Do Newborn Kittens Have Fleas

Blood sucking parasites can be fatal to kittens as they can cause anemia or a low red blood cell count or carry lyme disease.

Do newborn kittens have fleas. Most over the counter flea products will kill the kittens even if you put them on mom advantage is safe. Newborn kittens with fleas or ticks should be treated immediately. Take a dry hand towel and spray the ovitrol or other flea tick spray and cover the towel. Again newborn kittens need manual flea removal.

Most of the fleas will die and those that won t will be stunned enough so that they re easy to pick off. Do not use flea medications including topical spot on products flea collars dips or shampoos on young kittens unless you have been told to do so by your veterinarian. This application kills the adult fleas but not their offspring. Other flea medications safe for kittens list 8 weeks of age as a minimum.

Keep a very close eye for fleas on kittens as a heavy infestation can kill. Check the kitten for fleas by combing through the fur with your fingers or with a flea comb. Then rub the towel over the baby kitten being sure not to get it in its eyes ears or mouth. Every foster parent should have a flea comb.

Most flea control products are not safe to use on kittens under 6 8 weeks old. If you have a kitten under 8 weeks old that has fleas it s a better idea to use a flea comb to remove the fleas. Fleas will literally suck the life out of kittens so it s very important that you get rid of the fleas. The only way you re going to do this without harming them is to flea treat the mom cat with something that is safe to use on nursing cats get advantage from your vet.

It hasn t let me down yet. If in any doubt. You may see active live fleas which will appear as fast moving small dark brown bugs that quickly dart through the fur seeking refuge in the cat s face belly and armpits. Kittens under two pounds are usually not given flea prevention as it can be too hard on their system.

Apply a new layer with a towel every couple of days. While you re drying them pick the fleas off with tweezers and wash them down the sink. As for getting the fleas off of the kittens bathe them in warm water and dawn dish detergent. Also clean the.

This will allow you to physically remove the adult fleas without exposing your young kitten to potentially toxic ingredients in products. Bathing a kitten that is younger than 8 weeks old is generally not recommended as they have difficulty controlling their body temperatures at such a young age. For very young kittens under 8 weeks the safest option is using a flea comb on them once or twice a day. However most professional flea and tick products contain toxic ingredients that can be fatal to kittens.

But they very often still come in with fleas especially if they are strays or were found outside.