What Is It?
Advantage II for Cats is a topical treatment for flea and chewing lice infestations. It works to kill existing fleas and lice and prevent new infestations. It is active for a period of 4 weeks and reapplication is necessary at that time for continued protection of the animal. It is waterproof and fragrance free.
What Species Is This Product Used On?
Advantage II for Cats is strictly for use on cats. Do not use this formulation on dogs, rodents, or other types of pets.
Symptoms of Flea & Lice Infestations
Animals infested with fleas and lice tend to have itchy skin and can be seen scratching frequently. Both the fleas and lice bite the cat and feed on the host’s blood. Cats may even develop bald patches from excessive itching in more serious infestations. Lice can be seen with the naked eye and can be seen crawling in the hair. Fleas are not often seen with the naked eye unless the infestation is severe. However, flea dirt (black) and flea eggs (white) can be seen on the coat. Wetting the black dirt down will cause it to become red as it is actually flea feces which are composed of dried blood.
An individual female flea can lay 50 eggs a day. Eggs may remain on the animal but often fall off into carpeting, upholstery, bedding, and other fabrics where they hatch into larva within a few days to a few weeks depending on environmental conditions. Warm, moist environments encourage rapid hatching. Larvae consume organic debris and the feces of adult fleas which consist mainly of dried blood. Larva may last five days to several weeks, again depending on the environment they are in. They then spin a silk cocoon in which they pupate before emerging as an adult. They may remain in the cocoon anywhere from a few days to a year or more. This is why it is important to treat the environment as well as the infested pet(s). Environmental treatments will halt the life cycle of eggs, larvae and adults.
Although lice are species specific and cannot be transmitted to non-feline pets, they can be shared with other cats your pet comes into contact with. Fleas are less specific and will bite a variety of other pets as well as the people in the household. The home should be treated for fleas and lice to help reduce the risk of reinfection or spreading the parasite to other pets and people. Some animals develop a hypersensitivity to the flea bite leading to a skin condition known as flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) or flea bite hypersensitivity. Flea saliva can irritate skin leading to allergy. Constant scratching leads to open sores and possibly infections. Dogs may lose hair in the affected areas and show signs of constant chewing at the skin. Although medicated shampoos can help soothe the skin the only real way to manage the allergy is to avoid the allergen and keep the dog flea-free. Treatment involves killing any infestation and preventing new ones to avoid triggering an allergic reaction.
Fleas can also carry tapeworms and other parasites which can infect the host as well. In severe flea infestation cases, especially in young or ill animals, fleas and lice can lead to anemia and even death if left untreated. In areas where they are common, preventative treatment is recommended to avoid infestation.
Because fleas thrive in warm, moist environments, pets in tropical areas may need to be on year round preventative treatments to avoid infestation. It is much easier to avoid an infestation than it is to treat one since the environment must also be thoroughly treated in the case of an infestation.
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