Using flea treatment products too late The most common reason why a flea treatment appears not to work is because pet owners fail to realize the enormity of the situation. When you see a few fleas either hopping on your pet’s fur or in the carpet, you are already dealing with a full-blown flea infestation.
Full Answer
Can you use too much flea treatment on your cat?
When used as directed, such products are safe and effective. However, dogs and cats can easily become sick if too much or the wrong flea product is applied, or the product is ingested post-application. Ingestion occurs if the dog or cat licks the treated area.
Why is the cat still scratching after flea treatment?
— Other Potential Causes
- Anxiety and Fear. Put yourself in the cat’s position. Your owners took you to a vet’s office, a place you don’t know and have never been to.
- Other Health Issues. It’s not uncommon for a cat to have fleas and suffer from another condition at the same time. ...
- Reacting to the Infestation. Having fleas is not pleasant at all. ...
How to get rid of fleas on your cat?
- Start early before the infestation gets worse. ...
- Clean the walls and floors of your house daily. ...
- Bathe and comb your cats regularly. ...
- Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the yard and in areas where your cats prefer to spend their time.
- Launder your fabrics with hot water and use borax powder for regular cleaning.
How often should I apply flea treatment on my Cat?
To safely apply revolution avoid these things:
- Never rub revolution into the skin
- Don’t apply on wet cat
- Don’t apply to an injured or unhealthy cat
- Prevent the cat from licking the medicine on the treated area until it’s dry
What if cat flea treatment doesn't work?
Incorrectly applying topical flea prevention is the most common cause for its failure to work. Flea prevention is expensive, and you don't want to waste a dose. Topical medication should be applied directly to the skin, not the hair. You must part the hair so that you can apply it to the skin at the base of the neck.
Why does my cat still have fleas after flea treatment?
A. The active ingredient in FRONTLINE (fipronil) kills fleas by affecting their nervous system, making them hyperactive before dying. These dying fleas often rise to the top of your pet's haircoat, so the presence of visible fleas after treating your pet, is a sign that the product is working.
Can I reapply flea treatment if it doesn't work?
The known safe answer is to wait the period of time the product is supposed to work, typically 30 days, before reapplying. An alternative is to bathe the pet in a detergent shampoo (meant to strip off skin oils) and reapply after 24 hours.
Can I flea my cat twice in a month?
can you use before 30 days is up. Under normal conditions this product is effective for one month. However, in cases of severe flea infestation, retreatment may be necessary earlier than 4 weeks. Do not retreat more often than once every 14 days for kittens or once every 7 days for small and large cats.
How do you treat a severe flea infestation on a cat?
First, treat your cat with a product designed to kill fleas. Bathe your cat or kitten with a specially formulated flea shampoo to kill fleas on contact. Flea sprays can be a good option for water-averse cats. Repeat treatment as needed and recommended on the label.
What happens if fleas Don't go away?
Not treating often enough Fleas go through a life cycle of egg, larvae, pupae and adult. Most flea treatments just kill adult fleas, but fleas can continue to emerge for months after you think an infestation has ended. When a newly emerged female flea finds a host, she can lay eggs within one day.
Can you double up on flea treatment?
It's not usually recommended to use more than one oral flea medication at the same time. However, Comfortis and Capstar can be combined. Another exception is Sentinel, which doesn't kill adult fleas, so it can be combined individually with either Comfortis or Capstar.
Why is my cat still scratching after flea treatment?
It's fairly typical after you've applied Itch Flea for there to be a period of hyperactivity amongst the fleas as the product takes effect, and this can cause an increase in itching. It should settle down though after 24 hours.
How to kill fleas on cats?
1. Using flea shampoo. One really common scenario is a frustrated pet parent who uses flea shampoo, then applies, for example, a topical flea treatment for cats, to kill the fleas. Many of the spot-on flea products use the natural oils of the coat to spread over your pet.
How long should I bathe my dog after flea shampoo?
So, if you’ve just washed your pet and stripped the natural oils, they’ll be less effective. Check the packaging for specific recommendations, but most say you cannot apply within 48 hours of a bath, and you shouldn’t bathe your dog for at least 48 hours after application, either.
