Are Flea Tablets For “last Resort” Situations Only?

[lilbirdie]

I treat the entire house sometimes twice a day (vacuuming, flea spray, wash every piece of fabric she even looks at) and Winona still has fleas. They disappear for some time after giving Advantage and that time period is getting shorter and shorter. First dose lasted 3 weeks, then 2, and now it’s been less than a week and she has fleas again. I’ve never seen them anywhere but on her. If I’ve been bitten, I don’t feel it anywhere.

She has really dense fur and I can’t actually find a patch of JUST skin on the back of her neck. I usually just part her fur and dot it along the part and hope enough stays on her skin.

I’ve read horror stories about Capstar and I’m planning on getting prescription flea tablets instead, but I don’t know if the risks extend there.

Anybody have more success with tablets instead of topical? Is it dangerous?

 

[Kieka]

I had a cat who was both allergic to fleas and topical flea medicine. We did the perscribe on flea tablets and had no adverse side effects. Granted, this was many years ago and the formulas have likely changed. However, if your vet feels confident with the oral medication, I'd feel comfortable.

If you look around online you will always find the horror stories and rarely the good ones. I tend to try searching for "positive reviews" and "negative reviews" then compare. Making the best judgement I can from what is found.

 

[maggiedemi]

I use Frontline Plus. Sometimes it can take 3 months to get rid of an infestation. Capstar didn't work for me, it just kills the fleas on the cat, but then more just jump on them from the environment.

 

[lutece]

Capstar (nitenpyram) only works for approximately 24 hours, and only kills adult fleas, but it is very good for quickly knocking out the adult flea population so that you get a breather! It has a wide margin of safety in adults and kittens, and even pregnant and nursing cats, and can be given as often as every day if necessary. In my opinion it is safer than the prescription tablet flea medication, and I also feel it's safer than most of the spot-on products, since it won't cause skin irritation (I have seen cats develop really nasty skin reactions to spot-on products like Advantage).

When Capstar starts working, cats with a lot of fleas will often start running around wildly, scratching and biting at the fleas; this is because the fleas start biting harder when they are dying. Some "horror stories" I have read about Capstar are written by people who assume this behavior is a neurological side effect of the medication, but it is generally just a sign that it is working. The fleas die quickly and then the cat will be much more comfortable. Of course, ALL medications have a chance of serious side effects, but most cats tolerate Capstar without any problems.

Because Capstar only works for 24 hours and only kills adult fleas, it will not do anything about flea eggs or larvae. In order to get rid of a flea infestation in your house, you need to either repeat Capstar multiple times as the eggs and larvae mature, or use it in conjunction with another product that disrupts the reproductive cycle of the flea, like Program (lufenuron) or an insect growth regulator like Precor.

 

[lilbirdie]

I’ve got Precor coming in the mail so I’ll be spraying it like crazy. I set up flea traps everywhere and got nothing, so hopefully an IGR is all I’ll need. I really hate this feeling of not knowing where they’re hiding, though. I don’t have many phobias but insect larvae is one of them, so knowing they’re living it up somewhere in my home is horrible.

By Capstar horror stories, I meant the ones of the cat actually dying. It freaked me out how many of these reviews there seemed to be compared to topical flea control. I know to take pet product reviews with a grain of salt but felt like anything medical was a little riskier. I wasn’t sure if Capstar was a big no-no on this site and wanted to make sure. 24 hours should be fine, any fleas in the environment would just jump on her to their deaths. The Advantage seems to just weaken them. I want to see them fall off DEAD.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ I also use Frontline Plus. I have also used Program liquid which kills flea eggs. Once you stop the reproductive cycle you are much better off .
Fleas & cats may became immune to the medication over time so likely it's a good idea to switch sometimes as there are several types .
Don't forget to get hydrocortisone cream / calamine lotion for your own flea bites !!

 

[maggiedemi]

I wasn’t sure if Capstar was a big no-no on this site and wanted to make sure.

If it makes you feel better, I've tried Capstar many, many times. My two cats never had any side effects at all. I just didn't see much results with it. I prefer Frontline Plus (Fipronil).

 

[sabrinah]

I've never had to use Capstar thankfully but I would never hesitate to. For monthly flea meds with my furry critters I use Comfortis and Revolution. Comfortis is a tablet, a fairly large one at that. It is perfectly safe for cats but you would have to break the tablet up into multiple pieces. Revolution is topical.

Have you tried using food grade diatomaceous earth? It's a powder that can be sprinkled throughout the carpet and rubbed in pet fur. It cuts open adult fleas, eggs, and larvae causing them to dry out and die. Just dust it over the carpet (don't inhale too much dust, it's bad for the lungs), let it sit for a few days, vacuum it up, and reapply. Since it is a powder most surfaces in your home will be covered with a fine dusting, but I like to leave it everywhere until I vacuum and reapply because it means the fleas will get shredded no matter where they hop to. I also rub it deep into my pets fur for good measure. It's safe for consumption so you don't have to worry about them licking it off.

 

[basscat]

I know several people that use Comfortis and swear it's the greatest thing there ever was. It does the same thing Capstar does, but, it lasts 30 days.
I've never used either and doubt I ever will.
My reasoning is that these products are safe for almost all cats..."almost". And "almost" are the ones that are simply allergic to it. And you never know what your cat is allergic to until it's too late.
Besides, a bath does the same thing Capstar does, if not better.
It's the environment that's the real problem. Precor or PT Ultracide is what I use in the house. Cyper or Demon outside.
As for the cats themselves? When that time came that I had to "bite the bullet" and HAD to use something on them......That something didn't hurt them, so, that's what I stuck with.

 

[lutece]

Besides, a bath does the same thing Capstar does, if not better.

