How To Use Flea And Tick Medicine For Cats Appropriately
Please know that prescription flea and tick medications are very safe for our petsthey are extensively tested and regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency or Food & Drug Administration in the United States.
Rarely, I have seen problems when pet parents give flea and tick medications, and typically, its because of user error. Its not knowing the correct age or weight of your cat. Take time to read the whole box and instructions prior to applying the medication on your cat. .
More importantly, never use a flea and tick medication meant for a dog on a cat. As an emergency critical care specialist, I see a lot of accidental pyrethrin and pyrethroid poisoning in cats this occurs when a well-intentioned pet parent applies a concentrated small dog flea and tick product onto their big cat. While topical flea and tick spot-on products are safe for dogs, they are very dangerous for cats.
Due to a cats altered liver metabolism, cats are significantly more sensitive to pyrethroids than dogs. While an exact toxic dose for cats isnt known, its estimated that concentrations greater than 5-10% of pyrethrins or pyrethroids may lead to signs of tremoring, hyperthermia, seizuring, and death without treatment.
Cover photo by Sheri Hooley on Unsplash
Recommendations
Vets Best Flea & Tick Home Spray
Best Spray
When youre working hard to get rid of the fleas, you want a product that is really going to make a difference in the flea population and this is it. After you bathe your cat and use one of the recommended cat flea treatments, use this customer favorite home spray all over your home furniture, corners, carpeting, bedding, and more. Vacuum after its dry and dump the vacuum canister or bag outside in the trash can, and notice a big difference in the amount of fleas you see in your home. It is worth it to take the extra step and treat the cats surroundings as well as the cat itself so you really take care of the problem rather than just covering it up temporarily. You get 64 ounces in this bottle to tackle the flea problem in your own home.
Your Flea Treatment Plan
If your cat picked up fleas outside of the home and you catch the infestation early, you may be able to remove or kill the adult fleas before theyve laid any eggs. In most cases, however, the fleas on your cats body are a tiny fraction of the total infestation.
Youll need to destroy the eggs, larvae, and pupae in order to prevent the next generation of fleas from making themselves at home on your cats body.
You can work with your veterinarian to establish a treatment plan appropriate for your cat. The following is a general guide.
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The Best Flea Treatments For Cats In 2021
Fleas are an irritating but common problem for kitties and their owners. Theyre one of the most common feline parasites and come in almost 2,000 varieties worldwide. Fleas are impressive little blighters, capable of leaping more than 100 times their own length, and their pupae can survive without food in their cocoons for upwards of a year.
This surprising tenacity makes fleas a challenging parasite to treat, but there are plenty of different options you can try to rid your pet and your home of this pint-sized menace. In this buying guide, we run through the best flea treatments for cats, covering everything from flea collars to oral medication. To help you select the right option for your feline friend, weve also compiled a handy buying guide. Here, youll find answers to some common flea-related questions, helping you to banish the critters for good.
Can A Flea Collar Harm Your Cat
The safety of flea and tick collars has been in the news lately, specifically the bestselling Seresto flea and tick collar, which was developed by Bayer and is now sold by Elanco Animal Health. On March 2, 2021, USA Today and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting published a report maintaining that the Seresto collar has been linked to thousands of adverse incidents, including pet deaths and incidents of harm to humans.
The Center for Biological Diversity filed a legal petition in April urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to cancel the registration of the Seresto flea and tick collar. A week later, the American Veterinary Medical Association published an article addressing the controversy surrounding the Seresto collar. According to the AVMA, Seresto’s “manufacturer has defended the collars as safe and effective, and veterinary experts say they have seen no cause for alarm.”
Additionally, Elanco published a statement on its website calling the media coverage “misleading” and stating that the company stands by the product. “All data and scientific evaluation used during the product registration process and through Elanco’s robust pharmacovigilance review supports the product’s safety profile and efficacy,” the statement reads.
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Hartz Grooming Tools For Every Furry Friend
Developed by professional groomers for all your at-home cat and dog grooming needs, Hartz Groomers Best Tools will help you keep your pet looking and feeling terrific. Whether youre performing every day maintenance or a specific grooming task, Hartz has the perfect tool for the job.
Combo Brush for Dogs
Double-sided brush detangles, softens coat, and removes excess loose fur to help reduce shedding.
Slicker Brush for Dogs
Fine, thin bristles with protective coating for gentle brushing to help remove tangles and matted hair.
Flea Combs for Dogs & Cats
Fine teeth help remove fleas, eggs and other debris. Can also be used to remove small mats on the face and paws.
Nail Trimmer for Dogs & Cats
Help keep nails trimmed to a healthy and comfortable length with this essential maintenance tool.
