How important is it really for indoor cats to get heart worm/flea medications monthly?

[nbrazil]

The vet I see is basically "pushes" these medications, saying that a mosquito can get inside or a flea hop a ride.

For awhile I thought it would be fun to have the cats on the balcony, but that would expose them to mosquitoes, so I've x-ed out that idea.

If they stay 100% inside I think the risk is minimal - I'm of the opinion that if a medicine can help you it can harm you - less is better (unfortunately I'm dealing myself with a chronic medical condition that is treated with a whole slew of stuff, but that's my burden) - so I don't want to subject the cats to anything more than is necessary.

Pro's/Con

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 
The vet I see is basically "pushes" these medications, saying that a mosquito can get inside or a flea hop a ride.

For awhile I thought it would be fun to have the cats on the balcony, but that would expose them to mosquitoes, so I've x-ed out that idea.

If they stay 100% inside I think the risk is minimal - I'm of the opinion that if a medicine can help you it can harm you - less is better (unfortunately I'm dealing myself with a chronic medical condition that is treated with a whole slew of stuff, but that's my burden) - so I don't want to subject the cats to anything more than is necessary.

Pro's/Con

Absolutely less is better, especially when it comes to chemical flea treatments and wormers! .. I think the suggestion of vets insisting that preventatives are necessary every month, is nonsense, and dangerous. Spot-on flea and tick treatments are pesticides and should only be used as necessary.

I live in the country surrounded by lots of bush and all of my cats go outdoors. I do not and have not had to treat my animals more than twice in a year. We have ticks in my area, but I am proactive in checking all of my animals every day, when they have been outside. In your case, you should definitely not need to treat for fleas or ticks unless you get regular visits of other animals, such as a relative or neighbor's dog in your apartment.

There are natural flea preventatives that you can get which should be more than sufficient given that your cat does not go outdoors. Below is a link to a page at Dr. Karen Becker's website, which features information about the dangers of spot-on flea and tick products. Dr. Becker also discusses a product that she has created which is a natural flea and tick product.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/site...pot-on-package-labeling-for-pet-products.aspx

 

[cprcheetah]

I do know that the majority of cats diagnosed with Heartworm (which is probably 10% compared to the dogs in my state) are strictly indoor cats.  We don't have fleas here so I don't use flea meds but I do dose them with my own Ivermectin concoction once a month. 

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 
I do know that the majority of cats diagnosed with Heartworm (which is probably 10% compared to the dogs in my state) are strictly indoor cats.

Really? The only way I know of that a cat gets heartworm and that is through mosquito bites, and the chances of this are significantly reduced by virtue of being inside.

Here is another article by Dr. Karen Becker, on the subject of Heartworms : http://healthypets.mercola.com/site...03/12/threat-of-feline-heartworm-disease.aspx

 

[cprcheetah]

we have a ton of mosquitoes here and they are always in my house annoying me

 

[peaches08]

we have a ton of mosquitoes here and they are always in my house annoying me

This is a great point, that mosquitoes can make their way inside.  My cats are not on flea, tick, or heartworm prevention but I do see the occasional mosquito in the house (1 a month maybe) so I often wonder if I need to be doing something about heartworms.

 

[oneandahalfcats]

The thing of it is, is cats are 10 times more resistant to heart worms than dogs. Even if a cat were to get heart worms, the size and number of worms are much smaller compared to dogs. If a cat's immune response is strong, then worms generally do not survive.

From the article at Mercola :

Since the cat is not the natural host for heartworms, very few larvae make it to adulthood in a kitty's body. In dogs, invading worms know exactly how to find their way to the pulmonary arteries. These same worms get lost inside a cat's body. Most larvae that do make it to the pulmonary arteries of a cat are wiped out by a massive immune response.

 

[stephenq]

I'm going to split the difference on the heartworm prevention and say it depends on where you live (example the south has a LOT of heartworm), how well you are able to keep mosquitos outside (screens etc) and that looking at the above weigh the risk but note that heartworm is almost always fatal in cats. 

Fleas and ticks, not as dangerous but again it depends where you live. I have a friend who lives in vermont and when she comes in from walking in the field by her house she's covered in ticks.

My cats don't get anything as indoor cats but that's because of where I live.

Advantage is flea only, Advantage Multi is fleas and heartworm

Frontline Plus is fleas and ticks

Revolution is fleas, heartworm, plus some worm protection and ear mite protection.

This site compares treatments

http://www.vetshoponline.com/whats-the-difference-W22C178.aspx

When in doubt get a second opinion, but if you don't live in a mosquito or tick disaster zone and you have screened windows and doors then it may be overkill.

