I haven’t defleaed my adult female cat for eight
months because she reacted the last time by
excessive scratching that went on for several
days. I am concerned she may be allergic to the
flea med. She is an indoor cat and I haven’t
seen fleas around. Should I take her for a check
up and see what the vet recommends?

Carol
Eureka CA

I spend a lot of time on this blog harping about the importance of flea prevention. Fleas carry a number of animal and human diseases (such as tapeworms and bubonic plague, respectively). In pets, fleas contribute to skin rashes, ear infections and itching anywhere on the body. They have been implicated in syndromes, such as feline asthma, that are caused by an overactive immune system.

I often see pets with skin problems and recommend flea control as the first step. I can’t count the number of times that recommendation has been met with the following comment: “But my pet doesn’t have fleas!”

In these cases I recommend flea control nonetheless, because even an occasional flea bite can trigger skin or ear problems in a sensitive individual.

But the situation is different in your case, Carol. First, you don’t mention that your cat is experiencing any skin, ear, or other problems. And you have reason to believe that she has reacted adversely to a flea preventative in the past. Such reactions are rare, but they do occur.

In your cat’s case, I don’t think flea prevention is mandatory.

However, if your cat develops any of the problems I have listed above, or if you see any fleas or their feces, it will be time for a trip to the vet to discuss alternative flea control products.

• What’s the Best Flea Preventative?
• Another good reason to use an appropriate flea preventative
• Why are all of the dogs in America suddenly itching?
• Golden Retriever Adopts Tiger Cubs
• Why Does my Cat Move Toys to the Food Bowl?

What is a better flea medication to use on cats?
I gave my cat Tabby her flea
medication in March and I used Frontline Plus for
Cats. Just for the heck of it I went into
Google and found some very disturbing blogs that say
permethrin is an ingredient in some other flea
medications and it’s poisonous to cats. There was
also one blog which said that a person’s pet cat
died after using Frontline Plus flea medication.
So, my question to you would be
Doctor, what should we look out for when we buy
Flea medications and shampoos on our own. Thank
you in advance for your insight.

Roopa
Manchester, CT

I find that if you google anything, you can find something disturbing, usually on the first page of results. I discussed this phenomenon recently in an article on NSAIDs. No flea medicine is perfect. Animals (and people) can have adverse reactions to any medicine, treatment, food or natural remedy. However, in the world of flea treatments, some are definitely better than others.

The two most tried-and-true flea preventatives are Frontline (or Frontline Plus) and Advantage. They have been on the market the longest, and millions of doses have been applied. Have animals had adverse reactions to these products? Definitely. In my practice, I have witnessed rare, mild adverse reactions to both, and I have heard tales of more serious reactions. But the reactions are rare.

Compare that with adverse reactions to fleas. I see those daily, and they are often severe.

Other reputable flea preventatives include Revolution and Capstar. Program is effective at preventing flea infestations in the house, although it won’t prevent fleas from biting your pet. ProMeris is a new product that looks promising, but I do not have much experience with it.

Adverse reactions can occur with any product. However, the ones I have listed above are the ones that I consider safest.

The flea preventatives that, in my experience, tend to cause the most problems are generally cheap, knock-off products. I have seen them in grocery stores and some pet stores. The packaging often is similar to higher quality treatments. I recommend that you avoid these products and try to stick to the ones listed above, or one recommended by your veterinarian.

Permethrin is an ingredient in some canine products. Although it is usually safe for dogs, it is toxic to cats. If a permethrin-containing canine product is accidentally applied to a cat, the cat is very likely to suffer adverse effects. Unfortunately, some permethrin-containing products are not labelled very clearly.

Your best bet is to get your flea preventative from a veterinarian or other reputable source. Insist on a high-quality, name brand product. In general, they are safer and more effective.

• Do Indoor Cats Need Regular Flea Preventatives?
• Another good reason to use an appropriate flea preventative
• Why are all of the dogs in America suddenly itching?
• Golden Retriever Adopts Tiger Cubs
• Why Does my Cat Move Toys to the Food Bowl?

An article about bubonic plague appeared on several sites recently.

Plague a growing but overlooked threat: study

By Michael Kahn
Tue Jan 15, 10:45 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Plague, the disease that devastated medieval Europe, is re-emerging worldwide and poses a growing but overlooked threat, researchers warned on Tuesday.

