Revolution Plus and Omega-3 fish oil for cats

[sukhenkoi]

Hello,

I took my 12 years old cat to a vet clinic for senior check-up. Everything went ok. They did not find any health problems.
I have two questions after our visit.

1. Vet doctor tried to sell me Revolution Plus 6 pack. We go to that vet clinic from the beginning and they never even mentioned before that my cat needs that medicine. My cat is a home cat and does not go outside and we don’t have any pet that goes outside. Do I really need to buy that expensive medicine for my cat?
2. My cat has a little dandruff. Vet doctor recommended adding a little fish oil to her food and tried to sell me some expensive Omega-3 fish oil. I decided not to buy it before I check it online. It is sold on VRS | VRS Veterinarian Recommended Solutions website only and costs $38.99 for 100 days supply. But I don't know if my cat will take it and don't want to pay $40 until I check that. I found a lot of much cheaper fish oils for cats on Amazon.com. For example, Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet, Unflavored fish oil. It has smaller size, but costs only $13. Should I try this fish oil first before buying going with more expensive option?

Thank you very much in advance for you answers.

 

[chelsmarie]

Personally, I do give my indoor cat Revolution, albeit not the plus version. It’s mostly for my peace of mind because I worry about heart worm disease. It just takes one mosquito. The flea and ear mite protection is a bonus. I contemplated doing the plus version for added tick protection but don’t love the added ingredient that causes seizures in some cats.

 

[LTS3]

Is this a new vet your cat saw at the clinic?

No, you don't need to buy extra supplements or most other things a vet tries to sell. A firm but polite No thank you is enough.

Many people feel that indoor only cats don't need a monthly parasite preventative. There may be some exceptions like if parasites are a big problem in your area and you could potentially bring parasites into the home via your clothing, bags, etc.

Dandruff is typically caused by dry air and poor grooming. You can brush your cat's fur daily to distribute the natural body oils throughout the fur. In the winter, use a humidifier in the home. Fish oils can help. Any fish oil product sold in stores or online will work, not just the specific brand the vet recommended. I wonder if the vet gets commission from selling that particular brand? Some people use fish oil sold for people. It usually costs less than pet specific products. It comes in a capsule that you poke a hole into and then squeeze the contents out into food, preferably canned food. Some cats won't eat fish oil because of the very fishy taste / smell.

 

[sukhenkoi]

Is this a new vet your cat saw at the clinic?

No, you don't need to buy extra supplements or most other things a vet tries to sell. A firm but polite No thank you is enough.

Many people feel that indoor only cats don't need a monthly parasite preventative. There may be some exceptions like if parasites are a big problem in your area and you could potentially bring parasites into the home via your clothing, bags, etc.

Dandruff is typically caused by dry air and poor grooming. You can brush your cat's fur daily to distribute the natural body oils throughout the fur. In the winter, use a humidifier in the home. Fish oils can help. Any fish oil product sold in stores or online will work, not just the specific brand the vet recommended. I wonder if the vet gets commission from selling that particular brand? Some people use fish oil sold for people. It usually costs less than pet specific products. It comes in a capsule that you poke a hole into and then squeeze the contents out into food, preferably canned food. Some cats won't eat fish oil because of the very fishy taste / smell.

Yes, this is a new vet. Every year we go to checkup we see a new vet doctor. For some reason veterinarians don't stay in that clinic for a long time. I started thinking about changing the clinic.
We used to brush our cat, but she does not like it any more and does not allow my wife to brush her.
"Some cats won't eat fish oil..." This is exactly why I want to try inexpensive fish oil first. If our cat does not like it I will loose much less money.

 

[sukhenkoi]

Personally, I do give my indoor cat Revolution, albeit not the plus version. It’s mostly for my peace of mind because I worry about heart worm disease. It just takes one mosquito. The flea and ear mite protection is a bonus. I contemplated doing the plus version for added tick protection but don’t love the added ingredient that causes seizures in some cats.

Thank you. I will check Revolution.