Need safe flea medication for senior Cat.

Discussion in 'Feline Health - (Welcome & Main Forum)' started by maryjoandsmokie, May 13, 2017.

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  1. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Fleas have been brought into my house on someone's shoes.
    My senior Cat, Fluffy now has fleas and i don't know a safe medication to use.
    My Vet suggested comfortis but I have read about many Cats and Dogs dying
    after using this medication. I have used advantage and it has not gotten rid of the fleas.

    Could someone tell me a safe flea medication for an older Cat?
    Many thanks!
     
  2. Tanya and Ducia

    Tanya and Ducia Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2017
    I was very satisfied with the Revolution - but I am not sure if it is suitable for all ages. Never heard it was not.
     
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  3. jayla-n-Drevon

    jayla-n-Drevon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    there is a pill called cap star that kills the fleas on the cat but has no residual effect-
    the pluses -- it is in and out of the system and safer than long term flea treatments.
    the negatives -- you will probably have to do several days in a row to kill all the fleas depending how bad they are.
    That being said I personally think it is a better choice to do cap star for several days if needed because if you use frontline or revolution etc.... if kitty has a reaction you cant get it out of the cat-
    cap star is in and out in about 12 hours.
    you can get it online-
    if you decide to do a topical frontline is the only 1 that I know of that does NOT go into the blood stream-it stays in the top layer of skin and is most tested with minimal reactions.
     
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  4. Lillie

    Lillie Member

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    Mar 10, 2017
    Just for information and not saying this could happen to anyone else's cat but I treated my cat with the AdvantageII topical and within 24 hours he had an ataxia.. He didn't lick any of it and it didn't drip anywhere else on his body. He started having seizures within a few days and had them every 4 days thereafter. I had to put him on phenobarbital but he kept having the seizures until after the 30 days that the Advantage was out of his system. He remained on the pheno for 6 months to make sure he wouldn't have any more. Terrible time and very expensive hospital stay. He was ok with the regular Advantage but they added a pesticide when they changed it to Advantage II. A neurologist at a teaching hospital for animals told me there is a possibility this could happen with any of them. I've been looking for a natural flea repellent that doesn't have any pesticides or nerve damaging chemicals but haven't found anything yet that has a good record of getting rid of fleas. I have to frequently give him a bath in the summer months with a natural pet shampoo.
     
  5. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Thanks, Tanya!
    I have read that Revolution is unsafe for Senior Cats.
    I have never used it.
     
  6. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Thanks Jayla.
    Capstar worked well for awhile but now it is ineffective.
    fluffy had no side effects.
     
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  7. Tanya and Ducia

    Tanya and Ducia Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2017
    Hmm.. I can only add that we also tried several "at counter" remedies - whatever you could buy at PetCo or Petsmart. One was a cream/gel that you apply to skin in the scruff area and another one was a spray - to use topically at the same spot. I cannot remember its names but she was miserable - within a few afters after using it Ducia would be shacking, appeared to be in pain. We washed her right away but she was sick for a couple of days although she was young and strong then.

    What I suggest is that you re-post your question tomorrow. You have posted yesterday and the weekends are usually slow in traffic - especially the Holiday weekends. Not so many people seen you post and could get a chance to comment.

    I hope you had nice Mother Day and someone will give you an idea to help Smokie!:bighug:
     
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  8. jayla-n-Drevon

    jayla-n-Drevon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    I have som clients that use 1/2 dose of frontline that have been ok and was effective.... I know is still scary.
    1 (a dog) had a horrible reaction with a full dose but is fine with 1/2-
     
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  9. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Mm
    I am sorry to hear about your Kitty getting so sick from advantage 11.
    I used it on Fluffy and it used to help but now it does nothing. He never had a side affect.
    I don't know what to do. If i give any flea medicine I'm taking a chance and he could die.
    Have you heard about using Dawn dish liquid for a bath to get rid of fleas?
    I'm gonna try it but i sure need a medication to help Fluffy!
     
  10. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    I will surely do that! Thanks!
    I hope you had a nice Mothers Day too!
     
