[ceresone]

Fried of mine took her cat to the vet last week, after about 24 hours, it died. His explanation is that there is a tick that bites big cats (mountain lions, bobcats) then, when it falls off, and bites a house cat, the cat gets a incurable problem.
Yesterday, she lost her second cat, says she's been putting a flea/tick product on them.
Does this sound right to you? We have very few large cats in the area, never seen one myself, in 70 years. And, in the last 3 weeks, she has brought a new kitten, and a dog into the house (from Walmart parking lot!)
Mind you, these are all house pets, only occasionaly outside.
Since I've dealt closely with the vet's in the area for the last 30 years, I know they arent invincible--So--any opinions?

 

[Sunraven]

They may be having a reaction to the flea/tick product. What sort is it (dip, spot, powder, spray?) and what brand? I've heard of animals to have reactions, sometimes fatal, from the Hartz brand spot flea/tick treatments. There's another over the counter sort of spot treatment, can't think of the manufacturer, that I've seen to cause skin irritation.

Hard to say.

 

[celticheart]

Ask her is she has been putting the medication for the fleas on the back of the neck where the animal cnnot lick it. It has killed cats before----I have seen it happen. Cat usually has a siezure before it expires, but not always.

 

[GoldenMom]

What other symptoms did the cats have? What test were run on the cats before they died. We don't have issues with ticks that bite the large cats then housecats here, so I don't know anything about that. I'll try to look up some info on that after lunch.

 

[ceresone]

Thanks, I do know that she has been using the same flea meds for years--She told me today that she was going to start Frontline Plus--but then last week, she said she was! Think she's been using ivermectin, tho.
No, she has used whatever she's using for 2 years now. I just find it suspicuous that it happened within a few weeks of introducing the 2 new animals into the household--and yet, the vet didnt consider it.
Its taking the cats 3 to 4 days to die tho, and she says she's never seen a tick. I'm rather concerned cause I live less than a half mile from her.
Course, this is the same person that was griping at her dog for drinking so much water-I checked her--skin and bones, kidney failure-which the vet confirmed days later, after death. He just couldnt save her, so late.
Loves their animals--to death!!