Flea ampoules for cats and dogs: pros and cons, popular drugs

The presence of fleas in a cat is not only an unnerving scratching of the pet for the owner, but a possible cause of a serious illness for the animal. Scratching from insect bites can lead to infection of the wounds with pathogenic microflora. In addition, the cat may experience an allergic reaction, accompanied by severe itching, swelling and fever.

Brief information: a flea is a wingless insect that parasitizes warm-blooded animals. The size of the insect is about 3 mm. The flea feeds on the blood of its owner, which it obtains by piercing the skin. It is a carrier of various infections.

Symptoms of infection

Fleas in cats cause characteristic symptoms that are simply impossible not to notice:

frequent scratching, or more intense than usual licking of the fur;
restless sleep;
nervous behavior;
loss of appetite.

In addition, on the undercoat of the animal you can see traces of insect activity - excrement resembling black grains of sand, and on the skin - scratches, wounds and scabs.

If the disease is not treated, it can lead to the following consequences:

exhaustion of the animal from lack of sleep and nervous excitement;
the appearance of bald spots on wool;
development of anemia (decrease in hemoglobin level). Outwardly, this is manifested by the animal’s lethargy, weight loss, and pale gums. This condition requires treatment by a veterinarian;
helminth infection;
allergic dermatitis. This disease is characterized by the appearance of red spots on the skin of the cat's body, against which small blisters then appear. Subsequently, the bubbles burst (on their own or from scratching), and in their place weeping areas form. Over time, they dry out, scar, and scales and crusts form;
secondary infection of wounds from scratching and, as a result, to inflammation, abscess and even sepsis.

A cat can get fleas even if it does not go outside on its own. Fleas can get on an animal when traveling on public transport, while participating in exhibitions and competitions. After visiting such places, you should examine your cat to prevent the breeding of “uninvited guests.”

Also, a likely source of fleas getting into the apartment and, accordingly, onto the cat is the owner of the animal himself. A flea can jump on a person’s shoes or clothes on the street or in a hallway, and thus get home.

If there are few fleas on a cat, then they may not be visible visually. You can check for the presence of parasites as follows:

place the animal on a piece of white cloth (fleas, their excrement or eggs will be clearly visible on it);
Take a special flea comb (with fine teeth) and gently comb the animal's fur from head to tail. Fleas and their metabolic products will either get stuck in the teeth of the comb or fall out onto the bedding fabric;
You can distinguish dirt from excrement by placing unidentified black particles on a wet cloth. The excrement will change its color from black to brown or red as it contains the animal's blood.

Effective remedies for getting rid of fleas in cats

There are several types of products that can help you deal with pests yourself. However, before starting treatment, you should consult your veterinarian. Depending on the degree of damage, a specific type of flea medication is selected. In addition, before processing, you must read the instructions, since the wrong dosage can lead to poisoning of the cat.

There are also contraindications to the use of anti-flea drugs:

second half of pregnancy;
nursing cats;
kittens up to 3 months;
sick or weakened pets;
intolerance to components.

Anti-flea shampoos

They are easy to use and safe for kittens and pregnant cats as they are non-toxic. Also suitable for long-haired breeds. The composition contains insecticides that kill adult fleas and their larvae. Extracts of medicinal herbs with an anti-inflammatory effect are also added to shampoos to cope with itching after bites. The only drawback of this method is a cat that does not like to bathe. The process in this case will be long.

The following brands of shampoos are in great demand:

Phytoelite;
Leopard;
Lugovoy;
Celandine;
Insectin;
Deluxe.

Drops on the withers

You can get rid of fleas using drops that contain active substances: ivermectin, permethrin, fipronil and others.

The product should be applied to the animal’s withers or along the spine, but so that the cat cannot lick the product. The drops have an accumulating effect, so the protection will last longer, unlike other means.

Before starting use, you must read the instructions, which indicate the rules for applying the drug:

You should calculate the required dosage; for this you will need to weigh the cat.
Before use, the pet must be combed.
The animal's skin must be dry and the fur must be parted to apply the drops.
For 48 hours, avoid contact with children and other animals, and do not bathe the cat.

The following are considered proven anti-flea drops:

Frontline;
Advocate;
Leopard;
Celandine;
Dana-2 Ultra.

The products have contraindications that you should familiarize yourself with; many are not suitable for nursing, weakened or pregnant cats.

Anti-flea collars

Preference is given to collars if the cat often visits the street. This method of protection helps fight not only fleas, but also ticks. The collars are impregnated with the same composition as the drops; it penetrates the skin, so when a cat bites, the fleas die.

Another advantage is their long-term protection and ease of use. Many manufacturers guarantee protection for a period of 3 to 8 months. However, the product has no effect on the larvae and eggs of parasites; in this case, the owners resort to two treatment methods simultaneously. In this case, you should first consult with a veterinarian, otherwise overdose and poisoning are possible.

