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Use of dog Revolution on cats  

post #1 of 48
6/17/09 at 11:20am
Thread Starter 
I've heard of people doing this, but haven't found anyone to tell me the dosage for cats. We feed a colony of 26 cats and most are friendly enough to put flea and tick medicine on them. But, the cost is becoming prohibitive. If we could purchase the dog Revolution and break it down into individual doses for the cats, we could save some money. Please don't give me dosages in milligrams (mg). I have nothing that measures in milligrams and haven't found a formula to make the conversion. Dosages in milliliters is much more helpful.
post #2 of 48
6/17/09 at 12:54pm
I got Revolution for my cats from the vet - as I understand it, Revolution is by prescription only, so I would assume your prescribing vet could give you the dosage, assuming it's do-able?
post #3 of 48
6/17/09 at 5:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by darlili View Post
I got Revolution for my cats from the vet - as I understand it, Revolution is by prescription only, so I would assume your prescribing vet could give you the dosage, assuming it's do-able?
this is the best idea if you are NOT a vet or a Vet tech ....
post #4 of 48
6/18/09 at 2:55am
Can you look it up on theirs home-page??

If the Revolution for dogs respective cats is the same, only different is the dosage??...

As a rule of thumb, many preparats for dogs arent good for cats.
I suspect the vice versa is easier - although I wont swear on it.

Anyway, you must always check up, by vet, someone very knowleable - or theirs home-page.


Good luck!


Edit: it seems to be the same chemical substance, selamectin
http://www.revolutionpet.com/revolutionpet.aspx
post #5 of 48
6/18/09 at 1:36pm
Look at the cat dosage vial. For instance, the cat vial of Frontline is .5 cc.....so I measure out .5 cc from the largest vial of Frontline and apply that to the cats. Same process for Revolution.
post #6 of 48
6/18/09 at 1:47pm
A vet will not tell you how to do this. It is unethical for him to give advice on how to save money for the companies that they deal with.

The issue with what you are suggesting is that some of the dog products have ingredients that absolutely cannot be used on cats. You would never put dog Frontline Plus or Advantix on a cat because it can kill them. Be very careful that you read all active ingredients in the cat and dog formulas and make sure they are identical.

I also sent you a PM.
post #7 of 48
6/18/09 at 3:49pm
You can't necessarily say that if a cat vial of Revolution says .5cc that you can measure out .5cc from dog Revolution as many products like this are in a higher concentration for a larger animal rather than in a larger volume. If the concentration of the pesticide is higher in the dogs you could kill a cat with it. The thing to remember is that cats and dogs are very separate animals and can react to different drugs and pesticides differently.
post #8 of 48
6/18/09 at 9:43pm
You need to talk to your vet for the correct dosage. FYI ONLY:

Revolution Puppy/Kitten:
Active Ingredient (per single dose tube) \tAmount
Selamectin \t15 mg

Revolution for Cats 5.1-15 lbs:
Active Ingredient (per single dose tube) \tAmount
Selamectin \t45 mg

Revolution for Dogs 5.1-10 lbs:
Active Ingredient (per single dose tube) \tAmount
Selamectin \t30 mg

Revolution for Dogs 10.1-20 lbs:
Active Ingredient (per single dose tube) \tAmount
Selamectin \t60 mg

You need to know what revolution for dogs you are getting, as they have different concentrations of Selamectin per ml. After that, you would need to calculate in how many ml you can get 45mg of Selamectin.

Again, you NEED to talk to a vet before doing this. I am sure a nice vet would help you out, since you are taking care of a colony.
post #9 of 48
6/20/09 at 2:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Momofmany View Post
A You would never put dog Frontline Plus or Advantix on a cat because it can kill them.
What's in Frontline Plus that's dangerous to cats? I've never heard that one before.

Advantix IS incredibly dangerous to cats; some cats have even died after licking the dog they live with, after the dog was treated with Advantix.

The ONLY brands this can be done with are Advantage, Frontline, and Revolution. These brands have the exact same concentrations of the active ingredient regardless of what weight of animal the vial is for.

