Advantage drops: an effective remedy in the fight against fleas

Advantage for cats is used for the treatment and prevention of entomosis in pets. The product is effective against lice, cat fleas and other ectoparasites. The drug is produced in Germany and is of high quality and effectiveness. The drug can be used to treat adult cats and kittens.

The mechanism of action of the active component is based on effective interaction with special acetylcholine receptors of various parasitic insects, disruptions in the transmission of nerve impulses and subsequent death of arthropods.

After application, the drug is actively distributed throughout the cat’s body, practically without entering the bloodstream. The effectiveness of the product is ensured by the active component imidacloprid, which has a cumulative property.

Using the product according to the instructions eliminates the possibility of side effects. The treatment procedure is easy; special preparation of the pet before manipulation is not required.

Description of the drug Advantage for cats

Advantage is available in the form of drops. The active component of the product is imidacloride. The substance is an insecticide used to combat ectoparasites. It is the action of the active component that determines the successful use of Advantage against ticks, fleas, lice and other ectoparasites. Imidacloride affects the central nervous system of insects, causing paralysis. The medication also contains auxiliary components: butylated hydroxytoluene, propylene carbonate and benzyl alcohol.

The drug has a yellowish tint and may be transparent. It has a specific smell. Available in the form of a solution with a volume of 0.4 or 0.8 ml. The drops are packaged in polyethylene pipettes, which are packed in blisters of 4 pieces.

The optimal ratio of active components in the solution has a detrimental effect on parasitic insects at all phases of development. The product has a bitter taste and if the cat licks the treated area before the drug dries, it may drool profusely, which is not a sign of intoxication and goes away without intervention in a few minutes.

Advantage has a number of advantages that make it popular:

1. The medicine is distributed over the skin and does not penetrate the systemic bloodstream, which allows it to be used to treat kittens and pregnant cats, as well as to treat animals with weakened bodies. The drug is absolutely safe for humans.
2. The death of pests occurs within 12 hours after treatment.
3. The solution has the property of a lauricide, that is, it has a detrimental effect not only on adult insects, but also on the eggs and larvae of pests that may be in the place where the cat lives. Contact of the treated wool with the body of the larva causes the death of the latter, which leads to the destruction of the population without additional medications.
4. The protective properties of the drops last for a month.
5. The drops are waterproof, which allows you to let your cat go for a walk immediately after treatment.
6. The medicine has an umbrella effect, that is, treating a nursing female can protect against parasites and small kittens.

Prevention measures

When working with the insecticide for cats Advantage, it is enough to adhere to standard rules for handling medicinal products.

These include:

1. While working with the drug, you should not drink, smoke or eat.
2. After contact with the insecticide, wash your hands well with detergent.
3. Do not pet the cat or allow it to come into contact with children for 24 hours after treatment.
4. If Advantage accidentally enters the human body or if signs of an allergic reaction are detected, you must seek help from a medical facility. Provide health care workers with instructions or the drug label to explain the incident.
5. The packaging of the drug is not reused and must be disposed of.

Mechanism of action

After applying the drug to the cat’s skin, the active substance is gradually and evenly distributed throughout the animal’s body without being absorbed into the bloodstream. Imidacloprid accumulates in hair follicles, on the skin and in the sebaceous glands, thereby providing long-term insecticidal contact effects. The effect lasts for a month.

If the instructions and standards are followed, Advantage drops do not cause skin irritation or other negative reactions of the body. Under the influence of the drug, pests begin to convulse, followed by death.

Side effects and overdose

No side effects were identified. If the dose is exceeded, the cat may experience the following symptoms: increased salivation, decreased appetite, loss of energy, dilated pupils, trimming of limbs, itchy skin. Usually the animal recovers on its own within a couple of days; if this does not happen, you should immediately consult a doctor.

The use of Advantage does not affect the effectiveness of other medications. It is forbidden to use simultaneously with other cat insectoacaricidal drugs.

What to do if a cat licked Advantage and how to avoid poisoning

If a cat, despite all precautions, licks the drug, the following symptoms may appear in the first few minutes: foamy salivation, nervous behavior. The reaction is caused by the taste of Advantage, which is very bitter. You can manually water the animal or offer it food. Licking the medicine does not cause poisoning, and the symptoms disappear within 20 minutes.