  11. AlphaCat

    AlphaCat Member

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    May 9, 2017
    I have used Dawn on kittens too young to get topical flea treatment. You give the kitty a bath and the fleas die. It doesn't kill the eggs or any that are lingering in your house from where your cat has shed eggs. That means you'll have to bathe regularly and still may not get rid of all the fleas, just keep them more manageable-ish.

    Since fleas cause worms I don't take the chance of creating more issues. (My cats are all indoor, but the dog will go out and occasionally bring them in.) if you're seeing them, they're like cockroaches... they've been there a while. Because seeing one means there are a bunch behind your walls.

    I used to use regular Advantage but did not find the Advantage 2 to have the same success. My vet switched us over to revolution when we have an indoor outbreak. We haven't had any issues.

    I've only resorted to Dawn because those kittens were too young for Revolution. Also, You have an older kitty, I don't know how she's going to manage regular baths. This may be quite a stressful situation.

    I've had to tell my mother in law she couldn't bring her dog back over until she got appropriate flea treatment. She had been using the stuff you buy from the store without a prescription and it never worked. We always had an outbreak after their visits. And she was spending tons of money weekly on products that don't work.

    I get being concerned over potential medical reactions particularly with an older pet. But it sounds like you're going to need to work with your vet or find a holistic practicing vet that can take your concerns into account to find a solution that works. (Idk if that means using a minimal dose to test for reactions, or finding a medicine that both of you are comfortable with that actually works.)
     
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  12. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    That is something to think about, Jayla. I'll talk to my Vet.
    He wanted me to use comfortis but on the Internet the reviews show page after page of Cats and Dogs
    who have died after using it. My Sons little Dog had a bad neurological reaction and was very sick along time.
    He acted strange. Could not stop shaking, held his head high and tilted, would go out in yard at night
    And not let anyone touch him.
     
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  13. Sharon14

    Sharon14 Well-Known Member

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    Aug 16, 2015
    The dawn shampoo does work, but as AlphaCat says, it can be stressful if he's not used to baths. Some swear by human grade diatomaceous earth. I tried it on my senior cat (24) and while I think it helped, I'm not sure how well it worked, and it was very messy. It may be worth looking into though. I also use flea traps, flea combs and lots of vacuuming.
     
  14. jayla-n-Drevon

    jayla-n-Drevon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    Does that kill feral or repel?
    I was never sure. I know @Bobbie And Bubba use it too.
     
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  15. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

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    Jan 14, 2015
    We use Revolution on all of ours - have done for almost a year. We had been using Advantage II, but Roxi had an allergic reaction to it, though fortunately there were no lasting effects for her after the first few hours (the ER gave her a bath to get it all off). We'd been using Advantage II because Regan has skin allergies to Frontline, although when our ex-housemate tried using Frontline on his 2 cats it did absolutely nothing...the cats actually continued to get more and more fleas and I have heard that's becoming a more common problem every year. We've found the Revolution to be very effective - I only use it about once every 3 months as ours are indoor cats and we find we don't need it more often than that.
     
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  16. Sharon14

    Sharon14 Well-Known Member

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    Aug 16, 2015
    It's supposed to kill the fleas. I use it in my veggie garden and it does work on some insects, so it may at least help with fleas. My problem with it was the mess. I took DJ outside and rubbed it all over him getting it down onto his skin as best I could. Be careful to keep it away from their eyes and noses though (yours too!). I also tried apple cider vinegar on a cloth and rubbed against the hair to repel, he smelled like a salad, but it helped. I ordered some natural flea wipes from Amazon, but sadly DJ passed before they arrived so I haven't tried them.
     
  17. jayla-n-Drevon

    jayla-n-Drevon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    I know of a natural repellant called BUG OFF--also Dr Becker has some essential oils she uses that repel-
     
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  18. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Thank you.
    We don't have holistic Vets here. Wish they did.
    Do you know which flea medication is the safest to use? Advantage does not help.
    I'm so afraid to use comfortis. Brevocto kills many pets too. There should be one just a little stronger than advantage.
     
