Using flea treatments can be tricky. These products are meant to help your pets. But they may cause more harm than good if they are not used properly. It is not only your pets that are at risk if treatments are not used correctly — you and your family could also be at risk! Here are eight safety tips for using flea treatments.
How to keep safe when using Flea Treatments
Tip #1 Consult a veterinarian
You can treat fleas on your own with over-the-counter treatments. But consulting a veterinarian will always be a better option. Veterinarians don’t just have the experience and knowledge to effectively and safely treat your pet. They can also adjust the treatment for your pet’s age and condition etc.
Being able to adjust is particularly important for a pet with vulnerabilities. For instance, a pet that is too young or too old may not be able to take treatments that are too strong. A pet that is pregnant may also have very specific needs. And a pet that is sensitive and prone to allergies may require milder options. Not all over-the-counter treatments have this flexibility.
Tip #2 Follow instructions carefully
Make sure to listen to the veterinarian for the proper administration of the flea treatment. Using flea treatments improperly can put you and your pet at risk of flea treatment toxicity, not to mention that it may render the treatment ineffective. Also, follow the instructions on the packaging of the flea treatment diligently.
Flea treatments often have recommendations on their packaging. Here are some of the questions often answered by these recommendations:
- Do you use the product on cats or dogs?
- Is it safe for puppies and kittens?
- What should be the minimum weight of your pet for the safe use of the product?
Follow instructions and recommendations on the packaging diligently unless instructed otherwise by the veterinarian.
Tip #3 Use gloves and always wash your hands
There are many different kinds of flea treatments out there. There are those that you apply directly on the skin, like flea collars, flea powders, flea sprays, and spot-on treatments. And there are those that you take orally, like flea tablets. They all have their advantages and disadvantages. But sometimes, the flea treatment of your choice may also just boil down to preference.
If you happen to use the ones that you directly apply on the skin, make sure to use gloves when you handle them. They have ingredients that kill fleas on contact — such as fipronil, imidacloprid, and pyrethroid. Your body can react negatively if you expose yourself to these ingredients.
Make sure to also wash your hands after handling the flea treatments. You don’t want to unknowingly spread the chemical residue to your eyes, skin, furniture, and anything else you touch.
Tip #4 Remember that flea treatments are toxic
Flea treatments are toxic. They can negatively affect your pet both on the inside and outside. Cats are particularly more vulnerable than dogs because they are more sensitive to the ingredients. This is one of the reasons why you shouldn’t be using flea treatments meant for dogs on cats and vice versa.
Flea treatment toxicity can occur in a lot of ways. It can happen through direct ingestion, like when your pet licks the topical flea treatment you have applied on its skin. It can happen through indirect ingestion, like when your pet scratches their neck with the topical flea treatment and then licks their paws. And it can also happen through third-party ingestion, like when your pet licks the flea treatment off of another pet in your household.
Tip #5 Separate flea-infested animals from other pets
You may think this is obvious. You will surely separate pets with fleas from those without them, right? After all, your other pets may get fleas too. This is part of the reason why fleas are so hard to eliminate. You can get rid of fleas on one pet but they can get fleas again if your other pets have them.
But it’s not just about protecting other pets from fleas. It’s also about protecting them from flea toxicity. Your pets may like to play with each other. They lightly bite, lick, and scratch each other. And this puts them at risk of unnecessary exposure to the toxic ingredients of flea treatments.
You should separate the pet undergoing flea treatment from the other pets in your household.
Tip #6 Look out for possible adverse side effects
Flea treatment toxicity and sensitivity can affect your pet both on the inside and the outside. Here are some of the adverse effects you should look out for:
- Diarrhea
- Difficulty in breathing
- Excessive salivation
- Itchiness
- Lethargy
- Muscle tremors
- Redness of the skin
- Sudden changes in behavior, like aggression and seclusion
- Vomiting
Be on the lookout for these signs of flea treatment toxicity and sensitivity, especially after the first few hours of using the flea treatment.
Tip #7 Report the adverse side effects to a veterinarian
If you see the signs, consult a veterinarian. Flea treatment toxicity and sensitivity can be dangerous. They can even be life-threatening if you ignore them. They are particularly problematic if your pet has ingested a huge amount of flea treatment. The symptoms can only get worse.
As a safety measure, keep the flea treatment in its original packaging, so when the signs do occur, you can show the packaging to the veterinarian. If you want to put the flea treatment in another packaging, the least you can do is to not throw away the original packaging just in case.
Tip #8 Keep flea products safely out of reach
Your pets are not the only ones vulnerable to flea treatment toxicity and sensitivity. You and your family are just as vulnerable. To minimize risk, avoid touching your pet temporarily, especially when you are using topical flea treatments and you are not sure if the products have completely dried. Prevent your pet from rubbing the flea treatments on furniture and linen too.
You should also put the flea treatments themselves out of reach, so curious children and pets don’t accidentally ingest them or rub them on their skin. Put them in inaccessible or high cabinets, away from the kitchen or anywhere else where they can be mistaken for food.