Generally Capstar (nitenpyram) will kill many more fleas than a simple bath, because it continues to kill fleas for 24 hours. Most fleas are in the environment, not on the cat. But when a cat has nitenpyram in its bloodstream, it is a mobile flea trap. As the cat moves around, fleas in the environment jump on the cat, take a bite and die.

I have also used Program liquid which kills flea eggs.

Program (lufenuron) doesn't directly kill flea eggs. When an adult female flea bites a cat that has lufenuron in the bloodstream, and then lays eggs, those particular eggs will not develop properly, so the flea's reproductive cycle is disrupted. Existing flea eggs on your cat or in your environment are not affected, however, so it takes a long time to get rid of fleas using this method.

 

[calikitteh]

we use revolution on our dog and young kitties, it is expensive but works great. when the cats were too young for it, we tried dawn baths which helped a bit, then topical, which helped a bit more, but the fleas were stubborn. one dose each of revolution and haven't seen one since. no side effects on any of the animals.

 

[lilbirdie]

I guess my worry is that the Advantage isn’t necessarily failing because the fleas are immune, it’s failing because I can’t get it on the skin. When I say her fur is dense I mean there is no way to part the fur and see ANY skin. I’m afraid to try more expensive topicals and end up with the same problem.

I’ve used DE for an unrelated pest problem (in reptile enclosure) but IIRC it works by scraping the exoskeleton when insects crawl over it, and does not affect eggs because they are not motile. Am I wrong?

I think I’ll try Capstar and encourage my cat to walk around the entire house to kill adult stragglers. If that doesn’t work I’ll try to get Comfortis from the vet.

I hate fleas.

 

[maggiedemi]

When I say her fur is dense I mean there is no way to part the fur and see ANY skin.

Can you try parting her hair with a tail comb?

 

[lilbirdie]

Can you try parting her hair with a tail comb?

That’s what I used to part it last time

I even cut a piece of fur off in desperation because she was really scratching horribly and seemed to be in agony. Can’t get to the skin, at all. Vet even asked if I wanted to try oral meds a few weeks ago since her fur is so dense. I said “no thanks, there isn’t a flea problem”. If only I knew what was coming.

 

[foxden]

In my experience, Capstar is followed by a Dawn bath (optional) and a spot-on flea treatment such as Revolution or Advantage.

Capstar kills the adult fleas and relieves the immediate problem. The spot-on treatment starts to work on the immature fleas. You should use the topical flea treatment for 2 or 3 months so fleas remaining in the environment do not reinfest your pet.

I volunteered at a shelter several years ago. This was a routine intake procedure there. I also used Capstar followed by Revolution when we brought Trina into our house, since she had been a stray.
I have not researched Capstar online, and was not aware of the allergic reactions.

 

[SeventhHeaven]

That’s what I used to part it last time

I even cut a piece of fur off in desperation because she was really scratching horribly and seemed to be in agony. Can’t get to the skin, at all. Vet even asked if I wanted to try oral meds a few weeks ago since her fur is so dense. I said “no thanks, there isn’t a flea problem”. If only I knew what was coming.

As long as you part fur apply WaiT hold the cat until it dries, 15 to 30 mins quietly don't set cat free they will rub smear it off anywhere, besides trying to use paw to wash off not to be ingested. I even cover one cat with a dog T shirt to ensure she doesn't remove it, if they do it weakens the product. (T Shirt after it's dried ). Plus correct weight for product, using the small weight dose on a large cat will be insufficient. (sounds like your vet is overlooking that for you though) When I apply on long coated cats same thing mostly hitting the fur it still works properly as long as it's dried not removed cannot have water on it for at least a few days as well. Used Capstar for Emergencies it's toxic internal not to be used as a replacement for regular flea treatment though. Never heard of Capstar causing problems it seems there are one or two isolated incidences? Flea cycle takes 3 months min to destroy in the home. You can purchase a good flea bomb spray from Vets, read that you ordered a spray....pets need to be removed for 24-48 hours.
With all the advice on this thread you will manage DE food grade is great for corners of room etc. I wouldn't use on your pet especially after you applied a product. DE dries out the skin. You need the big guns for infestations

 

[basschick]

since revolution stopped working in our area, we give HK 1/4 of a capstar, and that works for about 40 hours before we start seeing fleas again. we mix it in with juice from a can of cat food and he laps it right up. it must have a very neutral taste because we can't get him to voluntarily lick up famotidine or cerenia.

btw, for a while we had DE all over our condo and HK, but while it lessened the flea population, even with daily vacuuming, the flea population never got below a certain point. that's why we decided to use capstar.

 

[basscat]

btw, for a while we had DE all over our condo and HK, but while it lessened the flea population, even with daily vacuuming, the flea population never got below a certain point. that's why we decided to use capstar.

When DE is involved inside the house, I'm not sure "all over" really sums it up. (That was dustiest mess EVER)

 

[lilbirdie]

Capstar will be here tomorrow!

I think my constant vacuuming has been causing the pupae to emerge. I only ever see the fleas on her but I haven’t seen any at all since I sprayed Precor and gave her a flea bath, since I stopped vacuuming by then. I’m gonna vacuum like crazy before giving her the Capstar to get as many fleas to emerge as possible in the next few days so she can be a living flea bomb.

Fogging is not an option for me since I have reptiles. Praying this works.

 

[basschick]

here's the thing.

capstar absolutely does work, but so far our condo still has fleas - they bite us instead of HK. i've read that vacuuming causes pupae to emerge, but i feel doubtful that's true. that being said, vacuuming up hundreds of thousands of flea eggs and larvae couldn't hurt!

we're going to try an IGR in some parts of the house without an insecticide. not sure how safe that would be for reptiles, however.