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Question: Different types of flea meds for cats?

(Posted by: Mdolittle on 2008-11-21 05:21:00)

I have been using Frontline, the kind that is sqeezed in between their shoulder blades, but since I've used it last month, it doesn't seem to be working. What are some other comparible flea meds? Can fleas build up a resistance to Frontline? Nay...N- I use Dawn dishsoap to bath them because it suffocates the fleas...but it does not keep them off them and it's not healthy for a cat to be bathed every day. Frontline doesn't kill cats...that is only if they have a allergic reaction to it. Thank you for the information though. rrm38 - my cats are indoor cats too, they've never been outside except in a carrier. But here in Georgia, fleas are tough...I get my house treated also and they still seem indestructable. I am reading about Advantage now...I'll read up on Revolution also! Thank you so much =) Strictly indoor cats. We treat our house and our yard. They are still persistant though. I use to live in South Dakota, never saw a flea in my whole life until I moved here to Georgia =( rrm38...tell me how Borax is used? That is a new one for me...but if it's something safe...I'd try it =) oh and I just want to let you all know that I really appreciate all this help =) Thank you Nay...N - I just added Borax to my grocery list for tonight =) That stuff is soo cheap too...this is great. So far I am leaning towards Advantage. But I called in to my vet first because I have 3 cats that are 20lbs. No they aren't overweight...they are HUGE cats. Biggest paws I've ever see and two of them are siamese! The other one is a big black cat. The rest of my cats are all 7.5lbs to 12lbs max. Thank you AmazingL...one thing I've been doing and I put a flea collar in my vacum bag...I was told by my vet that is all they are good for...lol. =) hehehe...I have 11 cats. One of my boys turned out to not be so nuetered after all. A new vet that I used in South Dakota didn't get all his plumbing out...grrrr....so I ended up with 5 kittens who I could find homes for so I am keeping them. Luckily the vet is helping me out with the spaying and nuetering once they are old enough...they'll be 5 months old on Dec. 19th and I have my first appointment set for Dec. 22nd =) I have the greatest hubby in the world for him letting me keep all the kittens =) I meant to say "couldn't find homes for. " I don't mind the cost =) I love my cats...my hubby calls me the crazy cat lady who found the crazy critter man as he puts up with me...I have 11 cats, 4 dogs, 2 ferrets and 3 horses. My monthly maintenance is high on everyone..but they are all so worth it! I have terminex come in once a month...this is the first time in months that I've seen a flea...but that is how I realized that the frontline hasn't been working this last month and in a week it's going to be time to treat them again. When we first moved down here and I discovered that fleas really do exist...I was a bawling mess! They were like a attacking force and I was worried about my cat that was pregnant and it was horrible. She is spayed now. The vet said it would just be easier to spay her then to put the nuetered cat back thru the nuetering again...plus he doesn't spray or act like a tom.

Posted by: ..Nay..Nay.. on 2008-11-21, 05:28:59

My vet told me last week to not use that on them because there has been reports of it actaully killing the cats... she told me to use dawn dish soap and it will get rid of it... I will copy and paste the section from her email please see below Flea killers that you can buy at the grocery store don't work and neither do flea collars. Stay away from any product made by Hartz or Seargents, cats can get very sick and die from their products. You can give your cat a bath to kill fleas if you would like to try that. Dawn dishwashing liquid used as a shampoo kills fleas. You just need to leave it on for 10 minutes to make sure the fleas are dead. The problem with that is that if he has had fleas inside your house, then there will be more to get onto him as soon as he is dry from the bath. You can kill fleas in your home cheaply by sprinkling Borax laundry booster on your floors, leaving it for 15 minutes, then vacuuming it up. The Borax kills flea eggs and if you do that every day for a week and your cat isn't dropping more flea eggs, then the fleas will be gone.

