Flea and Tick treatments for dogs and cats

[avezan]

I need to get some bulk flea and tick treatments for my dogs and cats. I got one from my vet last year that was just for fleas and could be used on both dogs and cats. I think it was Advantage. They gave me a dosage list so that I could treat them all from the largest dog size and save money. But I know there is one kind that treats ticks that is toxic to cats. This year I have already pulled several ticks off the dog, so I need something that kills fleas and ticks. What do you recommend? THANKS.

[RedTahoe]

Might want to check out this thread:

http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=204129

[1ofEach]

K9 Advantix is the one that is toxic to cats.

[cloudyandcallie]

Ok for dogs you can alternate the k9 advantix and the frontline plus, as after a few months the fleas get "immune" to one or the other.

As for cats, the "plus" or "ix" is toxic, but, you can get the regular dog advantage or frontline, for the biggest dogs, and then use a syringe to administer the right amount to each cat. I put one vial of the large size in a shot glass, and then use a syringe to get each cat's amt out of the glass.
Why? because if you buy cat advantage or frontline, you get those tiny containers and end up paying more than if you buy the 6 months of dog "regular" advantage or "regular" frontline and divide one vial up among many cats. That's assuming you have 8 cats as I do.
Don't buy the plus or the "ix" for cats though. that is strictly for dogs.
I compared the ingredients of "reg" dog frontline and advantage with my cat frontline and advantage and found exactly the same ingredients, so i've been doing this for several years. Saves $.

[avezan]

Ok for dogs you can alternate the k9 advantix and the frontline plus, as after a few months the fleas get "immune" to one or the other.

As for cats, the "plus" or "ix" is toxic, but, you can get the regular dog advantage or frontline, for the biggest dogs, and then use a syringe to administer the right amount to each cat. I put one vial of the large size in a shot glass, and then use a syringe to get each cat's amt out of the glass.
Why? because if you buy cat advantage or frontline, you get those tiny containers and end up paying more than if you buy the 6 months of dog "regular" advantage or "regular" frontline and divide one vial up among many cats. That's assuming you have 8 cats as I do.
Don't buy the plus or the "ix" for cats though. that is strictly for dogs.
I compared the ingredients of "reg" dog frontline and advantage with my cat frontline and advantage and found exactly the same ingredients, so i've been doing this for several years. Saves $.

So, this is what I have been doing. I know exactly what you mean. The cost is about the same, but the doses are hugely different. But does what you are giving both cats and dogs kill ticks too? Or is the "ix" and "plus" referring to killing the ticks. I'm hoping to find something that I can do this with (ie buying the large dog size and then dosing it out for all the dogs and cats) that will kill fleas and ticks. Or is this not possible because of the toxicity. Thanks!

[Pancakes]

So, this is what I have been doing. I know exactly what you mean. The cost is about the same, but the doses are hugely different. But does what you are giving both cats and dogs kill ticks too? Or is the "ix" and "plus" referring to killing the ticks. I'm hoping to find something that I can do this with (ie buying the large dog size and then dosing it out for all the dogs and cats) that will kill fleas and ticks. Or is this not possible because of the toxicity. Thanks!

There is nothing out there proven to kill ticks on cats with the efficacy that the stuff in Advantix or Preventic does on dogs. Unfortunately. :( I know Frontline Plus claims to, but while it may have some killing ability, it is in no was as efficacious as the dog products. It sucks. I live in NJ and my cats are always covered. Le sigh.

[cloudyandcallie]

There is nothing out there proven to kill ticks on cats with the efficacy that the stuff in Advantix or Preventic does on dogs. Unfortunately. :( I know Frontline Plus claims to, but while it may have some killing ability, it is in no was as efficacious as the dog products. It sucks. I live in NJ and my cats are always covered. Le sigh.

Ticks don't like cats as much as they do dogs, maybe Pancakes can tell us why, I just know from many years experience. Just like ticks don't like horses as much as they like dogs, I think that is the sweating factor. Have you tried a dab of skinsosoft? I know it stinks and it is greasy, but I put it on my horses to keep ticks out of their manes. I would think a spot on a cat's head might help, since they cannot lick there, altho they will get it on their paws.

[avezan]

Ok, well, this could be a solution. I'll just get the tick prevention for my dog and give what I have been giving for just fleas to my cats. (I just looked it up and it is Advantage) With 8 barn cats, buying the large dog size just saves so much money! I haven't noticed any ticks on my cats, just my dog. And I'll be sure to avoid the Advantix and Plus for the cats. Thanks everyone!

[2DogsFarm]

Treats fleas, ticks, ear mites and heartworm all in one spot-on.
Available for dogs & cats.
I buy two 3-dose packs, barncat gets treated 4 times, housecat gets 2.

