Waning efficacy of topical flea treatments?

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Has anyone experienced a waning effectiveness as a 'month-end' nears for any topical flea treatment you are using?

It would seem that nearing the last few days before Feeby is due for another Advantage II flea treatment, she is experiencing flea bites. She was due for her next application this coming Tuesday (10/29), but late Friday (10/25) we started noticing behavioral changes in Feeby that replicate what she was going through when she first was exposed to fleas in July (biting herself, hopping/skipping/jumping while walking, increased vocalization, changing locations to rest in/on, etc.).

We didn't actually see any fleas - and my husband said he would run a flea comb through her, which he has not yet done - but, I wasn't taking any chances and applied Adv II to her yesterday. By this morning, all those behaviors are gone. I think I remember this happening last month, but it was more within only a day or so in advance rather than multiple days.

The dosage is correct for her size, but admittedly the treatments were bought a few years back. There is no expiration date on them, and confirmed there is no expiration applicable with the makers of Advantage some time ago. It doesn't seem to be that she is building an immunity to the product since the next 'new' treatment appears to resolve the issue (besides, this is only her 3rd application).

If anyone has experienced this, do you just apply a new treatment a few days early? Thanks!

Edited: Can't ask the vet because he has already stated that he thinks Adv II is not as effective as products like Bravecto, which I am not going to put her on. That is a whole other matter I already brought up in a previous post (Feeby's Flea Treatment Debate - Does It Apply To You?).

 

[daftcat75]

I believe you can reapply Adv 2 as soon as 14 days from the last application. I was worried that I didn't apply it correctly myself. I had a vet tech apply it to her a couple weeks after the first treatment.

My Fleabusters powder arrived this weekend. I need to get a good brush to apply it to the carpet and find some time in-between cat feedings to do it.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

Yes I have noticed this with advantage had to do patches a few days early. Talked to my daughter who swears by it she said no problem with her cat's. I'm deciding what to use next month.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Yes I have noticed this with advantage had to do patches a few days early. Talked to my daughter who swears by it she said no problem with her cat's. I'm deciding what to use next month.

By patches, you mean just doing a whole new tube a few days early each time? Do you find fleas on your cat?

 

[Tik cat's mum]

Sorry patches is my cat's name. I did a a full treatment a few days early. I never found any fleas on him but he was scratching himself alot that stopped after his treatment.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Sorry patches is my cat's name.

Oh, DUH on my part ! Thanks!

 

[basscat]

We only treat our cats 7 months. At the beginning, the 1st treatment seems to be "less effective" especially nearing the end of the 30 day duration. The remaining treatments seem to work fine though. IF, IF I don't screw up and forget to re-apply it near the 30 days. If I miss it by more than a week AND I'm not treating the environment like I should?.....It almost seems like starting over again.

 

[FeebysOwner]

If I miss it by more than a week AND I'm not treating the environment like I should?.....It almost seems like starting over again.

So, you still continually treat the environment (inside and/or outside) even with the use of a monthly flea treatment? Or, are you doing that because you tend to miss the monthly treatment? Are you using Adv II and if you don't mind, in what general area are you located?

 

[jefferd18]

If there is a flea infestation in the house than any product will slow down towards the end of it's thirty day cycle. The "hopping" tells me that there are fleas on the floor that she is trying to get away from. Fleas can lay dormant to up to six months long, whether it be in your carpet, flooring, or your upholstery.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Fleas can lay dormant to up to six months long, whether it be in your carpet, flooring, or your upholstery.

So, your theory would be that there is still flea larvae/eggs around - even though we thoroughly cleaned/sprayed the house with IGR - that have been 'finding' Feeby but it was not readily apparent because Adv II was killing them when they bit her. But, when the product began to wane toward the end of the monthly cycle, the fleas are no longer being as easily poisoned and she is getting bit more??

Maybe so, but my husband is allergic to their bites and has not had an issue since when we thought they were eradicated a couple months ago. Perhaps, the Adv II was working well enough until the 'end' to keep them at bay to the degree he wasn't/isn't getting bit?!?

 

[jefferd18]

So, your theory would be that there is still flea larvae/eggs around - even though we thoroughly cleaned/sprayed the house with IGR - that have been 'finding' Feeby but it was not readily apparent because Adv II was killing them when they bit her. But, when the product began to wane toward the end of the monthly cycle, the fleas are no longer being as easily poisoned and she is getting bit more??

Maybe so, but my husband is allergic to their bites and has not had an issue since when we thought they were eradicated a couple months ago. Perhaps, the Adv II was working well enough until the 'end' to keep them at bay to the degree he wasn't/isn't getting bit?!?

