Black dots on my cat’s tummy and right ear

[kry]

I noticed black dots on one spot of my cat’s tummy and one outer spot on his right ear. I used a qtip to rub it off, and the black dots did come off on his tummy, but left some red small spots.

Are these mites or fleas? I put on revolution every month during summer time, and never had a problem before. What should I be aware of?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Sorry no has responded to your post yet. When you say you wiped them off, but it left red spots - could that be blood left behind? I would take some of the dots, place them on a white paper towel and add just a tiny drop of water. If the towel turns pinkish/reddish underneath the dots, my guess would be fleas. If there is no color change, then it might be dirt - especially the area on the ear.

Are you finding them anywhere else? Is he scratching at all? I would remove what you can find and look for them to re-appear again. If they do, and you don't think they are fleas, you can also consider taking a sample of them to the vet to see what they think.

 

[kry]

Hi. Sorry no has responded to your post yet. When you say you wiped them off, but it left red spots - could that be blood left behind? I would take some of the dots, place them on a white paper towel and add just a tiny drop of water. If the towel turns pinkish/reddish underneath the dots, my guess would be fleas. If there is no color change, then it might be dirt - especially the area on the ear.

Are you finding them anywhere else? Is he scratching at all? I would remove what you can find and look for them to re-appear again. If they do, and you don't think they are fleas, you can also consider taking a sample of them to the vet to see what they think.

Thank you for replying! There was no blood, and the red spots are not so visible now. The area on the ear is also wiped off but no red spot.

I did not find them on any other places so far. The paper with black spot leftover had been thrown out, so I was not able to do the testing or take samples

The earliest schedule appointment is next week, but he seems fine so far, no scratching around those areas. Hopefully it is not fleas! Though I wonder why he would have fleas even when revolution is applied on a monthly basis, if he does have fleas.

 

[FeebysOwner]

It could have just been dirt. So, just watch for more to show up. I doubt the Revolution has lost some of its effectiveness, but you never know. I have used Advantage II in the past (long ago), but started again with Feeby (15+ yo) when she got her first bout of fleas ever - and, months later I am still fighting fleas. So, apparently Adv II isn't working as well as it once did. (No change in the ingredients.) There are other members on this site that have stated the same thing about various flea treatments that stopped working for them. I can't recall if Revolution was one of them, but the odds are it was.

 

[BBirdcat]

It could have just been dirt. So, just watch for more to show up. I doubt the Revolution has lost some of its effectiveness, but you never know. I have used Advantage II in the past (long ago), but started again with Feeby (15+ yo) when she got her first bout of fleas ever - and, months later I am still fighting fleas. So, apparently Adv II isn't working as well as it once did. (No change in the ingredients.) There are other members on this site that have stated the same thing about various flea treatments that stopped working for them. I can't recall if Revolution was one of them, but the odds are it was.

Is revolution working for you now? what is the update on this?

I used Advantage I on my cat and still had flea ear mite issues

 

[FeebysOwner]

Is revolution working for you now? what is the update on this? I used Advantage I on my cat and still had flea ear mite issues

I haven't used Revolution yet. With Feeby's age, I am kind of hesitant to start using a whole different flea treatment. My vet's top two recommendations are Bravecto and Cheristen. But, I am stubbornly still using Adv II, along with vacuuming my house every 2-3 days, and using premise flea treatments to see if I can get rid of the fleas eventually.

I do know Adv II says it is safe to use on a cat every 7 days when fighting a flea infestation. For the past couple of months, I have been treating Feeby every 10 days to 2 weeks with it, since she tolerates the treatment well. Ear mites are not part of what either the original Adv or the Adv II covers. Read up on Advantage Multi, or one of the Revolution or Frontline products if you want to cover ear mites.

 

[klunick]

Is revolution working for you now? what is the update on this?

I used Advantage I on my cat and still had flea ear mite issues

I am using Revolution Plus which treats fleas and ticks but also ear mites and four varieties of worms. I haven't seen any side effects from the treatments (2 so far). The application tubes are small so it can be applied fast if you have squirmy kitties like me.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am using Revolution Plus which treats fleas and ticks but also ear mites...

I believe the Revolution products are also supposed to prevent heartworms. From my understanding, a cat should be tested for heartworms beforehand, as the treatment can be fatal if they already have them. Don't know if that is standard vet protocol or not.

 

[klunick]

I believe the Revolution products are also supposed to prevent heartworms. From my understanding, a cat should be tested for heartworms beforehand, as the treatment can be fatal if they already have them. Don't know if that is standard vet protocol or not.

Yes, Revolution Plus prevents three different kinds of worms (round, heart, and hook). Our babies came to us with roundworms. We were given a separate dewormer which made at least one of them expell another worm. No issues since. I don't know if it's standard to test for heart worms. I remember the vet testing ours for feline leukemia before they would proceed with the rest of the visit.