My cats have fleas… I did frontline about a week ago but honestly, I think it’s just getting worse, not better. Next step? Any other suggestions?
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You'll need to wait at least 2 weeks before trying a different topical or oral treatment. In the meantime, vacuum everywhere. Dispose of the vacuum bag or empty the canister outdoors immediately afterwards. Wash all bedding in the hottest water allowable by fabric. Dry in a dryer. Use an area treatment, such as Indorex or Knockout ES. You'll need to keep the cats out of each treated room until surfaces are completely dry. Once at least 3 weeks has passed since the application of Frontline, you can try a different topical. Revolution (protects against fleas, heartworm, hookworm, roundworm, ear mites) or Advantage II (fleas, flea eggs, flea larvae) are options. Bravecto Plus is a newer option for a topical. Benefits include 2 month duration (as opposed to one month for the other 2 products) as well as protection against ticks, heartworm, roundworm and hookworm. Monthly oral treatments include Comfortis or Credelio. Whichever one product you choose, treat all pets in the home for at least 3 consecutive months to break the flea life cycle. Year round treatment is recommended.
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Fleas can be quite challenging to treat and it takes at least 3 months to fully break the flea life cycle. That said, there are certainly other options to try for Minnie and Millie! I've noticed more and more that Frontline just doesn't do the trick against fleas as well as it did 10+ years ago. Since you applied a topical medication, you have to wait at least another week (2 weeks minimum between doses) to apply another topical medication, such as Advantage, Bravecto (a prescription from your vet, but it works amazingly), or Revolution. While you wait it out between topical doses, you can give both cats an oral medication that's available over the counter called Capstar. This tablet kills adult fleas within hours, but it does not kill the eggs or larval flea stages. As a result, you can give this tablet daily until you're able to apply a better long-acting flea preventive. Be sure to keep both cats on a good quality topical preventive consistently. Likewise, wash all bedding/blankets in hot water every few days and vacuum daily. Take care to discard the vacuum bag or clean the canister well between vacuuming so that the flea eggs don't hatch and climb back out of the vacuum. Environmental treatments like Knockout ES Area Treatment Spray work really well. Best of luck with this frustrating issue!
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