Where should I take my cats for flea treatment?

Question

Can I take my cats to the groomer, or do they have to go to the vet to be treated for fleas?

Answer 1

No, the first person is incorrect -- flea collars went out in the 80's! They simply are NOT safe!

Here are three products that you can purchase from your vet:
Revolution
Advantage
and Frontline

All 3 are applied at the base of a cat [or dogs] neck, between the shoulder blades; and each will KILL all fleas within a 24 hour period
All of these products are monthly topically applied to your pet's skin at the back of the neck. All will start to work within 24 hours of application. But you must getthem from your vet; they are prescription only : )

Revolution is the BEST because it kills FLEAS and TICKS, as well as ear mites.

Advantage contains an ingredient called imidacloprid, which kills adult fleas, as well as flea larvae on cats and dogs for up to a month after application. It also has a claim to kill lice for up to 6 weeks in dogs.

The same manufacturer as Advantage makes Advantix. This product also contains imidacloprid, so has the same activity against fleas as Advantage. In addition, it also contains permethrin, to repel and kill ticks, mosquitoes and sand flies for a month. Permethrin is toxic to cats, so Advantix is only for use in dogs.

Frontline Plus contains two ingredients, which kills adult fleas and flea larvae on cats and dogs. In addition, it is effective in killing ticks for a full month.

Good luck! : )

Answer 2

The person above is correct - flea collars and most of the treatments you can pick up at Wal-Mart do NOT work, and some of them are actually extremely dangerous to your cat (ie, they could die - http://www.hartzvictims.org/).

For Revolution, which also protects your pets against heartworms, ear mites, roundworms and hookworms, you need a prescription from your vet. However, Advantage and Frontline can be purchased over the counter at most pet stores like Petsmart and Petco. (You can also find them online, generally for cheaper than any of these options.) You can also use a product called Capstar (http://www.capstar.novartis.us/cat/en/about.shtml) which kills fleas within half an hour. It works very well, but it doesn't prevent fleas the way the other meds do - and if all your cats have fleas, they're probably in your house, so a preventative is a good idea. I believe you can get Capstar in pet stores, though I've never looked for it myself - your vet will definitely have some (and in my experience, boarders and groomers tend to have some on hand as well).

Personally, I like Revolution the best because it also covers heartworms and is much cheaper than buying Advantage and Heart Guard every month, and it is also topical which is great. (I have never seen a cat eat an entire Heartguard tablet, no matter how finely you shred it and mix with wet food.) However, the risk of heartworms for purely indoor cats is pretty low, so it's really up to you whether you want the added protection. Revolution is generally the same price as Frontline and Advantage, though, so I figure it's a steal. :)

Answer 3

If your cat has fleas, I would have the home treated as well as your cat. All the products mentioned are excellent, but only kill the fleas that bite your pet. What you see on your pet is only representative of less than one percent of the fleas in the environment.
So, I would take the kitties to the groomer and at the same time fog the home and spray the yard.

Answer 4

Has to be veterinary products, but you don't have to take the animal, you can just go in and pick some stuff up. I don't know what groomers use but if it's anything like a shampoo, it won't work. No store bought products work.

Get Frontline, Revolution or Advantage from you vets - and get a housespray from them too because if fleas are present already, you need it.

Chalice

Answer 5

HI,one of the best flea treatments available is Frontline,since using this product on my kitten for 3 months he has not had a single flea on him,I bought it over the counter from a vets and it's the number 1 product they always recommend.3 months supply is around £22.Do a search on the internet for this product and it will tell you all about it .I decided to try it after reading so many good comments about it on here praising it.It's brilliant.

Answer 6

Buy a flea collar at the petstore