warning about capstar

[buzz2400]

All web pages I went to said that capstar is safe for cats to get rid of fleas. So I went and bought a pill for each of my six cats. Within 15 minutes giving the pill, two cats ran around screaming bloody murder. So I took them into the bathroom and just kept using the flea comb. I then go to check the other cats and one cat is panting real bad. It was very hot and humid so I brought him into an air conditioning room. I then started to read the pamphlet of capstar but lo and behold, no info on adverse effects, in fact really no info. So I call the pet store where I bought it and she said she never heard anything like that and not to worry. While I'm on the phone, this cat disappears. So I start looking for the other cats and I find another cat panting real bad. I bring her in the air conditioned room and she is running back and forth panting. So I try looking online for capstar for adverse effects and finally find something that states some cats do start panting, vocalizing, vomiting, etc. So I call the 24 hour vet and they said if she is still panting in 20 minutes to bring her in. So after 20 minutes, still panting and running around like crazy, I bring her to the vet. I still never found the other cat who was panting. So anyway, I get minnie to the vet and they immediately take her to give her oxygen. After about 1/2 hour vet says minnie stopped panting. They took her temp and she was normal. So he told me to call poison hotline which I did but they wanted $65 and then told me they could not help me because I did not know the dose. In the meantime, my son calls me and tells me he found the missing cat who was panting and he seemed fine so I told vet I just wanted to take minnie home to monitor her. So after $200, waiting around for 2 hours at the vet, everything seems fine now.

I'm really just wanting to warn people who are thinking of using capstar. There are sometimes adverse affects. If you are thinking of using it, use it when you can monitor the cat, do it during the hours when you vet is around (today is sunday so I had to pay alot), and don't do it when it is hot and humid. I used it on six cats and four had adverse effects, and it was the correct dose because I weighed each cat this week. I know I rambled but I just don't want someone else to go through what I did.

 

[castmemberb4]

Oh Gosh! How scary !
I'm happy all of your cats are okay now!
I've never heard of Capstar, but will have to google it now to see what it's all about. I admit I'm a little bit over protective with my four, I will only use products aproved by my vet.
Thank You for lettting us all know!

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

we've used it before without magor issues but we did have vomiting and vocalizing. I wasnt too shocked cause our cats are pukers!

Any good advice on how to kill fleas without a ton of cemicals (we have sensitive cats and eldery cats)

 

[mlittig]

So sorry about your furbabies

 

[buzz2400]

just wanted to update everyone. It has been about 23 hours since giving the pills and all seem to be fine now. My mom keeps checking on all of them since I am at work but she says they are all moving about and eating. I just kept monitoring the cats all night long and checked on all of them when I woke up. One cat did have diareah during the night but she came downstairs after I left work.

Now to decide if I want to use brewers yeast. Heard that is supposed to help but has garlic in it and garlic could be toxic to cats and dogs. I might just throw that out and live with the fleas.

 

[Mrs.Malone]

How scary! I wonder if you had a bad batch. 4 of 6 cats having a reaction is extremely unusual. I would contact the manufacturer and give them the vet record and let them know what happened.
I've used it on various cats (on vet's recommendation, followed up by Frontline) with no problems whatsoever, and had great success. My vet said it's normal for cats to act weird and be miserable for the first hour because all the fleas go crazy and start biting mercilessly but I've never seen that. I've never heard of the panting. I would talk to the manufacturer.

 

[pixiewings71]

I've used Capstar numerous times with no issues. I'm so sorry that happened to you, I would definitely be contacting them to let them know this happened. It may be a bad batch. I have to get my Capstar from the vet, our stores don't carry them, they are a prescribed type of thing.

 

[Shagley]

Any good advice on how to kill fleas without a ton of cemicals (we have sensitive cats and eldery cats)

I just used a product called Diatomaceous Earth (DE) for the first time a few weeks ago because we found a mom cat and 4 kittens that were covered in fleas. The kittens were only about 4 weeks, so we couldn't use any kind of chemicals on them. I bought it at Tractor Supply Company, but if you google it, you can find it many places. It is a powder that kills insects, but it is not harmful to animals or humans. In fact it is also used to feed to animals to kill any internal parasites (and I also read where some humans drink it in water as a suppliment). When we used it on the kittens, we just rubbed a very small amount in to their fur, and within 2 days, they were free of fleas. Make sure to get the "Food Grade". They also make it for swimming pools, but that is not the kind you want.

 

[ilovejack02]

Wonder also if it is a bad batch . Have used for years , cats and dogs , not one issue. I buy through amazon, but my vet sells also. I recommend calling the company.

Glad your kitties are ok.

