My first flea problem

[SnowflakeSara]

Recently my boyfriend and I brought in a rescue cat. She was in horrible shape and was trying to nurse her dead kitten, and I just couldn’t leave her. We found she had fleas and we got rid of them ASAP, but it was too late. Both of my other cats got them, and I just found a flea on my bunny Abby today, along with a patch of missing fur on the back of her neck, which I’m pretty sure is from the fleas, but I wanted to check here and confirm that, since I’m seeing a few articles about fur mites here too.

I have some kitty advantage control, and my vet told me to put it on the back of her neck, so she can’t lick it off while she’s grooming herself, but I’m a little worried about that. Will the advantage irritate her skin where the fur is missing? The skin is kinda pink and I don’t want it to burn her or irritate it even more. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks

[Gravehearted]

ooo no, poor Abby. Mites are very difficult to confirm without seeing a vet., since they can often only be seen under a microscope. Is there any dark crust in her ears? Also – are you seeing any dandruff near the bald spot?

Viktor had bald patch and freaked me out last year, so I ran him to the vet. It was just fleas, fortunately. It’s likely the best idea to have her checked, just in case. Revolution works to treat both fleas and mites safely for bunnies.

since it’s such a small dose, can you try to apply it a bit away from her bald patch?
My guess is that it wouldn’t irritate her skin, since it seems likely that some would reach the bunny’s skin during normal application – but it’s better to be careful.

[SnowflakeSara]

I don’t see any crust or dandruff at all. I saw a flea for sure, but the only thing that made me think mites was the bald spot. We JUST got done treating her for a nasty case of ear mites a few months ago, so hopefully it’s not fur mites.
I made an appointment for her to go to the vet this morning, but unfortunately he can’t see her until Wednesday, so until then I’m going to try to keep applying it around but away from the bald patch. Thanks a ton and I’ll be sure to let you guys know the outcome.

[Gravehearted]

I’m glad you’re taking her in, it’s much better to be safe in these situations. Please let us know what the vet has to say….

[skunklionshow]

I hate fleas….you can see my post on the "flea season is here".  I have 4 cats and a bunny.  I too have gotten fleas throughout my home from my rescue efforts. 

Remember that w/ topical flea txs (Revolution, Advantage, etc), you need only apply once.  The medication absorbs through the skin to affect body chemistry, this is what helps keep the fleas off and kills fleas that still feed.

Ear mites can be a common prob for kitties and buns.  However, some body chemistrys make mites more likely or prone for some animals.  Its important to get the official ear mites diagnosis from the vet, b/c as gravehearted stated it does need to be confirmed under the microscrope.  Mites are basically nasty little bugs that thrive on the wax and gunk in the ears. My oldest cat, Max, had chronic mite problems as a kitten.  These issues have led to acne-like blackheads inside his ears.  They often become inflamed and bleed.  He is also prone to yeast infections in his ears due to this condition.  However, mites don’t necessarily spread through your fur household like fleas.

I hope the kitty is doing well.  I fostered a kitten that suffered hypoxea (sp?) which led to braindamage and severe anemia due to excessive flea infestation.  She only lived about 3 months…but that time was very special for her and me.

[SnowflakeSara]

Thanks Thankfully my cats didn’t get ear mites,too. Abby’s are gone too now. Poor baby was absolutely miserable, and I’m glad she’s a happy bun again.

The cat is doing MUCH better now. When we first brought her in she looked like she’d been to hell and back. She was very anti social and just sulked in my closet for a week, but she’s finally doing much better and now runs around like she owns the place We’ve only had her for about 2 months, but watching her progress and gain weight has been amazing. It’s just great to watch how much a little time, care, and love can change an animal so quickly. Sorry to hear of the loss of your kitten I’m sure it meant as much to her as it did to you.

[poopy]

Flea dermatitis can often accompany fleas even months after. Medusa’s back of her neck is still irritated from them. She has a very small amount of flaking and red irritation. Pookers grooms her alot too and that makes it worse. If the problem is not contained to a very small area, it is probably mites.

[SnowflakeSara]

Hooray! I took her to her vet appointment today, and thankfully, Abby does not have mites. I’m really glad too. I was pretty worried about her. Thank you guys again for all your help and support. It means a ton to me and my bunny

[poopy]

was it fleas only then?

[Author]

Messages