Cat Flea Bites
Pet owners are accustomed to the frequent grooming of their cat and may not notice the problem until there is a visible loss of fur or they notice bumps on the animal’s skin. Cat flea bites can be horrible — once bitten by fleas, they itch so much!
On white or light-colored felines the fleas can easily be seen scurrying around.
On dark fur, you may need a fine-toothed flea comb to see the tiny black dots commonly referred to as flea dirt. This is actually flea excrement – a clear indication your animal has a flea problem.
Unchecked flea infestations can cause feline anemia which can be fatal in kittens. If your cat has been heavily infested with fleas, pale gums can be a signal of anemia caused by loss of blood. A more serious type of feline anemia is caused by a microorganism transmitted by fleas.
This severe form of anemia may require antibiotics and steroids. In the most serious cases, blood transfusions may be recommended by your veterinarian.
Tapeworm is a common consequence of fleas on cats. Kittens are prone to worms and are often dewormed routinely. Older cats may exhibit dull coat, weight loss and appear lethargic when tapeworms are present.
For the owner, the appearance of small white specks around the anus is a clear symptom of tapeworm. Your veterinarian can provide a small pill that will effectively kill tapeworms. Controlling fleas on your pet will prevent tapeworms in the future.
Fleas will make your cat itchy and uncomfortable and can lead to further skin problems and infections. Topical flea treatments such as Advantage, Frontline and Revolution can totally eliminate the flea problem for cat owners.
Advantage was the first widely used veterinarian recommended topical flea treatment. It is generally regarded as safe for adult cats and for kittens over 6 weeks old. Advantage is an effective and cost-effective flea control medication.
Frontline for Cats kills fleas on your pet in twelve hours and also protects from ticks and lice. The spray version of Frontline may be less expensive for those who have a multiple cat household but the topical drops are more popular as they are easier to apply.
The introduction of Revolution provided a medication that would control fleas but also some ticks and ear mites and provide protection against heartworm. Revolution is a systemic product that remains in the cat’s bloodstream and some animals will have an allergic reaction to it.
This flea prevention medication is available only through a veterinarian and provides complete parasite control as it also prevents hookworm and roundworm.
Although both Advantage and Frontline products are offered by pet stores both offline and online, it is recommended that you purchase directly from a veterinarian. It is important to buy products that are well within the expiration dates and avoid cheap imitations that are packaged to look like the original product but are ineffective and could harm your cat.
Not only veterinarians can help you with this problem. The need for pest control’s flea removal services should be done immediately for the safety of your home, and your pet.