While it has only killed some 100 to 200 people annually over the past 20 years, plague has appeared in new countries in recent decades and is now shifting into Africa, Michael Begon, an ecologist at the University of Liverpool and colleagues said.

A bacterium known as Yersinia pestis causes bubonic plague, known in medieval times as the Black Death when it was spread by infected fleas, and the more dangerous pneumonic plague, spread from one person to another through coughing or sneezing.

“Although the number of human cases of plague is relatively low, it would be a mistake to overlook its threat to humanity, because of the disease’s inherent communicability, rapid spread, rapid clinical course, and high mortality if left untreated,” they wrote in the journal Public Library of Science journal PloS Medicine. (Emphasis added)

The article goes on to say that each year, 1,000 - 3,000 people are infected with plague worldwide. The US has 10 - 20 cases per year.

I admit that the numbers are not of pandemic proportions. And, thanks to antibiotics and improved sanitation, mass death on the scale that occurred in medieval times is not likely. But the article makes an important point: bubonic plague is spread by fleas.

The fleas that spread plague most often infest rats, but they can spread to other animals. In fact, cats are susceptible to plague, and are known to contract the disease periodically in California.

Plague is just one of many human and animal diseases that fleas spread. And it is just one of many reasons why I hate fleas. So, I beg of you: use a good flea preventative.

• Do Indoor Cats Need Regular Flea Preventatives?
• What’s the Best Flea Preventative?
• Why are all of the dogs in America suddenly itching?
• Golden Retriever Adopts Tiger Cubs
• Why Does my Cat Move Toys to the Food Bowl?

It is springtime in North America, and the pets are getting itchy! Over the last weeks, my inbox has been inundated with questions such as this one:

I have a 12-year-old Chihuahua that is constantly
scratching. I have tried giving her a bath about
every 2 - 3 weeks, but that hasn’t helped. What
else can I do to help her stop scratching? She
doesn’t have fleas and I haven’t seen anything
else on her. Sometimes she scratches till she is
almost bleeding. Could this simply be dry skin?
Please help. She is miserable.

Thanks,
DJ
Texas

When pets get itchy, allergies are the culprit nine times out of ten. And so, to those of you who have been writing in wondering why your pet is suddenly scratching or licking incessantly, my answer is that he or she probably suffers from allergies.

In a recent post, I touched upon some of the treatments for allergies. But, since so many pets are suffering from itching these days, let’s talk about allergies a little more.

There are three basic things that cause allergies in cats and dogs. Fleas are the number one culprit. Environmental allergens, such as pollen, mold spores, detergents, and dander are also common causes of itching in pets. Finally, proteins in foods can cause allergic reactions.

It is possible to run blood tests or skin tests that help to determine what, precisely, your pet is allergic to. They are pricey, but often worthwhile.

However, consider this. When I run blood allergy tests on my patients, I receive results reported in units that indicate the strength of the pet’s allergy to each offending item. The higher the number, the worse the allergy. A typical panel of results might look like this:

Ragweed pollen 373
Dust mites 254
Beef protein 339
Flea saliva 29,456

Every pet I have ever met who has allergies is allergic to fleas. And they are usually more allergic to fleas than to everything else combined. And, fleas are more active in the springtime.

So, what should you do if your pet is itching and you don’t want to run a bunch of tests? Go with the odds, and accept that fleas are probably the cuplrit. Apply a high quality flea preventative.

It does not matter if your pet does not “have fleas”. If your pet is allergic to fleas, then a single bite is all it takes to trigger itching and scratching. Consider this. I currently have three very itchy mosquito bites on my left arm. I do not “have” mosquitoes. But I know perfectly well that they are causing me to itch.

Unless you live in an area where there absolutely are no fleas, then the first thing to consider for an itchy pet is a flea preventative.

For the record, I am aware of only two places on Earth that are completely flea free: Denver, Colorado, and Mt. Everest base camp, Nepal. And, with global climate change occurring, there’s a good chance that fleas now exist in these places, too.

After applying a high-quality flea preventative, it may take several weeks or even months for the itching to go away. If it does not, or if your pet is really miserable, then go to the vet to look into some of the allergy tests and treatments that I mentioned in my previous entry.

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