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| FLEA CONTROL
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CATS |
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Most cats that go outdoors sooner or later pick up fleas.
Many cats develop allergies to fleas and have severe skin
problems as a result. Fleas also carry tapeworms and a serious
blood parasite. It is far safer for your cat to prevent
fleas than to risk these diseases.
Many flea products sold in grocery and discount stores are
not effective. Some are even harmful to pets. A recent article
in one of our veterinary journals reports deaths of household
cats who were merely in the same house as a dog treated
with an over-the-counter flea ointment. Most compounds strong
enough to be effective can legally be sold only to licensed
veterinarians and exterminators, who are properly trained
in their use, and are regulated by the state and the EPA.
Fleas have developed resistance to many insecticides, so
often only the newest products are effective. Veterinary
products also are subjected to much more rigorous safety
studies.
These are the five products we are currently recommending
for flea control for cats. If your cat has flea allergies
or you had problems with fleas last year there are other
options you may want to add, such as house spray, for more
thorough control.
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1)
Revolution
This new topical ointment is amazing! Apply it to the skin
on the back of your pet’s neck and it spreads by itself
to protect your pet from heartworms, fleas, ticks and intestinal
parasites for one month. One product for all this protection!
Its active ingredient is selamectin, similar to the ivermectin
in Heartgard.
Risk of side effects: temporary hair loss on neck where applied.
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| Program™
oral liquid or 6 month injections
Program™ is the brand name for a flea hormone
called lufenuron. Lufenuron has no effect on mammals,
so it is non-toxic. It causes the flea to lay eggs
that won’t hatch.
Thus, the occasional flea your cat may pick up over
the summer won’t be able to reproduce and infest
your home. Program™ is safe to use along with
an insecticide if your cat is picking up enough fleas
that you need to kill the adult fleas as well as sterilizing
them.
Program™ comes in a once-a-month liquid that
you mix in with the cat’s food, a once-a-month
tablet, or an injection that lasts 6 months! Lufenuron,
the active ingredient, is very fat soluble. Whether
given orally or by injection, it is taken up by the
fat cells in the body and then released slowly back
into the bloodstream
over time. When the flea bites the cat and ingests
some of the blood with the hormone in it, PRESTO!
the flea’s eggs won’t hatch.
Risk of side effects: none except possible discomfort
as the injection is given.
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3) Frontline Plus™
  Frontline Plus is an ointment. Applied to the skin on the back of the neck (where the pet can’t lick it off) it spreads over the body by itself to protect the entire cat within 48 hours of application. Formerly known as Frontline Top Spot, this product now has an additional ingredient called S-methoprene that prevents flea eggs and pupae from hatching. It already contained fipronyl, the best and safest chemical on the market today to kill adult fleas and ticks. New Frontline Plus, with both ingredients, breaks the flea life cycle in three places.
Both chemicals are extremely safe - S-methoprene is actually approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) for use in drinking water to prevent mosquitoes. If a pet ate an entire case of fipronyl he would not suffer any adverse effects.
Frontline Plus
kills fleas for 1 month on cats and prevents flea eggs from
hatching for over 6 weeks! This makes it not only the safest
product on the market but also the longest lasting. It is
waterproof, so your cat can get a bath or be outside in the
rain and still be protected against fleas. Frontline Plus
repels ticks and mosquitoes, too.
Don’t be fooled by look-alike products available in
grocery and pet stores. These usually contain pyrethrins and
other older insecticides which are not only less effective
than fipronyl but can be toxic as well.
Risk of side effects: almost none. |
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| 4)
Flea collar
Many collars you could buy at the store are not very safe
or effective, so be sure to buy one from us. If you don’t
mind your cat wearing an extra collar, and your cat isn’t
likely to lose it, this is a nice, low cost option. Flea collars
not very effective.
Risk of side effects: possible neck irritation.
If your cat is strictly outdoors, use products that
kill adult fleas. Growth regulators such as Program™
are of limited benefit for outdoor cats.
Indoor/outdoor cat owners can chose either kind of product,
or both. If you choose the Program™ or flea collars,
be sure to use these products on all dogs and cats in the
household, even those that don’t go outdoors, or they
won’t be effective.
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