fleas and humans
fleas and humans
do fleas bite people? my bf's cat has been scratching, so they gave him a flea treatment, suddenly i have this rash all over my legs that looks like little bites, so i'm wondering if *i* have fleas now? what should i do? do they need to fumigate their house? do fleas live on humans? would they have stayed on me or my clothes and come into my house now? maybe i am just allergic to the flea treatment they used?
Re: fleas and humans
Yes, fleas bite humans and you can develop a flea bite rash.
What was the product used on the kitty, was it a product recommended by the owner's vet? Please advise the owner that ONLY Frontline or Advantage are the safest flea applications for cats, any over-the-counter flea medications can be deadly. Please read Just Say No (to over-the-counter products, Hartz products, etc). Also, kitty should be examined by their vet to determine if it in fact is fleas or something else entirely.
What was the product used on the kitty, was it a product recommended by the owner's vet? Please advise the owner that ONLY Frontline or Advantage are the safest flea applications for cats, any over-the-counter flea medications can be deadly. Please read Just Say No (to over-the-counter products, Hartz products, etc). Also, kitty should be examined by their vet to determine if it in fact is fleas or something else entirely.
..........Traci
Re: fleas and humans
thanks, i read up on it and i'm going over there ready to lecture them about fleas and pet ownership. my bf's roommate is the owner actually, i have been hounding him to take the cat to the vet but he's not the most responsible guy. hopefully when he sees my bit-up legs he will finally listen. i'm going to volunteer to take the cat to the vet myself. i don't know what they used on him, some kind of wipe and drops or whatever, but knowing the guy, i'm sure it was just something he bought at a store without consulting any kind of professional. i'm hoping they will let me take the cat sometime soon (it was "evicted" by the landlord in may but he's been letting it slide, but my bf wants to get rid of it) so it will be better taken care of!
Re: fleas and humans
well after some debate within the house (bf, roommate and his gf not convinced it was flea bites) i started thinking maybe this was something else, it started getting better, but now suddenly it is awful, covering my legs, my ankles are swollen, it's just a nightmare. found some flea-bite pictures on the web that look very much like how this started so i am back to the flea theory. going to a dermatologist tomorrow to see if they can figure this out. i am freaked out tho because i have never seen anything like this. if doc agrees it is fleas i will have to make them flea-bomb the house before i ever go back there!! anyone ever have a reaction like this to flea bites?
Re: fleas and humans
Flea bites in humans appear very much like mosquito bites, small red spots or bumps...they also itch like crazy. While it could be flea bites or mites, it's important the kitty is seen by the vet to determine IF there are fleas, mites or something else (i.e., ringworm, which can be transmitted to humans). Please explain to your bf or his roommate how important it is for kitty's health that he is examined by a vet immediately.
Don't flea bomb their home until kitty has seen the vet to determine what the problem is. Flea bombs also require that all pets are safely out of the home during the flea bomb process (usually 24 hours), so if this is to occur, they need to keep kitty in a safe place for 24 hours....it would be wise for the humans to be out of the house as well during the flea bomb process. Ideally, treating the pet appropriately with a recommended and SAFE product from the vet, and treating the environment such as vacuming, washing bedding, etc is usually sufficient. Since they've already given a flea product, they can't give any other flea product for 30 days, as this could be detrimental to kitty. The important thing is getting him to a vet immediately for an exam. The vet can then check kitty for any evidence of fleas, mites, ringworm, etc...and if nothing is found, then they need to investigate their home for something else (or your physician can tell you what the rash is from).
Again, explain to your bf and roommate how dangerous over-the-counter products are for cats, many cats have died horrible deaths as a result of over-the-counter flea applications, this can be prevented by using ONLY products recommended and given by their vet (Advantage or Frontline).
I hope for kitty's sake, you or a responsible owner can take/adopt him, it sounds like he's being neglected...if they don't care about his health and welfare, kitty deserves to be in a loving home with loving owners.
Don't flea bomb their home until kitty has seen the vet to determine what the problem is. Flea bombs also require that all pets are safely out of the home during the flea bomb process (usually 24 hours), so if this is to occur, they need to keep kitty in a safe place for 24 hours....it would be wise for the humans to be out of the house as well during the flea bomb process. Ideally, treating the pet appropriately with a recommended and SAFE product from the vet, and treating the environment such as vacuming, washing bedding, etc is usually sufficient. Since they've already given a flea product, they can't give any other flea product for 30 days, as this could be detrimental to kitty. The important thing is getting him to a vet immediately for an exam. The vet can then check kitty for any evidence of fleas, mites, ringworm, etc...and if nothing is found, then they need to investigate their home for something else (or your physician can tell you what the rash is from).
