Lifelong Flea / Heartworm Preventative For Indoor Kitties

SpoiledKits

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Hi all! :wave3:

I took Maimu to the vet last week and we decided to put her on Revolution as a preventative against Fleas / Heartworm. My kitties are indoor only, but there is a dog that lives with us. After I got home from the vet, I confirmed that the dog is already on Revolution. I called my vet and we discontinued the Revolution.

I just took Felix to the vet (I wasn't able to see the same vet at the clinic I go to unfortunately), and she really was pushing the Revolution on me...saying that we carry fleas in the house on our shoes, clothes, etc. She really recommended lifelong Flea / Heartworm preventative medication for cats, regardless if they are indoor only. :think:

When I first got Felix and Maimu, they had fleas. It was gross. I did 3 months of OTC flea treatment and dewormer and they have been flea-free for almost 3 months now. I can definitely understand why you would want to prevent a flea infestation, but is it necessary to put chemicals on indoor-only kitties for the rest of their lives? I felt like she was trying to upsell me, and she is allergic to cats...so I'm assuming she's not a "cat person" which is why I'm second guessing quite a few things (going to post another thread shortly with a different question from our vet visit today).

Any opinions on this would be much appreciated!!

Here are some updated pictures of my babies after they got fixed :lovecat2:
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SpoiledKits

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Oops I posted the pictures twice, sorry about that :doh: I'm on my phone right now.
 

maggie101

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Oops I posted the pictures twice, sorry about that :doh: I'm on my phone right now.
Make that mistake a lot. I have lived in this apt for 7 years. There is a huge yard in front of me and a dog park. My cats have never been on advantage or revolution. They never go outside. I get gnats in my apartment and having maintenance do a pressure wash and have an exterminator. Not sure how revolution works. I guess it stops fleas from jumping on him? I doubt fleas will follow your dog inside gleefully hopping
 

ArchyCat

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Please forgive the long post. Attractive cats. Don't look like happy campers in the photos. But I'm sure the collars will do that.

The short form of my answer, is no. I would not use Revolution on your cats (or mine) as a preventative. But they can also be brought indoors by your dog. And drop off before his Revolution kills them. Maybe flea comb your cats on a weekly basis for detection? Then treat them, as required?

I have had the experience of bringing fleas into the house on my trousers. Unnoticed by me. I've reconstructed this after the fact. My first clue was my tortoiseshell, Mamie, started having bumps on her chin and throat. Since there had been a recent rash of food allergy positions on TCS, that was my first suspicion. So I found a bag of meat based, grain free kibble at Pet Smart. My two cats were not enthused, but they are true kibble heads, so they did eat it. Mamie's bumps did not diminish after a few days of the new kibble and more tined food. Went back to the pet shop and bought a flea comb. And, Wallah! Fleas! Never suspected. My cats are indoor only. They only go outside to visit the vet. So I tried Frontline II and another over the counter topical. Neither worked. These were the fleas from the Neither Region. And the flea comb also pulled up fleas on my tuxedo, Walker.

On TCS I found the thread "Australian Revolution". So I ordered some. And it has worked very effectively. On using the flea comb 24 hours latter, I only found dead fleas. Revolution also works on flea eggs and and all stages of fleas. Fortunately, I have another six months of Revolution left. I'm sure they have shed flea eggs over much of the house.
 
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DreamerRose

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I don't think the vet is trying to upsell you. She is right about how the fleas can get to your cat. I live in a cold climate, and for that reason, I treat only during the warm months - May to October. They were on Paradyne, which is extremely expensive, so I switched to Revolution. If you live in the south, west, or southwest, you probably do need to treat them all year round. It's not just for fleas, but heartworm, too.
 

cheesycats

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There are tons of ways fleas can get to cats. My cats have gotten fleas somehow a couple times even tho they are indoor only and I don’t have dogs. However I don’t consistently treat for fleas or heartworm. I think the heartworm would be so unlikely. First you’d have to get mosquitos in your house then you don’t have to have the off chance that one was carrying heartworm which just isn’t common expecially if u live in a temperate climate where heartworm isn’t reported often.
The flea thing can happen tho. They can come in on the dog or your pant legs, etc. The best thing I can tell you, and this is what I do, is keep a flea comb handy. I comb mine thoroughly, weekly. From head to tail. Fleas love hanging on the head, neck, base of tail, and stomach.
That’s what works for me and I save money and don’t constantly keep pesticides on my cats.
 

kristenann

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Indoor only cats can get heartworm disease and there is no treatment if they do. Yes, it may be unlikely but it is possible and it can cause sudden death. So no, I don't think she is trying to upsell you. She is trying to advocate for the best preventative care for your cats.
 

sidneykitty

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I agree with the others about preventing something that is possible. It might depend on what type of climate you have where you live. If you get a cold winter, you're probably okay to just use flea prevention over summer/warmer months. I'm in Oregon so we can have fleas year-round. I give my cat Revolution and she is indoor-only. Its not just preventing fleas - it also prevents hookworms, roundworms, heartworm (no cure/treatment) and ear mites.
 

war&wisdom

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We have mosquitos in our house all the time during warmer months. They come in when we open the external doors. We live in the Baltimore/DC area, which is fairly low-lying and humid, but I know this is an issue in most locations in the US at some point during the year.

Heartworm terrifies me. I use Revolution just to be safe, but only when mosquitos are a threat.
 

DreamerRose

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I grew up on the muggy banks of the Potomac. On one day in particular, the temp was 100 degrees, the humidity 100%, and it wasn't raining. At the beach, it's even worse. I would use Revolution year round if I lived on any shoreline.
 
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