I had researched the best flea treatments online, based on what works best, and gone to the store to find Advantage or Frontline. Not finding those, my friend found Sergeants Gold, which she had used successfully on her cat. I thought twice about buying it, but because I thought it might not be effective, little did I know…
and for the sake of the companies reading this….I want to state here. I READ AND FOLLOWED ALL THE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY AS STATED.
After putting it on my cat, she went off her dinner and was acting strange, but some weird feeling moisture on the back of your cat’s neck is bound to make them uncomfortable so I didn’t think much of it. My friend reassured me that it was fine on her cat. Later that night my cat went off her dinner, which isn’t uncommon, but didn’t sleep on my bed that night, which was strange. I found her hiding in the morning, not waking me up to be fed, and she still wasn’t taking any food. Not realizing the seriousness of it I went out to run errands, and yesterday evening when I arrived home, 24 hours after applying the Sergeants Gold Flea treatment, she was acting really strange, depressed, lethargic, making strange twitching movements, seeming very unwell and still not eating. I immediately started googling the product, and to my dismay found out that I had poisoned my cat. There are no words to describe the horror I felt, as someone who gives my cat the very best raw food diet, and healthiest lifestyle…how could I have possibly been this ignorant to use a product that basically poisoned my cat….and now threatens her life….
I immediately gave her a bath, but already knew that it had been too long since the product was on her. Regardless, she did not move while I bathed her, and definitely perked up slightly after having it washed off. Before I could read anymore I was already on my way to the animal hospital. They diagnosed her with neuro-toxicosis from the Sergeant’s, with symptoms of a very high temperature and ear twitching and not eating. They recommended that she be admitted to be monitored and have iv fluids and meds, but I chose to take her home with the oral version of the anti-seizure meds. I watched her like a hawk all night, scared out of my wits and helpless that there was nothing I could do now but wait and see what happens and hope that her system can process the poison. This morning, she peed on the bed, which is completely out of character…
Finally, after two more baths, and 42 hours after giving her this horrid stuff, she ate some sardines (the only thing she was interested in), the twitching seems to be gone, and she’s just acting a bit fragile and unwell.I’m horrified that something I purchased in a store, and gave to my cat, could have killed her. I’m sure that the extremely healthy diet I feed her contributed to her not having a more severe reaction. I have been beside myself with worry that I was about to watch her die.
Now hopefully the worst is over. I’ll be using only natural home-made remedies from here on in, and making as much of a stink about this as I possibly can. My heart goes out to all the families of pets who were worse off. This is just unimaginably awful.