Can Newborn Kittens Have Fleas

Most flea control products are not safe to use on kittens under 6 8 weeks old.

Can newborn kittens have fleas. Do not use flea medications including topical spot on products flea collars dips or shampoos on young kittens unless you have been told to do so by your veterinarian. Keep a very close eye for fleas on kittens as a heavy infestation can kill. This application kills the adult fleas but not their offspring. If the kitten scratches itself or licks the area where fleas are present it is very possible for the kitten to ingest fleas.

While you can safely use flea medications on nursing mothers manual removal is usually necessary for newborn kittens. In consultation with your vet kittens over 4 weeks old may be treated with capstar there is a minimum weight requirement. An 8 week old kitten only weighs about 1 5 2 pounds. Because kittens bodies are so small they are at a high risk of flea anemia due to the loss of blood from the fleas feeding.

For this reason flea infestations should be taken seriously and treatment should not be delayed. Most over the counter flea products will kill the kittens even if you put them on mom advantage is safe. Not only can fleas be the cause of anemia but they will also cause the kitten much discomfort by irritating the skin and causing itching. Fleas are small parasitic bugs that seek a host animal such as a kitten and can cause severe itching discomfort and anemia.

Typically flea products haven t been tested on kittens younger or smaller than that so they may contain doses that are too high for very young tiny kittens. The preventive to treat kittens with fleas. My go to product is the vet kem ovitrol. Fleas are annoying to humans and animals and can actually be dangerous for very young kittens.

Kittens are very susceptible to anemia from fleas and can even die from it. Most products are safe for use in kittens older than 8 10 weeks or over 1 5 2 pounds but every product is different. The only way you re going to do this without harming them is to flea treat the mom cat with something that is safe to use on nursing cats get advantage from your vet. Dry the baby with warm towels so we don t drop their temperature too much and dry the best you can.

Other flea medications safe for kittens list 8 weeks of age as a minimum. To kill anything that the bath didn t completely get rid of we need a preventative.