What is the drug for?

Advantage drops are used to treat cats living indoors, walking outdoors, and also permanently living in the yard, in a special enclosure or house. The drug is also used for preventive purposes. As a preventive measure, the product should be used once every three months. The drug is used for the treatment of allergic dermatitis caused by blood-sucking insects, as part of symptomatic and pathogenetic therapy.

Applying drops allows you to:

• kill 98-100% of fleas within 12 hours;
• kill fleas on contact before they have time to bite the animal and lay eggs;
• destroy flea larvae in your pet's habitat.

The drug retains its effect for 4 weeks after a single treatment.

Advantage against worms is not used, since the drug is effective only against ectoparasites (external pests), and worms are parasites that live inside the body.

Properties

A distinctive advantage of Advantage drops for cats is the complete ridding of the animal from parasites on the day of using the drug. To prevent your pet from accidentally licking the medicine, it must be applied only to the area between the shoulder blades, as well as near the very base of the animal’s neck.

The drug acts very quickly and after about 5 minutes the number of flea bites is significantly reduced, which leads to an improvement in the well-being of your pet.

The property of the drug to have an effect on parasites located not only on the cat’s body, but also in the environment, allows you to destroy flea larvae in all places in the house where the pet likes to spend time.

Instructions and method of use

Advantage is used once, applied pointwise to completely dry and clean skin, provided that there is no damage to the skin. Before use, the protective cap must be removed from the plastic pipette containing the solution, then the pipette should be placed in a vertical position and the protective shell on the tip of the pipette should be pierced with the back of the cap.

The cat's fur needs to be carefully pulled apart, and drops should be applied from a pipette by squeezing to areas of the animal's body that are inaccessible for licking (the back of the head). The dose of the drug used depends on the weight of the cat. The standard calculation of the amount of product used is 0.1 ml/kg. The instructions indicate how to choose the correct dose for pets less than 4 kilograms. There are also guidelines for determining the correct dosage for treating overweight cats.

If the cat's body weight is up to 4 kg, use Adventage-40 (1 pipette), with a weight from 4 to 8 kg - Adventage-80 (1 pipette), with a weight of more than 8 kg - Adventage-40 and Adventage-80 (a combination of different volumes). pipettes).

Repeated treatment of the animal during the entire season of ectoparasite activity is carried out according to indications. If necessary, the procedure can be repeated no more than once a month.

During treatment, it is prohibited to drink, eat, or smoke. The procedure must be carried out with rubber gloves. When finished, wash your hands with warm water and soap. Do not allow contact with the treated cat until the drug has completely dried. When processing two animals living in the same room at once, it is necessary to isolate them from each other.

Indications for use

The drug is intended to get rid of and prevent infection with ectoparasites. According to the instructions, Advantage drops are indicated for fleas, lice-eaters, and ticks.

Drops from this series help fight only external parasites. Against worms and scabies there is another product from Bayer - Advocate. Due to low toxicity, the simultaneous use of two drugs is allowed, but it is better to first consult with a veterinarian about the safety of combining two drugs for a particular animal.

Contraindications

Advantage drops are low-toxic, which allows them to be used by pregnant and lactating cats. You need to be careful when using the drug, since any insecticide is poison, and ingestion can cause serious problems. Like all chemicals, the medicine has contraindications:

• It is not recommended to use the product on sick, weakened or exhausted animals. It is prohibited to use it to treat animals that have recently undergone surgery or serious illness. It is not recommended to use the medicine during the rehabilitation period after surgery or in case of serious illness;
• It is prohibited to use the medication in the presence of dermatological damage, with the exception of flea dermatitis, which occurs as an allergic reaction to a flea bite;
• It is not recommended to use the drug if you are individually sensitive to its components;
• It is not allowed to use the product for animals weighing up to 4 kg and for treating kittens up to 10 weeks.

You might like to read: What is the most effective flea treatment for cats?

Let's sum it up

The “Advantage” product for cats is a very effective medicine against fleas and other insects that inhabit your pet’s fur and parasitize on it, causing significant suffering. Its cost is quite reasonable, and the quality is excellent. It is important to understand that this is still a drug. After purchasing, carefully read the instructions for use and apply the medicine, strictly following it.

A pet that is no longer tormented by constant flea bites is healthy and happy!

