Flea & Tick product dangers?

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by Bonnie & Kyndra, Aug 22, 2010.

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  1. Bonnie & Kyndra

    Bonnie & Kyndra Member

    Joined:
    Jan 17, 2010
    Hi All,

    I am writing for friend. Her cat, Luna, has had intermittent unusual signs which prompted her to go to her (our) vet. Head lolling, cough/seizure (this is how she described it. Not an all out convulsive seizure), lethargy. Not all at the same time and days apart from one another. The vet said it is probably Toxoplasmosis and put her on antibiotics. After the first round, Luna showed another sign and upon returning to the vet they put her on a longer duration of the anti-b.

    In conversation with my friend she mentioned that after putting Frontline (flea/tick product) on her the other day Luna had some rapid breathing the next morning. She got thinking and realized that the first symptoms were after she gave her the Frontline last month. So, we began to wonder... I did some searching and found out there are not only some very real dangers associated with this stuff but there was an ABC news report http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=10126260 on it, and that the EPA is on the cat as well. http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/petproductseval.html

    So, my/her question to you is: have any of you found any natural/alternative products that are SAFE and effective?

    Any interesting note about how these products work: they move into the cat's oil glands and are then released. This is a systemic drug that we are putting into our cats systems (not ON our cats as many might believe). Both my girls are strictly indoors so it is not a concern for me, but if they went out it is not something I would choose to put into their bodies :sad:

    Besides looking for an alternative for my friend I thoguth this is an important discussion to have. I did a search and could not find a thread on it.

    Thanks,
     
  2. Larry and Kitties

    Larry and Kitties Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    In actuality products like Frontline are not systemic since it stays in the oil glands and and not in the real systems of cats (and dogs). Revolution on the the other hand is systemic since it needs to be absorbed by the body not just the oil glands to work. A few individual cats, like for almost all medication, human and animal, have bad reactions to medications.

    A lot of the thrust of the EPA study was that some over the counter flea products are really bad.
     
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