  19. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Thank you. I will check into this.
     
  20. jayla-n-Drevon

    jayla-n-Drevon Well-Known Member

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    Oct 11, 2015
    Do you have other pets ?
     
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  21. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    It kills the fleas but not the eggs.
     
  22. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Just Fluffy. I lost Smokie a year ago.
     
  23. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    I can't find any information on it regarding senior Cats.
     
  24. AlphaCat

    AlphaCat Member

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    May 9, 2017
    I've never looked for one, so I'm not sure how to even go about that part. Most vets are better than my people medical doctors, so I trust their knowledge when I find a good one.
    However, I've seen a couple animal web pages that contact with vets who answer questions over the internet. It seems one of those might be more on the holistic side...
    Have you checked out Revolution with your local vet?
     
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  25. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

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    Jan 14, 2015
    It's not exactly down to strength - it's how long a particular formulation and a particular active ingredient have been used, and whether or not fleas have built resistance to that. Revolution is the newest of the 3 veterinary recommended spot-on treatments and therefore is still more effective in most cases at the moment.
     
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  26. Tanya and Ducia

    Tanya and Ducia Well-Known Member

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    Feb 25, 2017
    It helped us a lot - with carpets and furniture to kill the eggs. We treated all the rooms, coaches, floor crevices, everywhere with EDIBLE grade diatomaceous earth. Ducia was rid of fleas by Revolution - but it may not be safe for a senior kitty.
     
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  27. jayla-n-Drevon

    jayla-n-Drevon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    i will see if I have a bottle at the shop tomorrow
    The guy who makes it is very nice. I will get the contact info if I have it.
     
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  28. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Thanks AlphaCat. I didn't check about Revolution. I thought it would be
    Too strong since it lasts a year. He recommended comfortis. I'll ask him.



     
  29. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    That would be great jayla!
     
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  30. Squeakycats

    Squeakycats Member

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    Mar 22, 2017
    Please be very careful if you look into using essential oils. People assume they're safe because they're "natural," but they can actually be very toxic to kitties.
     
  31. Su Jones

    Su Jones New Member

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    Oct 5, 2015
    I am using a Seresto collar on Leo this year and it is working so far with no side effects. Ordered it from Chewy.
     
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  32. Larry and Kitties

    Larry and Kitties Well-Known Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    This
    http://www.1800petmeds.com/Revoluti...PUDaCVWLh4d-57V5di07avzgqleNyccA8BxoCzMnw_wcB
    says it is monthly:
    What is Revolution?
    Revolution is a safe and simple monthly topical medication used to protect your pet from heartworms, fleas, and ear mites. It also protects dogs from ticks and sarcoptic mange and cats from roundworms and hookworms. Revolution for Dogs and Cats requires a prescription from your veterinarian. (3 Pack = 3 doses which lasts 3 months.)
     
  33. Marlena

    Marlena Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2015
    I use DE (diatomacious earth) food grade. It is the only 100% natural, safe and effective flea treatment I know of.
    It works for me so well, I don't ever have a problem with fleas any more and I don't "poison" my animals with commercial and very toxic flea treatments, we have too many chemicals in our environment which affect us and our companions so I made a conscious decision to avoid those as much as possible.
    You might want to consider DE and do your Google search or if you would like more information from me I would be more than happy to elaborate.
     
  34. Jeff D / Sketch

    Jeff D / Sketch Member

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2017
    My senior cat Sketch had a reaction to the Revolution. Very rapid heartbeat and respiration for about 24 hrs after application. Have decided not to use it going forward. Still studying poss more organic options. With the chemicals in these treatments I am surprised more cats don't have issues...some of the stuff is like nerve agents.
     
  35. jayla-n-Drevon

    jayla-n-Drevon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    This is very true some essential oils are highly toxic for cats and the grade of the oil matters as well.
    That being said many are very safe and helpful on physical and emotional levels. (used properly)
     
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  36. jayla-n-Drevon

    jayla-n-Drevon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    I was looking at your notes on Fluffy--wondering if you have considered adequan injections to slow the progression of arthritis-My boys are 19 and 20 in July and still run NASCAR around the house thanks to adequan:):cat::cat:
     
  37. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Thanks for the information.
     