Side effects

According to reviews from experts and cat owners, Advantage is well tolerated by animals and adverse reactions rarely occur as a result of exceeding the dosage or violating the requirements specified in the instructions.

Occasionally, skin irritation may occur at the site of application of the drug, which goes away on its own, without treatment, within a few days. Side effects may bother your pet if he has an individual intolerance to the components of the drug. In this case, the cat may develop weakness, apathy, lack of appetite, tremors, nausea with vomiting, and convulsions.

The appearance of these symptoms is a reason to contact a veterinarian. In some cases, the area where the drug is applied is washed with warm soapy water and wiped with alcohol. Afterwards, symptomatic treatment is prescribed.

A negative reaction in the form of excessive salivation may also be due to the fact that the cat licked itself after treatment. The instructions indicate that the best place to apply the product is at the withers, since the cat cannot reach there to lick the fur. But if this happens, don't worry too much. This reaction does not require treatment and goes away within a maximum of an hour, without intervention. If a cat observes such a reaction, you can give a sorbent (half a tablet of activated carbon) and provide access to clean drinking water.

What to do if the cat licked the drops?

Advantage flea remedy is not intended for internal use. Once in high concentrations in the digestive tract, it can cause poisoning. To make the animal feel better, if symptoms are severe, they are given sorbent preparations (activated carbon, Smecta) and provided with plenty of fluids. However, in healthy animals with strong immunity, licking of droplets most often occurs without consequences.

If you licked the drops...

Precautionary measures

Based on the type of effect on the body of mammals, Advantage belongs to the category of low-hazard substances (hazard class 4). During the treatment of a cat, the drug does not have a locally irritating, resorptive-toxic, teratogenic, embryotoxic, mutagenic or sensitizing effect. If the drug gets into the eyes, a reaction characteristic of mild irritation of the mucous membranes may occur.

The product should be applied not to the fur, but to the skin. After applying the fluff, it is better to hold it on your hands for a while until the medication is completely absorbed into the skin and the fur dries. Treating a cat with Advantage drops should be done outdoors. If this is not possible, the procedure is carried out in a well-ventilated area.

It is recommended to bathe your pet no earlier than 4-5 days after using the drops, despite the fact that the drug is waterproof.

Advantage must be stored in places inaccessible to children and pets, in dry and protected from light conditions, at a temperature of 0-25 degrees.

Persons prone to allergic reactions should avoid direct contact with the drug. Pipettes and empty containers must be disposed of with household waste after use.

It is not allowed to pet or allow the cat near children and people prone to allergies for 24 hours after treatment.

Composition and storage conditions

The main active ingredients in Advantage are chloro-3-pyredylmethyl and N-nitro-imidazoline (imidacloprid). The composition contains auxiliary additives that increase the effectiveness of the main components. Among them:

1. Butylated hydroxytoluene.
2. Benzyl alcohol.
3. Propylene carbonate.

The product is yellowish-brown, transparent, and has a slightly thick consistency.

You can purchase the drug in sachets of 0.4, 0.8, 1, 2.5, 4 ml. Each package is closed with a protective cap.

Advantage should be stored in a dry place, protected from direct sunlight and out of the reach of children. Do not place packaging with Advantage near food or kitchen utensils. The optimal temperature for storing the drug varies from 0 to +25 °C.

The shelf life, subject to all manufacturer's requirements, is at least 5 years. In the event of depressurization, Advantage must be disposed of in compliance with legal requirements.

Advantage's analogues

An analogue of the drug Advantage is the drug Advocate, which contains the same active ingredient – ​​imidacloprid.

You can also replace the drug with other means:

• The pyrethroid permethrin . Recommended not only for use in veterinary medicine, but also in medicine and everyday life. It is an effective remedy against all types of blood-sucking insects, as well as arthropods (ticks, fleas, lice);
• Pyrethroid deltamethrin . Belongs to the group of pyrethroids that have an immediate repellent effect against ticks and fleas, as well as a rapid killing (insecticidal/acaricidal) knockdown effect on all parasites;
• Fipronil. Belongs to the group of phenylpyrazoles. The mechanism of action of the drug is to block gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which regulates the passage of nerve impulses through chloride ion channels into the membranes of nerve cells, thereby disrupting the functions of the parasite’s nervous system.
• Frontline and Frontline Combo . Frontline Combo contains s-metroprene, an analogue of juvenile hormone that blocks the transition of young forms of parasites into adults.
• Prac-tic . Developed on the basis of pyriprole (an analogue of fipronil), and also contains auxiliary synergistic components: butylhydroxytoluene and diethylglycol monoethyl ether.
• Ivermectin. It has a pronounced contact and systemic antiparasitic effect on mature and larval forms of fleas, lice, lice, ear mites and gastrointestinal nematodes that parasitize cats.

