Advantage Cat Flea Treatment

In this short guide, we will look at how fleas can affect your cat and how effective Advantage is in eradicating them.

Fleas are no fun for your cat and an infestation can cause serious health problems for felines and their owners. Fleas don’t just cause discomfort, either. In young, old, or sick cats, a flea infestation could result in anemia and potentially death. Many animals have an allergic reaction to flea bites as they inject their saliva into the pet’s bloodstream when they bite.

The animal produces histamine to combat the toxins which result in inflammation. As a result of this, your cat’s skin will become extremely sore. Cats can become irritable, anxious, and very restless. They can chew and bite their skin and fur in an attempt to stop the itching—a condition known a neurodermatitis. This is very unpleasant for your pet, obviously, and poses a further risk of secondary infection.

Fleas can also pass on tapeworms if they have bitten infected wild animals which can be extremely dangerous if transmitted to cats. If your cat has fleas, your home will also soon be infested with fleas too, which poses a risk to human health. Fleas and flea bites can cause a host of illnesses in humans including allergic reactions, typhus, and possibly tapeworms.

Advantage II is produced by German pharmaceutical giant Bayer and contains the active ingredient Imidacloprid. This chemical kills fleas on contact and has been proven to be very effective.

The chemical will give the cat protection almost like a shield from flea larvae. As soon as your cat has been treated, whenever it comes in to contact with larvae, they will be killed instantly.

Advantage II comes in a small tube in the form of a gel. Simply open the tube and apply to the skin on the back of your cat’s neck. This application method is far easier than bathing or administering an oral medication.

Pet owners that are experiencing a flea infestation for the first time may waste a whole heap of money on ineffective shampoos and powders before turning to an effective product like Advantage II. While it may be more expensive than other products, it is recommended by veterinarians and it works.

If you have several cats, then it is worth taking the precaution of separating cats when you apply a topical medication such as Advantage II. Cats have a tendency to groom themselves and each other a great deal and may ingest the medication from another cat’s neck.

After applying Advantage II or a similar product, separate cats for at least two hours after application. As with all medications, you should lock them away from children. In the event that your child swallows this product, then contact emergency services immediately.

Advantage, as we mentioned earlier, is produced by the German pharmaceutical multi-international company Bayer. You can check out the extensive website run by Bayer—Bayer Pet Basics, which has loads of helpful advice and tips for both cat and dog owners alike.

The active ingredient in AMDRO—Hydramethylnon—is not a long-lasting ingredient like you can find in other products. Bifenthrin is an active ingredient found in other ant killers, which lasts longer; however, it is not considered to be as environmentally-friendly. Amdro offers a compromise between eradicating ants and best preserving the environment of your yard. It does, however, mean that you will need to reapply Amdro regularly unlike other products containing Bifenthrin.

This product works best when it is applied to dry ground. If you have an ant infestation and you rarely get a dry week or so, then this product is not going to be effective on the wet ground.

The active ingredient works slightly slower than other active ingredients used in competitive products.

Although Advantage is slightly more expensive than its main competitor, frontline, in most cases this shouldn’t pass a couple of dollars per dose, which is justified by the better quality.If you live in Northern states, then it is not necessary to treat your cat for fleas all year round. You can start your flea prevention program early spring and continue it until early winter, so you may only require a flea prevention medicine for around eight months a year.