Again, explain to your bf and roommate how dangerous over-the-counter products are for cats, many cats have died horrible deaths as a result of over-the-counter flea applications, this can be prevented by using ONLY products recommended and given by their vet (Advantage or Frontline).
I hope for kitty's sake, you or a responsible owner can take/adopt him, it sounds like he's being neglected...if they don't care about his health and welfare, kitty deserves to be in a loving home with loving owners.
..........Traci
Re: fleas and humans
Just want to say that we had a pest control company bomb our home a few years ago, and what they used only required us all to be out of the house for 4 hours...no smell left behind, either.
My Vet said that probably wasn't necessary, as the Advantage would eventually take care of the fleas.
My Vet said that probably wasn't necessary, as the Advantage would eventually take care of the fleas.
well as it turns out i was having a reaction to a medication i was on... interesting condition called vasculitis & it starts out looking a lot like flea bites (2 different doctors said that it looked consistent with fleas and told me not to worry, then a week later it got severe and i wound up in the hospital!). they said it also could have been from being exposed to the chemicals in the flea treatment they gave the cat (i didn't know they had put it on him & i picked him up only to smell it and feel his fur all wet before i realized it was that flea stuff). but more likely a medication i was on for the past month & have not felt well since taking it. so the cat is off the hook this time hehe. at least i got bf to do some cleaning when we thought it was fleas 
they've got a flea collar on him now & his scratching seems to have stopped (other than trying to get the collar off), so we are both feeling better! the roommate's gf said she called the vet altho i'm not sure if she took him or not, but at least i know they consulted him so he would have told them what to do or not do.
they've got a flea collar on him now & his scratching seems to have stopped (other than trying to get the collar off), so we are both feeling better! the roommate's gf said she called the vet altho i'm not sure if she took him or not, but at least i know they consulted him so he would have told them what to do or not do.
GET THE FLEA COLLAR OFF OF HIM RIGHT NOW!!!...They contain DEADLY NERVE DAMAGING chemicals....
the ONYL fea treatment worth anything is to get ADVANTAGE FROM YOUR VET and APPLY IT ACORDINGLY!!!!
JUST SAY NO!
the ONYL fea treatment worth anything is to get ADVANTAGE FROM YOUR VET and APPLY IT ACORDINGLY!!!!
JUST SAY NO!
Re: fleas and humans
Absolutely NO flea collars, ever! Get it off kitty immediately!
Flea collars are NOT safe for pets, despite their availability, these too, are over-the-counter products. Veterinary recommended products do NOT include flea collars, ever.
ONLY Frontline or Advantage from the vet, PLEASE! Better yet, get the BF to get this poor kitty to the vet for proper evaluation to identify any fleas at all, and if there are any, the vet should prescribe a SAFE flea medication only (again, only Advantage or Frontline for cats).
Do NOT ever combine any over-the-counter flea products..combining any OTC product application plus the use of a flea colllar is dangerous and can be lethal. The ingredients used in these products ARE lethal to cats! Combining these products increases the likelihood of a very toxic reaction, so get the collar off the cat RIGHT THIS MOMENT!
Even veterinary recommended products cannot be reapplied for a 30-day interval, your BF needs to discuss these dangers with his vet.
Flea collars are NOT safe for pets, despite their availability, these too, are over-the-counter products. Veterinary recommended products do NOT include flea collars, ever.
ONLY Frontline or Advantage from the vet, PLEASE! Better yet, get the BF to get this poor kitty to the vet for proper evaluation to identify any fleas at all, and if there are any, the vet should prescribe a SAFE flea medication only (again, only Advantage or Frontline for cats).
Do NOT ever combine any over-the-counter flea products..combining any OTC product application plus the use of a flea colllar is dangerous and can be lethal. The ingredients used in these products ARE lethal to cats! Combining these products increases the likelihood of a very toxic reaction, so get the collar off the cat RIGHT THIS MOMENT!
Even veterinary recommended products cannot be reapplied for a 30-day interval, your BF needs to discuss these dangers with his vet.
..........Traci
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gurl2005bby
- Posts: 177
- Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:29 am
- Location: Shelby Twp, Michigan
Re: fleas and humans
Hey if it dangerous then why did it allow that flea treatments or flea collars? Can you explain what can it do to cats? How come they never say on the box like risks or side effects? Sorry about asking i just didnt understand.