[Chall]

I have read that ticks don't like cats as much as dogs, but here's my experience. One cat is a meticulous groomer has never had a tick on her. The cat I picked up off the street is a lousy groomer and she is the one that gets ticks.

[McVillesMom]

I suspect chall is correct about why you don't see ticks on cats as often as dogs.

Something else to consider is the Frontline spray for your cats. My parasitology professor says that it's actually more effective than the spot-on formulations, and it might be more economical for you.

Also, the "plus" in Frontline Plus refers to the s-methoprene that is in it, which is an insect growth regulator. It is safe for cats. The ingredients that you want to avoid at all costs in cats are permethrins and amitraz - both are very toxic.

[WaningMoon]

Ok for dogs you can alternate the k9 advantix and the frontline plus, as after a few months the fleas get "immune" to one or the other.

As for cats, the "plus" or "ix" is toxic, but, you can get the regular dog advantage or frontline, for the biggest dogs, and then use a syringe to administer the right amount to each cat. I put one vial of the large size in a shot glass, and then use a syringe to get each cat's amt out of the glass.
Why? because if you buy cat advantage or frontline, you get those tiny containers and end up paying more than if you buy the 6 months of dog "regular" advantage or "regular" frontline and divide one vial up among many cats. That's assuming you have 8 cats as I do.
Don't buy the plus or the "ix" for cats though. that is strictly for dogs.
I compared the ingredients of "reg" dog frontline and advantage with my cat frontline and advantage and found exactly the same ingredients, so i've been doing this for several years. Saves $.

Frontline Plus is not toxic to cats. That is what my vet has given me for both the dogs and cats for yrs now. I use it every month on all five dogs and five cats. The cat frontline plus actually has more of the growth inhibitor drug than the dog version does. If you go to their website you can check that for yourself, please don't take my word for it, nor should you. But the plus version is sold for both dogs and cats and can be split amongst both. The cats get 1/2 ml of the plus. I have used this product for many yrs with no shown resistance. I know some say they have experienced it though. The research seems to vary but most I've seen say they really feel it is not so much resistance but ppl not using in correctly and trying to get extra weeks out of it, who knows, I would certainly think resistance possible. I have not experienced it myself however at all.

[Penthilisea]

Ovitrol is labeled for horses, cats dogs etc
""Quickly kills and repels fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, lice and flies. Contains Precor Insect Growth Regulator to kill flea eggs and larvae for up to 2 months. Prevents botfly eggs from hatching into adults. May be reapplied weekly. For use on dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, horses and ponies. Do not use on puppies or kittens under 12 weeks of age. Contains Pyrethrins and S-Methoprene.

Quickly kills and repels fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, lice and flies.
Contains Precor Insect Growth Regulator to kill flea eggs and larvae for up to 2 months.
Prevents botfly eggs from hatching into adults.
For use on dogs, puppies, cats & kittens over 12 weeks of age and horses and ponies.

[ponygirl]

I use Comfortis for the dog and Revolution for the cats. Works very well for us.
I should add that we don't have a tick issue at my place though so I don't target them.

[Go Fish]

I suspect chall is correct about why you don't see ticks on cats as often as dogs.

Something else to consider is the Frontline spray for your cats. My parasitology professor says that it's actually more effective than the spot-on formulations, and it might be more economical for you.

Also, the "plus" in Frontline Plus refers to the s-methoprene that is in it, which is an insect growth regulator. It is safe for cats. The ingredients that you want to avoid at all costs in cats are permethrins and amitraz - both are very toxic.

Ha ha ha...SPRAY THE CATS???? I'd end up in the emergency room :lol: I've got exactly 5 seconds to get that tube of stuff on the back of their neck before all hell breaks loose.

[Equibrit]

I have not seen a flea or had to use any treatment for them since I removed all the carpets in the house and installed wood floors. (5 years ago). My dogs thank me every day!

[Arcadien]

My old time farmer neighbor next door kept mentioning feeding apple cider vinegar to the cats & dogs as a cheap and effective flea & tick preventative. I was one that kind of gently laughed him off, but one by one my neighbors have been trying it, and reporting great results (one is even trying it on her SELF (to prevent tick bites) that is a bit a dramatic, lol, but then we are in NJ Piney land).

Haven't strayed from Frontline Plus myself yet, but it sure is expensive. Has anyone else heard of/had any experience with the feeding apple vinegar method?

Arcadien,
who has been picking a tick off herself every other day this cool, wet spring = TICK HEAVEN, and who might be looking into drinking some apple cider vinegar herself soon!

[hctjudge]

Here's something else to try--I purchased garlic for dogs for a lab and two dachshunds. The lab eats his fine but the dachsy couldn't keep it down, so I just kept giving it the the lab. Never saw a flea or tick all last summer on ANY of them.

