Oral Flea treatments - any experience?

[Gaina]

Hi All,

Sorry I haven't been around too much. I am really busy at Uni and I'm too pooped to do much other than check my emails at the moment .

I (well, my parents!) are due to give Billy a dose of Frontline, but he's such an utter wimp about the whole thing that I was wondering about the oral flea treatments you can get to put in their food.

Has anyone else used them?

Had any adverse reactions?

If you currently use this method of flea treatment and are happy with it, what brand do you use?

Thanks for the help. I hope everyone with two legs and four is doing great .

Gaina x

[Moli]

Hi, good to see you back, I have had no experience of oral treatment, but sure someone will be able to advise...

[Mags]

I've no experience of oral flea treatment either but I've just been reading about them here........ http://www.fleafree.co.uk/flea_treatment/en/oral.shtml

[angieh]

That's a very useful link Mags. Thanks.

[Gaina]

Thank you Mags, that's very helpful

[yola]

I use advantage drop-ons. Did broach the subject of oral treatment but my vet said it was too new and they weren't recommending it as yet - but that was about 2 years ago. Let us know what you decide on.

[borderdawn]

I never put any chemicals on or in my pets unless they have the parasites that need killing! I cannot see why anyone would put stuff on their pets to kill something that isnt there? unless they are of course.
Dawn.

[Gaina]

Originally Posted by borderdawn

I never put any chemicals on or in my pets unless they have the parasites that need killing! I cannot see why anyone would put stuff on their pets to kill something that isnt there? unless they are of course.
Dawn.

I can see your point of view Dawn, but I think for some cats prevention is definitely better than cure if your cat is known to have bad flea allergies.

Incidentally, that reminds me of a trick a vet nurse told me about dealing with ticks....

If you find one, soak a cotton bud (the ones on a stick, AKA q-tips, you know?) and gently rub it all over the tick. The little blighters shrivel up and die in 24 - 36 hours. I keep a bottle of surgical spirit at the ready just in case one manages to escape the flea treatment and it works really well .

[borderdawn]

I appreciate what you are saying gaina, but there are far too many chemicals pumped into pets these days and reactions and immune meditated disorders caused because of it. If I ever saw a flea or evidence on my cats or dog, Id spray them, but there is no way I would potentially poison them "just in case" These are not life threatening problems, its a parasite where us as owners can see the problem if it becomes apparent. With worms, again you can usually see the evidence presenting in your pet, however I do know many who will worm once a year or something.

Vets are all for pushing this stuff, their sales are rocketing through putting guilt trips on owners.

Good tip for the ticks, its the dogs that are more likely to get those here, now the Cats dont go off the premises anymore.
Dawn.

[northern lass]

I have used oral Flea treatments on Max and Oli with no ill effects. They both had fleas when we first got them at 6 week and I was told they where too young for a spray or dropette so was given Johnson's 4 fleas tablets.

Apart form the usual "getting a cat to swallow a pill" rountine they work fine, it is a bit gross when you see all the fleas fall off after about 15 to 20 minutes - but fingers crossed we have beaten the fleas into retreat now (I comb both cats regularly and haven't found any more evidence to date)

hope this is of use.