Flea Medicine Question

[MonicanHonda]

I don't really waste my time on flea meds from pet stores. They never worked for me. Especially Hartz. The only place I know that sells single doses is the vet's office.

I have heard of a pill that can be ingested that works wonders... it's Capstar. A lot of people use it because they have problems with reactions to frontline because it's topical.

If you want to go the natural route, 1 tablespoon twice a day for a 50 lbs dog, of apple cider vinegar, is supposed to help regulate the digestive pH (something else it does), but it is also heard to repel fleas. Adjust according to your dogs weight.

And I would be careful with Advantage. It's not supposed to be used around cats, and I see you own one.

[Roxyluvsme13]

I don't really waste my time on flea meds from pet stores. They never worked for me. Especially Hartz. The only place I know that sells single doses is the vet's office.

I have heard of a pill that can be ingested that works wonders... it's Capstar. A lot of people use it because they have problems with reactions to frontline because it's topical.

If you want to go the natural route, 1 tablespoon twice a day for a 50 lbs dog, of apple cider vinegar, is supposed to help regulate the digestive pH (something else it does), but it is also heard to repel fleas. Adjust according to your dogs weight.

And I would be careful with Advantage. It's not supposed to be used around cats, and I see you own one.

Well most of the ones from the pet stores have never worked for us either :/. I haven't tried BioSpot though so maybe it would help...

Is Capstar cheaper than the topical stuff?

I might try the apple cider vinegar, but not sure if I could use that on the cat, too? And it'd have to be a very small amount for Lily since she only weighs 4.5 pounds, haha.

Advantage is the one that's not supposed to be used around cats? I couldn't remember which one it was . They have Advantage for cats, too, though, so...

We used Revolution for a while and it worked wonders, but a lot of the Vet offices around here don't have it anymore. I think it's cheaper than Frontline or Advantage anyway.

Thanks for the suggestions

[Catlady711]

Capstar indeed kills fleas FAST, and it is an oral medication rather than a topical. Be aware though it's a one time or DAILY medication. The topicals last for 4 weeks or longer.

I've seen too many bad reactions at work from owners using things like Hartz, Adams, Bio Spot, etc. I couldn't with good concious recoomend any of those to anyone.

I've only seen a couple reactions (like 3-4 in 9 years) with the topicals we use (Frontline Plus and Revolution), and those were mild mostly minor hair loss and a couple high strung cats that drooled for awhile (which they tended to do when they came in for a normal visit anyways).

Definately check other vet's costs on Frontline Plus. There can be a HUGE variance in what each one charges. Revolution is a prescription medication so I doubt if a different vet that has not seen your pets before would let you buy it there or not. Frontline Plus does NOT require a prescription, but a different vet may require an appointment to form a client/patient relationship to sell it to you the first time.

[krazyaboutkatz]

And I would be careful with Advantage. It's not supposed to be used around cats, and I see you own one.

I've never heard this before and I've been using advantage(regular advantage not advantage multi) on all of my cats for years. I actually buy the large dog advantage and then I measure out what I need on each cat. This way I save a lot of money. My former vet actually recommended this to me to save me some money. It's the same stuff that you use on cats but it just comes in a larger doseage so you have to know how much your animal weighs and then you measure it out according to weight. I usually buy mine online.

If you have 2 dogs that are different weights then you can buy a larger dog one and then measure out what you need each time. I put it in a testube with a lid and then I use a syringe that I premark with some tape. I've used this every month on my cats for years without any problems. On my cats I make sure to squirt it out in about 3-4 spots not all in one spot so it's less irritating to their skin. Good luck.

[Roxyluvsme13]

So I should call around to other Vet's offices then and see if their prices are different? The vet we go to is the cheapest one in town and they're all home-y and nice and everything but apparently they're not the cheapest on flea medicine .

Advantage is fine, too, then? I think it's just K9 Advantage that would bother a kitty. Seeing as they make regular Advantage for dogs and cats.

Thanks for all the help everyone, don't know what I'd do without PT

[MonicanHonda]

Oops, Just kidding. It's AdvanTIX that shouldn't be used around cats. Although, as long as your cats don't lick it off, they should be fine. I don't own cats, so I don't know how often cats lick dogs. Lol

I still use Frontline... I've never had any problems with it. Just hear of them. I'll check into using the ACV for cats.

