Be finicky with flea treatment for cats.

Byline: Susan Palmer The Register-Guard

CORRECTION (ran 7/2/03): A June 21 story on flea prevention medication for cats on Page B1 incorrectly explained where people can get the products Advantage and Frontline. The products are available at some pet supply stores and at veterinary clinics. They don't require a prescription.

Isabell is a 9-month-old furball who likes to snuggle up on Steve Riley's chest when the Eugene dad of five stretches out on the couch. The black-and-white cat bumps her nose against his and follows him around.

But right now she hovers between life and death in a coma at McKenzie Veterinary Hospital because she got the wrong flea medication.

It's a problem vets see this time of year when the pests come on strong, and pet owners try to economize but still protect their animals, said Matthew Fricke, a veterinarian at McKenzie Animal Hospital in Springfield.

"They'll do it innocently, to save money," Fricke said.

And that's what happened with the Rileys. With five kids and eight cats, Steve Riley and his wife are budget-conscious, he said.

They picked up a flea treatment at the grocery store, and although it was marked for dogs, it looked similar to a product that a pet store employee had previously recommended to them, Riley said. They were told that a smaller dose was safe for cats and they had used it with no problem.

But the stuff they got this week sickened all three cats they applied it to. Within hours, the animals were convulsing and had to be rushed to the emergency clinic, Riley said.

"It was really traumatic," he said. "Isabell, her seizures were so violent it took me and my 18-year-old daughter both to hold her while we were driving to the vet."

Chester and John, the other two cats, recovered after 24 hours, but Isabell remained hospitalized Friday.

Many over-the-counter flea products for dogs contain the insecticide permethrin, which canines can handle, but which is toxic to cats, Fricke said.

Even over-the-counter products specifically made for cats, which contain less toxic pyrethrins, can cause problems, he said.

The issue has become confusing since the advent of two new more expensive flea treatments, Advantage and Frontline, which contain a much safer insecticide, but are generally only available at vet clinics.

The less-expensive medications are now packaged to look like the more expensive products, and are applied the same way, as "spot on" treatments rather than sprays or powders, Fricke said.

People don't bother to read the labels and think they're all the same, he said.

His hospital alone sees four to 10 cases of cats experiencing toxic reactions each summer, he said.

Symptoms range from a rash or irritation to drooling and twitching, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, and in the worst cases, seizures, coma and death, Fricke said.

"With rapid treatment and a mild reaction, they can be better overnight, but that's several hundred dollars later," he said.

People wind up being penny wise and pound foolish even if their pets don't get sick, because although the products may be less expensive, they are less effective and have to be applied more often, he said.

Pet owners who have put such products on their cats, but see no symptoms, should bathe them in warm water with a dish soap such as Dawn, Fricke said. If the cat shows any symptoms, it should be taken to the vet immediately, he said.

"If you're going to use an over-the counter product, make sure you use one for cats," he said.