It's that time of year again... What NOT to use on your cats and why

[p3 and the king]

It's flea and tick season!  It's going to be a bad one due to the mild nearly non existent winter most of us had.  So I thought I would share a helpful and can very much save your cats life tip with those that are new to cats or have never dealt with flea/tick trouble. 

The only SAFE treatment for fleas to put on your cat is topical.  You apply it behind their head or between their shoulderblades... I apply it not quite between the shoulderblades because some of mine can reach back there and lick it off.  So I apply it behind their head or where the mouth would be just on the opposite side! 

I use Revolution.  I believe it is the best on the market today.  You can only get it with a vets prescription though.  But no problem if you have a vet which I know all responsible pet parents do!  Second recommendation is Frontline Plus.  It works OK.  I don't really have a third but I guess Advantage II... It is somewhat better than the original Advantage formula which I hated and never recommend to anyone. 

Never, I mean never, ever... Use flea sprays, powders or dips on your cat!!  This can cause your cat to go into seizures and or stroke and die!!! 

Signs of trouble include:  act nervous, twitch, shake and may even develop seizures. Immediately call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (900) 680-0000 and your local veterinarian or emergency veterinary clinic. Treatment consists of thoroughly removing the treatment product, giving medication to control tremors or seizures and providing fluid and nutritional support. Immediate treatment offers the best chance of survival.

Most of these products are readily available and are administered without veterinary advice. The labels of these products do include an explicit warning against use on cats, but the warnings often go unnoticed or unheeded because owners are not aware of the potential for severe consequences if the product is used on cats. Also, few labels warn consumers that cats can become ill or die by interacting with treated dogs.

Pet owners should be aware that products with similar brand names may contain different active ingredients. Confusion can also result from similar packaging for different types of spot-on flea control products, only some of which are safe for use on both dogs and cats.

The new, more convenient flea-control products are a great boon to cats, dogs and owners. We must not let carelessness turn time-savers into tragedy.

So, furthermore....

Do's and Don'ts for Cat Owners

• Do read the entire label before buying and again before using any flea product
• Do buy only products that are specifically labeled for use on cats
• Do retain original packaging for reference
• Do seek immediate veterinary advice if your cat is having a reaction to a flea product
• Do be aware that flea products applied to dogs can affect untreated household cats; call the manufacturer for recommendations on protecting your cats

• Don't assume that flea products that look the same are the same
• Don't assume a small amount of a dog product is safe for cats
• Don't assume that cat and dog versions of the same brand contain the same active ingredients

 

[nebula]

we use this stuff by Hartz, I'm not sure the name of it- but it comes in little purple tubes and goes on their shoulderblades- It works great!!!

 

[catwoman707]

My rescue group used to use frontline, and the year before last we were having alot of complaints from our fosters about flea problems.

I have used Advantage for years with great success, then last summer I was finding fleas. The newere Avantage 11 is great.

Mainly what I had to say here was this-

Never, ever mistake these names, Advantage and Advantix.

Advantix can kill your cat, literally. It contains an insecticide that is only okay for dogs, not cats. If you have a dog and cat, the cat can NOT even come in contact with Advantix on your dog.

The name should be changed even, people get the 2 mixed up, I had a friend recently given Advantix by her vet's tech by mistake, and guess what?...all 4 were rushed back for a nice long stay at the vet's, 3 eventually recovered, one she actually lost.

This is not the only time I have heard this happening.

Why they do not post a large warning on the label that is very clear of it's danger to cats is beyond me...

 

[jcat]

Our local cat home has found it has to alternate Frontline and Advantage about every two years, because the vermin tend to build up a tolerance. My vet said she sees the same thing. Has anybody else had that experience?

we use this stuff by Hartz, I'm not sure the name of it- but it comes in little purple tubes and goes on their shoulderblades- It works great!!!

I hate to say it, but you should do a search here using "Hartz", as several members have reported extremely adverse effects. There's also a website that contains a number of horror stories.

 

[p3 and the king]

Our local cat home has found it has to alternate Frontline and Advantage about every two years, because the vermin tend to build up a tolerance. My vet said she sees the same thing. Has anybody else had that experience?

Originally Posted by Nebula  
we use this stuff by Hartz, I'm not sure the name of it- but it comes in little purple tubes and goes on their shoulderblades- It works great!!!

I hate to say it, but you should do a search here using "Hartz", as several members have reported extremely adverse effects. There's also a website that contains a number of horror stories.

Jcat, I do the same thing... With Revolution and Frontline Plus.  I have never had any luck with Advantage... Advantage  II , some luck but not as good as my chosen 2.   Yes, I think they do build up a tolerance to it and that is why you have to keep switching it up.  And that is why they have to keep changing to formulas. 

Also, Nebula, I have heard and experienced the same thing with Hartz flea products.  People buy them because you don't need a prescription and they are cheap but you put your cats life at risk.  When Piper was a kitten, I used this and she had seizures.  The vet said to wash it off and that helped somewhat but I still had to rush her to the hospital and she ended up staying for 2 days!  She almost died!!  Beware of any Hartz products is what my vet told me.  I always pass it on!!!

 

[speakhandsforme]

So Frontline Plus does work, then?

It's not that I don't have a vet, it's just I feel a little apprehensive about calling Kramer's vet for a Revolution prescription since he's only seen her once (we moved recently) and that was in September. Boots hasn't been to the vet since I moved, so he hasn't seen Kramer's vet, and I don't know if she'd provide a Revolution presciprtion for a cat she's never seen.

