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Emergency

Can I use a dog flea treatment on my cat? (permethrin)

A tiny amount is enough for a cat: tremors, twitching, seizures. Even contact with a freshly treated dog.

DogCaution
CatDangerous
Call your vet right away, even if your pet seems fine.Signs can show up hours or days later. This page helps you on the phone: it doesn’t replace the vet.

What the sources say

  • No. Permethrin is an insecticide in some dog flea treatments, often the spot-on ones. A cat’s liver can’t break it down, so it builds up: even a very small amount can make a cat seriously ill.
  • Signs: tremors, shaking, twitching, oversensitivity to touch and sound, wobbly walking; in severe cases, seizures.
  • It can also pass to a cat that rubs against a freshly treated dog or sits on the same furniture. If your dog uses a permethrin product, International Cat Care says to keep dog and cat apart for 72 hours.
  • Always buy flea treatments made for cats and read the label: online, many products don’t list their active ingredients.

Who to call: the numbers Search something else

What to do now

  1. Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet now, even if your pet seems fine: signs can take hours or days to show.
  2. Move your pet away from what it ate and take away what's left. If some is still in its mouth, offer a toy so it lets go.
  3. If the substance is on its fur or skin, wash it off with a mild shampoo and water, then rinse well and dry.
  4. Keep the packaging, the label or a piece of the plant, or take a photo, and bring it with you.
  5. Tell the vet what your pet swallowed, roughly how much and when.

What not to do

  • Don't make it vomit unless the vet tells you to.
  • Don't use salt water: it's extremely dangerous.
  • Don't try to treat your pet yourself or give it medicines: some medicines for people and other animals are poisonous to pets.
  • Don't wait for signs to appear.

Sources