Flea bag cats

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mini me

Original Poster:

1,435 posts

192 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
quotequote all
bit of a flea situation going on with my two cats at the mo. It's odd as having been owned by them for 13 yrs now I've never had any issues before. I've always been bang on time with frontline spot on and during that 13 yrs until now have probably see one or two fleas from memory. A while back I dunno maybe 5 yrs ago our vet changed to stronghold and told us that fromtline wasn't working with fleas as well so I swapped to that. It gave the boy terrible itchy reaction and he scratched himself raw and conversely I think it was then that I saw the only fleas ever. so I went back to frontline again and all has been well until about a month ago

Our neighbours got two cats in the summer. Now my two are both constantly scratching and we are finding fleas in the house. Maybe 1 or two every Other day. Wife had a word with next door about it and they said they were awaiting delivery of advantage or something but that cats were up to date. We have seen them scratching too so dunno about that. They don't seem the type to scrimp on fleaing though.

I have done mine both in some rub on stuff from pets at home. And we fumigated rooms in the house. This seems to have done nothing much to help though. They are still scratching and we are still finding the occasional flea. It's really bugging both us and the cats. So advice? I'm thinking is it due to next door using different stuff which has made these fleas tolerant to our stuff? Should I change to their stuff or is there something better? It's horrible to see them itching and it's horrible to find a flea landed on your arm. I know spot on treatments can take a while to come into effect so don't want to waste any time with a rubbish one. Is frontline not good enough now? And advice gratefully received.

boyse7en

6,671 posts

164 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
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We get ours injected with a long-lasting flea preventative, which seems to work reasonably well. Still get some fleas (cats are hunters, so any fleas on their prey will rapidly de-camp onto the cats and stay there until the anti-flea stuff takes effect)

mrtwisty

3,057 posts

164 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
quotequote all
'Advocate' is what you need. Brilliant stuff - turns moggy into a mobile chemical weapons factory against fleas, ear mites, heart worm, lung worm etc etc.

My cat was riddled with the little bds last year. Frontline didn't have any effect at all. Tried no end of stuff, spent a coulple of hundred quid. Went to a different vet and they seemed quite surprised that we hadn't been recommended Advocate before.

mini me

Original Poster:

1,435 posts

192 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
quotequote all
Great thanks for that. Prescription only so looks like it'l be a trip to the vets and drop my pants time. Worth it though if it sorts this out. Just hope they stock it at ours.

mrtwisty

3,057 posts

164 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
quotequote all
I get ask our vet to write the prescription for it, then buy it off the net. Still have to pay the consultation fee and for the script, but works out much cheaper (~£20 for a six month supply iirc)

Simpo Two

85,147 posts

264 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
quotequote all
mini me said:
5 yrs ago our vet changed to stronghold and told us that fromtline wasn't working with fleas as well so I swapped to that. It gave the boy terrible itchy reaction and he scratched himself raw and conversely I think it was then that I saw the only fleas ever. so I went back to frontline again and all has been well until about a month ago
The cynical part of me thinks that the Stronghold rep had been in...

mini me

Original Poster:

1,435 posts

192 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
quotequote all
Yeah just read about doing that when I googled the stuff. Seems it may be a little harder depending on the vet. Some only give 3 month prescription and will charge for each cat so may work out dearer. Il give them a bell and see what they say. It's got to be done either way anyway. Thanks again for the advice.

bexVN

14,682 posts

210 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
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Don't forget to treat your house aswell.

mini me

Original Poster:

1,435 posts

192 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
quotequote all
bexVN said:
Don't forget to treat your house aswell.
Yep. I got a spray to do that but not sure it's working. May have to flea bomb the place but I do wonder how necessary that will be. It's odd as we really are only finding one or two every other day.

I expected there to be lots if the cats were properly infested. Fingers crossed I can get some of this good stuff tomorrow and break the cycle as quick as poss.

bexVN

14,682 posts

210 months

Thursday 8th October 2015
quotequote all
Efficacy will depend on make of spray and how well it has been used.

shep1001

4,599 posts

188 months

Friday 9th October 2015
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mini me said:
Yeah just read about doing that when I googled the stuff. Seems it may be a little harder depending on the vet. Some only give 3 month prescription and will charge for each cat so may work out dearer. Il give them a bell and see what they say. It's got to be done either way anyway. Thanks again for the advice.
Advantage is non perscription and contains the same active ingredient as advocate for the flea treatment. Advocate has a worming element in it too but that can be done separately. Advantage is 50% of the price of Advocate

DavidJG

3,506 posts

131 months

Friday 9th October 2015
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mini me said:
Yep. I got a spray to do that but not sure it's working. May have to flea bomb the place but I do wonder how necessary that will be. It's odd as we really are only finding one or two every other day.

