Cat Flea Bite Treatment
Cat fleas differ from both dog fleas and human fleas. The difference is subtle, seen only under a microscope. Cat fleas are known officially as Ctenocephalides felis, according to catsofaustralia.com. Dog fleas go by the name of Ctenocephalides canis, although 95 percent of fleas found on cats, dogs and humans are cat fleas. They are a stubborn bunch, but you can stamp them out and minimize the aftereffects of flea bites on both you and your cat.
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Treatments for You
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Reduce swelling immediately after the bite by covering it with a cold compress or an ice pack, according to rentokil.co.uk. Apply Calamine lotion or anesthetic creams. Anti-histamine creams can help to relieve the itchiness and swelling. Take an oral anti-histamine for multiple bites.
Don't scratch the bites because it could increase the itch and lead to a bacterial infection. Wash the bites with an antiseptic soap or alcohol wipes to reduce the risk of infection. Consult a doctor if the bite gets infected or if swelling worsens more than a day after the bite.
Treatments for Your pet
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Treat your pets thoroughly with a "top spot" treatment program. This is usually applied between your pet's shoulder blades and the chemicals are dispensed through the skin oils. Other products include flea collars, powders, dips, foggers and shampoos.
Some pets are allergic to flea saliva and experience an adverse reaction after just a couple of bites. This condition, known as allergic dermatitis, can cause redness, sores and hair loss. Treat the condition with antibiotics, antihistamines, steroid injections, an anti-inflamitary injection to reduce the itching or by hyposensitisation, a process that involves injecting the cat with small amounts of flea antigen to desensitize the immune system, according to Cat World.
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Prevention
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The best treatment for cat fleas is to eliminate them at every stage of the life cycle--from eggs to larvae and pupae. Clean your home thoroughly. Vacuum in those hard-to-reach places like under the bed, in dark corners and under the chest of draws. Spray carpets, rugs and floors with insecticide that includes the ingredient IGR, a birth control for fleas that prevents then from developing to sexual maturity, according to Cats of Australia. Make sure you spray those little spaces where fleas like to hang out--such as skirting boards and under rugs.
Two weeks after your initial clean, you may see the cat fleas again as the the life cycle renews itself and eggs start to hatch. Another thorough clean should do the trick.
Side Effects
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Flea treatments products can have several unfavorable side effects. The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) links flea collars to squamous cell carcinoma or feline oral cancer. "Cats that wore a flea collar had five times the risk of oral SCC as nonusers," according to NCBI research. The website Shirleys-wellness-cafe.com, also claims that certain flea control products "trigger adverse reactions in dogs and cats, shorten life spans, cause terminal illness, and premature death."
Myths
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While one urban myth suggests that feeding your pet brewer's yeast helps to dispel fleas, there is no evidence of this. Another myth suggests that feeding garlic and onions to your pet can scare the fleas away. This is not true and can in fact be toxic to your pet.
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References
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- Photo Credit cat image by nutech21 from Fotolia.com
