Flea and Worm treatment

[SuttonRider]

I'm currently signed up to one of these health plans operated by my local vet. It's due for renewal in the new year, but I'm reluctant to do so. So I'm looking for an alternative, can anyone suggest another way of giving the cat his flea and worm treatment, that works. Is there a good 'off the shelf' treatment? What about the annual vaccination, is that always required?

[Ruth B]

The best treatments are the ones that you can only get with a prescription, but you don't need to get the actual treatment from the vets, they should be willing to provide a prescription that you can then use to buy it online, which can be a lot cheaper. I'm not sure how often the plans provide the treatment, but if it is according to the manufacturer instructions you could be using it a lot more than you need to.

I use Stronghold, which is only available on prescription, but I find it is very effective and while it says to do it monthly, mine rarely get done more than once every 3 - 6 months, and while we aren't exactly rural here, living on the outskirts of a city, one of mine is an avid mouser and ratter, so there is always a chance of him picking up something, although fortunately he doesn't eat what he catches. Most of the good ones cover multiple parasites but can vary in what they do cover, so might have to check a bit to make sure which ever you chose does cover what you need it to for where you are.

[Mollycat]

It's a good point to consider, does your cat actually need as much pest control as the plan caters for? My last 3 were never wormed and I think had flea treatments about once a year.

The best ones are prescription but tbh we use non-prescription online meds for the dog and they are very good, we have no fleas at all, and the only ticks we find now are already dead. Which is actually annoying because they are not fat enough to remove easily. The cat gets nothing, she doesn't go out, she's had no fleas or flea treatment in 7 years and only one wormer just in case because she had an upset tummy for a while.

Just keep well clear of the ones openly sold on supermarket shelves.

[SuttonRider]

Thanks for your replies, my cat loves the outside and catches mice and the odd bird on a daily basis. From time to time he will eat what he catches. Your comment on supermarket meds, can you elaborate, what's wrong with them? I was hoping just to buy on line without prescription.

[fjm]

Flea treatments in particular are having a catastrophic effect on the environment (https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... tists-find), although I suspect more from wet dogs than cats. In any case, it makes sense to treat according to need rather than constantly. We have had a few unpleasant outbreaks, but as a general rule a couple of months treatment with a really effective prescription medication every few years has been more than adequate - the trick is to treat at the very first signs, and to use something that breaks the breeding cycle as well as killing the adults. I follow the same method with worming - once in a blue moon as needed. Where ticks are very prevalent you may need to be more proactive, although they are not as dangerous for cats as they are for dogs and humans.

I get prescription flea treatment from the vets - it does mean they need to see the animals regularly, but both vets and cats are fairly relaxed about it, and a check up is a Good Thing, especially as they get older.

[Mollycat]

Thanks for your replies, my cat loves the outside and catches mice and the odd bird on a daily basis. From time to time he will eat what he catches. Your comment on supermarket meds, can you elaborate, what's wrong with them? I was hoping just to buy on line without prescription.

I'm thinking of things like Bob Martin products which mostly seem to turn a simple routine flea prevention into some kind of epidemic plague overnight. Seriously. Happened to us. Essentially if it's sitting on the shelf in the supermarket, chances are it isn't going to kill much. A bit like painkillers, they put paracetamol on the shelf, but paracetamol with codeine you have to talk to someone in the pharmacy and explain yourself before you can buy a strictly limited amount. Same principle applies really, if it's going to work it's a bit too strong to put on the shelf where stupid people and young children could get hold of it. They won't usually do any harm, they are just a waste of your money.

Online from places like Pet Drugs Online, great, those are proper products, some are more effective in different areas too as fleas get some regional drug resistance, so if you can take advice on the best one for you, do.