Continuing saga of cats

[judecorp]

So yesterday I got Fin back inside the house. Score! Jen was worried about him bringing in fleas so she went to the store to get some sort of flea treatment for him. She ended up getting this Hartz stuff that was a three month supply so she decided to do all three cats, so all of them would be protected from fleas. Fine.

Daedalus started wigging out as soon as we put it on him. He was running all over the place and trying to lick it off. No big deal, right? So we went to bed. This morning there were wet clumps of fur all over the house and on further inspection, Daedalus had a huge chunk of fur missing from his body and was continuing to scratch that red area. Jen called a 24-hour vet who said to wash him off and be on the lookout for neurological symptoms.

I went to give him a treat to make up for the washing off, and he was salivating like a dog. The drool was just pouring out of his mouth and he was panting. His pupils were totally blown. So I drove him up to Deerfield to the emergency vet. Apparently the Hartz flea and tick stuff contains pyrethins which are toxic to cats and cause neurological and sympathetic nervous system issues. It could be fatal.

Daedalus is spending at least one night at the emergency vet receiving muscle relaxers and IV fluids to try to flush this poison out of his system. His liver and kidney functions are being tested and cats actually die from this. Estimates for his treatment, if it is successful, are around $800. The vet seemed very positive that he would be okay but of course couldn't make any guarantees.

This is apparently a common problem with Hartz products. I will be filing complaints with them when they reopen on Tuesday and I have been told they may reimburse some vet expenses if it is proven that it came from their product. I will give this a try, but mostly I am worried that Daedalus won't survive.

And where the hell do I get an extra $800? Sigh. At least (so far) the other cats seem okay. Please pray.

~//~

Also, Punk has a cold. A new one. And didn't sleep last night. And hasn't wanted to nap. And is cranky. And full of snot.

Comments

[sacharine.livejournal.com]

I have heard the same things about many types of OTC flea meds, unfortunately. It blows my mind that they are still allowed to be sold to pet owners. The vet also steered us away from flea collars, etc.