Budget EFFECTIVE flea meds?

[elliriyanna]

So my strictly indoor cat has taken to escaping the house lately and surprise .. She came home with fleas, I am on a budget right now though with my puppy needing his shots, I need a flea med under $30 ... I was looking at PetArmor but there are very mixed reviews. 

 

[vball91]

Hopefully some others will chime in with suggestions but my understanding is that OTC flea meds are not as safe or effective. You could try bathing her with a mild dish soap and using a flea comb and vacuuming religiously. I have also heard of using FOOD-GRADE diatomaceous earth but have no experience with it.

 

[catpack]

Look into getting a Capstar pill which will kill all adult fleas on your cat (they will just fall off dead.) Do this along with a good bath in Dawn detergent (the blue.) It doesn't take much Dawn.
Also, check with your vet as they sometimes get free samples to distribute.

Frontline spray may be an option; but, follow the directions carefully. We have used it on a few cats before with no adverse side-effects.

I do not recommend using anything other than what you can purchase from a licensed vet. I work for a small rescue and we have taken in 2 cats that suffered toxicity from OTC flea medication just within the last 2 weeks. The last one being a 9 week old kitten.
Definitely avoid all Hartz, Sentry and Seargents products.
.

 

[goholistic]

I agree with vball91. I don't trust the "cheaper" brands, especially after my Boo was rushed to the ER after using Hartz (this was many years ago and I certainly learned my lesson!). I would stick with Advantage or Frontline Plus. I use Frontline Plus for Cats and find that it is much more expensive to buy locally or at a vet, unfortunately. So I shop around online and buy it from a reputable pet supply distributor. I buy the 6- or 12-month supply (since I have three cats). There is also a cost savings when buying the 6- or 12-month supply versus the 3-month.

EntirelyPets.com has a 3-month supply of Frontline Plus for $34.99, plus $4.95 shipping if you don't reach their free shipping minimum (http://www.entirelypets.com/frontline-plus-for-cats.html). If you buy the 12-month, you'd get free shipping and it would last you a whole year (with one cat). This is just an example. I used to use this company, but stopped because of slow shipping and they messed up my order a couple of times.

Always, always, always be sure to check to make sure you are buying the correct one for CATS. Giving a dog flea treatment to a cat can be fatal.

 

[elliriyanna]

I usually get Revolution from the vet and we have done the capstar and dawn method, Not a fan of it for her. I am not looking for something SUPER cheap just something I can actually afford right now because I don't like my baby being itchy. And my vet won't just sell me a single tube. 

This is the first time something like this has happened, I just got the dog and I just started my job so I am just a little broke right now. I may be worrying for nothing. 

 

[catspaw66]

I just went to Amazon and checked out the reviews on PetArmor. Of the 59 reviews, 44 rated it only one star.  If your vet won't sell you just a single tube, ask all your friends if they have a spare tube you could buy or borrow. That would give you some time to get enough ahead to buy a multi-pak of Frontline.

 

[elliriyanna]

I checked more places than just amazon for reviews. 

I don't have friends in my state ... SO thats not an option and I refuse to use frontline ... I have only ever used Revolution on her. I will just have to borrow some money and get her some Revolution if it comes down to it. 

 

[elliriyanna]

Emma is indoor only and my dog is going to be treated for fleas and such, Is it neccessary to keep her on flea meds? Or can I just keep them on hand in case? 

 

[vball91]

That depends on how prevalent fleas are in your area. Personally, I don't like to treat indoor only cats with strong pesticides/insecticides as a "just in case."

 

[elliriyanna]

I meant keep them on hand " just in case" they do manage to get in my house, In my current neighborhood I have to treat her as there are SO many feral cats however overall fleas are not prevalent here and we are moving out next summer into an apartment so She really could not be exposed as she doesn't go anywhere. 

 

[goholistic]

I don't have friends in my state ... SO thats not an option and I refuse to use frontline ... I have only ever used Revolution on her. I will just have to borrow some money and get her some Revolution if it comes down to it. 

Just curious...why do you refuse to use Frontline?

 

[tracy826]

I personally have had very good luck using food grade diatomaceous earth with my own cats and foster cats. I rub it into their fur well, down to the skin. I also flea comb, use the DE in the carpets and vacuum pretty frequently - 3-4 times per week. The places where they sleep and bedding for the fosters gets an extra sprinkling of DE also. This summer has been bad, and all but the smallest kittens needed one dose of advantage a month or so ago, but for mild infestations and routine control flea combing, vacuuming and DE works pretty good.

But make sure you are getting FOOD GRADE, you have to be careful because there are preparations for pool care and some with added insect control that are not good to use. Try a health food store on online store. With food grade ingestion is not a problem at all and even beneficial in the elimination of worms/parasites.
 

 

[sez2929]

I have tried them all, the most effective is Advocate and I would recommend that to all, applied to the neck every month and it does some forms of worms as well. I don't like frontline and my cat acted like it burnt her so needless to say will NOT be buying that again!

 

[cccdlx]

I have been using Frontine Plus for super big dogs on the cats with good success.  They are both 9.8% Fipronil.  The % growth inhibitor in the cat is actually higher than in the dog.  When you calculate out the dosage from a 4.02ml tube it comes to 0.03 to 0.05 ml/lb.  I use primarily the 0.04 to calculate the dosage. Sometimes less, and NEVER more than 0.05.  So an 8 lb cat (my smallest girl) would get 0.3 ml  and a 16 lb cat (my largest boy) would get 0.65 ml.  I empty the tubes in a small glass vial and use a 1ml graduated syringe to put it on the cats.  I weigh them every time I apply.  Usually 4 weeks apart during flea season and less often the rest of the year.  The unused portion stores well in the glass vial at room temperature.  For anything other than a 100% healthy adult cat ALWAYS consult your vet first. 

 

[elliriyanna]

I do not like frontline ... I feel for the cost its a rip off and I often read fleas are becoming immune to it. 

As for weighing my cat I don't know how well that would work. 

I think we will keep her on flea meds until we move and then go to only treating when there is an issue. 

 

[matts mom]

I usually get Revolution from the vet and we have done the capstar and dawn method, Not a fan of it for her. I am not looking for something SUPER cheap just something I can actually afford right now because I don't like my baby being itchy. And my vet won't just sell me a single tube. 

This is the first time something like this has happened, I just got the dog and I just started my job so I am just a little broke right now. I may be worrying for nothing. 

If you can't get Revolution, PLEASE don't use ZODIAC...it POISONED my Sassycat. Only my fast response to her foaming at the mouth and twitching saved her life. Your baby would be better off waiting a month for  Revolution  than using the cheap brands they sell in stores

 

[elliriyanna]

I got some Revo for now. I am careful what I put on her which is why I came here asking for alternatives  

 

[franksmom]

I am really not a fan of using flea preventatives especially for indoor cats. Here some information on the dangers, how to use them safely if they do get fleas and natural alternative treatments for fleas (http://healthypets.mercola.com/site.../03/31/dangers-of-flea-and-tick-problems.aspx) and here is a natural pet spray (http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/natural-flea-and-tick-control.aspx)

 

[elliriyanna]

I have used dawn baths and combing in the past ... I don't usually use flea preventatives on Emma unless she gets fleas especially since her brother will be treated. But with how many strays are in this neighborhood its not safe not to treat her. 

However it sounds like I should not treat her preventatively at all once we move?