How long does it take for fleas to hatch?
Pet parents often have unrealistic expectations, especially if they buy a product from the vets – but the truth is, the pupae can wait 12 weeks to hatch, which means you need to treat for 12 weeks, without a gap, to beat them.
Can fleas feed on rabbits?
There’s no point in treating your dogs if the adult fleas can feed on your rabbit, or on the neighbour’s cat that sleeps on your sofa sometimes! The minute you forget a day of your dog’s treatment, or use a sub-standard product, they’ll catch fleas again. Make sure you treat all the animals in the house so the adult fleas have nowhere safe to go! If you have a visiting cat, please check with their owner before applying flea treatment, to avoid double-dosing.
How to get rid of fleas in cats?
While the flea medicine slowly works, you can do other things to get rid of the fleas. Comeb your cat's fur frquently with a fine toothed comb to remove fleas and eggs. Dunk the comb into hot soapy water after each pass throgh the fur to drown the fleas. Vaccum frequently.
Does Broadline kill fleas?
Some use Advantage. They both kill fleas and the eggs . I don't know the active ingredients in Broadline . If one medication fails to work I would try a different one. Sometimes with longhair cats you must make sure you part the hair and apply the drops directly on the skin .
Can you spray flea killer on carpet?
Location. Nebraska, USA. Yes, make sure you vacuum more often, and even spray some flea killer on the carpet to kill the eggs and fleas you suck up. Wash blankets and covers almost daily and spray the area where your cat sleeps before you replace the bedding.
Why aren't flea products working?
Another reason for products not working is by not treating your home and yard, where in some cases 80% of the flea life cycle may occur. Read how to control fleas indoors and outdoors.
Do pet owners see fleas?
All too often, a pet owner will come in and share their experience in which he or she regularly applies topical flea prevention, yet is frustrated that after several treatments they are still seeing fleas.
Can pet hair medication be applied to skin?
This is something that can be somewhat of a challenge for thick haired pets; however, the pet medication will not work properly if only the hair follicles receive the medication – it must be applied to the skin.
Can fleas be treated with oral flea medicine?
Consider switching to oral flea medications. The newer oral flea medications are becoming very popular and with good reason — they’re even more effective than topical treatments at killing adult fleas and keeping your pet flea-free.
What is the best way to kill fleas in cats?
Delivery Method . Flea treatments for cats may come as shampoos, dips, sprays, bombs, powders, spot-ons, orals, collars, combs, and even injections. Some delivery methods are only appropriate for killing live fleas while others will help prevent a flea from being able to reproduce.
What does it mean when a cat has fleas?
Cats that have fleas are often very itchy and may have hair loss, skin redness, and even scabs. The hair loss is often most prevalent at the base of the tail but can occur anywhere. Flea dirt, which is the black flea feces, can be seen in the fur.
How long does it take for Comfortis to kill fleas?
Does not protect against any other parasites. Flea prevention for up to one month in cats and kittens 14 weeks and older can be found in the chewable tablet option called Comfortis. This tablet works very quickly to kill fleas in as few as 30 minutes and can be crushed and mixed in your cat’s wet food if necessary.
How long does it take for Bayer Advantage 2 to work?
Bayer Advantage II is one of the go-to flea treatments for cats. It’s a set-and-forget solution, effective against fleas for four weeks and starts working in 12 hours. Simply applying the product to your cat’s neck kills fleas upon contact, without requiring them to bite the skin. It’s also fragrance-free, waterproof and kills larvae and flea eggs as well as adults.
What is the best flea collar for cats?
Our top pick is this collar from Bayer, which is effective for a full eight months and offers continuous protection from fleas and ticks. The active ingredients in the collar are released in low concentrations, protecting your cat and killing fleas on contact with the skin. The formulation is odorless and non-greasy, and is also effective against flea eggs and larvae, preventing infestations before they happen.
Can you use pyrethroids on cats?
