Best Area Spray: Virbac Knockout Area Treatment Spray
Chewy
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Kills more than just adult fleas
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Continues killing multiple flea life stages for several months after application
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Gets into hard-to-clean places in the home where fleas hide
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Must remove all pets and people from the home before using
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May need more than one bottle for multiple living spaces
If your cat has fleas, odds are your home also has them so youll need an effective area spray to treat your cats inside environment. The Virbac Knockout spray contains an insect growth regulator to kill not only the adult fleas but the eggs and larvae, too. It lasts in the home for up to four months to prevent future infestations, but is not meant to be applied to a cat or any other pet. Your pets should be removed from the house before spraying this aerosolized treatment spray. Once it dries, your pets can return to their space.
Revolution Plus offers the most complete parasite prevention in a single application. It lasts for one month, contains no pyrethrins, permethrins, or pyrethroids, and contains a small amount of quick-drying, alcohol-based liquid. Your cat will be protected from fleas, ticks, heartworms, ear mites, and intestinal parasites by simply applying Revolution Plus once a month.
If you have live fleas that you need to kill quickly, Comfortis is your best option since it works within 30 minutes, and this chewable tablet will then continue working for up to one month, just like Revolution Plus.
The Best Flea Control For Young Kittens
Capstar Flea Control Tablets are safe for kittens as young as 4 weeks old and start killing fleas within 30 minutes.
Pros: Safe for kittens 4 weeks of age or older, safe for pregnant and nursing cats, fast-acting treatment, easy to give alone or in food, can be used with other flea control products, available without a prescription
Cons: Does not offer long-term protection, does not kill flea eggs or larvae, does not prevent any parasites other than fleas
Parasites prevented: Adult fleas
Duration of effectiveness: 24 hours
Safe for: Cats and kittens 4 weeks and older, weighing at least 2 pounds pregnant and nursing cats
Prescription: No
Available without a prescription, Capstar is the only flea control product safe for kittens as young as 4 weeks and weighing at least 2 pounds. With other flea control products, whether topical or oral, kittens must be at least 8 weeks old, and sometimes older.
Fleas should be eliminated as quickly as possible for heavily infested cats, especially young kittens. The active ingredient in Capstar, nitenpyram, works within 30 minutes and kills greater than 90% of adult fleas in as little as six hours.
Capstar only protects against fleas for 24 hours, but it is safe to give daily if necessary. Since giving a cat a pill every day can be inconvenient, pet owners should follow up with a long-term flea control product once the kitten is old enough.
Find Out How Capstar Tablets Compares To Other Tick & Flea Control Products
Know better, choose better.
I have one dog, 2 cats and soon as I give them the tablet I can see the fleas going crazy and they drop off the animals nearly dead, I have never had any issues with this product and I don’t have any problems giving the tablet to my pets either
Great product, it worked quickly and effectively on my dog. She had several fleas and within a few hours they were all dead. No bad side effects at all, just relief and no more scratching and biting herself.
I highly recommend.
Treated my two dogs with it …still had fleas after. Doesn’t seem to work. Will buy something else next time.
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Consider Using An Insecticide Spray In The Home
Using one of these sprays can kill the fleas that are infesting your cats environment.
This flea collars active ingredients are flumethrin and imidacloprid, which work together to kill adult fleas and prevent reproduction. This flea collar can keep your cat flea-free for 8 months.
While the Seresto flea collar may be the best of its type, results vary. This flea collar gets its share of negative reviews from people who say that their cat had a severe skin reaction to the chemicals in the collar. In fact, as of April 2022, the EPA has received nearly 100,000 complaints of harm to pets, including 2,500 deaths associated with the Seresto flea collar.
In spite of this staggering number of complaints and a petition asking the EPA to ban the collar, the agency has not done anything to stop further issues. In fact, multiple scientists at the EPA reveal that theyve been encouraged to stay quiet about the Seresto issue.
Between the EPAs inaction and parent company Elancos refusal to change anything in light of these complaints, we cant feel confident about the information were seeing about this flea collar. Opt for another flea treatment or proceed with extreme caution.
How To Check A Cat For Fleas
Signs of fleas in cats include scratching, skin irritation, and the presence of dark red or black specks on your cat’s skin, fur, bedding, or furniture. These specks, about the size of grains of black pepper, are called “flea dirt” and are flea feces . Back when I worked in the veterinary hospital, I learned a handy trick to help find out if those little specks are regular dirt or flea dirt. Scoop some onto a damp paper towel. If the paper towel turns red, it’s flea dirt.
To check your cat for fleas or flea dirt, run a flea comb through your cat’s coat or part the hair with your fingers to examine the skin. If you find any live or dead fleas or flea dirt, your cat has a flea infestation.