 

[stewball]

I've had indoor cats for over 20 years and the only time they got fleas was if they stayed at the vet's in the vet's cages.
Lotto got fleas in the last year of his life no doubt brought in on a shoe but advantage dealt with that very quickly. The only thing I ever kept in the house was advantage for 'just in case'.
You font need that stuff for indoor cats in my opinion.

 

[marc999]

 
The thing of it is, is cats are 10 times more resistant to heart worms than dogs. Even if a cat were to get heart worms, the size and number of worms are much smaller compared to dogs. If a cat's immune response is strong, then worms generally do not survive.

From the article at Mercola :

Since the cat is not the natural host for heartworms, very few larvae make it to adulthood in a kitty's body. In dogs, invading worms know exactly how to find their way to the pulmonary arteries. These same worms get lost inside a cat's body. Most larvae that do make it to the pulmonary arteries of a cat are wiped out by a massive immune response.

This is useful information no doubt.

However slim, the chance is still there though, right? 

Considering I also take my cat on little visits to my folks place, there's usually a mosquito or three flying around in the house due to people coming in/out of the backyard patio. 

Now, having said that - my little guy has a level 4-5 heart murmur, would 'HeartGuard' be too much strain on my cat, such that it's not worth the risk of the medication? 

 

[oneandahalfcats]

We get tons of mosquitos every year where I live, and my cats are out every day in the warm seasons. We also get ticks every year which my cats do pick up on occasion. What it boils down to is what you are comfortable in using. For me this is not chemical-based 

 
This is useful information no doubt.

However slim, the chance is still there though, right? 

Considering I also take my cat on little visits to my folks place, there's usually a mosquito or three flying around in the house due to people coming in/out of the backyard patio. 

Now, having said that - my little guy has a level 4-5 heart murmur, would 'HeartGuard' be too much strain on my cat, such that it's not worth the risk of the medication? 

Well, I can't speak for the risk involved in administering HeartGuard to a cat with a heart murmur. This is something that you would definitely want to discuss with your vet. What I can speak to, is that I live in the country where every year we get literally tons of mosquitos (and ticks). I have lived here with my husband and our 2 (now 3) cats, since 2005, and we have yet to have any problems with heart worm, lime disease or even worms? I do worm my cats every year as they go outside and hunt, and take precautions in seeing to it that they are treated with natural products to help repel mosquitos and ticks. I also check my cats for ticks every day in the warm season, when they come in from outside. That said, I would not hesitate to use a spot-on treatment such as Advantage if one of my cats were dealing with a true flea infestation or parasite, but I do not see the point in subjecting my cats to pesticides on a regular basis on spec.

Its all about prevention in my opinion, and there are different ways to go about protecting your cats from fleas and parasites without the need to use chemical-based flea treatments and heavy-duty wormers like Revolution, so frequently, especially for indoor cats. As you have mentioned that you get visits from a relative or friend with a dog, you can protect your cat by educating the owner of the visiting dog about how best they can protect their animal from unwanted fleas and parasites, as a start. As for which method you use personally on your own cat, you need to do what you feel is best.

 

[irinasak]

I think that where you live is very important. We have mosquitoes, ticks and fleas, but the worst are the ticks here, who carry lyme and other nasty stuff.

My cats are indoor only, but I brought them fleas from the feral colony I feed. Since then I try to be extra careful in the summer, so this means I also use topic prevention, like Frontline or Stronghold. However, I have not heard of heartworm prevention before.

 

[marc999]

Oneand1/2, you mentioned a natural deterrent of mosquito on your cats, what would that be?  

That sounds very interesting. 

 

[cprcheetah]

It is a personal choice, honestly.  You have to weigh the risks of them getting heartworm vs the risks of the toxins they put in the medication.  I personally give my cats/dog my own concoction of Ivermectin which is a much lower dose than in the Heartgard/Revolution but it is the 'approved' dose so to speak.  I have several cats with health issues including one with Cardiomyopathy (a heart condition).  My dog has a very strained/weak immune system but I'd rather not risk her getting heartworms.  To my knowledge there really isn't a natural alternative.  I have read using a certain kind of beer to get rid of heartworms or other natural treatments (which I am HUGE into) but I just haven't found an effective one against Heartworms.  Cats may be resistant to getting them however usually one of the only signs in cats is sudden death which is what I (who have worked for a vet for 20+ years) have seen on several ocassions, my dad (a semi-retired vet) was the first vet in our state to diagnose a cat with Heartworm and it was on autopsy. 

Here is an article that talks about it:

http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/heartworm-in-cats/  It states that only about 25% of diagnosed cats are indoors, however like I mentioned above that is different in the state/county I live in, but we have a big mosquito population.  Read about it, study about it, and weigh the risks, call your vet and ask how many positive cats they've seen this year.

 

[bigperm20]

I agree that totally indoor kitties don't need flea and tick meds. As far as fleas "hitching a ride", the only occurrence I had of this was when I brought a few home from my brother's dog. He's kind of cheap, and wasn't using effective treatment for the little guy.