Fur Fetcher for Dogs
A patented, unique design helps this de-shedder tool remove up to three times more fur than simply brushing alone.
How Can I Kill Fleas On My Cat
Several factors must be considered before deciding which type of flea treatment for cats will work best in a given situation, including effectiveness, safety, cost, potential side effects, and formulation.
The most effective flea control products will contain an adulticide or an insect growth regulator that sterilizes flea eggs and prevents the immature fleas from growing up and reproducing.
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More Cat Flea Treatment Options
It doesnt have to be all about cat flea treatmentsthere are plenty of changes around the house you can make for natural flea protection.
Whatever your preferences, you should be able to find a treatment that works for your household and your cats. Rememberalways make sure the formulation is meant for cats, and always consult your vet before using a new product.
Side Effects Of Flea Medicine For Cats
If a cat is not responding to flea medicine positively, then it might result in some side effects that can be harmful to its health. Certain major issues that might occur due to wrong medicine can be drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, unrest, tremors, lethargy. In some cases, it also leads to weakness, incoordination, hypothermia, hyperthermia, dyspnea , and seizures. Felines get irritated as a result of which they start losing their energy. Also, certain medications may lead to disruption of the nervous system and might result in fatal health problems.
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Neem Oil + Coconut Oil
Rub these two oils together to form a paste. Massage it onto your pets fur and underbelly, paying particular attention to fleabite locations. The coconut oil acts as a protective barrier that keeps fleas from biting, while neem oil works as a natural pesticide. Remove excess with a paper towel. Remember that if you have an indoor-only cat, its safest to treat at night when they arent roaming outside .
Whats The Best Over The Counter Flea Medication For Cats
Over-the-counter medications can be just as effective and safe as prescription flea treatments. Sometimes, these treatments contain previously patented active ingredients associated with prescription medications. When the patent expires on an active ingredient used in a prescription product, manufacturers of generic products may scramble to sell low-cost generic alternatives to the prescription treatment.
While theyre not necessarily dangerous, OTC medications arent always safe, either. Just as its important when choosing a prescription product, research and careful analysis are key to choosing the right OTC medication.
Because the best oral flea treatment for cats are almost always safer than topical treatments, the best over-the-counter flea medication for cats is an oral treatment.
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How To Treat Fleas
Fleas not only harm pets, but they can also hurt the people around the pets too. While many medicines designed for preventing heartworms can treat various kinds of intestinal parasites, most of them don’t target tapeworms. However, with Program for cats and Program for dogs, you can ensure that your pets stay flea-free!
Best Flea Treatment For Cats Buying Guide & Faq
Whatever your preferred flea treatment method, were confident theres something on our list that works for you and your pet. To help you work out which one is right for your feline friend, weve put together this useful guide.
Fleas are tenacious little beasties, and when its time to treat them, it can be difficult to know where to start. Below, we discuss the pros and cons of different treatment options, and why exactly theyre so important.
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What Are The Best Flea Treatments For Cats
With a wide range of products available, you may find it difficult to choose the best flea treatment for your cat. Here are some of the options available to you.
Oral cat flea tablets
All effective flea tablets for cats currently require a veterinary prescription in the United Kingdom. There are lots of over-the-counter flea tablet options available on the market, but their efficacy is not sufficient to use as a reliable option for flea treatment and prevention.
Anyone who owns a cat knows it can be tricky to persuade a cat to eat a tablet, so this type of treatment is not suitable for every cat.
Flea collars
A flea collar works by releasing pesticides from a plastic collar worn around your cats neck. Treatment is continually released to spread around the coat and skin providing constant protection. There are many types of flea collars available, with varying efficacy.
Any collar put on your cat should have a quick release mechanism to prevent injury, this does however mean that these collars can frequently get lost. Some cats may have a skin reaction to the chemicals on the collar and a ring of hair loss can occur.
Flea comb
Regular grooming of your cat will ensure you notice any signs of fleas swiftly and enable you to quickly address the problem, minimising the time for flea numbers to multiply. A flea comb has narrow teeth that will trap fleas and flea dirt. If you have a cat with dark fur or long hair, the evidence may be harder to spot.
Vet flea injections
Flea spray
Cat Flea Treatment Reviews
These are the best cat flea treatments and are customer favorites for their performance, availability, convenience and many other reasons. Dealing with fleas can be a real challenge, and if your cat is an outdoor cat, trying to cover all the areas he or she might wander to can be an impossible task.
With these top-rated products, your cat can continue doing what cats do, but they will be protected from annoying pests, especially if you take care of the fleas before they become a problem. Riding your cat of fleas can be done in several different ways and some products are meant to be used in conjunction with others.
With the information we have provided for you, you will be able to choose which cat flea treatment is the best for your cats needs.