Many vets WILL tell you how to divide these products, knowing that for many people, it's either that or no treatment at all. If I go into my vet and ask him for one dose of Revolution, he'll give me a small syringe with the right dose that HE pulled out of the large dog dose, and charge me the same price as though I had bought a closed cat dose .
post #10 of 48
6/20/09 at 6:15pm
I'm pretty sure it is toxic to cats (at least some brands). I wouldn't risk it. Maybe you could add some natural supplements to their diet which prevents fleas (I swear there are a few).
post #11 of 48
6/20/09 at 6:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willowy View Post
What's in Frontline Plus that's dangerous to cats? I've never heard that one before.
basically the same stuff as in Advantix.
post #12 of 48
6/20/09 at 6:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Momofmany View Post
basically the same stuff as in Advantix.
I don't believe it does. AFAIK, the only difference between regular Frontline and Frontline Plus is the addition of S-Methoprene as an insect growth regulator ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...fm?pcatid=7200 ). And the cat formula has a higher concentration of S-Methoprone than the dog formula does (11.8% in the cat formula vs 8.8% in the dog formula). I wouldn't use dog Frontline Plus on cats just because of the difference (perhaps it wouldn't be effective on cats), but I do not believe it's dangerous.
post #13 of 48
4/16/11 at 5:15pm
You can divide up large dog tubes of Frontline, Frontline Plus, Revolution or Advantage to dose multiple cats but never use Advantix with an x on end, it could kill your cat. To figure the dosage I just take the recommended dosage and divide it into a per pound figure to get the amount right. For example, if the tube is 4mL and is recommended to dose an 89 pound dog then I take 4 and divide by 89 which gives the dosage per pound which in this example would be .04494 and I just round it up to .045 per pound. Then I weigh my cat and me on the scale, subtract my weight and dose my cat at .045 mL per pound. So for example, a 7 pound cat would get just a tad over 3/10 mL. I buy my syringes at vetmeddirect.com for about $6 a 100 count box. I throw the needles away and just use the syringe part and pull 3/10 into the syringe and put it on the back of my kitty's neck. This example is for Frontline or Frontline Plus.. if anyone needs help figuring the dosage for the other brands, you can email me or post a question here.. I would be happy to help. I've been doing this for 14 years and have never had a problem. I've used Frontline, Frontline Plus, Advantage and Revolution this way with no problem. Again just NEVER use ADVANTIX with an X on the end. Also it does help to alternate which flea medication you use because the fleas become resistant to the same type used over and over. Purrs!
post #14 of 48
4/18/11 at 11:58am
Yeah I would ask your vet. My vet told me how much of the dog Revolution to use for my cat.
post #15 of 48
4/18/11 at 12:06pm
Why not just go with something natural like DE?

We buy a small flour bag full of it for about $4, just make sure that it's food grade and not the stuff that's used in pools. We put a bit in each pet's food, then they gobble it up. We haven't had a problem with fleas since we started.

I know that you can use the cat advantage on small dogs, I have had to do that in the past, but it doesn't last as long as the dog one. We got them from my mom when her cat died, they would last the whole month for the cat but only about 2 weeks on the dogs. We only use it if we have an outbreak of fleas, but knock on wood, we haven't in over a year. It would definitely be a question for your vet though.

Personally, I'd try the DE first.
post #16 of 48
4/18/11 at 6:27pm
Revolution is double the strength of the cat one(and small dog) I am just ordering and dosing it for the first time when it comes so please be careful with that one.

the cat and small dog come in 60 mg/ml and the other dogs are 120 mg/ml

So how you can divide up say advantage you could have issue by splitting it right on down.

So with that and the larger sized dogs tube:
a cat up to 5lb would be .125ml
a cat 5-15lb would be .375ml
post #17 of 48
4/19/11 at 9:40am
Just a reminder to all - NEVER follow any dosing information you find on the Internet. ALWAYS check with your vet first.
post #18 of 48
4/19/11 at 10:15am
I have to comment on the "talk to your vet" advice...I have many cats we all know that....

I have asked at least 5 vets and was told by a few for ADVANTAGE oh no you can't do THAT it will kill them!" let alone the comments for other items.

I think the key here is RESEARCH all you can do not follow advice from someone with no pets follow it from the cat rescues/pharmacists/spay neuter clinics that have broken this down and find more then one person saying this is the dose they have used. Some vets will ok it but if they don't find out if its cause they
could get in trouble or they truly feel its going to kill them. I have a shelter minded vet who would NEVER ok anything even tho I am sure the shelter she goes to does this(advantage for my cats would run several hundred a month if I did it by the book-5 6-packs would not cover all mine)
post #19 of 48
4/19/11 at 10:50am
That may work for you and your cats, but it may not necessarily work for all cats and could cause them harm rather than good. Posting dosage information here (which we discourage) without a disclaimer leaves the site open for lawsuits.
post #20 of 48
4/19/11 at 11:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by nerdrock View Post
Why not just go with something natural like DE?