 

[buzz2400]

Didn't even think it might be a bad batch. I will contact the company. thanks for the advice.

 

[Mattingly Martin]

We had 6 cats and 1 dog and we decided from advice from our Vet to try Capstar.We gave all the animals Capstar following all directions. The animals the night we gave them the Capstar seemed to be doing well. The next morning one cat started drooling really bad,couldn't raise his head,couldn't eat,couldn't drink.etc. We rushed him back to the Vet and he started to have seizures and soon after passed away. We came home and kept a close eye on the others another started to drool and just laid around but soon passed those sympyoms and seems to be doing alot better.The third one is what is really strange,we have multiple litter boxes after we cleaned the litter box he climbed in and laid down and would not come out. He stayed in there for 2 straight days and is still acting very strange. These are not stray animals,they are taken to the Vets very often and were in great health before the Capstar.

 

[buzz2400]

I'm so so sorry for your loss. I am the original poster. I just wanted to give you another warning about advantage. It has the same chemicals as capstar so be careful if you use it. One of my cats is very allergic to flea bites and we had a problem with fleas (that is why we originally tried capstar) but we finally got it under control. I had to use the capstar on the allergic cat (with very much caution). I have been alternating frontline and the advantage on him and only have one dose of advantage left but after that I will stay with frontline. I was told by my vet that frontline is very very safe for cats and we had used it for years with no problem.

Again I am very sorry for your loss. I know that it is very hard when you lose any furbaby. I hope your other one pulls through.

 

[wiigirl]

 

[Chuck S]

How awful for anyone to lose a pet because of a reaction to a medication My cats get the Program injections and they seem to tolerate those well.

 

[Lanshark]

Is Capstar prescribed by a vet?

 

[anniemck]

I just used a product called Diatomaceous Earth (DE) for the first time a few weeks ago because we found a mom cat and 4 kittens that were covered in fleas. The kittens were only about 4 weeks, so we couldn't use any kind of chemicals on them. I bought it at Tractor Supply Company, but if you google it, you can find it many places. It is a powder that kills insects, but it is not harmful to animals or humans. In fact it is also used to feed to animals to kill any internal parasites (and I also read where some humans drink it in water as a suppliment). When we used it on the kittens, we just rubbed a very small amount in to their fur, and within 2 days, they were free of fleas. Make sure to get the "Food Grade". They also make it for swimming pools, but that is not the kind you want.

I buy my DE from Little City Cats and Dogs, I use the pills and the powder, works great.

 

[Talking Hands]

We have been using Brewers yeast in the food for our 3 cats and 1 dog. 3 tablets crushed and mixed in with the morning wet food. Is working well.

 

[Buckalew11]

Here there was an issue of vets prescribing K9 Advantix for cats. NO!!!!!!!!!!!

Do not, under any circumstances give this to your cat.

I am sorry for the loss of the poster's cat.

 

[Dani784]

Here there was an issue of vets prescribing K9 Advantix for cats. NO!!!!!!!!!!!

Do not, under any circumstances give this to your cat.

I am sorry for the loss of the poster's cat.

Are you sure it wasn't Advantage for dogs 80+lbs? My vet give us that for our cats because its a cheaper route since you use one drop per pound. Totally safe since its the exact same medicine that's in the cat version. The cat version is a one time use at $17 and the large dog version is the same price but has over 100 drops in it so it lasts a lot longer. About six months for us since we have two cats.

I used to work in a vets office and I do know this is safe. Honestly, we were an emergency vet and we never had any cat have a reaction to Capstar. Much more worrying was the possibility of flea induced anemia (from which one of my cats died). Cats are very sensitive to fleas. I've seen two cats die from a flea infestation so I would consider Capstar the lesser if two evils.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Jedana]

We've had an outbreak here (DD works in a vet clinic, in the pet boarding/daycare areas, and someone brought in a dog and two cats who were covered in fleas. Guess she brought them home to her 3 cats, and then the fleas moved here when she brought the dirty clothes/bedding to use my washer).

I used Capstar on Monday for both the dog and cat. Yesterday, I put K9 on the dog, and Advantix for cats on the cat. (This is what our vet told us to do a couple of years ago, when the Frontline stopped working and we had an outbreak--Capstar day one, Advantix day two.)

I sprinkled the house down with DE overnight on Tuesday (locked the cat in the spare bathroom overnight, and left the dog outside), and vacuumed everything (and washed bedding) this morning. After the lawn kid gets done today, I'll go sprinkle DE outside.

Today, no more fleas on either one.

I'll keep an eye on them both, and retreat next week if needed.

I got all 4 of the meds (Advantix cats, K9, Capstar large dog and Capstar small dog/cat) from Amazon for less than $150.