Cat Flea Treatments, are they safe and do they work?

Question

Hello, I'm a bit concerned after reading reviews on some of these products that they may be dangerous.Some peoples cats have had violent reactions to these treatments and some have even been hospitalized. Also,many of them say that they don't work anyway......I'm in the UK so any help would me much appreciated before I buy one of these products. Is it better to just get them from a vet and do flea collars work?......lot's of questions but it is a concern.Thank you.

Answer 1

I'm in the United States and am not sure if the products you have there are the same as the ones here.

I work for a cat vet and we find that there are a lot of bad reactions to some of the 'cheap' flea treatments from the grocery stores. We use three flea products and feel comfortable with both how well they work and their safety.

Capstar is in a pill form and kills all fleas on the cat quickly. But, it doesn't keep them off.

Advantage is a drop that is applied to the skin on the back of the neck every 28 days and does a good job of flea control.

Revolution is also a drop that is applied to the skin on the back of the neck every 28 days and does a great job of flea control and also controls hookworms, roundworms, earmites and is a heart worm preventative as well. This is the product I personally use on my cats.

We have found all these products safe provided they are used according to the directions and dosing according to the weight and age of the cat. However, as with ANY product, individual cats can have an allergic reaction and you won't know that until it happens. If you apply a product and your cat acts differently in any way, becomes ill, or has hair loss or skin erruptions, call the number on the product and/or your vet for advice.

My recommendation would be to see what your vet has available for you to purchase at his/her clinic. I would think that whatever product is carried there is one your vet feels is safe and reliable.

To answer you question about flea collars -- at our Clinic, we don't recommend them at all. In fact, when clients come in with a flea collar on their cat, we recommend they take it off and throw it away. Most flea collars either don't work or are so strong that they cause hair loss at the sight and sometimes respiration problems in the cat. They also are easy to get hung up under furniture or on bushes and fences and if not adjusted where the cat can slide it's head out to escape, can trap the cat.

Hope this has been of some help. BTW, I have 6 cats and have not seen a flea in years! They all are allowed outside into a cat-fenced area and inside at will.

Answer 2

I'm a vet in the UK... and I can assure you that I've never seen a cat get sick or die because of flea treatment. Its true that a few cats may have allergies, but this is extremely rare.

I'm not a big advocate of collars on cats (flea or any other kind) as they tend to cause more injury than is necessary. The best treatment for fleas is a spot on formula, either from the vets or from a supermarket... applied monthly should keep the cat flea-free.

Remember, cats need worming too as well as their vaccinations to keep them healthy and happy.

Answer 3

Try plain talcum powder. It will suffocate the fleas and has no adverse effects on the cat. It may take a few treatments but is 100% safe. Make sure that it is in contact with the skin by applying against the lay of the fur. Treatment of the housing area as well as surrounding areas for the eggs not yet hatched or adult fleas which have jumped ship is also very important.

Answer 4

DO NOT BUY FRONTLINE!!! IT CAN BE DEADLY TO CATS!!!!
Go to your cats vet and ask for something good,NOT FRONTLINE!!! My best friend bought Frontline for her cat and a couple weeks later she found a big bump Warty thing on his neck. She took him to the vet and the vet said she is lucky it didn't kill the cat. But it has killed many cats before! Flea collars work to a point around the neck, chest and half of the back of the cat. Baby powder can work, too. And it smells good. ALSO: the best place to apply Tick/Flea medication is on a place where the cat cant lick it off. It could make the cat very sick.
Good luck!! *MEOW*

Answer 5

if your cat fleas you are best to go to your vet and ask for frontline or advantage, these are both very safe to use, they are on prescription so you will need to take your cat along for a check up. they will also show you how to apply it if you are unsure, but its very easy, flea collars are not really all that good, you will find the flea treatment from pet shops just will ot work and you are just wasting your money,

Answer 6

Go the Vet and they will advise you. Spot-on treatments really are the best- we use Stronghold, and it has been tested in doses 100x stronger with absolutely no ill effects.
The Vet told us that flea collars do not work (as we'd guessed- Lily had them for 3 months and the fleas did not die), apparently most of the insectisides previously used in Flea Collars have now been taken off the martet,

Answer 7

I used tablets called 4 fleas. They are expensive but they worked for my kitten. But i would suggest telephoning your vet and asking what they think is the best thing to use. 4 Fleas tablets are expensive at £7 but you can see the results after 30 Min's.

Answer 8

In the UK they sell Frontline at the vets only. I use on my 3 cats and puppy and they are all fine.

The ones from the pet store are rubbish, I have seen a dog have an allergic reaction to one of those collars.

Also if you use frontline don't use anything else in combination with it.

Answer 9

I am one of those people whose cat had a terrible reaction and was hospitalized for days.. please use what the vet recommends..it may be a little more expensive, but saves alot of pain, and money in the long run

Answer 10

u need to buy Frontline from a pet store DO NOT buy the cheap kind it made my cat have spasms and she had to go to the animal ER!! Fronline is kinda expensive but it works great and usualy donst cause allergic reactions.flea collars r ok they dont work as good as good as Frontline though.