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  38. jayla-n-Drevon

    jayla-n-Drevon Well-Known Member

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  39. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

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    Jan 14, 2015
    I would be very wary of using this one. It contains cedar oil and some types are toxic to humans and animals. I did note their claim that they use only the non-toxic type and that it's carefully prepared, but I would make sure to do due diligence on researching for any issues that anyone has had with it. It also contains lemongrass oil - and lemongrass in all its forms is listed as toxic to dogs and cats by the ASPCA. The third active ingredient, rosemary oil, is generally thought to be safer but that may be irrelevant given that it contains lemongrass oil.
     
  40. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Thanks Marlena. I am looking into DE since it was mentioned before.
    The EPA is supposed to be doing something about the sharp rise in Pet deaths from flea medication.
    I don't want Fluffy to be one that dies from them.
     
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  41. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Jeff, Have you googled the reviews on Pets who have had bad side effects from flea medication?
    Many have died. I don't want Fluffy to be one of them. There has been a great increase in bad
    Reactions to flea medication. I'm glad Sketch is ok.
     
  42. Lillie

    Lillie Member

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2017
    I can never use any flea medication on Leo again after what happened to him. I was warned by a neurologist at a teaching hospital that there are no absolutely safe chemical flea preparations. So much for modern technology and chemical warfare on fleas. The 'inert' ingredients in some of these can cause reactions and we don't always know what exactly the inert ingredients are. I was told that my kitty possibly has a low threshold for seizure activity even though he had never had a seizure until the topical flea med was applied and has never had another one since the 30 days was up for the med to be effective. There is no doubt in my mind that these meds can be dangerous.
     
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  43. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Thanks for the information, Larry.
     
  44. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Thanks Squeakycats.
     
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  45. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Yes, for a long time. That's so nice of you! Thanks jayla!
     
  46. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Thanks for that information .
     
  47. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
  48. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Marlena, is it safe for my Cat to breath this? How do YOU apply
    This to your Cat. I saw a video where it was applied to the
    Cats chest, the tail and back of neck.
    This looks like the best one to use.
    Any special tips on how to make this easy to use?
    Fluffy doesn't like to be messed with. LOL
     
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  49. Marlena

    Marlena Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2015
    Mary,
    I apologise for not replying straight away as I did not check the thread, I was busy.
    Rocky is a very easy cat when it comes to doing anything to him so I just dust him all over with DE using a soft plastic bottle with a narrow tip so when you squeeze the bottle the powder comes out and I spray it onto his skin and fur. It is important to try to avoid inhaling the dust but it is not harmful really.
    The only tip I would have for you if your kitty is not very easy and relaxed is try to coax him with great tasting treats. Be slow and relax, give him lots of strokes and use calming voice.
    You might want to do one area at a time coming back to it a bit later.
    Good luck, I hope it goes well and maybe other members would have better ideas. I'm just so lucky that Rocky is extremely placid and trusts me so I don't really have experience of dealing with difficult kitties.
     
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  50. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

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    Jan 14, 2015
    I'm going to have to jump in here. Inhalation of DE is harmful, even with food grade. It leads to changes within the lungs. Most are reversible given time, but when we treat regularly for fleas, the chance is never there for the changes to be reversed. The recommendation we have is to use it for environmental control only...and preferably on the outside perimeter of the house only. The issues with applying it directly to cats are two-fold. Firstly it can cause skin irritation and dryness. Which may not be a major health concern, but is certainly uncomfortable for our kitties. It can also irritate their eyes. The second, and more concerning issue, is that because cats groom themselves (and usually immediately after you apply something like this where they feel that their fur has been "messed up"), they are going to be inhaling it from the grooming process no matter how careful we are to avoid inhalation during application. Also important to note is that even food grade DE will contain a small percentage of the crystallized form of DE - necessarily because you don't find one without the other. For food grade, the crystallized portion has to be below a certain percentage, but that doesn't mean there is none...just that there isn't much. There are a couple of studies that I've linked here (there are more available), but personally, I don't find the idea of chronic inflammation due to regular use, granuloma formation or potentially even emphysema harmless in the least. And the study that found that was conducted using synthetic amorphous silica only...where the DE that we can buy also contains a small amount of crystallized silica which is known to be more problematic.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11876495

    https://pets.stackexchange.com/ques...th-using-diatomaceous-earth-as-an-insecticide
     