EDIT: Okay, I just read of people using it for cats. You can google information about it. It's also spoken about in a couple of my natural healing books I have. I have yet to use it, but you can also put a few drops in their ears once or twice a week and it will help prevent ear infections. My mother in law told me it is definitely a taste you have to get used to, or maybe I would start drinking it. lol

[Lori Jordan]

I use Advantage for all my animals,I Keep them on it all summer long,Just dont want to take a chance as we go for frequent walks and are around other dogs,and you just dont know.

For the cats its about 10 dollars for a single dose,the dogs are about 15 dollars per dog.

I hope you have got something by now,If they have flees it should be treated right away,Not left.It drives them crazy.

[prechrswife]

If you do the Capstar, you will still need to do the topical treatment as well. Capstar is more immediate, but it is not a long-term thing.

[pomtzu]

I guess I'll throw my 2 cents worth into the discussion. I use Advantix on my dogs and buy on line. After doing a lot of comparison shopping, I found that vetshoponline.com is the least expensive for the dosage I need. I buy the 12 dose pack, so that lasts me 6 months for both dogs, and I paid $106 and that included the shipping from Australia. My vet charges $80 for a 6 dose pack, so I save $54 buying on line. Advantix is the more expensive one, so you could get Advantage even cheaper.

I tried Dr Foster & Smith's Biospot one year because they claimed it was equal to Advantix and so much less expensive. Well, you get what you pay for, and what the dogs got was fleas - big time. F & S refunded my money, but it cost me in the long run - a vet visit for shots for the dogs since they are so highly allergic, flea killer for the whole house, and then Advantix at the vet's prices. I'll never try to go cheap again on something like that, since it ended up being MORE expensive.

And just from what I have read, and also been told by my vet, you should never use the dog formula of any flea med on a cat, even when reducing the amount you apply. There is something in the dog formula that can be very toxic to kitty.

[ginalovesfelines]

I have never had great luck with my pets just not getting fleas, seems like it just comes in cycles. I do know that you can buy good flea and tick products online and some of them are not pricy. Good Luck and hope you can have a flea free pet soon!!!

[moosmom]

Capstar works well. It's a pill and works from the inside out. Bio-Spot doesn't work, I've heard from several people that have used it without success. Do NOT buy Hartz flea treatments. They've been pulled from the shelves by the FDA but they are still out there. I can kill your pets.

Frontline or Revolution are the best.

[king2005]

Do NOT buy Hartz flea treatments. They've been pulled from the shelves by the FDA but they are still out there. I can kill your pets.

There are MANY anti Hertz sites online, I refuse to buy ANYTHING Hertz.. too many animals have gotten ill off it & far too many have died. If I'm remembering correctly the flea collar was the worst one... Also if my memory servers me correctly the issue with Hertz products is the way it's mass produced... ummm it's not equal doses.. meaning 1 dose might be normal, 1 dose might be too low, & the final dose might be too high...

Also.. why are you offering to kill our pets? LOLz ; )

[moosmom]

Let's face it, the $hit is pesticides that are absorbed into your pets skin. I know this may sound crazy, but I just try to avoid fleas by keeping my cats inside, and stripping my washing my clothes immediately if I've visited a shelter. Seems to work.

[Roxyluvsme13]

I know Hartz is bad. My grandpa said oh, you should get Roxy some of that and I was like NOOO. We did buy this spray from a farm and garden store last summer for horses (but it's also dog friendly) because Roxy had some flies bothering her. It also seems to help with fleas... I know it's not flea medicine, but it worked pretty well.

We can't use the spray on Lily though because the spray isn't supposed to be used around cats.

[mikkehla]

I do not have cats, but I have tried Biospot on my dog and it was a complete waste of money. I used one tube on her and when it didnt work, I ended up throwing the other tubes away and buying the good stuff anyway. I usually buy my flea treatment online at Drs. Foster and Smith. I have found that they are usually the cheapest place I could find.

Just a note about buying flea medicine from Ebay, please be careful as many of the items on there are much more inexpensive, but they are not approved for sale in the US. They carry the same brand name, but are not for sale in the US. I may be over cautious, but I'd rather not put something on my pet that wasn't approved for sale in the US.