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Flea Infestations On Cats
In addition to the common nuisance irritations associated with infestations, fleas can be responsible for skin conditions in the cat such as miliary dermatitis. Fleas also transmit other parasites, including tapeworms. The control of flea infestations is important to the pets health and reduces the problems associated with these parasites.
PROGRAM Flavor Tabs break the flea life cycle by inhibiting egg development. Capstar Tablets rapidly kill adult fleas on the cat. The concurrent use of these two products provides an effective flea management system.
The following diagram illustrates the fleas life cycle and where the combination of PROGRAM Flavor Tabs and Capstar Tablets work:
Life Cycle of the Flea
A single female flea may produce up to 2,000 eggs over her lifetime. Eggs hatch and can develop into adults within only three weeks. Adult female fleas feed by ingesting blood from the pet and subsequently lay eggs, which drop off the pets coat. Within days, larvae hatch from the eggs and live undetected in the pets surroundings, such as the carpet and bedding. Flea larvae spin a cocoon, and, when appropriately stimulated, a young adult flea emerges and jumps onto the pet to continue the life cycle.
After reading this insert, if you have any questions about the concurrent use of PROGRAM Flavor Tabs and Capstar Tablets in your cats, please call Novartis Animal Health US, Inc. Veterinary Product Support at 1-332-2761.
How Often Can You Give A Cat Capstar
Per the manufacturer, Capstar can be given every 24 hours if needed. Cats given 10 times the prescribed dosage for 30 days in trials showed no adverse effects. Nitenpyram has about 3500 times more selectivity for insects and levels are not thought to accumulate over time in the body, making it a generally safe medication to use.
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Excellent Performance For Emergencies
This product does exactly what it says it will, and fast. Within minutes of administering the pill the fleas begin to die and fall off. I have used it countless times when people have brought me sick pets to care for. In one instance a kitten was very near death due to a heavy flea infestation. I administered one half of a Capstar pill and within half an hour the kitten was flea free. With some iron supplements, b-12, and some tlc the kitten did live thanks to the quick work of the Capstar. I also frequently give Capstar to the stray cats that come to my porch to eat. During the summer they become near hairless and completely miserable if not treated, but I can’t afford to keep them all on a monthly treatment. This is a nice affordable alternative. It isn’t gong to replace treating the flea problem and isn’t a lasting solution, but it definitely has its uses and works well along with a monthly flea preventative and proactively reducing the flea population in your area.Quality of IngredientsWorks well and works quickly. I am not a scientist so I have no idea what is really in it, but I do know that it does its job.Side EffectsI have never had an animal experience any side effects.
causeasmile
Capstar For Cats Dosage
In cats that are difficult to administer a tablet to, Capstar can be crushed or dissolved in a very small amount of water and given orally by syringe.
According to the manufacturer, cats weighing 2-25 pounds of body weight should get one of the 11.4mg tablets once by mouth. It is safe to repeat this dosage as often as every 24 hours, and may be given with or without food.
Anecdotally, in cats that are difficult to administer a tablet to, Capstar can be crushed or dissolved in a very small amount of water and given orally by syringe.
When Capstar is the sole method of flea treatment , protocols may range from giving it once per day to once per week to control the presence and re-emergence of adult fleas as eggs hatch and larvae mature.
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What Pet Owners Need To Know
If you have questions about the Seresto Flea and Tick Collar, or any other flea-control product, speak to your veterinarian for advice. Regardless of what type of flea-control product you choose for your cat, the EPA urges pet owners to read the entire label before using the product, follow all directions carefully, and monitor your pet after treatment.
There are also reports of counterfeit Seresto collars on the market, particularly through online retailers. Petco and Petsmart, major suppliers of pet products, told us that they purchase Seresto collars directly from the manufacturer, Elanco. It’s important to purchase from a reputable website, brick-and-mortar store with a guarantee program, or for the most assurance, directly from your veterinarian. Before placing a Seresto collar on your pet, we also recommend that pet owners call Elanco product support to verify the authenticity of the product’s serial number.
If you suspect that your pet is having an adverse reaction to a flea collar, immediately remove the collar and call your veterinarian. Carroll also advises pet owners to contact theNational Pesticide Information Center, which is an EPA information-sharing partner with staff who are specially trained to respond to pesticide exposure incidents, as well as to report adverse reactions from flea collars and topical treatments on the EPA’s website.
Great Quick Flea Killer
We used Capstar recently when our systemic medication wasn’t working well and we got a pretty bad infestation. Capstar is a single use medication that just kills fully formed fleas , but it seems to work really well. It takes a few hours, but by the next day when I combed them IWe used Capstar recently when our systemic medication wasn’t working well and we got a pretty bad infestation. Capstar is a single use medication that just kills fully formed fleas , but it seems to work really well. It takes a few hours, but by the next day when I combed them I didn’t find any live fleas. We will continue using a monthly treatment, but it’s really amazing that there is an option for quick relief! For those reviewers who are disappointed that fleas came back this is not a systemic medication it’s only meant for one use for current fleas. It will not prevent flea eggs from hatching or kill future fleas!
