Best flea/tick spot on for cats?

galah

Hi all,

recently moved to the country-side, and find we're having an increasing problems with ticks on our cats.

I usually use frontline, but that only works for 4 weeks at a time (I always thought it was 3 months...ah well.), and since we were living in the city, ticks weren't really a massive problem before.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good tick/flea spot on that lasts a bit longer?

And, failing that, does anyone know the current going rate for frontline at the vets (I tried to ring my vet but couldt get through...)? I could order from the UK, 18 pounds for 6 pipettes, plus 10 pounds delivery...If it's cheaper here, I obviously buy in Ireland..

Anything else I can do to prevent ticks from using my cats? (apart from not letting them out - not an option)

Cheers!
galah

Dixie Chick

hi there! I am in the country also and my two were always getting ticks and the dreaded ear mites. I used frontline for awhille but have been using Stronghold for the last 6 months and it sorts out the everything, no ear mites to be seen. Its a week treatment and its €10 a pop, so basically its €20 a month for me but its worth it cos its very effective.

Graces7

Dixie Chick wrote: »

hi there! I am in the country also and my two were always getting ticks and the dreaded ear mites. I used frontline for awhille but have been using Stronghold for the last 6 months and it sorts out the everything, no ear mites to be seen. Its a week treatment and its €10 a pop, so basically its €20 a month for me but its worth it cos its very effective.

We simply deal with the ticks as they happen; cannot afford this kind of cost on a pension and it is easy enough with practice; and we get plenty of that. Plageuy things they are!

planetX

frontline has come off the patent and you can buy generic versions now. I've just used one called effipro. I use it for fleas, we get tonnes of ticks here and nothing works for long on them. I use tweezers and gentle pressure so the head comes out. Fun;)

galah

great stuff, thank you all! I'll try the generic version so!

(and I'd love to deal with ticks as they come, but I got bitten by one last week (that the cat dragged in...) and really don't need nasty diseases right now...)

Graces7

galah wrote: »

great stuff, thank you all! I'll try the generic version so!

(and I'd love to deal with ticks as they come, but I got bitten by one last week (that the cat dragged in...) and really don't need nasty diseases right now...)

Well, I have had several bites; most ticks here are disease free thankfully, else my cats and I would be long gone. The chemicals are more dangerous than the ticks.

My two lick/wash each other so not a good idea...

They fall off after three days anyway.

Tweezers and I keep a jam jar and lid handy if there is no fire. Or even tissue and fingers.

morgana

I use the Advocate mixed parasitic spot-on (including worms) on on our two every 4 to 6 weeks, although I'm not sure it includes ticks, but they haven't had any in years and I'm out in the country too. My vet charges 7.50 a dose.

Dixie Chick

Graces7 wrote: »

We simply deal with the ticks as they happen; cannot afford this kind of cost on a pension and it is easy enough with practice; and we get plenty of that. Plageuy things they are!

It is expensive but when my stray tom came to me he had a disgusting case of earmites and i NEVER want to see that again the poor fella

Graces7

Dixie Chick wrote: »

It is expensive but when my stray tom came to me he had a disgusting case of earmites and i NEVER want to see that again the poor fella

Poor boy...

Never seen ear mites.. which is as well as that cost is beyond me. We were always told to use olive oil.

Wondering why ticks are now such a plague. We have lived in sheep country many years and it was only around 6 years ago that this started. Someone said it is because they don't dip the sheep but use the stuff on their necks like the cat stuff?

Or else the ticks on sheep have become immune to the chemicals.

galah

Graces7 wrote: »

Well, I have had several bites; most ticks here are disease free thankfully, else my cats and I would be long gone. The chemicals are more dangerous than the ticks.

My two lick/wash each other so not a good idea...

They fall off after three days anyway.

Tweezers and I keep a jam jar and lid handy if there is no fire. Or even tissue and fingers.

oh the irony...just after I posted the 'don't need any nasty diseases' bit, I came down with a nasty fever and flu-like symptoms that day...went to GP, and hopefully bloods will be ok and it's just an 'aftershock' from the flu I had a couple of weeks ago - but enough of a scare to make sure we're tick free from now on...:eek:

Graces7

galah wrote: »

oh the irony...just after I posted the 'don't need any nasty diseases' bit, I came down with a nasty fever and flu-like symptoms that day...went to GP, and hopefully bloods will be ok and it's just an 'aftershock' from the flu I had a couple of weeks ago - but enough of a scare to make sure we're tick free from now on...:eek:

Good luck; but the chances of Lyme's etc are remote thankfully at present here.

Mostly from deer ticks also.

galah

cheers! Fingers crossed it's not that - although the GP did say that there were a couple of cases of Lyme disease recently in Connemara...ah sure, we'll see. For now, I just assume it's unrelated...until proven wrong ;-)