Don’t Use Dog Flea Prevention on Cat

Because liver metabolism in cats and dogs differs so much, cats are exquisitely sensitive to permethrin and other pyrethroids.
Don’t Use Dog Flea Prevention on Cat
Canine flea and tick products that contain these chemicals must never be applied to cats. YuryKara/Shutterstock
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Q: I have a nine-pound cat named Beauty and a five-pound Chihuahua named Beast. Is it OK for me to apply half of Beast’s monthly flea and tick preventive to his skin and the other half to Beauty’s skin? That way, I could cut my monthly cost for flea/tick prevention in half.

A: It’s far safer to treat Beauty with a product labeled for cats because most topical flea and tick products for dogs contain substances toxic to cats.

Lee Pickett
Lee Pickett
Author
Lee Pickett, VMD, practices companion animal medicine in North Carolina. Contact her at AskTheVet.pet. Copyright 2024 Lee Pickett, VMD. Distributed by Creators.com