Oleg asked 8 years ago
Hi,
I’ve been using Advantage for Dogs on cats for many years by purchasing the Dogs derivative and splitting it into smaller doses appropriate for my cat’s weight. This seemed to be a common practice with vets as the Active Ingredients of the Dogs and Cats derivatives were identical.
When Advantage II came out, I continued with the practice of using the Dog product on Cats only adjusting the dosage.
However, after a while, Bayer added a “Do not use on Cats” warning on the packaging of Advantage II for Dogs.
I can understand why Bayer would put such a warning from a marketing point of view. However, as the non-active ingredients are not listed on the packaging of either product, I’m not sure whether there might be another reason.
I was wondering if you had any insight on this question of using Advantage II for Dogs on Cats.
I look forward to hearing from you,
O.
Terri answered 5 years ago
I am a cat breeder, I also use the big dog tube, shake well before pulling out each does. I have even used 1 drop on newborn kittens.
Terri
replied 5 years ago PS You can also trap fleas, and tell when you have eliminated fleas by this simple method. Put a plate of flatter bowl of water, with dish soap on the floor. Put a light over it, I use a goose neck lamp, and fleas will jump right in and drown.
Kathleen
replied 5 years ago Terri, is Advantage 400 for dogs safe for cats? It has butylhydroxytoluene added where the old Advantage was straight imidacloprid
Phil McShane
replied 5 years ago It is usual to apply the treatment to the back of the animals neck.How long does it take for an application to reach the tail?
Adam Retzer12-24 hours. See our page on how does flea medicine spread.
Adam Retzer Staff answered 8 years ago
Hey Oleg,
Sorry for the late response. I was having hosting server issues.
Before answering your question, I want to state that I don’t recommend off label use of any kind, for any medication.
You’re correct. The ingredients are identical in Advantage II for both cats and dogs. And they’re in the same concentrations. The main difference is the amount of product used. Make sure you’re applying the correct dosage, or toxicity problems will likely occur.
Here are the dosage charts:
I don’t think it’s necessarily a marketing tactic to label dog treatments with “Don’t use on cats”. It’s probably more of a safety/legal issue. If everyone did what you’ve been doing, I’m sure at least a handful would poison their pets by applying the wrong dosage through lack of diligence and care.
Additionally, while Advantage II doesn’t contain permethrin, many other flea products do (such as Advantix II). Permethrin is highly toxic to cats. This is probably another reason why Bayer doesn’t want pet-owners getting in the habit of swapping treatments.
Hope this was useful!
Adam
pglegjig
replied 7 years ago could you please post a dosage chart for cats using advantage II for dogs?
I am not going to do this, because it can lead to confusion and a small portion of visitors may end up treating their pets with the wrong product or dosage. I don’t advise off-label use of any kind.
Cris
replied 5 years ago If you get a medicine syringe and measure the EXACT dosage there is no issue. It is silly to give these massive corporations your hard earned money when it is extremely simple.
Dani answered 7 years ago
Oleg (or anybody else who may see this) please do not, DO NOT use canine flea medications on a cat. Maybe people don’t know this but there ate a number of ingredients in canine flea medications that will kill your cat. Look up toxic shock syndrome in cats and you’ll see. This is a very expensive and often fatal condition where your cat will have seizures and need inpatient care from a veterinarian. Certainly not worth saving a few cents by buying the cheaper canine version if your beloved pet dies or you get the vet bill for thousands of dollars because your animal was in the hospital for a week. Please, please do not use any amount of canine medication on a cat.
bun
replied 5 years ago “a few cents”
it’s $10/dose to use large cat, but $2.75/dose to use 55 lb dog split into quarters for large cat.
assuming large cat dosed every 3 weeks, this saves ~$150/yr
just don’t be an idiot
Chale79 answered 6 years ago
Hi there! There are a couple of reasons not to do this. 1. Any off-label use of products regulated by the EPA is against federal law. 2. With most topical spot on treatments, the way the active ingredients are mixed in the liquid carrier are not homogenous. If you draw up 1 mL in a syringe, and 1mL in another syringe, there is no way to know how many mg’s of active ingredient are in either syringe. It could be an underdose, or an overdose. In order to get the labeled dose, the entire tube must be applied, and to the appropriately sized pet. Does that make sense? 🙂
Jay Tyner
replied 5 years ago Yes and no It is all about money The X large dog size will do at least 8 cats for the same price as a cat size Been doing it for 20 yrs Just advantade and frontline Nothing else
TN cat owner
replied 5 years ago Are you sure this is the case or just speculating? Even if it were wouldn’t shaking it first mitigate this to an acceptable degree?
C. Hale
replied 5 years ago Yep, I am sure. I work in pharmacovigilance and very closely to the EPA. All topicals are pretty much the same. There is just no uniformity to how the actives are floating in that carrier. You will do as you will. I am just sharing what I know. 🙂
Chale79
replied 5 years ago Hey there! Yes I am sure. I work in pharmacovigilance and work very closely with the EPA. I can tell you the product has very wide margins of safety and will likely not be harmful if too much active ingredient is applied, but again…it’s off label use. Also, the company will not offer any product support if the product is used illegally. You will do as you will, I am just providing info.
You cant use Avantix on cats but advantage 11 is fine just at recommended dosage.