We buy a small flour bag full of it for about $4, just make sure that it's food grade and not the stuff that's used in pools. We put a bit in each pet's food, then they gobble it up. We haven't had a problem with fleas since we started.

I know that you can use the cat advantage on small dogs, I have had to do that in the past, but it doesn't last as long as the dog one. We got them from my mom when her cat died, they would last the whole month for the cat but only about 2 weeks on the dogs. We only use it if we have an outbreak of fleas, but knock on wood, we haven't in over a year. It would definitely be a question for your vet though.

Personally, I'd try the DE first.
DE is wonderful for treating externally, i.e., fleas on a cat, in the carpeting, etc. but will do nothing for fleas if taken internally. It will kill any internal parasites but fleas are not internal. Folks that mix DE with food usually do so to control internal parasites only.

DE is "diatomaceous earth" which is made of small crustaceans called diatoms. DE is like a fine powder to us humans and mammals but like sharp shards of glass to insects which cuts the exoskeleton and causes the insect to die so taking it internally will not do a thing for the external fleas.
post #21 of 48
4/19/11 at 11:17am
Abbysmom understood but I had not scene anyone post that the larger dogs size were NOT the same how it is in advantage(others(frontline/frontline plus...) I don't know as I have never worked with them) and really wanted that out. And the fact many times there is not a vet to ask, that would be the best obviously but theres reasons many can't answer-some just choose not to get involved others understand they really are not allowed to give that info out.

The makers would go broke if EVERYONE knew this.

So for my previous post I am not a vet/anything of importance I just have done this on well over 50 cats(breaking doses of advantage) and far as the revolution I looked at many sites and where I got this dose from was a person in the know and she has plenty of cat experience rescuing. Do it at your own risk
post #22 of 48
4/19/11 at 12:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yosemite View Post
DE is wonderful for treating externally, i.e., fleas on a cat, in the carpeting, etc. but will do nothing for fleas if taken internally. It will kill any internal parasites but fleas are not internal. Folks that mix DE with food usually do so to control internal parasites only.

DE is "diatomaceous earth" which is made of small crustaceans called diatoms. DE is like a fine powder to us humans and mammals but like sharp shards of glass to insects which cuts the exoskeleton and causes the insect to die so taking it internally will not do a thing for the external fleas.
I got ahead of myself, lol. For some reason I started thinking fleas=worms and worms can be treated internally with DE. We do sprinkle it on them (dogs can cat) and leave it on them for about 5-10 minutes before brushing them every few days. We also have unscented baby wipes that we keep in a container of lemon water, we wipe them down with that once a day or so... apparently lemon water repels fleas. It seems to work and wiping them with the lemony baby wipes is so much easier than spritzing everyone with lemon water, lol. I guess I'm also paranoid too, they get checked over with a flea comb a lot - if I find dirt or a flea they go into the bathtub immediately for a bath in dawn, then when they dry we do DE and brush them.

I'm overly paranoid about putting chemicals on my pets because of Sadie's (dog) epilepsy, so I try not to use them whenever possible.
post #23 of 48
4/19/11 at 3:15pm
Everyone giving dosing information about these products needs to bear in mind one thing. What works for one cat under your control, might not work for another. What if the cat in question is ill? Underweight, allergic to the product. Any time you use any product to control parasites on your cats, be it fleas or worms or ticks- you should do so under the supervision of your vet. That way you are covered should something go wrong. These meds a POISONS people. Bear that in mind when you are dispensing dosage information about products used on both dogs and cats. You are putting toxic products on your cat.That is not something to take lightly.

I care for a large clowder of indoor cats. I sat down with my vet years ago and we hashed out the best way to control fleas and keep these guys safe. I switch what I use every month because the fleas become resistant if you use the same product every month. I have a formula my vet gave me to figure out the dose, and yes it goes by weight, but also by the health of the cat.
post #24 of 48
4/19/11 at 3:45pm
I absolutely agree with Hissy. Hissy has been tending to cats and feral cats for many years and probably has forgotten more than the rest of us will ever know.

Flea meds definitely are a poison and should only be used on the advice of an expert, i.e., your vet. Mika was terribly allergic to Revolution but was OK with Advantage.