That's the only flea issue I've had in several years. I treated my girls with store bought Advantage, and poof... No more fleas.

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 
Oneand1/2, you mentioned a natural deterrent of mosquito on your cats, what would that be?  

That sounds very interesting. 

@Marc999: There are commercially available topical sprays that you can get, or you can make a homemade spray using Apple Cider Vinegar. A recipe for homemade flea spray was posted here recently : http://www.thecatsite.com/a/homemade-flea-remedies. You could also use this as a mosquito repellant. Just make sure if you decide to use this method, to apply the spray to your hands or cloth when doing around the ears, neck and chin, so the spray doesn't get into the eyes, nose or mouth.

The following link is to another article at Mercola Pets where Karen Becker discusses Fleas and Ticks and what attracts them to your pet, spot-on flea treatments, and why she advocates for natural prevention : http://products.mercola.com/healthypets/natural-flea-and-tick-control/

The article also features information from the EPA regarding the concerns based on complaints that have been received involving spot-on medications. There is also a video demonstration of how to remove ticks from your pet for anyone wanting to learn about this. At the end of the article is information about a specially formulated flea and tick spray that Dr. Becker has formulated and made available. Not sure what the availability is here in Canada, but chances are you can get this product on Amazon.

 

[stephanie42]

my cats are indoor, but i do attempt to walk them out on the patio (still trying to get them used to the kitty holster i bought).  my brother's dog comes over sometimes, and they go to the dog park regularly.  and i have friends who visit who have their own cats and dogs.  so even though my cats are indoor - even if i NEVER brought them outside - people can bring stuff in.  i we have ticks, mosquitoes, fleas - especially from may-october depending on the weather.

having said that, my cats are not 'regularly' on any worm/flea medications.  in the past, i have given them revolution because i like the fact that it covers so many things.  but i had 4 cats then and they would sit out on an enclosed deck all the time, sunning themselves.  i would use one 'dose' of revolution shared between all four of them, and we never had issues.   now, i use one dose between the three of them every 8 weeks or so during the active season (may-oct) and then a dose around the end of january.  

i have not given any since piglet's surgery or CKF diagnosis; i'm waiting to consult with the new vet.  i'm a big believer in only medicating when necessary.  i have a chronic illness too, and take more medications and supplements than i care to count.  but i need all of them.  do my cats NEED flea/worm meds all the time?  not really.  so i try to balance the benefits and risks of medicating with their activities and needs.  it's up to each cat parent to determine what's best for our fur babies - they cannot make the decision themselves.

my one steadfast rule is to never, ever, EVER use anything from hartz.  no sprays, no drops, no collars, no NOTHING.  EVER.  if you don't know why i'm absolutely refusing hartz products, check http://www.hartzvictims.org  or google.  not good stuff.

 

[oneandahalfcats]

Agree. Very good idea.

 

[marc999]

 
@Marc999: There are commercially available topical sprays that you can get, or you can make a homemade spray using Apple Cider Vinegar. A recipe for homemade flea spray was posted here recently : http://www.thecatsite.com/a/homemade-flea-remedies. You could also use this as a mosquito repellant. Just make sure if you decide to use this method, to apply the spray to your hands or cloth when doing around the ears, neck and chin, so the spray doesn't get into the eyes, nose or mouth.

The following link is to another article at Mercola Pets where Karen Becker discusses Fleas and Ticks and what attracts them to your pet, spot-on flea treatments, and why she advocates for natural prevention : http://products.mercola.com/healthypets/natural-flea-and-tick-control/

The article also features information from the EPA regarding the concerns based on complaints that have been received involving spot-on medications. There is also a video demonstration of how to remove ticks from your pet for anyone wanting to learn about this. At the end of the article is information about a specially formulated flea and tick spray that Dr. Becker has formulated and made available. Not sure what the availability is here in Canada, but chances are you can get this product on Amazon.

The apple cider vinegar spray looks promising, except don't cats hate vinegar? Won't he likely stop grooming himself?   Or, how about ingesting the vinegar if he does groom, harmful or no? 

I just whipped up a batch and put it in a spray bottle; it's still mighty strong smelling even diluted. 

 

[skyefoxx]

Just throwing my two cents out there, I agree with the idea that it depends on where you live.  Fleas seems to be a pretty big issue around where I live so I use flea prevention all year round here.  My old cat had them several times and he never went outdoors.  I find they cling to your sneakers and jeans if you go outside frequently.  On top of that he was terribly allergic to the bites.  If he had even one he would start ripping his own hair out and it was terrible.  He has since passed away but I still do the same for my girls.  It's not worth their pain or my frustration.

Also, I totally agree with NEVER EVER using Hartz!!