I also give garlic for horses to my old QH that always had a summer itch. He never got the usual itchy bare spots last summer and as an added bonus, never bleached out from black to yukky. Can't explain that.

[Horsegal984]

Ovitrol is labeled for horses, cats dogs etc
""Quickly kills and repels fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, lice and flies. Contains Precor Insect Growth Regulator to kill flea eggs and larvae for up to 2 months. Prevents botfly eggs from hatching into adults. May be reapplied weekly. For use on dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, horses and ponies. Do not use on puppies or kittens under 12 weeks of age. Contains Pyrethrins and S-Methoprene.

Quickly kills and repels fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, lice and flies.
Contains Precor Insect Growth Regulator to kill flea eggs and larvae for up to 2 months.
Prevents botfly eggs from hatching into adults.
For use on dogs, puppies, cats & kittens over 12 weeks of age and horses and ponies.



Just because it's labeled for them doesn't mean it's safe though. :no: Pyrethrins are what is in K9 Advantix that makes it toxic to cats. It's also whats in Seargents and Hartz and all of that shit. Pyrethrins and permethrins will kill a cat in no time. It's a nonspecific neurotoxin, which means it can cause tremors, seizures, coma and death in ANY species it comes into contact with. Yes, including horses, dogs, and even people. Yes it's in our fly sprays and a lot of dog products, because our threshold is a lot higher, and we can break it down and metabolize it properly. Cats cannot, so it is quite risky to apply it to them. You won't think you're saving money when you wind up in the vets office with a seizing cat who we can't get under control. I have seen cases so bad(Biospot dog onto a cat) where the cat had to be kept in a medically induced coma for 24 hours until the toxin started to wear off.


Katherine
Vet Tech

[Pancakes]

Here's something else to try--I purchased garlic for dogs for a lab and two dachshunds. The lab eats his fine but the dachsy couldn't keep it down, so I just kept giving it the the lab. Never saw a flea or tick all last summer on ANY of them.

I also give garlic for horses to my old QH that always had a summer itch. He never got the usual itchy bare spots last summer and as an added bonus, never bleached out from black to yukky. Can't explain that.

As said before on other threads, garlic is toxic to dogs.

[WaningMoon]

My old time farmer neighbor next door kept mentioning feeding apple cider vinegar to the cats & dogs as a cheap and effective flea & tick preventative. I was one that kind of gently laughed him off, but one by one my neighbors have been trying it, and reporting great results (one is even trying it on her SELF (to prevent tick bites) that is a bit a dramatic, lol, but then we are in NJ Piney land).

Haven't strayed from Frontline Plus myself yet, but it sure is expensive. Has anyone else heard of/had any experience with the feeding apple vinegar method?

Arcadien,
who has been picking a tick off herself every other day this cool, wet spring = TICK HEAVEN, and who might be looking into drinking some apple cider vinegar herself soon!

I find Frontline Plus is the only thing I can afford to use. I have 5 dogs, 5 cats. Three of the dogs are in the 100 lbs range, one is 125. I buy the large dog one, 132lbs. There are three tubes in each box. I can get it for $40 and sometimes even $35. The cats all get 1/2 ml, the dogs by weight. I end up with enough for everyone out of the three pack except for one dog. So one dog, a different one each month goes without. That works just fine for me, that dog don't get fleas, there is enough of that stuff around on the rest to keep them all at bay. So I can flea all of them for $40 a month, I find that reasonable. Have done this for yrs since the vet suggested it, knowing that $ is very tight for me. I do not buy it from the vet though, she wants $90 for one of the three packs.

[wendy]

how do you get apple vinegar into a cat?

[Arcadien]

how do you get apple vinegar into a cat?

As I understand, added gradually to drinking water they don't notice it. Don't have the goal on hand, something like a teaspoon per cat I think...

Again, haven't tried it myself!

Thanks for pointing out that Frontline Plus could be bought in large quantities & dosed in appropriate amounts for cats - that could save $, hadn't thought of that!

Arcadien

[walkinthewalk]

I bought the Ovitrol spray after reading the other thread on this forum a couple months back.

I patch-sprayed my horses under the jowels because that's where I was finding most of the ticks. Everyone of my horses were rubbing their jowels by the time they came in that night and for a few days afterward.

No Ovitrol for the horses.

I sprayed a little bit in my hand and rubbed the backs, tail docks & necks of all my barn cats. Works like charm. Haven't seen a tick on the ones that normally get ticks and none of them have been "scratchin' n diggin' after the fleas.

Yes to Ovitrol for the cats.

No to Ovitrol for the house dogs because it stinks awful. I will stick to the Patchouli oil/mineral oil/water to keep the fleas & ticks off the house dogs:cool: