TICKS!

mikea said:
There is an Advantix for cats. I got some for the disgusting critter that infests the lower level of my home.
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Uh, no there isn't. If you actually found something labeled that way, it was counterfeit.
 
Advantix != Advantage - Perhaps?
 
jesse said:
Advantix != Advantage - Perhaps?
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Exactly. There is a product for cats called Advantage but not one called Advantix. Interestingly the link provided does not say anything about ticks, just fleas.
 
Advantage Multi for dogs
Advantage Mulit for cats
Advantix for dogs only
Advantage for dogs or cats

Four quite different products. And I am not trying to argue or be belligerent, but it is very important to know the difference, ESPECIALLY the fact that AdvanTIX can and does kill cats. In spite of what some local pet store clerks were telling people, until I had a meeting with their manager.
 
pilot_dude said:
Exactly. There is a product for cats called Advantage but not one called Advantix. Interestingly the link provided does not say anything about ticks, just fleas.
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AdvanTIX (for dogs) and Frontline (for cats and dogs) are pretty much the only good, safe products for ticks. There are a few others that I don't recommend.

Advantage and Advantage II kills fleas only. (Advantage II is new, it adds an insect growth regulator).

Advantage Mulit (and Revolution) kills hookworms, roundworms, earmites flea larvae and adult fleas. Both these products are FDA regulated and require a prescription, as does Heartguard.

Advantage and Frontline have been on the market since the late 80s or 90s. Many people think they are losing their efficacy. That is why you now find them for sale in Walmart and big box stores instead of exclusively through veterinarians.

There are a few new products out.

Comfortis is a great flea-only chewable tablet for dogs. They have a new formula out now that also kills heartworms and other parasites, but I am not very familiar with it. (I own a cat-only hospital).

Assurity is a very effective topical flea-only product for cats. It is what we sell when we have not examined a cat recently enough to dispense a prescription product.
 
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My cats are indoor only cats, but, sometimes when I go out on my deck to have coffee, read a book, etc... the cats come out and wander around. Maybe once a week. Deck is elevated - maybe 12 feet above ground.

How worried should I be about mosquito bites and thus heartworms? I just learned that heartworms come from mosquito bites.

Is morning better than evening to avoid mosquitos?

I don't live near a swamp and I can't say I've been bitten myself but it only takes once.
 
Most of the blood-suckers in the metroplex operate on a contingent fee basis.
 
No fleas, ticks, or other critters came home with me. And while my four feline overlords are indoor-only, they are treated with Revolution because while there may be treatment for heartworm for dogs, as difficult as it is, there's no treatment for the felines. And here in TX, mosquitoes are so big, they require ATC separation from other flying vessels.
 
woodstock said:
My cats are indoor only cats, but, sometimes when I go out on my deck to have coffee, read a book, etc... the cats come out and wander around. Maybe once a week. Deck is elevated - maybe 12 feet above ground.

How worried should I be about mosquito bites and thus heartworms? I just learned that heartworms come from mosquito bites.

Is morning better than evening to avoid mosquitos?

I don't live near a swamp and I can't say I've been bitten myself but it only takes once.
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I am just going to throw out some facts about heartworms in cats. But I don't have time right now to really organize this post. It has nothing to do with aviation,so I apologize but if you are not interested, you can skip this.

To an extent, how much you should worry about your cat depends on where you live. But there are very few totally SAFE places. Indoor cats are statistically, almost as at much risk as outdoor cats. A cat's natural immunity can help fend off certain heartworm infestations and outdoor cats tend to have stronger immune systems. Plus there are thousands of mosquito species. Unfortunately, it seems to be the ones that like to come indoors that are the most common carriers of Heartworms. You also have to consider that Heartworm disease is very rare in cats, BUT it is almost always fatal. Sometimes, symptomatic treatment may get a cat through an episode.

Heartworms have about a 2 year life span, and the most dangerous period for the cat is when the heartworm dies. It can cause a blood clot in the lungs. Heartworm medicine in cats doesn't kill heartworms, it prevents them from maturing. So even if you start a cat on HW prevention now, if it is already infected, the cat could still die from them two years later.

All of the cats that we have diagnosed as having died from HW disease have been indoor cats, but that may be because people don't bring us outdoor cats that died from HW. Owners of outdoor cats seem to be less willing to pay the fee for a necropsy to find that one tiny worm.

Cats can only get heartworms from a mosquito that has bitten an infected dog.

Heartworms are very very difficult to diagnose in cats. It only takes one heartworm to kill a cat. The most common symptom of HW in cats is sudden death. An apparently healthy cat may just be walking around and fall over and die. Usually, the owner just buries the cat with no necropsy so there is no diagnosis. Diagnostics are better today than they were just a few years ago so that is why most people have never heard of them.

HW medication does seem expensive because you usually buy 6 months to a year at a time. But we sell Revolution for cats for about $165/pear (or less than a nickel a day, and less than Pet Med Express). It doesn't sound so bad that way.

If anyone has any other questions, I will be happy to help. Just remember that I cannot give any medical advice. (Your own vet is your best source for information. Although, there are still some vets that don't believe in HWs in cats, so if you hear this, get a second opinion). PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, do not make life-or-death decisions about your cat based on information from the clerk at the pet store. As I said earlier, we had local pet store clerks recommending ADVANTIX for cats. We found out about this after our third emergency case. One lived but two died.
 
Since adopting my first cat at Halifax Humane Society where I volunteered while selling my soul to Riddle the first time, I only follow my vet's advice when it comes to the felines. I'm trusting in their education, salary, and reputation … not some minimum wager at PetSmart.
 
Thanks John. Scary stuff. I didn't know any of this. Surprising to hear that indoor cats are at risk too.
 
I throw my support behind JohnH's posts as all being reliable, helpful info. Thanks, John.
 
JOhnH said:
HW medication does seem expensive because you usually buy 6 months to a year at a time. But we sell Revolution for cats for about $165/pear (or less than a nickel a day, and less than Pet Med Express). It doesn't sound so bad that way.
.
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Oops. I just re-read my post, which I wrote this morning before coffee. (I keep telling myself not to do that). My arithmetic was off. $165/year comes to around 45cents per day. Not the nickel I said. That sounded low to me even as I wrote it, but I wasn't alert enough to catch it.
 
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