Which flea med do you use and why?

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

I do like Advantage Multi or Revolution because of the other 'nasties' they will kill. (heartworm, hook worms, roundworms, and ear mites)

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I also like revolution because it works on flea eggs and larvae; really preventing an infestation - many of the other ones only kill fleas.

I was able to get it online for $26 for 3 doses, which is less than 1/2 of what my vet charges, so I am SUPER happy!

I use and swear by Advantage

Originally Posted by sharky

I was recommended Frontline by my vet as it is the ONLY one not found by testing in the blood stream..... I use with my vets blessing De flea , very natural , EPA registered with no warnings... Talk with your vet ... I have on two animals who go out in an area with few fleas and ticks outside of walking them in the forest

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Hi Sharky Is that a spot on treatment? "De Flea"? Where do you find it?

Originally Posted by carolinalima

Hi Sharky

Is that a spot on treatment? "De Flea"? Where do you find it?

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I usually get it at petsmart though petco and a few other places have it ... comes in shampoo, spray or powder..I use the spray as I works on carpet , furniture , and the "kids"

We're lucky to have no fleas here, both our cats are indoor outdoor, they have a cat door that is always open, but they've never had fleas. The climate is quite dry here, and very cold in the winter, bottoms out at -30* F here with typical lows in the low teens and highs in the upper 20s, maybe the cold kills them all off?

Originally Posted by carolinalima

I also like revolution because it works on flea eggs and larvae; really preventing an infestation - many of the other ones only kill fleas.

I was able to get it online for $26 for 3 doses, which is less than 1/2 of what my vet charges, so I am SUPER happy!

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Just a note on on-line medications - you get them cheaper because often they are not the same strength as what you get at the vet, in other words they are a watered-down version of the real thing. Often they are knock-offs as well so aren't nearly as effective and could be harmful so one should be aware of these things when ordering on-line.

I use Advantage on my dogs year round and on the cats only when I find fleas inside. All my cats are indoor only. The dogs go outside for potty breaks and to play but are indoor mostly.

Because Furrari has CRF I only treat the other cats.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Just a note on on-line medications - you get them cheaper because often they are not the same strength as what you get at the vet, in other words they are a watered-down version of the real thing. Often they are knock-offs as well so aren't nearly as effective and could be harmful so one should be aware of these things when ordering on-line.

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What about well known sites like 1-800-petmeds where you have to have the vets RX to get a number of prescription meds but their claims are that the meds are the exact same. Given that they say this in commercials, were it not true they'd definitely be found out and sued.

Though I've noticed you may only save $10, tops, from ordering there.

Are they, and a few other well known supply companies, the exception or do you believe these sites are legit? And what about online and mail order companies for human meds - specifically ones that are approved and work through one's health insurance. Do these sell fake medications because they're don't have a physical store front?

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Just a note on on-line medications - you get them cheaper because often they are not the same strength as what you get at the vet, in other words they are a watered-down version of the real thing. Often they are knock-offs as well so aren't nearly as effective and could be harmful so one should be aware of these things when ordering on-line.

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

What about well known sites like 1-800-petmeds where you have to have the vets RX to get a number of prescription meds but their claims are that the meds are the exact same. Given that they say this in commercials, were it not true they'd definitely be found out and sued.

Though I've noticed you may only save $10, tops, from ordering there.

Are they, and a few other well known supply companies, the exception or do you believe these sites are legit? And what about online and mail order companies for human meds - specifically ones that are approved and work through one's health insurance. Do these sell fake medications because they're don't have a physical store front?

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I said "often", not always. As with everything else, not all websites are equal. I for one cannot begin to tell you which sites are for real and which are not. I made that post to just inform the buyer to beware. I don't have time to do the search right now, but in the past we've had folks here buy on-line and the meds did not do the job and they ended up having to go to the vet anyway and paying almost double in the long term.

But then I'm one of those folks that wouldn't trust any online meds for me or my cats so I'm probably the odd ball here anyway.

So, again, "often" the meds you get online are not the same as you get from a vet so it's a matter of buyer be informed/aware.

I've used Revolution and Frontline. I think I have both in the house now. My dog is using Advantage Multi.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

But then I'm one of those folks that wouldn't trust any online meds for me or my cats so I'm probably the odd ball here anyway.

So, again, "often" the meds you get online are not the same as you get from a vet so it's a matter of buyer be informed/aware.

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Or just a bit old fashioned? Though I believe mail order for prescriptions has been around for a while. 1-800-petmeds is legit, and as I said you have to have the prescription from the vet for meds - it used to be that you needed it for the flea treatments, too.. I have ordered non med type products from them before, so I can verify that their service is really good.

One thing people can do if they order these flea treatments from an online site or get them suspiciously cheap is to call the company and verify that the product is correct. If it isn't and is using a copyrighted name these companies would probably like to know, so surely they'd be helpful.

