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Is flea shampoo safe for my 4-week-old kitten? She's breathing funny.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed

I gave my 4 week old kitten a bath for the first time (flea and tick shampoo from Walmart, she recently got fleas from a dog) and she is not sneezing and breathing funny, I'm very worried she's never done this before

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 10th, 2017

That shampoo is labeled for kittens that are over 12 weeks of age. She is really too young to shampoo her with a flea product. I am a little bit confused when you say "she is NOT sneezing and breathing funny" and I am assuming you meant to say she is NOW. If she is sneezing and breathing funny, you could re-wash to try and get any remaining flea shampoo off of her. You could use a small amount of regular dawn dish soap or a mild cat shampoo that is safe to use on kittens. She should also be examined by a vet as soon as possible as those products can be toxic to cats, especially if not used correctly. Please call your vet and have her seen, especially if she is having difficulty breathing!!

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    Answered By Emily, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 12th, 2017

    You should watch Hazel for any kind of tremors/muscle weakness/abnormal mentation and even seizures. You can try bathing her again in the Dawn dish soap to take off any residual flea shampoo. I would recommend monitoring her for the next 24 hours and if she is doing OK the risk of her having an adverse side effects goes down.

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