Based on avermectins, complex products for cats Multix are produced, as well as IN-AP Complex preparations for cats and dogs, Foline spray, Fiprex drops, Inspector.

The veterinarian must choose a drug from the possible options, taking into account the age, body weight, breed and general health of the pet. You cannot replace the drug with another drug yourself, as this can lead to negative reactions from your beloved pet’s body.

You may be interested in: Flea drops for cats

Advantages and disadvantages

The drug has a huge range of advantages, the main one of which is its low hazard class. Thanks to this, the drops are approved for use in the treatment of weakened, young or pregnant animals. Other benefits of the medicine:

• long period of activity (Advantage instructions guarantee protection against re-infestation for 1 month);
• high performance;
• convenient packaging that facilitates dosage calculation;
• increased moisture resistance (after absorption, the drops are not afraid of rain and frequent bathing);
• ease of use;
• The effect of the drug is not limited to the cat, but extends to the places where it often stays (bedding, etc.).

Among the disadvantages of drops, cat owners note the only disadvantage is the high cost.

Reviews from veterinarians

Advantage is an innovative drug. The manufacturer of the drug is the German company Bayer, which has long won the trust of experienced veterinarians, cat and dog breeders, as well as pet lovers.

Advantage is an effective product containing insecticidal components. The drug is low-toxic and safe for humans and cats. A single application of drops makes it possible to protect your pet from blood-sucking pests that are carriers of dangerous infectious diseases (hepatitis, plague).

The drug has a number of advantages. The use of drops for pregnant and lactating females is allowed; moreover, thanks to the umbrella effect of the medicine, treating the mother cat prevents the infection of the offspring with parasites.

The drug does not penetrate the systemic bloodstream, but accumulates in the sebaceous glands, causing the death of adults, eggs and larvae of parasitic insects, thus providing protection for the pet for 30 days.

The result of the treatment is observed after 12 hours. Repeating the procedure is rarely required. Re-application, if necessary, is allowed only after 30 days.

Composition Advantage

"Advantage" contains:

1. Imidacloprid is the main component that has a therapeutic effect.

Imiacloprid disrupts the transmission of nerve impulses in insects, causing the death of parasites. The substance kills both adult insects (insecticidal action) and parasite larvae (larvicidal action of the drug).

1. Benzyl alcohol. Added to the drug as a preservative. Prevents contamination of the drug during the shelf life.
2. Propylene carbonate. Acts as a solvent.
3. Butylated hydroxytoluene. An auxiliary substance that inhibits the oxidation of the drug.

Answers to popular questions

The health and cleanliness of pets is important to cat and dog owners. It is difficult to protect your favorite animal from infection by various ectoparasites. If necessary, antiparasitic drugs containing insecticidal elements are used for treatment and as a preventive measure. To clarify solutions to problems regarding treatment and post-procedure care, many owners ask questions. Some of them are more common than others and are quite popular.

• Is it possible to scratch after treatment?

Immediately after treatment, contact with the animal is not allowed. You should not scratch your pet, as its skin must be absolutely healthy. Even a microcrack can cause allergies and irritation. After application, the drug begins to spread over the skin and touching, scratching, stroking can reduce the effectiveness of the drug and also cause a negative reaction in humans and animals.

• Can it be used on a dog?

The drug is allowed to be used for the treatment and prevention of dogs from infection with ectoparasites. The doses used for dogs are different from those for cats.

• Is it possible to divide by less?

The drug is available in plastic pipettes. Each pipette contains a certain amount of the active ingredient and additional substances. All components are calculated, one pipette is intended for an animal with a specific weight (see instructions). It is not allowed to divide the medicine into smaller doses, as this may lead to a decrease in effectiveness or a violation of the intended norm.

