(05-04-2013, 03:13 AM)GavinMcresty Wrote: I would be careful with the flea drops. Shortly after we first found our cat (she was a stray), we put a chemically treated flea collar on her. It was meant to keep the whole of her free of fleas. It only needed to be replaced every few months so it should have been a convenient solution. Since we had a dog already (and later found another), it did seem possible that we would end up with fleas in the house. In fact, none of our dogs ever had fleas despite frequent contact with other dogs and walks in many local parks. Perhaps the local climate was not conducive to the life cycle of the flea. Certainly, it was not the result of any particularly conscious effort on our part. Anyway, the collar we put on the cat gave her a terrible chemical burn. It was so severe that some of her coat never grew back again. It was not immediately visible after a while because the hair around it covered it up. However, there was always a patch on her neck, which stayed bald permanently. This happened before I was born so I do not know whether it caused her any discomfort. I imagine it cannot have been pleasant for her though.
It is very common for cats and dogs alike to have reactions to flea collars. I have seen more treatments done on cats and dogs than I have ever cared to. It seems ridiculous that they sell these awful collars. I have found none to be safe for all dogs or all cats. The chemicals are far too concentrated on one particular area of the body and the chemistry of these chemicals does not allow for the spreading of the so called flea protection throughout the skin/coat of the animal.. Overall - flea collars suck!
People try to save money by purchasing cheap flea collars. The Vets offer far better and SAFER products - like the drops mentioned in other posts! It certainly doesn't hurt to keep your pets environment free of fleas and ticks thus reducing the transfer from outside to in.
