Flea treatment advice?

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Madrona and Leda (GA)

Madrona and Leda (GA)

Member Since 2016
Any advice on effective flea treatments? I regularly treat Leda with generic Frontline, but it doesn't seem to be doing the trick. I also flea comb him regularly, and am working on keeping his preferred sleeping spots better vacuumed. He's an indoor outdoor cat, and the whole island seems to be having flea trouble, so lasting prevention is probably our best bet. Anyone have experience with other long-term treatments.

Thanks for experience and advice.

Madrona
 
Madrona and Leda said:
I regularly treat Leda with generic Frontline, but it doesn't seem to be doing the trick.
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Had similar problems here with Frontline. Saoirse had an appointment with her opthalmologist earlier this week and she said that word on the street is that fleas have become very much resistant to Frontline.

I've seen recommendations here for Advantage flea spot-on. (Not tried it myself yet.)


Mogs
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Critter Mom said:
Had similar problems here with Frontline. Saoirse had an appointment with her opthalmologist earlier this week and she said that word on the street is that fleas have become very much resistant to Frontline.
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That seems to be the word on the street here too, though my vet is as of yet unconvinced. I should probably bring him some of Leda's fleas :-P

I actually contributed some of his fleas to a research project last year: a graduate student in Australia looking at worldwide cat flea genetics. Since Leda lives with a family of scientists he's expected to contribute too. It was pretty funny trying to figure out how to fill out the customs form for that package.
 
Critter Mom said:
I've seen recommendations here for Advantage flea spot-on. (Not tried it myself yet.)
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The active ingredient in Advantage is imidacloprid, which is in a different chemical family from the fipronil in Frontline, so it probably would work on Frontline resistant fleas. My mother's vet swears by Revolution, which uses yet another active ingredient (selamectin). I'll see if I can convince the vet, without having to bring in either the fleas, or the cat (who prefers, like most cats, to stay out of the vet's office!)
 
I've always successfully used Revolution during the summer/spring months as a preventative measure but because my dog gets monthly Trifexis for fleas, ticks, heartworm prevenative etc I haven't noticed any fleas getting into the house because she is always treated, and all the cats are strickly indoors. I prefer Revolution to Advantage but I've used both.
 
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The vet has proposed Capstar (an oral flea treatment, with the active ingredient nitenpyram, which is the same class as imidacloprid). It isn't long lasting, but may help break the flea cycle in our house.
 
Madrona and Leda said:
That seems to be the word on the street here too, though my vet is as of yet unconvinced. I should probably bring him some of Leda's fleas :p

I actually contributed some of his fleas to a research project last year: a graduate student in Australia looking at worldwide cat flea genetics. Since Leda lives with a family of scientists he's expected to contribute too. It was pretty funny trying to figure out how to fill out the customs form for that package.
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Lol, I'll bet that was funny, indeed! I have used Revolution for years now, we have voracious fleas where I live and Revolution is the only thing that has been successful for my cats. Keeps everybody flea-free and happy! :D
 
We live in New Jersey Horse Country. I have to use Front Line Plus on my cats because it is the only thing that kills ticks. My cats go out side for short walks and we have grass and bushes and woods and deer. I have been treated for Limes Disease twice, since I've been here (20 years). I wish more flea killers also killed ticks too.
 
Dyana said:
We live in New Jersey Horse Country. I have to use Front Line Plus on my cats because it is the only thing that kills ticks. My cats go out side for short walks and we have grass and bushes and woods and deer. I have been treated for Limes Disease twice, since I've been here (20 years). I wish more flea killers also killed ticks too.
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We're fortunate here (the San Juan Islands in Washington State) that we have very, very few ticks--but fleas we have in generous abundance! Did the Front Line Plus consistently keep the fleas off too? How often did you need to apply it?
 
I gave their 1st dose last week (mid May). I give it to them every 6 weeks, so they will get their 2nd dose some time around July 1st which will last until mid August, and then their 3rd and last dose will last until the end of September when we will start getting freezing temperatures and no more fleas or ticks until next year. They have this new collar out now that they are selling at my vets office that lasts 8 months but I don't need 8 months of protection and they are like $65.00 each.
 
It's very strange that in the last 17 years I have only once needed to treat my animals for fleas. My cats go outside as they please , and compared to some parts of the USA we have a relatively mild climate year round. I find it very strange as as a child our cats always had fleas that needed treating.
 
Dyana said:
I gave their 1st dose last week (mid May). I give it to them every 6 weeks, so they will get their 2nd dose some time around July 1st which will last until mid August, and then their 3rd and last dose will last until the end of September when we will start getting freezing temperatures and no more fleas or ticks until next year. They have this new collar out now that they are selling at my vets office that lasts 8 months but I don't need 8 months of protection and they are like $65.00 each.
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Seresto is what that collar is called (well in NZ). It seems to be the preferred treatment these days from what I can gather.
 
Sonya NZ said:
It's very strange that in the last 17 years I have only once needed to treat my animals for fleas. My cats go outside as they please , and compared to some parts of the USA we have a relatively mild climate year round. I find it very strange as as a child our cats always had fleas that needed treating.
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Here the fleas are much worse now than when I was a kid, and Leda, who is from Alberta Canada originally, and has lived on both East and West Coasts in the US, never really had trouble with them until the last few years. We think it has to do with recent warmer winters.
 
Sonya NZ said:
Seresto is what that collar is called (well in NZ). It seems to be the preferred treatment these days from what I can gather.
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Yeah, I thought it was called Sonesto or something like that. It's probably Soresto here too.
I just know my vets always said not to go with the cheaper products that you find in the grocery store.
I have heard that diamestris (or something like that) earth is good and kills them in your carpet. I have yet to try that.
 
Nitenpyram (a brand name is Capstar) may be purchased from a few US dealers who put it in capsules in the same doses that Capstar uses. ex Queen City, Little City Dogs (read the website carefully - the shipping calculator doesn't work and you need to add $5 for shipping the large bottle. Check on Amazon.
It lasts 24 hours and kills adult fleas.

You'll still need to do vacuuming and use a growth inhibitor to prevent the eggs from maturing and becoming adult fleas.
 
BJM said:
Nitenpyram (a brand name is Capstar) may be purchased from a few US dealers who put it in capsules in the same doses that Capstar uses. ex Queen City, Little City Dogs (read the website carefully - the shipping calculator doesn't work and you need to add $5 for shipping the large bottle. Check on Amazon.
It lasts 24 hours and kills adult fleas.

You'll still need to do vacuuming and use a growth inhibitor to prevent the eggs from maturing and becoming adult fleas.
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That's what my vet ended up recommending--along with fipronil (Frontline) for longer term coverage (I'm hoping the nitenpyram kills any fipronil resistant fleas!). I've heard it can cause itching as the fleas die, but so far Leda isn't scratching any extra and is cozy. We'll see if I need to buy more.

And more vacuuming (Leda hates the vacuum, but I can use it while he's out sunning himself).
 
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Leda enjoying a flea-free nap on the unmade bed.
 
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