  51. Cherryl & Mouzer

    Cherryl & Mouzer Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2017
    I use Capstar. I give it one day, say on a Friday, and repeat in three days, so on the following Monday, and I do this three or four times in a row. The fleas have usually died off by then. I repeat when necessary.
    Be sure you get the one designed for small dogs and cats, if you buy it.
    Purchased cheaply from the Animal Lovers House LLC or I find them on Ebay
    Animal Lovers House LLC https://animallovershousellc.com/products/nitenpyram-12mg-for-small-dogscats-2-25-lbs/
     
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  52. Marlena

    Marlena Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2015
    Thank you April for your information.
    When I did my research on this I only saw positive opinions.
    DE can be used internally just like clay for various cleansing protocols so I did not think ingesting it (cats licking themselves) would be harmful.
    With regards to inhaling, one has to be careful not to expose kitty to a lot of dust while applying DE and there are ways of doing it. Yes, it can dry the skin out but I never have this problem as I only need to apply DE to Rocky once or twice a year which is enough to stop the fleas (at least for us).
    It is working very well for me but, as you said it might have some side effects if used incorrectly or excessively and one has to consider their particular situation. Every individual has to decide whether they want to use it or not but at least your post provided everybody with more comprehensive information so thank you for your input.
     
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  53. manxcat419

    manxcat419 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2015
    If it's working for you, then that's great @Marlena - I would always stick with something that you know is working well for you. I just really wanted a caution to be out there because it seems that it does require very careful use, which you're clearly already doing.
     
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  54. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    Thank you very much Marlena for taking the time to reply.
     
  55. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    Thank you Cherryl. I have used Capstar in the past and didn't have good results. I'll try it again and give it
    Like you do and see if it works for me.
     
  56. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    QUOTE="manxcat419, post: 1966583, member: 11903"]I'm going to have to jump in here. Inhalation of DE is harmful, even with food grade. It leads to changes within the lungs. Most are reversible given time, but when we treat regularly for fleas, the chance is never there for the changes to be reversed. The recommendation we have is to use it for environmental control only...and preferably on the outside perimeter of the house only. The issues with applying it directly to cats are two-fold. Firstly it can cause skin irritation and dryness. Which may not be a major health concern, but is certainly uncomfortable for our kitties. It can also irritate their eyes. The second, and more concerning issue, is that because cats groom themselves (and usually immediately after you apply something like this where they feel that their fur has been "messed up"), they are going to be inhaling it from the grooming process no matter how careful we are to avoid inhalation during application. Also important to note is that even food grade DE will contain a small percentage of the crystallized form of DE - necessarily because you don't find one without the other. For food grade, the crystallized portion has to be below a certain percentage, but that doesn't mean there is none...just that there isn't much. There are a couple of studies that I've linked here (there are more available), but personally, I don't find the idea of chronic inflammation due to regular use, granuloma formation or potentially even emphysema harmless in the least. And the study that found that was conducted using synthetic amorphous silica only...where the DE that we can buy also contains a small amount of crystallized silica which is known to be more problematic.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11876495

    https://pets.stackexchange.com/ques...th-using-diatomaceous-earth-as-an-insecticide[/QUOTE]
    Thank you April for this information.
     
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  57. Veronica & Babu-chiri

    Veronica & Babu-chiri Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2016
    I use Revolution 6% ( not sure if that's a presentation we only have here in Mexico) on my 4 cats (one 14 and one 13 years old ) and 2 dogs and never had a problem with it
     
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  58. Cherryl & Mouzer

    Cherryl & Mouzer Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2017
    I hope it works for you. I have seen people say it did not work for them but I dont know how they used it and it could be maybe some kitties it doesnt work for???? I dont know. I have been lucky here and I am glad, so far it works for me. I only have to use them in February and March - due to flea break out after winter - and then again in November, we will have a flea break out and I will have to use them November and December. I guess fleas like the first part of winter getting over with and the first part of fall :D
    I am in central Florida.
     
