One of our two cats had tapeworms, so it meant dewormer and flea treatment to both him and her. Our vet prescribed Vectra (1.2mL).
He (the cat, no the vet ;-) ) is a slender 3yo guy with very short fur. We did just as the instructions said: parted his hair between his shoulder blades and apply it right there, until the tube is empty. Well, the product doesn't just instantly seep into the skin, or magically "stays there". It leaked a good 3 inches down his back. That's within easy reach for such a flexible guy, and as soon as we released him, he started licking it.
We did the initial panic reaction, made sure he didn't lick it anymore, and separated the cats. The best idea of the day (which I haven't seen anywhere) was to put the E-collar we have for him, which obviously allows the medicine to work and dry without him licking at it. We then called the vet, who said that if a cat licks some of its own prescribed dosage of Vectra for Cats, he should be alright. It's dangerous if they get a large overdose (e.g. 6mL instead of 1.2mL) or gain direct access to a bottle of Vectra. We're just keeping an eye on them for the next few hours, and have the phone & address of a nearby animal emergency center just in case. So far he's lethargic, but seems mostly just bummed about the e-collar. He loves deli meat (which he rarely ever gets, of course) so it was a good taste to confirm he's still got his appetite.
So: how are you supposed to apply topical treatment like Vectra to a short-fur cat, so it doesn't spill down their fur?
He (the cat, no the vet ;-) ) is a slender 3yo guy with very short fur. We did just as the instructions said: parted his hair between his shoulder blades and apply it right there, until the tube is empty. Well, the product doesn't just instantly seep into the skin, or magically "stays there". It leaked a good 3 inches down his back. That's within easy reach for such a flexible guy, and as soon as we released him, he started licking it.
We did the initial panic reaction, made sure he didn't lick it anymore, and separated the cats. The best idea of the day (which I haven't seen anywhere) was to put the E-collar we have for him, which obviously allows the medicine to work and dry without him licking at it. We then called the vet, who said that if a cat licks some of its own prescribed dosage of Vectra for Cats, he should be alright. It's dangerous if they get a large overdose (e.g. 6mL instead of 1.2mL) or gain direct access to a bottle of Vectra. We're just keeping an eye on them for the next few hours, and have the phone & address of a nearby animal emergency center just in case. So far he's lethargic, but seems mostly just bummed about the e-collar. He loves deli meat (which he rarely ever gets, of course) so it was a good taste to confirm he's still got his appetite.
So: how are you supposed to apply topical treatment like Vectra to a short-fur cat, so it doesn't spill down their fur?