The most effective anti-flea collars are:

Harts;
Bolfo;
Diaz..

Flea sprays

Aerosols are suitable not only for treating the pet itself, but also its bedding and habitat. The advantage of this product is ease of use and fast action.

Before starting treatment, you should choose a ventilated place, preferably a balcony or go outside. Spray at a distance of 30 cm from the cat. The instructions may indicate that after half an hour the animal should be combed and the drug should be washed off. Since the product is toxic, you should not allow your cat to lick itself.

Effective sprays are:

Frontline;
Harts;
Leopard;
Bolfo-Aerosol;
Deluxe.

Insect injections

This method has a number of contraindications, and it should be used under the supervision of a specialist. More often, injections are used for severe insect infestation, and the duration of the effect is about 6 months.

Preparations for injections:

Ivermectin;
Eprimek;
Lufenuron.

Tablets against blood-sucking insects

Suitable if the animal develops dermatitis and external use of the products is impossible. The drugs are fast-acting; after administration, the parasites die within 30 minutes. These include:

Comfortis;
Lufenuron;
Milbemax.

However, this method can cause an allergic reaction in the cat, so treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a veterinarian.

What to do if you find a flea?

First of all, there is no need to panic. Parasitic insects are living organisms, which means they can be destroyed. For this purpose, special flea remedies for cats have been developed, which have been tested and successfully used in practice by millions of cat owners.

A brief algorithm of actions if you find parasites on your pet or in your apartment (house):

if there are few fleas, or your kitten is still very small, then wash the animal with a special shampoo;
If there are a large number of fleas, the shampoo may not be effective. In this situation, special drops should be used that will either kill the insects or make their offspring unviable. Read more about how to get rid of fleas from a cat in the next section of this article;
After antiparasitic treatment, it is necessary to disinfest the room(s) where the cat lives. You can learn how to do this in the last section of this article;
the next step is to eliminate the damage to the animal’s health caused by fleas. You can relieve your cat from itching and speed up the healing of wounds with the help of Miramistin solution. This pharmaceutical product disinfects wounds and has an anti-inflammatory effect; it can be purchased at a regular pharmacy. If you contact your veterinarian, he will prescribe an antihistamine. A visit to the doctor is also necessary if the wounds begin to rot.

Features of using flea sprays

Flea spray for cats is usually very effective and safe for the animal. If the treatment is carried out correctly, then toxic substances will not enter the pet’s body and will not cause side effects. But the treatment has a detrimental effect on fleas: they either die or leave the animal within a few minutes.

The standard application and action time of the spray is from half an hour to an hour, after which the cat should be bathed. It is recommended to select the drug depending on the age and size of the animal. They may differ in the concentration of toxic substances.

After the treatment, it is better to take your pet for a walk or distract his attention so that he does not lick himself or wash himself. After the required time has passed, the drug is washed off with running water, sometimes resorting to bathing with shampoo.

As practice shows, there is no need to re-apply the spray; fleas leave the animal’s body after the first treatment. If this does not happen, then there is a possibility that the drug was of poor quality or you did something wrong.

Flea drops

Parasite drops are the most effective remedy for ridding a cat of fleas. The drops repel or kill insects, destroy pathogenic microflora, and prevent re-infection. Drops are a concentrated solution of various insecticides that are harmful to fleas, but safe for cats.

The principle of action of the drops: the substance, when it gets on the animal’s skin, is absorbed and accumulates in the sebaceous glands. Then, over a long period of time, the substance is gradually released from the glands and repels the parasites, or affects their central nervous system, and they die. The effect on parasites occurs in the intestinal or contact way, i.e. the substance ends up in the stomach of the insect or gets on the surface of the body. After this, an irreversible reaction begins, leading to the death of the cat’s fleas.

Benefits of using drops:

ease of use. Insect repellents are usually produced in the form of disposable pipettes. It is very convenient for application;
duration of exposure. The drug should be used once every 2 to 3 months. The frequency of processing is different for each type of drop;
universality of action. The drops protect the cat not only from fleas, but also from ticks and helminths.

Bonus for the cat owner: there will never be fleas in the room where an animal treated with insecticides lives. Parasites in the room move to the cat's body and then die.

Rules for treating cats for fleas:

you need to break off the tip on the pipette along a specially made mark;
then you should spread the fur on the animal’s withers with one hand, and with the other, squeeze a drop from the pipette onto the skin. This action must be repeated in several places in the area from the withers to the shoulder blades.

The amount of product applied depends on the age and weight of the pet. Dosage instructions are included with each type of drop. The drugs are sold without a prescription in veterinary pharmacies, clinics and pet stores.

Experts note that the most popular drops are Bravecto (USA), Stronghold (Zoetis), and Vectra Felice (France).

