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What can I do about itchy kitties?
Dear Dr. Baum --
Can small kittens (under 8 weeks) be bathed to rid of fleas? We have
an infestation
and our kittens are miserable and too young to use flea products on.
We bombed the affected part of the house but cats (2) are still
crawling with the black fleas. Is there a proper way to bathe cats?
Do the same principals apply as to dogs? Thanks! Center Sinai has
been our vet for our dog - the kittens are new arrivals.
Kathleen
Dear Kathleen --
Never hesitate to use a flea shampoo on young kittens. Any toxic
potential of the shampoo is negated because there is only a brief
contact between the shampoo and the kitten. When the shampoo is
rinsed off, the insecticide is also removed. Thus, a flea shampoo
has no residual effect for keeping fleas off. Avoid flea dips,
sprays or powders as prolonged contact with these products can
result in enough absorption to overwhelm a very young kitten's
ability to effectively remove it. I have used Advantage on kittens
over four weeks when there are large infestations. Failure to
control large flea infestations can result in enough blood loss in
small kittens to necessitate therapeutic blood transfusions. I feel
comfortable in using Advantage in kittens this young because this
product is not absorbed in the body and thus does not need an exit strategy.
Dr. Baum
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