by Sabine
(Bath)

Hello,

I treated my two 14 weeks old kittens with Frontline Spot On two weeks ago because they had many fleas.

Frontline got rid of them (I thought), but after 10 days the fleas were back.

I also treated the whole house, sprayed every corner and cleaned every day.

Is it likely that the next treatment with Frontline after 4 weeks will get rid of the remaining fleas?

Is it advisable to use flea collars? What would happen if the collar accidentally came off and the kittens chewed it? Or are flea collars useless anyway?

I would be very grateful for a reply.

Many thanks,

Kind regards,
Sabine





Hi, Sabine,

Flea collars are useless and toxic. If they work at all, they merely kill the fleas that happen to come close to the collar around the neck. To get rid of fleas, you have to kill all of them on your cat and even then, there are eggs throughout your home that can remain dormant and hatch up to two years later.

In addition, you are absolutely correct about the possibility of toxicity from flea collars. You don't want your kittens to live with a collar soaked in toxins around their neck anymore than you would wear one yourself. There are herbal ones, but again, the effectiveness of any flea collar, especially the herbal ones, is not great. Also, people often think because something is called herbal, that means it's safe. That is SO not true. There are many "natural" "herbal" substances in nature that are quite toxic to cats.

Your kittens probably need a combination of flea baths with a SAFE flea shampoo for kittens and monthly treatment with Frontline. Also, if you don't have one, buy a flea comb, one with metal teeth, not plastic. Comb them daily, preferably more than once daily, and kill the fleas you find.

The flea has a life cycle that leads to new ones hatching even if you have killed the live ones and that is what happened with the kittens. Flea products that kill the eggs and larvae as well as the adult fleas need to be used. HOWEVER, products used around the house can also be very toxic to kittens. Be very careful to keep them out of the house for a prolonged period if you have an exterminator treating your home and check the ingredients being used with your veterinarian.

The absolutely safest method is baths combined with a flea comb and monthly Frontline. It may take a month or more to get rid of every last flea, but the problem will go away. Using safe and effective methods will ensure your kittens do not get sick or even die.

Thanks for writing!
Dr. Neely