(I promise I'm not a bad meowmy! They just haven't been sick and I'm a poor college student, so their yearly checkup will wait until June when I have a job and money...)

 

[p3 and the king]

So Frontline Plus does work, then?
It's not that I don't have a vet, it's just I feel a little apprehensive about calling Kramer's vet for a Revolution prescription since he's only seen her once (we moved recently) and that was in September. Boots hasn't been to the vet since I moved, so he hasn't seen Kramer's vet, and I don't know if she'd provide a Revolution presciprtion for a cat she's never seen.
(I promise I'm not a bad meowmy! They just haven't been sick and I'm a poor college student, so their yearly checkup will wait until June when I have a job and money...)

It does for me!  And most I know!!  I prefer Revolution but you just call your vet and ask for a prescription.  I never have to go in for a check up.  I just call and ask and then go to the office to pick it up later with no problems.  Or you can use 1 800 Pet Meds and they'll do it. 

 

[nebula]

I am going to pick up some Frontline, but honestly I* have never had any problem with Hartz- And zero fleas, but if it is dangerous I will pick up some frontline from the vet.

 

[p3 and the king]

I am going to pick up some Frontline, but honestly I* have never had any problem with Hartz- And zero fleas, but if it is dangerous I will pick up some frontline from the vet.

Perhaps you have been one of the lucky ones so far?  But, Piper was about 10 months old when this happened to her.  It was scary and it came on slowly, too.  My vet said that every day he has people that have issues with a Hartz product... With both cats and dogs.  So he always warns people against using anything with their label!!! 

 

[alicia norris]

We have been using Pet Armor from Walmart for two years now and it is working great! I don't let the cats outside, but we live in an older house that has many cracks and crevices.

We used Hartz products for the first time on our oldest cat a couple of years ago and it was a nightmare. Seizures, kidney damage, more seizures...it was horrific. We also have some Capstar on hand in case of a bad infestation, but the Pet Armor seems to be working great! I haven't noticed one flea in over a year.

I also vacuum 3 times a day (including the furniture) because I have cat allergies and I want to keep the cats no matter what! It helps keep fleas at bay as well! Also, we treat our yard with Cutter Backyard Bug Contorol every 4 weeks. 

 

[p3 and the king]

I had been wondering if Pet Armor worked?  Thanks Alicia Norris!! 

  I had read both bad and good reviews on it.  That was the vets main concern when Piper had her bad reaction to the Hartz, that it might mess up her kidneys.  Luckily it seems not to have and I got it rinsed off in time.. But she had seizures and was in bad shape for about 24 hours or so... He kept her an extra day for observation because she almost died!!  It was awful!! 

Yes, frequent vacuuming can keep down on flea infestation, as well.  Thank you for including that!

 

[alicia norris]

The Pet Armor is the same ingredients as Frontline. It is just a "generic" version of it and they had to wait for the patent on Frontline to run out. That is at least what my vet told me. We live in a small town and he knows I am broke... 

I have a friend who constantly medicates and is still having a flea issue. She NEVER vacuums her house though. OK, maybe once a week. I have told her that she needs to vacuum everyday and get the edges with the wand. But, eh...if she wants to live with the bugs...

 

[pushylady]

My vet also told me how important it is to vacuum frequently if you have fleas. Which reminds me, I really need to vacuum!

 

[orientalslave]

The friend with the ongoing flea problem probably needs to treat the house.  Fleas on the cat are the tip of the iceberg so to speak - there are many, many more eggs and larvae in the floor and carpets.

 

[purrbuddy]

Thank you for bringing this topic up! I've a cat with allergies/sensitivities, who unfortunately may not be able to tolerate any flea preventative. (Revolution makes him yank his fur out to bald, exposed bare skin, itch franticly, and gnaw/lick red, open ulcers into his skin, all which lasts for a few stressed-out weeks) My cat is indoor, and we have had no flea problems in the home. Frontline works well for my dog. I will try cat Frontline for my cat next, although if he reacts as badly as with Revolution, I will need to try letting him go untreated. Some highly sensitive/allergic cats can't tolerate any of the active ingredients or carriers found in flea preventatives.

Thank you for the reminder on vaccuming!

 

[nebula]

Yes I saw the generic frontline at walmart! I got some and it works great, comparable in price to the Hartz..... Now that I think about it, that might have been what was making Smokie hurt so bad in his joints. Maybe- the vet says it might-

 

[missymotus]

Our local cat home has found it has to alternate Frontline and Advantage about every two years, because the vermin tend to build up a tolerance. My vet said she sees the same thing. Has anybody else had that experience?

Never used flea products myself but have heard the same thing. Also that some products work better in different areas of the country.

All flea (and worm) products are OTC over here, there are no prescriptions for these products.

 

[p3 and the king]

Yes, switching every so often is a good idea because fleas do build up a tolerance.  It is recommended by all vets.  Most are OTC here, too.  Revelution is the only one that requires a prescription. 

 

[planetx]

Frontline no longer works for me - and I just paid out for 5 cat doses and 1 dog

Can't afford to try again with another product so soon, so it's flea-bites for all round here...

 

[feralvr]

we use this stuff by Hartz, I'm not sure the name of it- but it comes in little purple tubes and goes on their shoulderblades- It works great!!!

Please, hun, do not use Hartz. I will try to dig us some old threads on why. It could have serious, adverse effects on your cats. :vibes

Here is just one, there are hundreds of stories like these. Do not reply to this thread - it is older and informational only. http://www.thecatsite.com/t/185279/reminder-about-hartz You can also google "HartzVictims" to see more tragic stories. :rub: