What caused my cat's death after flea infestation and natural oils?

First off, I'm so sorry that you lost Arlo recently! Please accept my condolences for your loss. He was an older cat, and there are many things that could have caused him to lose weight such as kidney failure, liver disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, heart disease, or cancer. I think that you did not kill him with the collar. He had been losing weight for months already, and I do think whatever was causing that weight loss was the likely cause of him needing to be put to sleep. I hope this helps, and again, I'm sorry for your loss.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I’m so sorry to hear about Misty! If you want an answer you need to have her neceopsied (autopsy for animals). Fleas can kill a pet if there are so many they suck all the blood out of the pet. Typically we don’t see this in adult pets but it can happen. Because Misty died suddenly I would be more suspicious of underlying heart disease. Cats can have undiagnosed heart problems which can arise suddenly. If not, I would be concerned of a toxin. Again, it’s hard to say for sure but at least you know she didn’t suffer. My thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry to hear this happened. It is too hard for me to say if anything you did caused his death. You will not know for sure unless you have your vet do a necropsy (autopsy) on him. Severe flea infestation can cause a life threatening anemia so it could be from the fleas. I don't know what brand of the "tube" you put on the back of his neck but you have to be careful with those - Hartz and Seargants are not recommended as they are not regulated by any organization and it is easy to overdose them. In the future, you need to get flea prevention from your vet and you should apply it every month like clockwork, no matter what (even if it is winter). A 5 pound dog can easily get anemic from having a lot of fleas.

Hi there. There are many things that we cannot know without a full exam here. First I am very sorry to hear of the loss of your kitten. Secondly, yes-flea and tick medications can have adverse reactions in some of our patients, albeit somewhat rarely. If you have used a dog medication on your kitten or one too large, they can definitely cause seizures and death. Your kitten could also have had some underlying issues like congenital heart disease or congenital kidney disease that could have caused sudden, unexplained death. Sorry for the loss of your friend. I hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I definitely understand how you feel and I am so sorry for your loss. It is very unlikely that this happened from applying too much flea medicine. This is more likely due to the other symptoms you mentioned including the diarrhea, difficulty urinating and fatigue. This could have been due to a disease that had not been identified. Again I am so sorry for your loss and I will keep you in my thoughts as you go through this difficult time.

My condolences on the loss of your cat. Without a post mortem exam, the cause can be difficult, if not impossible, to determine. Potential causes include cardiac conditions (including congenital defects), toxicity, infection or trauma.

Hello. With urinary failure & heart problems, poor Frost certainly had his share of medical issues. I doubt very much that the Comfortis hastened his death. I think you have to know that you may have given him the best year of his life. You hope that a beloved pet will be with you for many years, but sometimes unknown & underlying issues will shorten that time. This is especially true with heart problems. Cats generally do not do very well with this, & since I do not know the details of either of his medical problems, suffice to say every day was a blessing to him. Rejoice knowing that he did not suffer a terrible cold death a year ago & he hopefully felt great love & comfort for the short time he was with you. I am so sorry for your loss & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.