As for them not working. Sometimes they don't. I had Frontline stop working years ago, no idea why but it simply stopped killing the fleas after three months of use. Maybe the fleas became somewhat immune to it as that was a bad year for fleas. I was getting it from my vet so unless they were selling fake Frontline, it wasn't from it not being the actual product.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Or just a bit old fashioned? Though I believe mail order for prescriptions has been around for a while. 1-800-petmeds is legit, and as I said you have to have the prescription from the vet for meds - it used to be that you needed it for the flea treatments, too.. I have ordered non med type products from them before, so I can verify that their service is really good.

One thing people can do if they order these flea treatments from an online site or get them suspiciously cheap is to call the company and verify that the product is correct. If it isn't and is using a copyrighted name these companies would probably like to know, so surely they'd be helpful.

As for them not working. Sometimes they don't. I had Frontline stop working years ago, no idea why but it simply stopped killing the fleas after three months of use. Maybe the fleas became somewhat immune to it as that was a bad year for fleas.

I was getting it from my vet so unless they were selling fake Frontline, it wasn't from it not being the actual product.

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Certainly old-fashioned. And certainly not trusting of everything that I can read, see or get on the internet. I've heard too many horror stories about people being burned who trusted indiscriminately.

Anyway, the best thing is that you personally have had happy experiences and I certainly hope all our members do in the future. I just know that hasn't always been the case in the past and buyer beware is not a bad mantra for anyone.

So I didn't mean this to become an argument for or against - just a "heads-up" for folks to ensure they know from whence they get their meds.

I use Revolution on our cats not just for the fleas, but it prevents heart worm as well. I have a LOT of mosquitoes in my area, the main carrier of heart worm.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

So I didn't mean this to become an argument for or against - just a "heads-up" for folks to ensure they know from whence they get their meds.

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I wouldn't consider this an argument - a good nature debate, maybe? I have a tendency to question everything.
I think we both have good points. Always double check where you're buying from, read reviews. This can go for vets, too. I know money it tight for a lot of people right now, so if there are good and safe options it's best not to scare people away. Then they may not bother to treat their cats and dogs at all or be tempted to use really bad products.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I wouldn't consider this an argument - a good nature debate, maybe? I have a tendency to question everything.
I think we both have good points. Always double check where you're buying from, read reviews. This can go for vets, too.

I know money it tight for a lot of people right now, so if there are good and safe options it's best not to scare people away. Then they may not bother to treat their cats and dogs at all or be tempted to use really bad products.

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We tend to err on the side of caution and knowing that some people have lost their pets due to online/OTC flea products specifically, we like to put out the warning. We certainly don't want to "scare people away" if there are good and safe options of course, but they need to ensure for themselves that those are good and/or safe options. If someone takes medical advice from here and God forbid, their pet dies, it leaves this site open to lawsuits which the owner certainly would prefer not to have.

So, again, we as mods post warnings to avoid lawsuits and not for the purpose of debate. Any member can post their own experiences but that doesn't necessarily mean that their experience will be the same for another person. Just as humans are different and have different reactions to the same medications, so are our cats.

Finally, having a cat die from using unsafe products may be cheaper than getting meds from a vet but I think most folks would prefer to pay the little bit extra for the safety because it is safer to get meds from a vet rather than online or OTC.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

But then I'm one of those folks that wouldn't trust any online meds for me or my cats so I'm probably the odd ball here anyway.

So, again, "often" the meds you get online are not the same as you get from a vet so it's a matter of buyer be informed/aware.

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My vet gave me a link to a website which sells online meds, and recommended that I order my pets' medications/supplements from there.

Originally Posted by Nekochan

My vet gave me a link to a website which sells online meds, and recommended that I order my pets' medications/supplements from there.

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That would indicate to me that your vet had already checked that website out and felt confident they were on the up and up which I certainly wouldn't have an issue with.

I think the thing we worry about the most is that a new poster may come here, gets information from others here, act on that information without checking it out to KNOW it is reliable information and then something were to happen to their pet, then that poster may bring a lawsuit against this site for giving out dangerous or bad information.

I know it may seem silly to some of you, but the owner has already had a lawsuit over this type of thing and that is why we prefer to err on the side of caution and always, always tell people to check any information they receive here with their own vet before proceeding or acting on that information.

And whether some of you want to believe it or not, some online and OTC drugs are NOT the same formula or strength as what you get from a vet even if they are made by the same company. AND, some OTC drugs are dangerous to use and can cause illness and/or death. If you have no problems taking those kind of chances that is your prerogative but the onus is on us to warn you.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Just a note on on-line medications - you get them cheaper because often they are not the same strength as what you get at the vet, in other words they are a watered-down version of the real thing. Often they are knock-offs as well so aren't nearly as effective and could be harmful so one should be aware of these things when ordering on-line.

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Nope - this one is the same one, sealed in the original package, etc. Exactly the same I got from my vet - If it wasn't sealed, in the original package, or the original documentation, I would be concerned; on my case, it is the real deal. But I repeat: On MY case - I am not telling people to buy it online; I will certainly continue to do so though.

We use Frontline for both the dog and cats because that's what the vet gives us. The fosters are given Stronghold which worms them as well.