Posted by: rrm38 on 2008-11-21, 05:31:10

Yes, fleas can build a resistance to a particular treatment. I recommend trying either Advantage or Revolution. You can get either from your vet, and they're applied in the same manner as Frontline. I've had good luck with Advantage, but my cats are indoor only so I've never really had a big issue with fleas. If your cat goes outdoors, you might want to consider going with Revolution since it also helps prevent ticks, various intestinal parasites, heartworms and ear mites. ETA - Revolution, Frontline and Advantage are all safe flea treatments. What the poster above me has said about over the counter treatments (Hartz, Sargent's, etc) is very true, but it is absolutely not true of prescription treatments that you buy from your vet. Don't buy them from anywhere but your vet and your pet will be safe. They're intended to be prescription treatments and if you purchase them anywhere else, there isn't a way to guarantee their authenticity, so the companies won't stand behind them. Dawn dishwash and Borax treat fleas after the fact and they shouldn't be considered/ used as a replacement for a SAFE preventative. ETA - Yep, I'm in Alabama so I know how it can be when the fleas decide to attack. I've been lucky for the past several years, though. I have a contract with Terminix and whatever it is that they use outside seems to keep it all under control. I've never actually used the Borax, but from what I understand you just sprinkle it on your carpet and upholstry, let it sit for about a half hour to an hour, then vacuum it up. Apparently it coats the eggs and causes them to either not hatch or for the ones that do hatch to be sterile. Personally, any time I've ever had a problem in the past I've taken the cats to be boarded for the day and hired professional exterminators to come in and treat the house. Once everything settled, I came in and vacuumed and wiped everything down to make it safe, then brought the cats home. Like you said, fleas are persistent in the South and I don't want to rely on home remedies that may not fully do the trick.

Posted by: Winterberry on 2008-11-21, 05:32:38

I've had very good luck with Revolution, and it's what the vet I work with recommends. Thing is, is your cat an outside-inside cat? Because no flea med in the world will stop fleas from jumping on, it just prevents them from surviving after a bite, to lay eggs.

Posted by: AmazingLaZR! on 2008-11-21, 05:39:59

I've always used Advantage and it has always worked really well! And with getting your house treated on a regular basis, just make sure you keep up on vacuuming as much as you can to pick up all the flea eggs. They can linger around for a really long time on Furniture, and in the carpets or cracks in the floors.

Posted by: J C on 2008-11-21, 05:51:08

There are lots of options other than Frontline - Advantage, Revolution, and Promeris are three. I've been hearing that Frontline isn't working very well. Did you get yours from the vet, or from a pet store? I've been told that vets get their Frontline from the manufacturer, but pet stores get it from a middle-man, and who knows how it was stored in the meantime. Beware of Borax! It can be toxic to cats. It wasn't meant to be ingested. Cats of course will walk on the carpets you've treated it with, and then they will lick any residue off their paws. Be sure to read the warnings on the box before you decide to put it on your carpets. It's not exactly the safe cure-all it's touted to be.

Posted by: Artie Lange Fan on 2008-11-21, 05:58:44

Use Advantage Multi. I have 3 cats and they got fleas and our house was infested it was so disgusting, and I used Advantage Multi and it took like 3 months for the fleas to go away but they did eventually (you have to get it from a vet). I also put flea collars in the vacuum and vacuumed frequently. If you have only been treating them for 1 month that is not enough time, I kept thinking Advantage was not working and vet said they would go away it can take a few months because the fleas have to hatch and then jump on the cat to die so it take a long time, trust me I know exactly how you feel it is very frustrating. By the third month the fleas got much less so I took them ALL to the vet at the same time, got them ALL flea baths to get rid of any remainig ones on them, then put Advantage on them all right after flea baths. While they were gone I also sprayed the house with flea stuff and vacuumed really well. I have not seen fleas since. I have since used Advantage every month on all of them, even during winter (it is expensive but totally worth it) and we have not seen fleas since (knock on wood).

Posted by: fuzz2xango on 2008-11-21, 06:04:57

To kill the fleas, have your vet give them a Capstar - always-always does the trick - kills all fleas on the cat(s) within 24 hours. If they are indoor-only cats, do flea bombs while you are away and keep your cats overnight at the Vet's or a kennel. In the morning, air out your house, vacuum, clean, dust, etc., then bring the cats back and give them a treatment of Advantage, it's the best and can be used 24 hours after a Capstar treatment. It needs to be applied once a month for three months (to give any "extra-curricular-lol- fleas and their eggs time to hatch and die. If your cats are indoor/ outdoor - you may have to live with the ongoing problem of fleas, but if they are indoor only, you should never have fleas again. p.s. Flea infestation on a cat can cause anemia, which can cause diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration which, if not treated with Sub-Q fluids soon, can lead to death. If a kitten is infested with fleas, if not treated Immediately, death can occur within a day or 2 at most.