I Put My Dog’s Flea/Tick Medicine on My Cat
Putting Dog flea and tick medication on your cat is an emergency.
Cats are not simply little dogs and that means you cannot safely give a cat what a dog can take for fleas and ticks. Cats metabolize drugs differently than dogs and giving your cat your dog’s flea medication can be fatal. Drugs from the pyrethrin and pyrethroid family.
Common chemical names for pyrethroids include the following – note, they typically end with a “thrin.”
- Allethrin
- Deltamethrin
- Cypermethrin
- Permethrin
- Cyphenothrin
If your flea medication is not specifically designed for a cat then it should not be given to your cat. Even if the type of medication can be safely used in a cat, the dosage designed for a canine is most likely very different. Seizures and death can be caused if a cat receives flea medications that are not safe for them.
The wrong insecticide can be lethal for a cat. Not only are the flea and tick insecticides used in preventatives for dogs potent, they’re so potent your dog and cat should be kept separated after correct application. Cats should never, ever come in contact with dogs’ flea medications.
Bathe Your Cat Right Away
Most cat emergencies start with general advice: Get your cat to an emergency veterinarian or an animal poison control center as soon as possible. Accidentally applying dog flea and tick medication to a cat is not one of them! In fact, the outcome of few other situations is as dependent upon immediate action as this one. The first thing to do when you realize you have applied the wrong topical flea medication to your cat is to wash the cat immediately with liquid soap and water. What’s most important is thoroughness, a dense lather, and a complete and total rinse with clean water.
If you can’t bathe your cat, seek immediate veterinary attention so they can bathe your cat to remove the topical spot-on medication.
Get to the Vet
After your cat has been rinsed, seek veterinary help immediately. Begin to examine for signs of toxicity.
Signs of exposure:
- Cat acting nervous
- Twitching
- Shaking/tremors
- Walking “drunk”
- Seizures
- Drooling
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- In-coordination
Prevention
When in doubt, never apply a medical product to your cat without carefully reading the product label. If you are not sure, check with your veterinarian first. Also, make sure you know the accurate weight of your pet before you apply any medication; pet owners often erroneously “guess” their pet’s weight, resulting in under-dosing or more commonly, overdosing with medications.
When in doubt, talk to your vet about the safest type of flea medications to use on your cats.