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  59. AlphaCat

    AlphaCat Member

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    May 9, 2017
    There is no "winter" in central Florida, lol.
    Seasons are hot and hotter.
     
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  60. maryjoandsmokie

    maryjoandsmokie Member

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    Dec 28, 2009
    I am trying it again Cherryl. Hope it works!
     
  61. Cherryl & Mouzer

    Cherryl & Mouzer Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 20, 2017
    You are correct in that, for certain



    I wish you luck. There is not much worse than not being able to get rid of fleas. I hate those things!!
     
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  62. VCB&W-O

    VCB&W-O New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2018
    New to the world of FD - so thankful for this forum!
    First post...(I'm sure it shows!)
    I'm to follow up on this thread to ask if anyone in the past year has an update on the safety and/or efficacy of Capstar for cats?
    Mr. Black & White will be 15 in Sept. so I am very nervous about oral (and topical) flea killers/preventives b/c of his age. Last month our vet brought over & applied Revolution 6% (no problems or fleas)
    But now it is a whole new world (FD) & I am afraid of everything:nailbiting:
    We are in day 5 of Lantus 2 units 2xday since Mr. B&W dx(421). (we home test 3-4x day ranging L301-H399)
    It is time to re-apply the Revolution...but his flea dermatitis gets very bad, I thought I might give him a capstar (IF safe!) prior to the topical...I am still unnerved about all flea killers.
    He is an indoor fella as the peripheral neuropathy slowed his walking, gave him a wobbly gait, & he eats on his hocks. We lost his brother Mr. Orange, my sweet angel, on April 23 cat_wings>o(acute kidney failure etc...total heartbreak like I've never known) So, now Mr. B&W is our only kitty (slightly lowers flea risk, but still...) Plus, when it comes to wretched fleas, they are a year-round scourge in Los Angeles (especially beach cities). Summer is a nightmare of fleas/mosquitos & deadly heat. So if Revolution remains a safe pick then that is great.
    Or, perhaps someone who reads this may have an opinion on whether his numbers should be lower/ more stable prior to flea treatments? My husband & I so thankful for all of the valuable information on this forum! Thank you so much :}
     
  63. Sharon14

    Sharon14 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2015
    Welcome! It should be fine to use Revolution. I don’t know about Capstar as I’ve never used it.
     
  64. Beck and Philly

    Beck and Philly Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2018
    Wow. I hate to add to this already long thread, but my sister told me about a product that works great here. I have several cats and some have special needs. My vet suggested not using a topical flea med on the animals with skin allergies.

    The 2 in 1 flea med from petsneedmeds.com is a capsule that can be opened and mixed with food or given whole. I showed my vet and she approved. It has two meds..one is the med commonly called Capstar that kills fleas right away. The other med is what my vet said was called Program. It works for 30 days.

    I had a bad flea problem last year, and it is resolved now. As a bonus, it is VERY inexpensive.

    It's probably always good to let your vet review, but I've been happy.
     
  65. Sharon14

    Sharon14 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2015
    I used program years ago. Didn’t know it was still available!
     
  66. Beck and Philly

    Beck and Philly Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 4, 2018
    My vet read the ingredients and said that was Program. That made me wonder if Program was no longer sold
     
  67. jayla-n-Drevon

    jayla-n-Drevon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2015
    Dimatatious earth is what many holistic vets use. You can probably look for dr Karen Becker on you tube
     
    Jill & Alex (GA) likes this.
  68. Tina and Gracie (GA)

    Tina and Gracie (GA) Member

    Joined:
    Dec 27, 2017
    I use Revolution on my senior. She tolerates it fine.
    It’s also an anti-parasitic.

    **ECID on how they will tolerate.
     
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