F L E A S update: it is NOT over yet

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm sorry to hear this. I've been using Advantage every month on my cats and I haven't had any problems since. Good luck.

[sasvermont]

I use this on my kitties and it allows me to rest easy each summer. I don't see the need to have the treatments during the winter.

I swear by this stuff. It is a tad expensive, but I hate fleas. I cannot believe you have escaped having to do this before now.

There are cheaper versions on the flea treatment and I have never tried them.

I, too, recommend you put flea powder in your vacuum cleaner(s) for the next few weeks. Depending on the infestation, you may need to bomb the house. Sounds as though the fleas have decided to call it home.

I drove myself crazy trying to control fleas, for years, until I caught on to the monthly treatments directly on to the cats. Works like a charm.

If you keep all your kittens inside, it isn't usually a problem.

Good luck. We have all been there!

[pomtzu]

There are cheaper versions on the flea treatment and I have never tried them.

Don't waste your money. I use Advantix on my dogs (I believe they have it for cats also), and last year in an attempt to save a few bucks, bought BioSpot. Worthless!!! It cost me more in the long run - they got fleas, so of course it was de-flea the house as well as them. I sent the unused back for a refund and went back to Advantix.

Years ago before all these once a month topical treatments, I used garlic as a repellent on my Lhasas. A little garlic powder mixed with their food worked quite well, but I don't imagine cats would take to it very well.

[Catlady711]

Reposted from a post I did last year because it's too long to retype it all out again.

I have worked as a vet assistant for over 7 years, so I have narrowed my flea tirade down to my standard 'flea speech'.


Start of 'flea speech'

By the time a person notices fleas jumping on them in their houses or biting the family you already have a very, very bad flea problem. To prevent that keep a careful eye on your pet looking for fleas. Fleas can either be identified by actually seeing the adult flea, or by seeing little black specks the size of a pin head close to the skin (those are flea droppings, yuck). A cheap flea comb from any pet store will help with this especially if your pet has dark or long hair. On cats fleas are more typically found around the head/neck area. On dogs they are usually found along the spine near the tail, or on the belly.

A single female flea lays about 2,000 eggs in her lifetime! Out of the flea population ONLY 5% is visable as adult fleas. So for every five fleas you see, there are 95% more microscopic immature flea larva/eggs that you can't see. Immature fleas can live inside carpets, pet bedding, etc for up to 2 YEARS before hatching. Fleas can even manage to reproduce in homes with only hardwood flooring in cracks and crevices.

Frontline PLUS is a liquid you put on the back of your cats neck on the skin. It soaks in and attatches to the oils in your cat and circulates over the whole body. Within 24 hours it goes to work. It is important not to bathe your pet for 2 days before and 2 days after using Frontline PLUS, as bathing washes the oil out of their skin and make it hard for the product to circulate properly. However after that 2 day period if you want to bathe your pet, go ahead, it's in your pets skin and is waterproof.

Frontline PLUS works at fleas 2 ways...

1. Fleas are killed upon contact with a pet with Frontline PLUS. Fleas do NOT have to bite the pet for it to kill the flea. It kills the flea before it's had a blood meal (which is required for reproduction).

2. It also contains a 'growth regulator' that as your pet sheds hair/dandruf, it carries the PLUS part of the ingredients down into your carpets, pet bedding etc. This messes up the life cycle of the larva so they never hatch into adult fleas. This part of the process takes patience, however it is the most important part.

Regular and long term use (1-2 years without missing a month), will eliminate the need for messy/expensive flea bombs, sprays, powders, dips, collars etc. It is important not to stop using Fronline PLUS once the flea problem seems to be slowing down or gone, those flea larva may still be lurking in your house for up to a year yet!

Frontline PLUS is somewhat expensive, until you realize how much money has been spent on all the other things that don't work, not to mention the dangerous chemicals, it is def. more cost saving to use Frontline PLUS. The main ingredient of Frontline PLUS (fipronil) has been used in fruit orchards in the US since the 1980's and ONLY affects the system of an insect, not mammals, so it's a safe product.

Many OTC flea products contain more risky ingredients like pyretherins/phenothrins which are not only unsafe, (EPA about Hartz flea and tick drops) but also don't work well. Most OTC flea products only kill the existing adult fleas on your pet at that moment. So you can bathe away in a chemical laden bath and the moment you set your pet back on the floor...whamo, you've got fleas again. Also since the pyretherins have been used for so many years many fleas have become immune to the effects of them resulting in poor perfomance of the product.

End of standard 'flea speech'. LOL

As my standard disclaimer goes.....
I do not work for Merial (maker of Frontline) I do not recieve any compensation for recommending this product, and I only personally recommend products I trust to be safe and are effective.

I have used both Frontline PLUS and Revolution on my own cats. Revolution is just as good as an adult flea killer, but does very little on the growth regulator part in comparison to Frontline PLUS.

BTW don't use Frontline PLUS 2 days before, or 2 days after a bath. A bath washes the oils out of the skin and makes it more difficult for Frontline PLUS to circulate over your pet's body.

[lizbud]

I would recommend Frontline Plus too, it works very well at my house.
My Vet stopped selling Advantage that I used to use, but this stuff is even
better & the cats don't run because of the smell. I can get close to them
with an open dose & put it on them easily. (added points in my book)

If you already have fleas inside, you'll have to clean their bedding &
everything else inside. It's a real pain, but a 2 front approach works best.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Thanks for all the good advize!!

We have NO carpetting in the house, because both our children are allergic to dustmites. All tiles here.
The vet said that it isn't necessary to do any special cleaning in the house. But I don't believe that at all; so today I have been changing all the beds (humans), and lots of vacuuming has been done too. I don't think it is any use though to vacuum fleapowder, because we have a central vacuuming system. Meaning: there is a central huge container for all the dirt in our garage, so there is no dustbag on the vacuumer itself, there is only a long hose that can be connected to the system in every room of the house (sorry for the long and maybe bad explanation, English isn't my mothertongue).

I feel so bad for not having noticed this flea situation sooner.... . My cats get Frontline on their neck every 6 months; I had NO idea that this wasn't enough...! I also interpreted the bites as musquito bites.

I hope I can get this under control as soon as possible

Thanks again for your help!!!

ps. Only 2 of our cats are indoor-outdoor cats: Maya & Inka. The other 2 Zazou & Snoopy are strictly indoor now (remember Zazou's missing?) !!

[sasvermont]

I think the application is one a month. Did you know that? Also, although the other two cats do not go outside, the fleas could still jump on them if they arrive in the house, on the other cats. I would suggest giving the flea treatment to all of the cats for the warm months. Just a suggestion. That's what I do......and it has worked so far. Once the first frost arrives, I stop the treatments until spring time.

F L E A S