Fleas, Worms, Ear Mites, Oh My!

Time to talk preventatives!

It's a common misconception that cats don't need monthly preventative like dogs do. Even indoor cats benefit from being on some form of preventative. It is especially important for our kitties in shelters since they are exposed to lots of things! (And protect your own pets if you are bringing home fosters!)

So I am going to do a quick overview and comparison of the two most commonly used products; Advantage Multi and Revolution. 

Advantage Multi 

Comes in 3 different sizes depending on cat's weight

Advantage Multi prevents heartworm, fleas, hookworms, roundworms, and ear mites. It utilizes two different drugs imidacloprid and moxidectin. The imidacloprid works by killing the larval stage of the heart worms, and the intestinal worms (hook worms and roundworms). So this is not treatment for existing infections of the adult forms, that will require deworming. The moxidectin is pretty cool and works to kill the fleas and ear mites by affecting the nervous system inducing paralysis and death of the little buggers. Again, if there is a current infestation it may take a while and extra treatment if there are immature stages of the parasite present.  

One downside of Advantage Multi is that there is an age restriction in kittens of over 9 weeks of age and at least 2 lbs. So for our teeny foster kittens, this isn't an option for a little while, but don't worry there's another option...

Revolution 

3 different sizes available 

Revolution also prevents and controls heartworm disease, fleas, hookworms, roundworms, and ear mites. Revolution uses the drug Selemectin. It works by killing the immature form of the heartworm thus preventing the cycle of the disease to continue. It also kills not only the adult fleas but also prevents flea eggs from hatching once a month. Again, depending on the extent of the infestation it will take time for it to clear up as the fleas go through their life cycle. It also kills the hookworms, roundworms, and ear mites. 

The big plus side of Revolution when it comes to foster kittens is that there is no weight limit. 

Here is a chart from the Revolution website comparing different products approved for use in cats

FELINE INDICATIONS	REVOLUTION	Advantage Multi®	Advantage® / Advantage II*	Frontline® Plus*	Comfortis®
Adult fleas
Flea eggs
Ear mites
Heartworms
Roundworms1 and hookworms2 1Toxocara cati 2Ancylostoma tubaeforme
SAFETY
Minimum age (feline)	8 weeks	9 weeks	8 weeks	8 weeks	14 weeks
Minimum weight†	None	2lb	None/2lb	None	2lb
Safe for breeding, pregnant or lactating animals
Special safety restrictions	None	30-minute isolation from children	No contact until dry	None	None

So now you might be wondering how and when to give this preventative. Well both Advantage Multi and Revolution are applied topically. You part the hair near the shoulder blades (or higher near the head, the goal is to do a place where the cat won't be able to lick it off) and squeeze the contents of the tube on the skin. 

Prevention must be applied every 30 days (monthly)! Mark your calenders!