Just because someone has had some "luck" doing their own thing does not make it safe to do so. Often the money we save may end up costing us more in the long term if the cat gets ill and needs to go to the vet for more than a flea issue.
post #25 of 48
4/19/11 at 4:44pm
Funny this came up-mail came quite late and I got my revolution(different brand name that's much cheaper sold in another country but same ingredients)

A rule of thumb I follow is dose on a day where if vet cares needed its available-so shocked when I see ppl dosing on sat night and have a reaction.

Also with Mika was her tab picked up by revolution?

My question here still stands WHAT do you do if your vet follows the books and refuses to give out the dosing advice on advantage??? or other products?

I have one vet who said yeah its fine but would not go further then that and the others just state no you cant do that.
post #26 of 48
4/21/11 at 6:03am
Quote:
Originally Posted by catsallaround View Post
Funny this came up-mail came quite late and I got my revolution(different brand name that's much cheaper sold in another country but same ingredients)

A rule of thumb I follow is dose on a day where if vet cares needed its available-so shocked when I see ppl dosing on sat night and have a reaction.

Also with Mika was her tab picked up by revolution?

My question here still stands WHAT do you do if your vet follows the books and refuses to give out the dosing advice on advantage??? or other products?

I have one vet who said yeah its fine but would not go further then that and the others just state no you cant do that.
Mika was fine with the alternative.

If your vet supplies your product he/she will give you the correct dosage. If they won't give you dosage it could possibly be they are covering their butts because they don't want to be sued should something happen with the product you did NOT buy from them and therefore are not certain of the ingredients even if you tell them you are sure the ingredients are the same.

I honestly don't blame them at all. If the vet is someone you have been going to for years and knows you well, it may be a different story and they would be willing to trust the information you give them.
post #27 of 48
4/21/11 at 6:18am
Personally I value my cats' well being, health and lives way too much to mess around with putting medicine on them that was made for dogs.

It is a high risk that I am not willing to take, and I am frankly astonished at how many are.
post #28 of 48
4/21/11 at 6:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
Personally I value my cats' well being, health and lives way too much to mess around with putting medicine on them
Bit of a stickler on this: Flea topicals are not "medicine". If more people would call them pesticides, which they are, maybe misuse would decrease and people would respect how dangerous these products have the potential to be - even when it comes in a cat labelled tube. So many buy from stores, online, and from their vet (and get legit products, I'm not talking about fakes) and are so familiar with these products they don't realize something as simple as having an older cat with a bit of early renal issues can make a pesticide deadly.
Respect the fact that these products are poisons.
post #29 of 48
4/21/11 at 7:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
Bit of a stickler on this: Flea topicals are not "medicine". If more people would call them pesticides, which they are, maybe misuse would decrease and people would respect how dangerous these products have the potential to be - even when it comes in a cat labelled tube. So many buy from stores, online, and from their vet (and get legit products, I'm not talking about fakes) and are so familiar with these products they don't realize something as simple as having an older cat with a bit of early renal issues can make a pesticide deadly.
Respect the fact that these products are poisons.
Yes. Agreed that medicine was a poor choice of word. But you did not copy my entire statement, the omission of which negates the point I was trying to make: whether you call it medicine or pesticide, I would NEVER use a topical flea product made for dogs on my cats

Quote:
Personally I value my cats' well being, health and lives way too much to mess around with putting medicine on them that was made for dogs.
post #30 of 48
4/21/11 at 7:43am
You try posting on a cell phone with a 3.1" screen. I was removing the other sentence and the phone lagged when I was hitting the backspace, when it stopped it had taken out a few words of the other sentence. It's a pain in the butt to redo. It wasn't me thinking "hey, I want to leave that out, too!".

But it doesn't make much difference. It's not suddenly medicine when it's put on a dog and the formulas for Advantage, Revolution, and regular Frontline are the same. They just change the amount and label on the tube. The tubes are measured for a dog, not specifically made just for them. It's still the same pesticides with the same risks. These pesticides were originally made for use on crops and against household pests, if anyone wants to get technical. It was discovered they'd work for livestock and smaller animals, and that for companion pets they could charge a lot for a small amount of the pesticide they use.

Note: it's the one size fits all dose quantities for both dog and cat sized doses that leads to overdoses in cats and dogs. Your cat measured tube may not be the safest quantity for your cat just because it falls into a broad dose range. A pesticide is still a pesticide.
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