Avoid using pyrethroids in cats as they can be toxic. These are more commonly found in some dog flea treatment products, but are still occasionally seen in cat products. Pyrethrins and permethrin products can also be dangerous to use in cats, but each cat has a different level of sensitivity.
Can flea treatments kill live fleas?
Additionally, some products will kill live fleas while others will only prevent a flea from reproducing, so not all products are appropriate for all your flea needs. Flea treatments can be used as needed if your cat gets fleas and preventatives can be given to help prevent your cat from getting fleas. Due to the potential side effects of flea ...
How to apply flea treatment?
How to Apply Each Brand of Topical Flea Treatment 1 Hold the tube upright and turn the cap one full turn. 2 Make sure the seal is broken but DO NOT remove the cap. 3 Cats: Part the hair at the base of the neck and apply the entire tube to the skin. You can apply to a second spot directly behind the first if there is overflow. 4 Dogs: Part the hair at the base of the neck and apply to the skin; do this in one or more spots depending on the size of your dog. For larger dogs, choose two or three spots along the spine to continue the application.
How long do fleas live in the environment?
Flea eggs and larvae can live in the environment for days or weeks. It is best to regularly vacuum all the locations of your home where your pet spends time, wash all bedding in hot water, and keep your pets on flea prevention.
How many active ingredients are in flea prevention?
Flea preventions typically use one or two active ingredients to do the job of preventing fleas. Each brand will use different active ingredients, and these ingredients will work in different ways to prevent fleas. An overdose for most flea preventions could result in the following: Profuse drooling. Vomiting.
How to apply Bravecto to cat?
Bravecto. Hold the tube upright and turn the cap one full turn. Make sure the seal is broken but DO NOT remove the cap. Cats: Part the hair at the base of the neck and apply the entire tube to the skin. You can apply to a second spot directly behind the first if there is overflow.
Where to apply hair spray for dogs?
You can apply to a second spot directly behind the first if there is overflow. Dogs: Part the hair at the base of the neck and apply to the skin; do this in one or more spots depending on the size of your dog. For larger dogs, choose two or three spots along the spine to continue the application.
Can you treat fleas in your home?
Your Home Hasn’t Been Treated for Fleas. In conjunction with topical flea treatments, you need to treat your home to provide the best defense against fleas. Most flea preventions do not repel fleas. Flea preventions kill fleas either by direct contact with the fleas or from the fleas feeding on your pet.
Why do cats and dogs keep getting fleas?
The real cause, however, is often unrelated to the efficacy of the flea treatment product but more with the way or time it has been used. The reasons why cats and dogs seem to keep getting fleas, despite using flea treatment products, range from improper use to forgetting to treat the environment at the same time.
What is the best treatment for fleas?
Topical medications such as Bravecto topical, Revolution, Frontline Plus, or Advantage Multi are very popular and effective methods to get rid of fleas, eggs, and larvae, but they need to be used properly in order to work.
Can flea pupae jump on a dog?
This means even if you have been vigilant about killing fleas in your house and yard, given time, the flea pupae will become adults, free to jump onto your pet if your cat or dog isn’t protected. Bravecto Chews. NexGard Chewables.
Can you use flea treatment on pets?
It is not enough to simply use flea treatment products on your pets when you are fighting a flea infestation. You need to get rid of fleas in the house and yard at the same time. Otherwise, the hidden flea eggs and larvae will simply grow to become adult fleas, re-infesting your pet.
Can you see fleas in your carpet?
When you see a few fleas either hopping on your pet’s fur or in the carpet, you are already dealing with a full-blown flea infestation. What you cannot see are the flea eggs and larvae buried deep in the fibers of your home furniture and pet’s bed, which make up 95% of the entire flea population. It is not enough to simply use flea treatment ...
Can you give a dog a flea collar?
You can use Bravecto chews or Nexgard for dogs, or Capstar, which can be given to both cats and dogs. If your pet refuses the chews, the Seresto flea collar is not only effective in killing fleas (and ticks) and its larvae, it also provides one of the safest and longest lasting flea protection for your pet. Seresto.