Could flea and tick treatment cause anemia in my senior cat?

Anemia is not, by itself, a disease, and therefore there is not a medication that I can recommend that will treat it. The cause of the anemia - whether blood loss, a tick or flea-borne disease, or an immune-mediated disease that is destroying the red blood cells - must be first discovered and then appropriately treated. You need to take your cat to a vet in your area who can run tests and then give him the appropriate medication.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. There are several diseases that you can see transmitted from fleas to cats. Tapeworm, Tularemia, Feline infectious anemia, Cat scratch disease and anemia to name the most commonly seen.

While fleas may simply seem like a nuisance, the reality is that they can pose serious problems. Heavy flea infestations, particularly in very small animals, can result in significant blood loss, which causes potentially lethal anemia. Fleas can also transmit a variety of diseases, including cat scratch disease (*Bartonella henselae*) and tapeworms (*Dipylidium caninum*). Many pets are allergic to the saliva injected during a flea’s bite, and can develop severe itching, hair loss and skin infections. Fortunately, most cases of fleas can be both treated and prevented at home with the consistent use of good-quality flea preventative medications. It’s important to remember to use a flea preventative that is labeled and safe for cats. Some flea preventives for dogs are not safe for cats. Some examples of over-the-counter products that are labeled for cats include Cheristin for Cats, Capstar for Cats, Advantage II, and Frontline Plus for cats. Other products such as Comfortis for Cats, AdvantageMulti for cats and Revolution for cats are available with a prescription from your veterinarian. However, more severely affected cats require evaluation and treatment by a veterinarian. If left untreated, flea infestations in cats can also impact human health with the possibility of spreading cat scratch disease, plague or typhus. Ultimately, it is best to avoid fleas altogether with the regular use of a good quality flea preventative medication. ### Cheristin is a trademark of Elanco or its affiliates.

Hello. Fleas are insects so the drugs used to kill the fleas are of a different type than any 'natural toxins' that could be involved with an older cat (such as kidney/liver disease producing toxins in the body). Also, older cats can safely receive drugs to kill fleas, but it is important to check with your vet that you are getting a safe product. Call your local clinic and ask what product they recommend. If that doesn't answer your question please ask in a different way. Thank you and good luck with Louie.

I would recommend a Dawn dish soap bath with warm water and make sure you dry Sally well. I would look for a product called Frontline Spray, which should be labeled for young cats. Once she is 6-8 weeks, talk to a vet in your area about topical products, like Revolution or Frontline Gold. I also recommend treating the house for fleas with a carpet spray. Remember to throw out the vacuum bag and treat the other pets in the house for fleas. Make sure Sally is eating a quality diet with the proper vitamins and minerals the help the anemia. If the anemia is severe, she may require a blood transfusion. Kisses to Sally!

I am so sorry that you are going through this again! Some cats can be genetically more prone to developing cancer, though it’s still uncommon in younger cats especially when the are FELV/FIV negative. If the newly affected cat hasn’t been tested I would recommend doing so. Also consider any toxins that they both could have gotten into. Some toxins that can cause anemia in cats include onions (inducing onion powder or dehydrated onions), zinc (such as contained in diaper rash cream), and Tylenol/acetaminophen. Again I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and please don’t hesitate to post again if we can answer anything more specifically.

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.