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Why Trust The Spruce
Adrienne Kruzer is a Registered and Licensed Veterinary Technician in three states and has been writing on pet and vet topics for over a decade. She loves researching, learning, and problem solving in order to better help pet owners. Her years of working in various animal hospitals, alongside her formal college education and elective continuing education classes, have provided her with a wealth of experience and knowledge to benefit cat owners.
What Are The Different Types Of Flea Treatments For Cats
Fortunately, fleas can be treated with a whole host of methods:
- Sprays, Shampoos, and Dips – a dip, special shampoo, or flea spray for cats, are topical solutions. They work to kill adult fleas on impact, but do not treat larvae and eggs. Find out more about flea shampoo for cats here.
- Spot-on Treatments – these treatments contain a small volume of liquid, which is applied between your cats shoulder blades once a month. They vary in effectiveness, with some killing ticks at all lifecycle stages, and others only killing adults. Theyre largely preventative.
- Flea Collars – flea collars contain topical flea treatment. Theyre easy to use, long-lasting, and make a great preventative solution.
- Oral Treatments – fleas can also be killed by giving your pet a tablet. They contain a pesticide thats safe for cats, but deadly to fleas. When this substance works its way into the cats bloodstream, any ticks which bite them will receive a deadly dose. These formulas treat infestations very well, but do not kill eggs and larvae.
- Flea Combs – these fine-toothed combs should be used alongside another treatment method. When used correctly, they can remove eggs, larvae, and adult fleas from your cats coat, ending the infestation for good. For a wider selection of choices, check out our flea combs for cats guide.
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Assessing Your Dogs Risk
Fleas and ticks are a hazard for most dogs, but certain factors increase the risk.
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Location: If you live in a warm, humid area, your dog is at greater risk for flea and tick issues. This type of climate is an ideal environment for pesky parasites. Dont think youre off the hook if you live in a cooler climate, though fleas and ticks are found in all 50 states.
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Season: Fleas and ticks are usually a greater problem in the spring and summer months due to the warmer weather. But you shouldnt let your guard down in the fall and winter they can hang around in garages, under decks, and even on wild animals.
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Local wildlife: Animals like rats, raccoons, opossums, and feral cats and dogs are known carriers of fleas and ticks. If you have these types of wildlife in your area, your dog is at greater risk.
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Habits: Any dog that spends time outdoors is at risk for flea and tick exposure. If you send your dog to the groomer, boarding kennel, or doggie daycare, theres a risk of an infestation there, too.
- Lack of flea and tick prevention: If you arent using any type of flea and tick prevention product year-round, your dog is at significant risk for exposure.
How Much Is Natural Flea Control For Dogs
natural flea control for dogs come in a variety of designs and pricing ranges. Its difficult to predict product costs nowadays. You dont know how much something costs because the pricing range is so vast. For example, a pair of pants can range from $20 to $200 depending on where you buy them. Similarly, additional goods like as natural flea control for dogs.
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How To Choose The Most Popular Natural Flea Control For Dogs
The three most crucial criteria to consider are price, quality, and popularity.Price is an obvious factor to consider, as you want to ensure it is acceptable for your needs.Quality should also be examined because buying a low-quality goods will not help you achieve your main aim of obtaining the best product.Finally, while not as obvious as price or quality, popularity can be just as significant as both when it comes to attracting new customers.
Whats The Best Oral Flea Treatment For Cats
Oral medications may initially seem more dangerous than topicals.
In reality, theyre usually formulated with gentler ingredients that are safe for your cat to ingest and are under stricter regulation. Oral treatments are usually strictly adulticides, so their effects are temporary.
The best oral flea treatment is reliable, safe, and easy to administer using a pill pocket or by crushing the tablet in your cats food.
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Sentry Fiproguard Flea And Tick Treatment For Cats
This flea and tick treatment is a topical solution that is applied to the skin on the back of your cats neck. It kills fleas, ticks, and chewing lice within 12 hours of application. The treatment is waterproof, so it will continue to be effective even if your cat gets wet. It also has a pleasant scent that cats seem to like.
SENTRY Fiproguard Flea and Tick Treatment for Cat comes in a three-month supply, which is priced at around $30. It can be purchased at most pet stores or online. The product has been rated 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com, with most users stating that it is very effective in killing fleas and ticks.
Easy Homemade Flea Sprays For Cats
Home » 20 Easy Homemade Flea Sprays for Cats
The best flea spray you can use on your cat isnt bought at the storeits made in your kitchen! These homemade flea sprays are safe, easy to make, and inexpensive, but theyre incredibly effective at killing the pesky fleas that are so difficult to get rid of. Follow these simple instructions to make any of these 20 homemade flea sprays for cats, or visit our guide to learn more about preventing and treating fleas naturally here.
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