).
I had access to a computer to seek information to help them so I called my mother who said the cats were doomed. We sat there with both cats wrapped in blankets (me being ready to perform CPR or whatever I could do to keep them alive). Finally after over 6 hours our cat Mittens seemed to snap out of it. She was very weak at first but was able to be put down on the floor and she did eat and I used a syringe to give her water. Babe was a little harder to get to come around, but eventually did - she could walk but was real mechanical - almost like a robot trying to walk. She couldn't sit and she couldn't lay down and then get back up. I got her to eat and drink water too by 4am this morning.
The neuro symptoms remain - Mittens is was using her litter box, eating and drinking but walking in circles. Babe was still shaky this morning at 6am and although she was walking easier without the robot type gait - she was still shaking a bit, and was having a hard time getting up from a lying position.
I have had these girls since they were babies and before my rescue began - we're original family pets. We love our cats and willl and would do anything to save any of them or our rescues (since we are private - my vet account is amazing, as well as medication and food bills).
I made a horrible mistake when reaching up for the flea control meds and used a small amount of the dog flea control on the girls. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE mistake - I still could go home today and find that we lost them after everything we did for them and how they came around by 6:30am when we left for work. We contained them where they couldn't try to jump and offered them water and canned shredded food (so they wouldn't choke possibly on hard food). The anticipation and fear of what I might find when I get home has me in a complete panic.
So let this be a warning to all pet owners. Follow your Vets advice on what kind of flea control to use - if the Vet is closed - don't take it upon yourself to go out and buy this cheap poison (Hartz and Sargeants). As I've researched all morning - these two brands have actually killed cats (when the owner used the cat flea control), same thing for flea collars - they are toxic, especially if the cats gets the crap from the collar or the tube on the nape of their neck in their mouths.
I think my cats were lucky that I only used a small amount on them - I don't even know why I didn't use the full tube (God was watching over me)? I truly have no idea. Being a nurse I know better not to just reach for things and not look at the container .. I was so busy with all the animals I was just moving right along - so take it from me .. Do not use cheap stuff on things you love - use the medications your Vet wants you to use that are safer. My cats could be dead as a result of my serious mistake. I pray when I get home tonight - they are alive and well. I hear the neuro issues could last forever if they do survive and these two cats were happy healthy - playful cats that did not deserve this.
My Vet recommends Vectra which I've never had a problem with and I only wish I wouldn't have been impatient and sent my husband out for the cheap stuff - for my dog or the cats. I've read Hartz and Sargaents are not safe. I read of horror stories of cat deaths due to these products. I accept my negleect in not reading the labels like I should have but ...... To spare another pet owner the agony we went through last night and the suffering I put the cats through. READ THE LABELS & ALWAYS ALWAYS follow your Vet recommendations. My impatience to get the fleas out of my house almost killed my pets.
Thanks for your time and for reading this - I hope it saves someone else from experiencing what we did and remember my negligance over not reading labels and being in a hurry. I save animals .. To kill them would kill me. What I did to the cats is typically lethal from my research. I hope this saves some in a hurry unsuspecting pet owner - who would have ever known we are actually placing poison into the napes of our animals necks to avoid fleas. I don't know if I'll ever with my heavy heart and conscience be able to apply flea control <- whatever kind to any of my animals.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
OMG! Im so very sorry that happened to the kitties,,I have 5 kitties and almost used that OTC stuff once too,,but got the stuff from the vet instead. Thanks for the heads up! I hope the kitties feel better and you get some rest,,sounds like you have been a busy mama. Best wishes~Bkitty
That's so sad. It seems that those worst products should be taken off of the market and banned.
ohhhh jennifer I am so sorry how awful I did try one once on my Tweety before I read what opus put up here about it, Tweety wasn't well but she was okay .Is there any way to put in a major complaint about these products ?
hi Jennifer and welcome, although not a happy reason to find our site...
thank you so much for posting this warning, all pet owners need to be aware of the dangers. I have posted a site listing these products before along with all the toxic ingredients, I will post it again at the bottom.
thank goodness you were at home and could act quickly and I hope save these darling kitties...I would call the Vet clinic and ask if there is something you can use as an antidote.
b/c like you say this junk is still in their systems.......I am praying they will be okay ((>^.^<))
http://www.simplesteps.org/greenpaws-products#/h/+/+/621
thank you so much for posting this warning, all pet owners need to be aware of the dangers. I have posted a site listing these products before along with all the toxic ingredients, I will post it again at the bottom.
thank goodness you were at home and could act quickly and I hope save these darling kitties...I would call the Vet clinic and ask if there is something you can use as an antidote.
b/c like you say this junk is still in their systems.......I am praying they will be okay ((>^.^<))
http://www.simplesteps.org/greenpaws-products#/h/+/+/621
PS. Sorry for my typos* - I'm a complete nervous wreck over my cats and what I'm going to go home and find. Thanks again for reading my post.
Jennifer
Jennifer
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