I just put front-line on my cat,did i do it right and why is she scratching more since i applied it?

Question

the only way i could put the front-line on was to shave patch of fur off at the back of her neck with a new disposable razor which she didn't mind i then applied the front-line to the exposed skin. however she is now scratching more,is it just a reaction to the wet and coldness of the liquid and how long before i see signs of it working? she has some scabs where fleas have bitten and drew blood so I'm hoping the front-line will kill any remaining fleas so she stops scratching and the flea bites heal.have i done this right?

no stupid answers please

Answer 1

Well the cat could be scratching because its not used to not having fur in one area, or front-line just hasn't kicked in yet.  But the medicne will work because flea medications go into your pets blood and when the fleas bite they get poisoned because they eat the blood.  And just so you know you dont have to shave your pets fur off to put the medication on, you can just move the fur aside so you can see fur between the shoulder blades, hoped that helped! :)

Answer 2

You didn't need to shave the skin. Just part the hair and apply.  

Answer 3

front line works immediately and should do at £5 a shot; telephone

your vet and explain.

Answer 4

ok well shaving isn't going to do that much harm to your cat, vets shave off fur all the time to give injections etc so don't worry about it.

As for the Frontline, this takes time to work, it has to come into contact with the fleas where as Stonghold ( another Flea treatment) won't work unless the cat is bitten.

You have done the right thing.

Another thing that most people forget is that you should also treat your house if your pet has had or got fleas as they live on your pets bedding and in carpets.

You can buy some household spray form your vets or your local pet shop.

Answer 5

The fleas know something's up, and are moving about more.

Remember to spray the carpets and cat's  sleeping places to killoff the eggs.

Answer 6

The shape of the dispenser on the front line .makes it so it goes onto the skin .Do you intend shaving your poor cat every month so to administer the treatment from now on.? Even if your cat is long haired, You only have to part the fur on the back of the neck.whats so hard about that. To use a razor on her its no wonder shes scratching..

Answer 7

as the frontline works the fleas are dying and desperate to live so they'll bite your cat more at this point as they're struggling for survival but will soon die and the scratching will stop completely if the stuff works :) you shouldn't have shaved the cat but this won't harm the cat, but in future if you need to treat the cat again, just part the fur at the back of the cats neck and apply it to the tiny exposed bit of scalp between the fur. dont' worry about the shaving the fur will grow back and at least the frontline is definately directly onto your cats skin and don't worry about the scratching, it'll stop soon once the nasty fleas are all dead :) x

Answer 8

NO why did you shave the fur?

All cats itch more when you apply front line because the fleas are going crazy (dying) that's what my vet told me and that's what my cat did. And in a few hours all the fleas were gone. It's normal.. but why the h**l did you shave off the fur?

Answer 9

Shaving probably wasn't a great idea and shouldn't be necessary but I don't think it would be much of a problem.

Frontline doesn't work instantly.  I think it takes 24-48 hours for the fleas to die and then new ones might get on and then take another day or two to die.  And the itching comes from the bites, not so much the fleas themselves, so she'll probably still be itchy for a few days after all the fleas die.

Don't worry.  Just wait it out a bit longer.  If it's already been several days then you should probably make sure she's not getting re-exposed to a new group of fleas and comb her with a flea comb to see if there really are some on her.

Answer 10

You shouldn't shave the cat. Just push the nozzle into the fur and squeeze. She's probably scratching because being scratched made her itch.

Answer 11

She's probably scratching because you shaved her and then applied a solution to shaved skin.

Just like when you shave and apply a solution it stings.

In future just poke the nozzle into her fur round her neck that's if the fur grows back!

Answer 12

You shouldn't need to shave the cat.  I suspect you've irritated the skin and then added insult to injury by putting on the Frontline.  It'd be much like shaving under your arms and then putting deodorant on immediately - ouch!!!!!  I'd suggest you phone your vet and just tell them what you've done.  They may be able to recommend a cream (like tea tree oil) which wil relieve the itchiness.  

When we put Frontline on our cat, we pull the fur forward gently and dab the Frontline in various places at the back of the head where the cat can't l**k.  The Frontline works its way down through the fur naturally.