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Capstar + Spot On Flea Control
I just recently brought her and gave her a bath I noticed she was flea infested looked up treatments and came across this one I I read on the information that is was just a knockdown for 24 hours kills all adult fleas and so I also brought spot on treatment serum to protect her for six months and I took her away from home for atlease 2 hours so they wouldnt fall off inside, fleas died and fell of between 30min -2 hours , she did get the runs thou .You will need inconjuction …
I was very pleased with the results, the fleas did die very quickly and now have them under control. my cat didn’t get sick, some do. I put the tablet in a piece of chicken so the cat didn’t notice he’d had it
The Best Otc Topical Flea Preventive
Available without a prescription, Frontline Plus kills adult fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks, and chewing lice.
Pros: Kills adult fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks, and chewing lice safe for use in kittens at least 8 weeks of age and in breeding, pregnant, and nursing cats fleas don’t have to bite for it to work
Cons: Not recommended for kittens younger than 8 weeks of age does not prevent any parasites other than fleas, ticks, and chewing lice
Parasites prevented: Adult fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae, ticks, chewing lice
Duration of effectiveness: 30 days
Safe for: Cats and kittens 8 weeks and older, weighing at least 1.5 pounds breeding, pregnant, and nursing cats
Prescription: No
We recommend Frontline Plus because it not only kills fleas and controls flea infestations, but it also kills ticks and chewing lice. Used and trusted by pet owners for more than 20 years, Frontline Plus protects for 30 days with one application. Fleas do not have to bite your cat for Frontline Plus to work they die on contact.
“In flea-infested environments, when they do studies looking at the efficacy of these products, sometimes it takes a few months of consistent, high-quality flea prevention to even see that population completely eradicate because there’s four different stages to the flea life cycle,” said Bourgeois.
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What Are The Health Risks To A Cat
Fleas are more than just a nuisance. These parasites can pose a threat to your cat’s health. A severe flea infestation can seriously damage a cat’s skin, induce an allergic reaction, or cause them to become anemic from blood loss. Fleas are also responsible for cats contracting parasites like tapeworms and may transmit diseases.
“Fleas can pass on diseases to cats, which can then be passed on to people,” Jeffer said. “The most common one that we see is cat scratch fever , which can cause all kinds of issues in people, but in cats, it can make them very sick.”
About Capstar For Cats
Capstar is a brand name for the active ingredient nitenpyram, which is an oral insecticide medication that targets only adult fleas.
Nitenpyram is in the class of neonicotinoid insecticides. When the medication enters a fleas circulation after it bites a treated cat, the drug binds to receptors in the flea called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter responsible for many functions including muscle movement and central nervous systemic function. When nitenpyram blocks acetylcholines function, this leads to paralysis and death of the flea.
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Beneficial Nematodes Can Help Eliminate Outdoor Parasites
If you believe that the flea infestation may have originated from your yard, its important to get rid of the parasites that are lurking outside of your house. Left untreated, your yard will remain a safe haven for fleas that will eventually latch onto humans, cats, and other pets, perpetuating your cats flea problem.
While theyre invisible to the naked eye and are completely safe to you and your pets, beneficial nematodes are a deadly menace to the fleas who are living outdoors.
These microscopic organisms – Steinernema Feltiae nematodes – destroy flea larvae living outdoors. Each package of 10 million nematodes treats 285 square feet, so you may have to buy several containers to eliminate an infestation in a large yard.
Flea Infestations On Dogs And Cats
In addition to the common nuisance irritations associated with infestations, fleas can be responsible for skin conditions in your pet such as flea allergy dermatitis in the dog and miliary dermatitis in the cat. Also, fleas transmit other parasites, including tapeworms. The control of flea infestations is important to your pets health and also reduces the problems associated with these parasites.
Capstar Tablets do not have an effect on fleas in the pets environment. You may need to treat more than one time because immature fleas in and around the home will continue to develop into adults that can reinfest your pet.
In addition to killing adult fleas with Capstar, you can treat your pet with an insect development inhibitor like PROGRAM Flavor Tabs to prevent and control flea populations. Please see the separate PROGRAM Flavor Tabs/Capstar Tablets FLEA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM insert included in this package for information on how to use these two
products together to kill adult fleas and prevent flea eggs from hatching. For information on how to use SENTINEL® Flavor Tabs® with Capstar Tablets, see your veterinarian.
The following diagram illustrates the fleas life cycle and where Capstar Tablets work:
Life Cycle of the Flea
After reading this insert, if you have any questions about flea control or medical problems associated with flea infestations, consult your veterinarian, who is your pets health care expert.
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