Response from Dr Wendy Brooks:
There is no product that is labelled for use in kittens under 8 weeks that I know of. Unfortunately, as a condition of keeping my veterinary license current, it is also not legal for me to tell you to do something that is off-label with regards to an insecticide.

I can tell you what we often do when a kitten is very small and loaded with fleas: we use half a Capstar tablet. If you see a lot of flea infested kittens, I recommend that you lay in a supply of small sized Capstar for this use. A full tablet is labelled for use in kittens 2 lbs and over. I see no reason to deal with the stress of a bath. If you are not familiar with Capstar see: http://www.ah.novartis.com/products/en/cab/capstar.shtml

As for checking for anemia, it is is tricky when you don't have actual ability to run a blood test (which tells you for sure if a transfusion is on the table). Check the kitten's gum color. If it is white or pale then you probably have flea anemia. If the kitten is also weak and cold, it probably needs a blood transfusion. If the kitten is pretty strong, you can try the Capstar and an iron supplement if you really feel like taking some risks due to lack of money. If you don't want to take any risks and the kitten is pale, see the vet for a quick hematocrit test to see if he is anemic and if so, how badly.

Most vitamin supplements do not contain iron so if fleas are a problem in your area, get some kind of vitamins that do have iron. Pet Tinnic is a good brand (your vet probably has something).

Hope this helps!

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Posted on SHARE Yahoo group - July 14, 2005