My newborn kittens have a few fleas..

Question

They were born 4 days ago. They seem very healthy and active, however after examining them throughly on the second day, I saw a few fleas. Only about 3 on each kitten, if that. I called many different places & searched online & all sources told me to use Dawn dish soap. I thoroughly bathed mother and babies on the third day of birth and allowed the soap to sit for 5 minutes. After a short amount of time after a very through bathing, a few fleas were still spotted. We then waited another day and bathed them again, repeating the same process. We bathed them and then flea combed them. It has now been 30 minutes since the bath and I still spot fleas. I am clueless as to what to do next because I know they are far too young to give any type of medicine. I am also not allowing the mother to go outside. I don't know what to do! I am seriously considering taking them to the emergency vet, but until then I don't know where to go from here... Please help!

Answer 1

Aww... Well, the source of the fleas is from the mother so I recommend a fleas and ticks medicine. Frontline Plus is really effective so I would use it on the mommy and just wash the kittens. Good luck.

Answer 2

dont worry. as long as they dont go back outside then they wont get more. give the mom flea medication like frontline for cats. as for the babies use pert plus shampoo. it is much better than dishsoap. massage they really well and rinse really well. keep a small cup of water around (or jar with a lid) examine the kittens every day and if you see a flea pick it off and put it in the water. this way they wont get back on the kittens. also when u examine the kittens, if u see any black crud on them pick that off too. that is flea stool and flea eggs. these are the safest ways to get rid of fleas on babies. but be careful to watch for signs of illness because kittens can become anemic if fleas arent kept under control.

Answer 3

I have had the same thing happen and I know how frustrating it is.  As you know fleas on baby kittens are dangerous, you have to get it under control.   I have found a flea comb to be very helpful but you have to use it carefully because of their delicate skin.  You should also change their bedding religiously and wash it in very hot water.  If I am not mistaken there is a flea treatment that can be given to the mother while she is nursing, your vet will be able to give it to you.

Good Luck to you.

Answer 4

don't worry about fleas. they don't need a vet!

since they are sooo young, use johnson and johnson baby shampoo!

it won't burn their eyes and it kills fleas!

this lady told me to use it on my 1 month old puppy that i found

and it worked. make sure you pull them off and flush them down the toilet once you have killed them to make sure they don't get on the kittens again...

Answer 5

Contact your vet there is a medication he can give her. I wouldn't use dawn it's not long acting. Clean all of the bedding. And flea bomb the house. Maybe while mom and babies are at the vet you could bomb the house.

You'll have to continue to comb the kittens. Fleas can kill them quickly if they multiply.. which they will.

Answer 6

I would take them to the vet.  The fleas can cause anemia in kittens.  Usually it requires a very large infestation, but if they are that little I would want to get it taken care of to prevent complications.  When you see just a few fleas, think of it as just being that teeny tip of the iceberg sticking out of the water.  There's a lot more hiding under the water.  

In addition to topical medicines (like Frontline) there is also an oral medication for mum that will kill all the living fleas on her within 24 hours, and it starts working very fast.  I have used it on my cats before with quite a bit of success.  

Good luck!  

Answer 7

Check with the vet about treating mom with Advantage or Frontline Plus - they are most likely getting them from her.  Treat any other adult animals in the house too.

For the kittens, use a flea comb, dipping in soapy water to get the fleas out.  Do this daily. They are a little too young for bathing in Dawn and it is much too drying on their delicate skin at this age.  Dawn stops working as soon as the animals are dry so it doesn't work for long if fleas are in the environment.  At 8 weeks, put them on Advantage or Frontline Plus too.

Answer 8

im in the same situation as you but i have more fleas and i still cant bathe them (umbilical cord still attached). some might have crawled to the head while you were bathing the kittens.. i read you can use baby shampoo since its tear free..

Answer 9

you better ask a vet what to do because those fleas are laying eggs all over your house right now, they reproduce amazingly fast and lay thousands of eggs everywhere and the last thing you want is a flea infestation, i have spent a few hundred dollars now trying to get rid of fleas in my house and STILL find live ones (medicine, spray, vacuuming, etc). i have finally resorted to calling an exterminator  - $225 (plus i use advantage on them every month which is $120 a box).

they are practically impossible to get rid of.  you need to do something NOW!   just warning you!

Answer 10

i found a 5 week old kitten and he was full of fleas, i used the frontline SPRAY, i sprayed it on a damp paper towel and softly rubbed him with it, do it several times just be careful not to use so much or rub it near the face, 4 day old kittens are very small so just be careful, perhaps you should spray a little on the mom also.it worked for my 5 week old kitten, you can get it from the vet....or just call your vet and ask him over the phone what you can do...don't worry so much...they'll be fine. goodluck