Flea treatment that doesn't wok!

Jas_Ramsden

Afternoon all,

Hopefully someone can point us in the right direction but we used to by flea drops called 'Advocate' which worked fine. Our vets stated that they no longer stock this and that they now use 'Prinovox'.

Long story short...it doesn't work!

I've spoken to the vets this afternoon and they have no solution other than try something else. It's expensive stuff at £45 for a tiny tube that doesn't work. I've stated that it hasn't worked and would like a refund which they are against as it has been used...obviously, it had to be used for us to find out it didn't work?

Any ideas where I stand with this?

anna42hmr

Jas_Ramsden wrote: »

Afternoon all,

Hopefully someone can point us in the right direction but we used to by flea drops called 'Advocate' which worked fine. Our vets stated that they no longer stock this and that they now use 'Prinovox'.

Long story short...it doesn't work!

I've spoken to the vets this afternoon and they have no solution other than try something else. It's expensive stuff at £45 for a tiny tube that doesn't work. I've stated that it hasn't worked and would like a refund which they are against as it has been used...obviously, it had to be used for us to find out it didn't work?

Any ideas where I stand with this?

if the vets don't stock it would they be prepared to issue a prescription for it instead and then you can buy it via an online stockist? (i've ordered from vetuk.co.uk before (not for this product but another prescription only product ). Otherwise you may wish to consider moving vets to one that will supply what you find works for you.

Shoshannah

Advocate and Prinovox are literally the same thing under different brand names, so it's puzzling to think why one would work and one would not.

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/?id=-460622

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/?id=-446231

In what way has the Prinovox not appeared to work?

Seeing fleas on treated animals is not unusual in that fleas have to jump onto the pet in order to be exposed to the treatment, so simply seeing fleas on a treated animal is not necessarily a sign of treatment failure.

Merlin's_Beard

Prinovox is imadocloprid and moxidectin.

Advocate is imadacloprid and moxidectin.

(Both in the same concentrations for each respective dose size)

I think you're going to find it difficult to argue that imadacloprid/moxidectin packaged as the 'famous' brand is more effective than exactly the same thing from another well known company, because it's very similar to going back to your pharmacist and telling them that 200mg of ibuprofen doesn't work because the box says "Calpol" and not "Nurofen".

You might find that your vet is willing to order in advocate instead of prinovox, though, or write you a prescription (factor in the charge for this when adding up costs), but if you think imadacloprid/moxidectin isn't working any more I can see why they offered you something with different ingredients rather immediately suggesting Advocate again - the same thing in a different box! If the combo isn't working any more, you might be better off trying something that isn't those drugs.

OldMotherTucker

I switched back from Advocate to frontline 2 months ago but found that ineffective. I complained to PAH and was told to use Frontline plus . . my 3 cats are still jumping with fleas and it's driving me mad . . any suggestions?

sheramber

Why did you switch from Advocate?

If your cats go outdoors they could be picking them up again.

Fle eggs, larvae can lie dormant for months before hatching out. So they could be getting reinfected from those hatching out in crevices, carpets, cushions etc. You would need to treat the house with a long lasting spray such Acclaim or Indorex. Read the instructions carefully to ensure it is suitable for you to use.

marty2be2000

My vet used Bravecto on my cat when she picked up fleas, they were all dead in 24 hours.

She went from constantly scratching and nibbling her fur to normal almost overnight.

Bravecto is prescription only, and not an over the counter treatment.

teddysmum

If your pet has fleas, you need to treat the house, as well as the animal, as those unhatched at the time of treatment , could emerge from their home in carpets, upholstering and upholstery.


A large can of Verbac brand is about £10 online, but goes a long way and doesn't need a prescription.


My vet recommended it years ago, as it is one of the only ones that also treats dust mites, which cause one of my dogs irritation.

OldMotherTucker

sheramber wrote: »

Why did you switch from Advocate?

If your cats go outdoors they could be picking them up again.

Fle eggs, larvae can lie dormant for months before hatching out. So they could be getting reinfected from those hatching out in crevices, carpets, cushions etc. You would need to treat the house with a long lasting spray such Acclaim or Indorex. Read the instructions carefully to ensure it is suitable for you to use.

Because that wasn't working either:(

I've been using Indorex and hovering daily/washing bedding twice a week . . as recommended by the Vet. 20 years of having multiple free roaming cats and I've never had a flea problem until I moved up here 9 months ago. I can only think that this house was infected with eggs when we moved in!

I'm highly sensitive to insect bites myself so I know how irritating it is to my cats.


I set a flea trap in the living room yesterday and caught 4 baby ones in an hour . .

gettingtheresometime

OldMotherTucker wrote: »

Because that wasn't working either:(

I've been using Indorex and hovering daily/washing bedding twice a week . . as recommended by the Vet. 20 years of having multiple free roaming cats and I've never had a flea problem until I moved up here 9 months ago. I can only think that this house was infected with eggs when we moved in!

I'm highly sensitive to insect bites myself so I know how irritating it is to my cats.


I set a flea trap in the living room yesterday and caught 4 baby ones in an hour . .

In fairness to Indorex, when we had a flea problem courtesy of our mutt, I deep cleaned the house (& I'm no dolly home maker) with it & haven't had a problem since.

sheramber

Have you treated EVERYWHERE the cat has been- if he has been on your knee your clothes could be infected, all furniture he goes on, under cushions, along skirting boards, in all crevices, under rugs down the side of the chairs and sofa. Fleas lay their eggs in dark corners and crevices.

if the house was infected then everything could be infected- beds, mattresses, clothes.

When my dogs had fleas I found them in the towels I used to dry them. No wonder they were getting reinfected.

A friend had problems until she sprayed her curtains

Empty your hoover outside after every use to eliminate any hoovered up. Any fleas hoovered up could crawl out again or lay eggs in the bag if it has one.
If it is bagless then wash it out.

Some people keep a flea collar in the hoover to kill any hoovered up.

You haven't said if your cat goes outside. if it does it could be picking them up each time it goes out. A flea picked up could drop off in the house before being affected by the flea treatment and reinfecting the house.