Important points:

flea drops for cats can cause individual intolerance in the animal, so if an allergic reaction occurs, the cat should be washed immediately and then contact a veterinary clinic;
You can treat your cat with flea drops no earlier than 2 days after bathing;
after applying the drops, the animal cannot be washed for 2 days if the drug is water-based, and for 5 days if it is oil-based;
on the first day after treatment, when the applied substance is most toxic, you should not pet the cat or allow it near children;
Before removing fleas from cats, you must carefully read the instructions included with the drops.

Drops

This is one of those flea remedies for cats that owners most often prefer. Drugs of this type combine reasonable price and very high efficiency. Drops are applied to the animal's withers so that the cat cannot lick them off with its tongue. The most popular among buyers are:

Stronghold. This is the most expensive medicine of all analogues, but at the same time the most effective. The cost of drops can be about 1000 rubles.
Hartz. They cost much less, only 200 rubles per package, which is enough for three months.
Advantage. The most inexpensive of all drops. They cost 100 rubles and are suitable for cats of any breed and age.

Collar

Special repellent collars are saturated with an odor that fleas cannot tolerate, i.e. the product repels (but does not destroy insects). The collar is a porous tape, the material of which retains the smell of the substance applied to it well. This can be either a natural repellent - essential oil, which is safe for cats' health, or a small dose of a synthetic insecticide. For kittens and pregnant cats, collars with natural repellents should be used.

Experts recommend using collars as a preventative measure after the cat’s fleas have already been removed using more powerful insecticidal preparations, or used as a means of complex therapy (i.e. drops + collar). Repellent collars repel not only fleas, but also lice, scabies and ixodid ticks.

The effect of the flea collar lasts up to 8 months. It is very simple to use: just fasten the collar around the cat’s neck and trim off the excess. Do not remove it until the active substance wears off. There is a small “minus”: the fur under the collar cakes, and this is not suitable for cats that take part in exhibitions and competitions.

Collars popular with cat owners: “Bars” (AVZ), “Doctor Zoo”, “Bolfo” (Germany).

If a cat has scratches on its neck, you cannot use a collar; the active substance applied to it can get into the wound and cause a serious allergic reaction in the animal. You can put on a flea collar for cats only after the skin has completely healed.

Flea spray "Bars" for cats: instructions

Nowadays, the choice of products for treating pets against parasites is quite large. The consumer has a fairly wide selection of the same sprays of different brands and manufacturers, produced in different countries of the world. Flea spray for cats "Bars", reviews of which are mostly positive, is gaining immense popularity among livestock breeders. The owners of their four-legged friends say that this is due to the high quality of the drug and its reasonable price. The effect is achieved literally after the first use. A can of spray lasts a long time, so this again saves your budget.

Shampoo

Shampoo is the mildest remedy in the fight against blood-sucking insects. Special shampoo formulas have been developed that not only make pets' fur clean, but also destroy fleas.

Using shampoo, you can get rid of fleas even in pregnant cats, for whom the use of insecticides contained in flea drops is contraindicated.

Benefits of using shampoo for fleas in cats:

affordable price;
ease of use;
low toxicity;
Possibility of use for washing cats that are allergic to insecticides.

Shampoo can be dry, which must be used without water, or regular, which must be washed off the animal’s fur. Particular attention should be paid to rinsing the fur; this must be done very carefully, because cats, no matter how well they are wiped, will still lick themselves.

When choosing a detergent, you should pay attention to what breeds of cats the flea shampoo is intended for: long-haired, short-haired or hairless. It should also be clarified at what age this remedy can be used. The fact is that shampoo for small kittens and pregnant cats contains a minimal amount of toxic ingredients, and in the product for washing adult animals their concentration is much higher.

Experts recommend the following types of shampoos: “BIO-GROOM” (USA), “Bars” (AVZ), “Fitoelita” (Veda).

Flea shampoos for cats consist of three main ingredients:

components that create soap foam;
substances that care for the animal's fur. These are decoctions of medicinal herbs, essential oils;
insecticides. Both synthetic substances (phenothrin, decamethrin) and natural ones (penitrin contained in Caucasian and Persian chamomile) are used.

General information

Before you start figuring out which flea spray for cats is best for fighting parasites, you need to understand how these products differ from each other. The main difference between the drugs is that they can be conditionally divided into two groups. The first will include those intended for processing animal hair, and the second will include products intended for treating premises.

Preparations belonging to the first group should use ingredients that are as safe as possible for the animal. However, at the same time, the flea spray for cats should destroy all the parasites that your pet has in one go and as quickly as possible. By the way, manufacturers try not to use permethrin in this product, since cats are much more sensitive to it than dogs.

For thin and sick animals, specific sprays can also be used, since due to their thin skin, some drugs may be too toxic for them.

