Kittens and fleas

Question
I have five 4 week old kittens and they have fleas.  I have already tried using a flea comb on them but it isn't taking out the smaller fleas.  I've researched ways to treat this, and I read that I could give them a bath with some Dawn dish soap and that would help with the fleas.  I just want to make sure that it is safe for the kittens before I do it.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

Answer
Ashley,

Never bathe a cat in any soap that isn't meant for them, if your vet recommends something different then that is one thing. The only time I have ever had a vet recommend the use of Dawn dish soap is when a kitten was coated in motor oil. Fleas can be life threatening for young animals. It is important to understand that while fleas are a pest they pose serious health risks because they feed on the blood of their hosts (in this case the kittens and occasional person). Kittens in general are so tiny and have fairly small amounts of blood so it really doesn't take much to cause serious anemia which can impact the amount of oxygen that travels in their blood stream. It is extremely important to have the kittens properly treated by a vet, your vet may opt to keep one or all of the kittens in the hospital if he/she feels that they are at serious risk. Fleas sucking blood from kittens can be similar to a serious trauma where your kittens lose a significant amount of their blood volume so it isn't a good idea to sit on this and wait. I realize that this will potentially be quite pricey. If you live in an area served by an SPCA shelter there may be a program in place called the SPCA Cares program which will provide your kittens with the veterinary treatment they need to be healthy at a reduced cost or even free of charge if you qualify. As far as I am aware the SPCA Cares programs provide emergency care like your kittens are in need of at this point as well as routine care including vaccines, deworming, grooming, spaying and neutering depending on the donations of the public. Your local vet may be willing to work out a payment plan given the fact that you will be having 5 kittens treated at the same time. In the UK there are Blue Cross animal hospitals that are non profit agencies intended to help ensure that all pets are able to receive the medical care that they need regardless of their owner's inability to pay. Some cities have animal hospitals funded entirely by volunteer work and private donations that are willing to offer veterinary care in exchange for "sweat equity" aka volunteer hours.  

Ultimately the best option is (provided that they are nursing on their mother which they normally are at this age) would be to pack mom and her kittens off to the vet. Your vet will likely use a product called Advantage to treat mom for fleas and the kittens will get the benefits of the treatment simply because they are so close to mom all of the time. If the kittens aren't with their mother because they are being hand reared then I would recommend that you take the whole litter of kittens to the vet and find out what the best treatment options are. Many commercially available flea treatments aren't suitable for kittens under 6-8 weeks of age so I would strongly advise against purchasing over the counter remedies from your local pet supply store. Many flea treatments are very toxic to young kittens so your vet will be able to provide the safest and most effective treatment possible for the kittens. I would also recommend that you speak to  your vet about the best possible way to treat your house for fleas so that your kittens don't end up with more when they come home. All areas that the kittens sleep in, play in or hang out in need to be treated for fleas, many commercially available flea treatments meant for houses simply aren't safe for such young kittens so I would suggest that you take your vet's recommendation and follow his/her directions closely. Once your kittens have been treated for fleas and no longer have these parasites feeding off of them it is extremely important to make sure that they do not have any further flea issues. Because fleas feed on their host's blood it is important to realize that they can cause serious damage to young kittens simply by causing anemia which can mean that the kittens aren't able to get the amount of oxygen that they need to grow and be normal, healthy kittens. I do hope that you have found this information helpful. If you have any further questions or concerns, or you would simply like to send an update or some pictures my way, please don't hesitate to contact me again.