I expected there to be lots if the cats were properly infested. Fingers crossed I can get some of this good stuff tomorrow and break the cycle as quick as poss.
Just be careful with anything containing Permethrin. Some cats have a really, really, bad (read fatal) reaction to this compound. Yes, it kills fleas, but can also kill cats.

mini me

Original Poster:

1,435 posts

192 months

Friday 9th October 2015
quotequote all
I shall check tonight. just spoke to Vets and they want to see the cats first. then its £45 for 6 months worth. they said it isn't called advocate but is the same stuff with their own brand name? not sure that's possible is it?

Stage one is complete. belt is loose. Booked in this afternoon for the full bend over experience.

Perhaps in future I shall just go with the advantage stuff once I've go it sorted assuming, as you say, it is effectively the same stuff.

mrtwisty

3,057 posts

164 months

Friday 9th October 2015
quotequote all
mini me said:
I shall check tonight. just spoke to Vets and they want to see the cats first. then its £45 for 6 months worth. They said it isn't called advocate but is the same stuff with their own brand name? not sure that's possible is it?

Stage one is complete. belt is loose. Booked in this afternoon for the full bend over experience.

Perhaps in future I shall just go with the advantage stuff once I've go it sorted assuming, as you say, it is effectively the same stuff.
Hmm, I would be a little suspcious of that to be honest... I'm sure BexVN (veterinary nurse) will be back in to inform us.

mini me

Original Poster:

1,435 posts

192 months

Friday 9th October 2015
quotequote all
yes I am. That's why I wrote it down.

mini me

Original Poster:

1,435 posts

192 months

Friday 9th October 2015
quotequote all
I've also been told rightly or wrongly that front line has the same flea stuff as advantage/ advocate. Will need to check the packets when I get home.

shep1001

4,599 posts

188 months

Friday 9th October 2015
quotequote all
mini me said:
I've also been told rightly or wrongly that front line has the same flea stuff as advantage/ advocate. Will need to check the packets when I get home.
Advocate uses the insecticide imidacloprid the same as Advantage, Frontline uses Fipronil. It stopped working on my cats hence the change to Advocate/Advantage.

Edited by shep1001 on Friday 9th October 15:46

bexVN

14,682 posts

210 months

Friday 9th October 2015
quotequote all
mini me said:
I've also been told rightly or wrongly that front line has the same flea stuff as advantage/ advocate. Will need to check the packets when I get home.
No it doesn't

Frontline is Fipronil
Advocate is Imidacloprid & Moxidectin
Advantage is also Imidacloprid & pyriproxyfen.

The nearest equivalent of Advocate that I know of is Stronghold but they are not the same. Stronghold uses Selamectin.

I don't know how they can own brand a product tbh, never heard of that before for flea tx?

Edited by bexVN on Friday 9th October 15:50


Edited by bexVN on Friday 9th October 15:52

mini me

Original Poster:

1,435 posts

192 months

Friday 9th October 2015
quotequote all
Yep thanks guys. I did wonder about what they were telling me. I was also a bit suspicious that they appeared to be happy to give me stuff for one of the cats as they had seen him in July but not the other. Seemed to me that the stuff they were peddling wasn't prescription as it was going to be over the counter so to speak.

They also recommended that I don't treat the other one as they haven't seen her since 2013 or something and ot would be "unsafe". God knows how poking her belly and listening to her heart would make it safe.

Anyway I cancelled that cos I think they were playing me. I got some advantage from pets at home. Bit dearer than online but I'm not waiting any longer. Just need to corner them at tucker time. Fingers crossed. Il worm them seperately as I always have.

Once again. Thanks for your advice all.

mini me

Original Poster:

1,435 posts

192 months

Friday 9th October 2015
quotequote all
Yep thanks guys. I did wonder about what they were telling me. I was also a bit suspicious that they appeared to be happy to give me stuff for one of the cats as they had seen him in July but not the other. Seemed to me that the stuff they were peddling wasn't prescription as it was going to be over the counter so to speak.

They also recommended that I don't treat the other one as they haven't seen her since 2013 or something and ot would be "unsafe". God knows how poking her belly and listening to her heart would make it safe.

Anyway I cancelled that cos I think they were playing me. I got some advantage from pets at home. Bit dearer than online but I'm not waiting any longer. Just need to corner them at tucker time. Fingers crossed. Il worm them seperately as I always have.

Once again. Thanks for your advice all.

Edited by mini me on Friday 9th October 18:32