The Dangers Of Fleas And Ticks For Cats

Of all the pesky nuisances out there your cat might face, fleas and ticks are two of the most troublesome. For cats, fleas and ticks pose a variety of potential health issues, including:

  • Skin irritation
  • Itching
  • Rashes & Skin Infections
  • Transmission of disease and illness
  • Suffering

Featured Quote:

It keeps your house from being infested and it's truly the best preventative product available for cats.

Video Transcript:

Today we're going to talk about flea control for dogs and cats, and also tick prevention and tick control. I just want to review the current favorite products that we have for both species. Cats, we like this product called Program. This is an injectable they get every six months. The way that it works is that any flea that bites your cat, they lay generally 30 to 50 eggs a day, when they're using the program, the every six months injections, the eggs never hatch. It keeps your house from being infested and it's truly the best preventative product available for cats. 

In addition, we recommend this product called Bravecto, which is an every two months topical, and it kills live fleas. For people that have indoor only cats, quite often they may be able to get away with just using the Program, and not need the Bravecto. If there's sort of a mixed environment or if some reason we have a flea infestation, which there are many causes for that, then we may need to add Bravecto on top of Program. Moki, you did a great job, you're welcome to run away if you'd like now.

For dogs, what we recommend is a product called Sentinel. Sentinel is a once-a-month chewable, and super easy to use. The way that it works is it prevents the flea eggs from ever hatching. Again the same thing, a flea jumps on your dog, it lays 30 to 50 eggs a day, and when they're on Sentinel the eggs never hatch. In addition, it also kills roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm that they may have been exposed to in the previous month, and also prevents heartworm disease.

Heartworm is a disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes. One mosquito bite can cause heartworm in your dogs, and it's actually what it sounds like. It's actually worms in the heart. It's a terrible disease and extremely preventable if you use this product once-a-month. We recommend this for all dogs throughout their entire life. Our other product that we recommend is called Bravecto for dogs. It's a once-every-three month pill that the dogs take, and it kills fleas and ticks. There are certainly pockets of ticks in our area in North County here.

Another danger of fleas and ticks for cats is infestation of the home and possible transmission of disease to humans through sharing a living space. Many people believe that indoor cats are somehow immune to fleas and ticks, but this is not true. Fleas and ticks can enter homes on visiting pets and people's clothes. Fleas and ticks will seek out your cat to feed and live. Once a flea is on your cat, it stays and will produce 30-50 eggs within 24 hours. These eggs are the consistency of sand and will fall off the cat, land in the carpet or bedding and become an adult flea in 14 to 365 days depending upon the environmental conditions. It is easy to understand how the house can become quickly infested with fleas.

Ticks will get on your cat by brushing up against vegetation outside or by crawling onto the cat from something brought into the house. Depending upon the stage of the tick (eggs, larvae, nymph, and adult), it will feed and either climb off the cat for the next moult (moulting is how ticks move from one stage of development into the next stage) or if at adult stage, the tick will produce eggs that can contaminate the house. Ticks primarily transmit disease in the nymph and adult stages. Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are just a few of the diseases transmitted by ticks. The plague and cat scratch fever can be transmitted by fleas.

This is why flea and tick prevention is important for every cat. Prevention helps reduce the risk of exposure to both your cat and your home.

Flea And Tick Prevention For Cats

At The Drake Center For Veterinary Care when it comes to fleas and ticks, our primary focus is on prevention. Prevention is important because it stops a serious problem before it starts. If you are starting to notice signs and symptoms of fleas and ticks, that indicates that you are already dealing with an infestation. It is best to not reach that stage. With good education and the right prevention products you can easily avoid a flea and tick infestations.

A proactive approach to flea and tick prevention starts with a discussion about various factors that play a role in your pet's potential exposure to fleas and ticks. For example, if your cats are indoor/outdoor is a factor, as well as whether they are exposed to other animals that go outside (including pets of friends or family that may come over for a visit).

It is important to be aware that there are numerous products on the market that our Veterinarians would strongly suggest you avoid. Every year, our veterinarians review all available flea and tick products to ensure that our recommendations are as up to date as possible. Our considerations include safety, effectiveness, and cost. Based on these factors we will work with you to customize a parasite prevention plan for your pets and family.

Signs That Your Cat May Have A Flea Or Tick Infestation

  • Visible fleas or ticks
  • Scratching
  • Red or irritated skin
  • Scabs and/or flakes
  • Excessive grooming

Common Cat Flea And Tick Treatments

There are many different cat flea products on the market. This includes a plethora of remedies involving substances that have no medical validity where fleas and ticks for cats are concerned. Our veterinarians would strongly recommend against numerous over the counter flea and tick treatments. Some common cat flea treatment methods include:

  • Oral Tablets: These are a great choice for both prevention and treatment of fleas and ticks, while being safe for both your cat and your family. Oral tablets that treat fleas and ticks can only be obtained from your veterinarian.
  • Spot-On Flea Treatments: There are many different spot-on flea treatments with varying effectiveness and different spectrums of use.
  • Cat Flea Collars, Powders, and Sprays: We do not recommend the use of flea collars, powders, or sprays. While these products were the mainstay of flea control in past years, they are more toxic and less effective than the products we currently recommend.

We choose the products based upon safety and efficacy. However, as with any new medication or product there is a possibility of adverse reaction. If you notice any discomfort or behavioral changes after administering or applying, please call us at: (760) 456-9556. It is essential to discuss cat flea treatment options with your veterinarian, in order to ensure the method you choose will be safe and effective for your feline friend.

Some dog products are toxic or even lethal to cats so please make sure you are using a product specifically made for cats.

Finding And Treating Ticks On Cats

Ticks on cats are not as common as ticks on dogs because of grooming habits and lifestyle. However, cats can get ticks and they can become a health issue if left untreated. Ticks feed on the blood of the host, and use tiny but sharp teeth to embed themselves firmly into the skin and soft tissue of cats. Because they penetrate into the bloodstream, ticks can also spread blood-borne illnesses. We recommend tick products for cats on a case by case basis.

Ticks on cats can cause welts and bruises around the area being fed on. It is also common to find the tick still attached. If you find a tick on your cat, please bring your cat in so we can show you the safest way to remove the tick and help formulate a plan to avoid ticks going forward. The various methods for treating ticks on cats include:

  • Oral medication
  • Spot-On Treatments

We strongly recommend consulting your veterinarian immediately if your cat has ticks. Although there are various remedies to treat ticks on cats, it is essential to make sure the method you choose is safe, effective, and clinically proven.

What You Should Know About Cat Flea Prevention/Treatment

There are many different remedies and methods out there for treating fleas and ticks on cats, and there are also various over-the-counter cat flea medicine options on the market today. The rapid influx of so many untested cat flea medicine brands in the early 2000's, and specifically spot-on treatments, led the Environmental Protection Agency to issue a warning in 2010 about possible toxic reactions to cat flea medicine. This resulted from an increase in cat fatalities attributed to the inappropriate use of some products.

Link to EPA webpage article from AVMA.org

Schedule An Appointment To Properly Address Cat Fleas And Ticks

To ensure that your cat is protected against these pesky parasites, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Our veterinarians and support staff have extensive experience in both prevention and treatment, and we are here to help.