In yesterday’s blog post, we had gone through some of the cat tick and flea treatment options. However, did you know that some forms of treatment may prove to be harmful to your cat? 

Let’s take a look. 

Harmful Side Effects of Flea and Tick Medicines: What to Avoid

For a treatment to be effective, it is essential to use a pesticide to kill the bugs. The Environmental Protection Agency should approve the pesticides used in the flea medicine.

However, this doesn’t mean that the pesticides can’t cause serious harm to your cat’s health and yours if you mishandle them. So, it is a good idea to steer clear of topical treatments. Always wash your hands after applying it. 

Now, let’s look at some ingredients that you should stay away from according to credible sources such as the National Center for Biotechnology Information and the National Pesticide Information Center. 

• Tetrachlorvinphos: The Humane Society and the EPA warn that overexposure to this ingredient can have side-effects for humans such as dizziness, nausea, confusion, and can even cause paralysis and death. These symptoms most occur in children so, it is a good idea to stay away

• Propoxur: According to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, exposure to propoxur can cause carbamate poisoning. The effects include nausea, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle twitching, and, in some cases even death. The EPA disallowed its use but, some brands still use it

• Pyrethroids: The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registration, warns that humans exposed to pyrethroids can get itching, numbness, stinging, burning, and tingling. On flea medicine, they are labeled as flumethrin and etofenprox

• Pyrethrins: VCA Hospitals warn that cats are more sensitive to pyrethrins than dogs as they can’t metabolize the ingredient. Pyrethrins in cat products don’t mean that they are inherently unsafe, but they can risk overexposure.
  
  Pyrethrin poisoning causes incoordination, vomiting, shaking, seizure, tremors, trouble breathing, and hypothermia

• Selamectin: According to research, selamectin leaves a high residue on humans when they come into contact with it which is harmful