Flea treatment products are usually sold in high concentrations and must be diluted. You can spray such preparations using a regular spray bottle.

You should not experiment and use these two types of sprays for other purposes. Otherwise, either your budget or your pet may suffer, whose health could be harmed.

How to remove fleas from a cat at home?

You can remove fleas from a cat at home yourself, or by visiting a veterinary clinic. At the clinic, the doctor will examine the animal, determine the severity of the lesion, evaluate the individual clinical situation and select the appropriate method for removing insects.

Diagnosing the presence of fleas is not difficult for an ordinary person who is far from veterinary medicine. Therefore, the sooner treatment begins, the more effective it will be. Parasites are very prolific, so postponing treatment “for later” is unacceptable.

Folk remedies for fleas in cats

Turning to unconventional methods makes sense with a small flea infestation and in cases of:

animal pregnancy;
cat hypersensitivity to drug components;
pet illness, in which anti-flea drugs can aggravate the condition;
presence of a kitten in the house.

A few recipes to help get rid of pests:

Floral cologne, 3% vinegar, camphor alcohol. Take the ingredients in equal proportions, pour into a container and spray on the cat’s fur. Then put the bag on the animal, so that the head remains outside, and leave for 10 minutes. Then comb the cat.
Homemade anti-flea shampoo. Rub ¼ baby soap and pour boiling water over it. Cook over low heat until jelly-like. Cool and add chopped onion, yolk and 1 tsp. decoction of calendula. Lather the animal with the resulting mixture and leave for 20 minutes, then rinse and dry thoroughly.
Wormwood decoction. Take 1 tbsp. l. dry and fresh herbs, pour 300 ml of boiling water over the mixture. Leave to cook for 10 minutes. Cool the broth and use a cloth or sponge to apply the liquid evenly over the cat’s entire fur. Then wrap it in a towel and leave for 30 minutes. For prevention purposes, repeat once a week for a month.
A decoction of their garlic. Pour 5 crushed cloves with a liter of water and leave overnight. In the morning, rub the mixture into the cat's withers.
Salty water. Dilute 1 kg of salt with 5 liters of warm water. Place the pet in the resulting liquid for a few minutes so that the head remains on the surface. Rinse off the salt solution with water and dry the cat well.
Coniferous sawdust. They need to fill the cat's bedding or bed.
Hellebore water. Apply the liquid to the animal's fur, avoiding the ears, eyes and mouth. Then wrap in a plastic bag and leave for 10-15 minutes. Afterwards, rinse the cat well.

Are cat fleas dangerous for humans?

Cat fleas do not live on people, but they can bite them and thereby transmit the causative agents of some serious diseases.

Among the most dangerous diseases that cause fleas in domestic cats are:

hepatitis - inflammatory damage to the liver;
brucellosis – damage to many body systems: cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, musculoskeletal, nervous, etc.;
encephalitis - inflammation of the brain substance;
helminths – worms that parasitize the body of animals and humans;
Plague is a fatal disease (without treatment it ends in death). It is extremely rare in Russia; the last case was recorded in 2021 in Altai. Those cat owners who export their pets to Central Asia, Africa, and America should be concerned. It is especially important for them to know how to get rid of fleas from a cat as quickly and efficiently as possible.

The most common consequences of a flea bite for humans are allergic reactions, manifested in the form of severe itching and redness. It is also possible for infection to occur in scratched bite areas. This can already lead to a more serious outcome - purulent inflammation of the skin and penetration of infection into the bloodstream. This development of events is fraught with many dangerous diseases, including sepsis (blood poisoning).

Therefore, flea control is necessary not only to protect the cat from parasitic insects, but also to preserve human health.

Sprays designed to control fleas and ticks

If your pet often goes outside or you live outside the city, then in addition to fleas, there is also a threat of ticks. These parasites, in addition to sucking animal blood, also carry various types of dangerous diseases. Some of them can be fatal. To prevent trouble and preserve the health of your pet, it is better to carry out treatment in advance. Flea and tick spray for cats can help control many types of parasites. The owners of their four-legged friends say that it is these drugs that have the most effective effect and are most popular among livestock farmers. According to cat owners, due to its wide spectrum of action, they eliminate the need to buy several medications. This saves not only money, but also time and nerves, which is important for animal lovers.

Currently, the industry produces universal sprays that can fight both fleas and ticks. However, they should be selected especially carefully, taking into account the weight and biological characteristics of the animal. It is important to pay attention to the fact that he does not have allergic reactions to the components indicated in the composition of the drug.

As a preventative measure, you can treat not the animal itself, but its habitat, with such a spray. However, this is only if the pet does not live on the street.

Flea spray for cats, the reviews of which are positive, is produced by “Clandestine”, “Bars”, etc.