Flea Treatment For NewBorn Kittens?

emmzy

Hiya I was given 4 kittens that are now 4 days old their mother died shortly after birth from internal bleeding, I have seen a vet one and one died the first night but was told it wasnt my fault. I have been given the powdered milk and things and have been told if im not coping to take them back and someone will raise them but they are doing fine and im just about coping with the feeding thru the night altho i do look like the living dead lol!

The problem is i was bathing them today and i noticed they had a few fleas on them, went to the petshop and was told that they cant be treated until after 12 weeks old,The woman suggest i use sellotape and try and get them off that way but i wanted to know are there any kinds of flea treatment i can use before then? Obviously if i cant buy one its another trip to the vets I just didnt want to waste his time if i can get one without having to see him?

wannabepennypincher

The vet will be able to give you a spray to get rid of the fleas. Fleas in new born kittens can be really dangerous as they are so tiny and don't have much blood to share with the pesky fleas.

In the meantime you could use a fine comb to brush them (sellotape might pull at their fur and hurt) out and make sure to change the bedding often.

Waterfalls

im afraid a trip to the vets is in order and then they can prescribe frontline spray, which can be use from 2 days old.
as the poster explained above, fleas can really knock them for six unfortunately


u should be very proud of what u are doing, its not an easy task-but very rewarding, keep up the good work

patchwork_cat

How old are they now and how long have you had them?

Seriously hand rearing kittens is VERY hard, I would recommend that you let the vet do it - they can tube feed them which will make a difference to survival rate. Are they pooing and weeing?

Also be careful about bathing them as they can get cold very easily - just a quick wipe over with a damp flannel should be enough. Contact your local cats protection they may have a foster mum for them.

Hand reared kittens frequently suffer from personality disorders - take this from an ex breeder who has hand reared 2 litters as mum didn't have enough milk although she did bums and cleaning and her best friend also had a litter and helped at night. Are you weighing them every day?

emmzy

Thanks all I will see the vet on monday morning:D The kittys are 4 days and Iv had them since just after birth, theyr the right weight and size, pooping and peeing fine the weirdest thing is my male labrador is taking on the mum role and is cleaning them and stimulating their bowels ect its quite cute he comes running if they cry and wont leave their side at night its just the feeding we need to do really

EDIT: When i said bathing, i meant with a damp cloth then theyr straight back on the heat pad after a quick rub with the towel

foreign_correspondent

emmzy wrote: »

Thanks all I will see the vet on monday morning:D The kittys are 4 days and Iv had them since just after birth, theyr the right weight and size, pooping and peeing fine the weirdest thing is my male labrador is taking on the mum role and is cleaning them and stimulating their bowels ect its quite cute he comes running if they cry and wont leave their side at night its just the feeding we need to do really

EDIT: When i said bathing, i meant with a damp cloth then theyr straight back on the heat pad after a quick rub with the towel

your dog sounds very sweet!

UKTigerlily

Remember if they have fleas to worm them also, best to get the vet to give something suitable, your Lab sounds lovely! Worth trying Cats Protection as someone said for a foster Mum, sometimes they have Cats that have lost their kittens & need some, plus all their food & vaccinations etc will cost a fortune & you could get rescue back up

Sorry to hear of their Mum dying & it sounds like you're doing a great job

patchwork_cat

Good job! Our Golden Retriever has even been known to let our kittens suckle off her - she has never had pups and is spayed ( we also think she is a cat/dog cross! as she will clean her paws and her face like a cat! ) Do you have an older cat to teach them about being a cat?