Spunkie got a dose of advantage (I wasn't present for this) but he's still been scratching a lot ever since he got it. I thought it was supposed to kill what's on him... We definitely don't have an infestation because I have yet to see one in the house, on me, or on Spunkie for that matter (though it is a little hard since he's black). This is my first kitten and I don't know what to think. If he's still scratching a lot, maybe they never gave him the dose... :-/ I'm thinking of just trying something on my own...
Daily Kitten Chat Forum » Cats & Kittens
Did the vet get one over on me?
(14 posts)-
Posted 1 year ago by theanimechick #
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TAC, you do know that any flea medication applied to the cat will not kill fleas in the environment? And that it takes at least 2 weeks to break the flea life cycle?
I don't think your vet is up to any funny business. But you may want to talk with him or her about treating the environment as well, not just the kitten.
And if you want to find out if the kitten still has fleas, you need to get a flea comb and see if any fleas or flea dirt are pulled off the kitten when you use it.
Posted 1 year ago by anncetera2 #
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It's been a month now so the cycle should've been broken I guess. He's been consistently scratching... :(
Posted 1 year ago by theanimechick #
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No. The cycle is not broken unless the environment is treated at the same time as the cat is treated. Otherwise, all the fleas on the cat may die, but fleas in the environment will live - and hop right back on.
In addition, IIRC, Advantix and all the other professionally-applied flea medications are good for only about a month. It sounds like you need to see the vet, get another application, and inquire about treating the environment, not just the cat.
(It's especially important to treat the environment if the house is carpeted, has upholstered furniture or curtains, or if the cat spends any time outdoors.)
Posted 1 year ago by anncetera2 #
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Well I did use a spray while he was at the vet and sprayed down the entire apartment... I guess it wasn't enough.
Posted 1 year ago by theanimechick #
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Flea resistance to insecticides and the persistence of fleas in environmental situations are two of the big reasons I tend to use diatomaceous earth.
(The other two reasons are to increase the safety of my pet and lower costs.)
Posted 1 year ago by anncetera2 #
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I was looking into that but I notice there are different kinds. Is there a real difference? And I read that some forms aren't safe to breathe in. Where do you get yours?
Posted 1 year ago by theanimechick #
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There is a real difference. The kind used in swimming pool filters has larger pieces; they are ineffective for flea treatment.
The kind used for insect control is food-grade diatomaceous earth. You can get what's called "fossil shell flour" (food grade diatomacous earth) from:
GardenHarvestSupply dot com
Dirtworks dot net
Wolf Creek Ranch1 dot tripod dot com
GHOrganics dot com
Deliciousorganics dot comAnd so forth. You might want to do a google search for "diatomacous earth" "retail". I can't imagine you'd need more than 2-6 lbs; the larger size would be just in case you needed to re-treat or re-apply later (like next year's flea season).
Posted 1 year ago by anncetera2 #
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Thanks. I've heard many great things about it from people on here so I'm going to go with that.
Posted 1 year ago by theanimechick #
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theanimechick: Your kittie may have a skin problem or allergies, have you had him checked for those? The "diatomaceous earth" is really good stuff. I bought a 5 lb. bag of it, put it on my cats and all around the areas of the house where they sleep or spend a lot of time. I will eventually have it all over the house, just haven't got it all done yet. You probably will need to wear a mask when applying it on Spunkie. I did not have one, but I could tell afterwards that I should of had.:) But then I treated 5 cats at one time, so I breathed in quite a bit of it. Also, it has been my experience, I haven't gotten very good results with any kind of flea treatment other then frontline plus. I have tried the advantage before and wasn't that pleased with it. Good luck!
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I liked Frontline Plus until Revolution came on the market.
Posted 1 year ago by Sheba's Mom in Phoenix, AZ 10/8 #
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Most flea treatments (environmental or applied to pet)kill the adults but not the eggs. You have to treat again when the eggs hatch and hope that none of the new adults laid eggs before you kill them. When we had inside/outside cats I found that a third application made sure the little suckers got wiped out.
Posted 1 year ago by CheetahBoysmommy #
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It took three applications of Advantix to rid my place completely of fleas. This happened in 2006 when I had work done on the outside and the workmen were coming and going through the house. My cats are both inside cats, and that summer there was an infestation of fleas in this area.
Two days later, the lads were scratching so much I grabbed the flea comb and combed them, and guess what I found? Fleas.
The first application killed 95%. The remaining percentages were taken care of by the two subsequent applications. Three doses of Advantix and daily vacuuming got rid of everything.
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