Yes, I would be more than willing to bet that the fleas are still in your house. It takes MONTHS to fully eradicate a house from those unwanted parasite visitors. My cats do the 'hop' dance too whenever the fleas awaken themselves. Give it time, your husband will start itching, right now they're going after kitty. Fleas are the most frustrating when it comes to getting rid of them.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

Oh no looks like I'm treating everything before I change brand. It can't hurt anyways. I don't know why it didn't enter my head I know they can live for months in carpet and thing's

 

[daftcat75]

IGR's only prevent adults from reaching sexual maturity. They can still bite your cat (and your husband) and take blood meals. The IGR ensures the current generation of fleas will be the last one (as long as you keep applying the IGR according to the product schedule.) But you still have to clear the current generation. That's made complicated by the flea lifecycle. Larvae, adults, and juveniles are more susceptible to vacuuming while eggs can be very difficult to pick up with a vacuum. Laundering bedding and steam cleaning carpets will help with eggs. But the big reason why you need to keep vacuuming obsessively is because the heat and vibration will awaken the eggs and cocooned adults making them easier to pick up with the vacuum. If your premise spray also contains permetherin, that binds to carpet fibers and can provide an extra measure of adulticide. Though I'm not certain how long this effect lasts. I believe your favorite site, fleascience.com discusses premise sprays and the need to keep those current as well as the treatments in or on the animals.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I believe I understand the concept of flea treatments, adulticides and IGRs, and how they are supposed to work. The point of my thread was to question the efficacy of certain flea treatments - on a cat - in their entirety. Here is why:

We have lived in this house for over 35 years. Our first exposure to fleas was actually after we moved into the house from an apartment with Tawny (RIP), following a brief stint in a hotel. All we did then was bathe Tawny (he was totally covered in them, the water in the tub was red tinged) and treat him with Advantage - and the fleas were gone. We didn't know to do anything else then, and it worked. He spent a lot of time on the same screened in patio that we have now, and never had fleas again. And, through Gracie's entire life (RIP), she used the very same patio, and was NEVER treated with a flea treatment. Until this past July, Feeby has also NEVER had fleas and was not given any flea treatments.

So, something HAS changed - at least here in FL, or in my area anyway. The fleas are apparently more prevalent than they used to be, and must not be responding the same to flea treatments that they once were - allowing them to propagate more easily?!? So, what is the difference? Are the 'last generation' of flea treatments not as effective, or what?? Why else would this be happening now when it never has happened before??? This is despite numerous sites - including Flea Science - that say the ingredients in Adv II have not proven to be less effective than they were years and years ago.

Therefore, I am closing in on the fact that my vet is correct (he usually is, alas in this case) and that the 'last generation' of flea treatments are no longer as effective as the 'new' generation (aka isoxazoline).

I will try another flea treatment that is not within the isoxazoline class compounds (neurological warnings), however aside from Adv II - considering those that contain IGR - the options are slim.

 

[daftcat75]

If I can remember to do this between everything else I have to do today and tomorrow before driving just south of the fire evacuation zones for Krista's dentist, I can let you know how the Fleabusters works out. But I think that will probably be something I take care of after we get back from our dentist adventure.

 

[Pjg8r]

I’m also in Florida and there are products that no longer have any effect on fleas in my area. It is a year round battle but I agree there seem to be outbreaks. I also use capstar when I take them to the vets so they don’t pick anything up from the other pets.

 

[basscat]

So, you still continually treat the environment (inside and/or outside) even with the use of a monthly flea treatment? Or, are you doing that because you tend to miss the monthly treatment? Are you using Adv II and if you don't mind, in what general area are you located?

I used to use Advantage II, but now I use Advecta II (sort of.....it's a long explanation, but, the short version is EXACT same ingredients and percentage of ingredients as Advantage II).
I live in rural southern U.S. and I treat the environment inside the house and outside two or three times a year. I don't tend to miss treating the cats monthly. But, every now and then I see where I've missed the exact 30 days and depending on what day of the week it is, I might treat them immediately, or wait a few days until the weekend rolls around. I prefer to treat the cats on a Saturday morning so that I can monitor them over the weekend just in case there's a reaction. Never has been, but....better safe than sorry. If there's a reaction, I'm there to see it and if it becomes a problem. The vet will be open Monday. Nothing worse than something happening to the kids and figuring it out Friday evening with the vet office closed.
I spray the yard in the March and spread what we call "tick granules". I spray again in June and then in October.
I spray the house with Precor or PT Ultracide in March and then again in October. These prevent any fleas that might be on the cats from taking hold inside and starting an infestation.
The kids are always isolated away from all of this for several days.
I've dealt with several infestations (mostly new real estate purchases/fixer upper houses). But, one was in my house and that will NEVER happen again.

When it "seems" to be less effective? I consider less effective to see the kids scratching. I don't find any fleas, but they are not always easy to see, and I think topicals treat more itchy things than fleas....mites and stuff...most any little bug that can get on them and bite.

Get busy with life and it's mid November one year and you realize you never sprayed in October? Well it's November.....the warmth of October window was missed, so...not much sense in spraying now. So that one gets skipped. Might pay for it next spring.

Most of what I put down outside is for fleas and/or ticks. But the following week we'll see thousands of dead ants, spiders, flies, etc.
It may be FOR fleas and ticks, but it sure makes yardwork and sitting on the patio in the evenings MUCH nicer -vs- not spraying.