• Is it possible to put drops in the ear?

Advantage is not intended to treat ear mites, and therefore dripping the drug into the ear is not advisable. For this purpose, there are special ear drops that are safer for your pet (Bars, Frontline, Amit).

• Is it okay for pregnant cats?

It is allowed to use Advantage for the treatment of pregnant cats, since the drug is completely safe for the health of the female and offspring.

• Is it possible to pet a cat?

The cat should not be petted immediately after applying the medicine. It is not recommended to contact the animal until the drops on the fur have completely dried, which will take several minutes. It is necessary to exclude contact of the animal with children and people prone to allergies for 4 - 5 days. Since the drug is waterproof, the medicine remains on the cat’s coat for quite a long time.

• Is it possible to wash a cat?

Many veterinarians, based on the fact that Advantage is waterproof, do not prohibit bathing the cat several hours after treatment. However, to increase the effectiveness of the medication, it is recommended to bathe the animal 5 days after applying the product.

• Can it be used by newborns?

The drug should only be used by kittens aged 10 weeks or older and after consultation with a veterinarian. Treatment of a lactating female with the product allows you to destroy fleas on newborn kittens, which in veterinary medicine is called the umbrella effect. Directly treating newborn kittens with the drug is strictly prohibited.

• Is Advantage suitable for a nursing cat?

The drug can be used to treat cats during lactation.

• Can rabbits?

Advantage drops against ectoparasites are also used to treat rabbits weighing at least 4 kg.

Due to its high efficiency and safe effects, the drug Advantage is one of the sought-after and popular means in the fight against ectoparasites.

FAQ

To avoid problems when using the insecticide, cat owners need to study the answers to common questions about Avantage:

1. What features of using the drug should you know about? The technique for applying drops is described above, but there are some nuances that cat owners need to know about. To make the liquid flow out of the pipette faster, you need to press the tip to the skin and press it several times from the back side. It is necessary to record the date of the procedure so that you know when to perform the next treatment.
2. What is better – Advantage or flea tablets? When taking the tablets, the components of the drug penetrate the bloodstream; in order for the fleas to die, they must bite the animal. Advantage acts externally, the flea dies before it bites the cat. In addition, the risk of negative reactions when taking tablets is higher than when using drops.
3. Can kittens be treated with insecticide? Yes. Treatment and prevention can be carried out from 10 weeks after birth.
4. When can you bathe a cat after treatment with drops? Bathing can be done no earlier than 48 hours after applying the solution. After 2 days, the therapeutic effect will be quite stable even after getting wet.
5. How often can the treatment be carried out? This depends on the number of parasites on the cat and in the environment. The optimal frequency of use of Advantage is once every 4 weeks. But treatment cannot be carried out more than once a week.
6. How long after swimming should I wait to apply the drops? After washing, you need to wait at least 48 hours.
7. Is it possible to combine the drug with other veterinary drugs? The veterinarian will give you the exact answer to this question.
8. Do I need to use Advantage if my cat doesn't leave the house? Yes. Ectoparasites enter the house on other pets, rodents, clothes or shoes of the owner.
9. Do I need to treat if there are only a few fleas on my cat? Yes. Approximately 95% of fleas, as well as their larvae, eggs, and pupae, are hidden in carpets, furniture, or on bedding.
10. Should I carry out treatment if only one of my pets is infected? Yes. Fleas spread and multiply quickly.
11. Can I use 1 dropper for several cats? No. It is recommended to apply the drug in the specified dosage, otherwise it will be ineffective.
12. Do I need a prescription to buy Advantage drops? No. The drug is available without a prescription.

When interacting with the drug, you should wear rubber gloves. Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth. After treatment, wash your hands with soap.

Important! Do not touch the cat's fur or allow children near it for 24 hours after applying Advantage. This measure will help avoid intoxication.

If drops get on the skin or mucous membranes, rinse them thoroughly with running water. It is better for allergy sufferers not to come into contact with the insecticide. If you have an allergy or accidentally swallowed the solution, you should visit a doctor. You must have the packaging or instructions for the drug with you.

How long does it take for the drops to help and what analogues exist?

After applying the drug, it is necessary to wait some time for the active substances to spread over the surface of the animal’s body. How long does it take for the drops to help? The manufacturer assures that 12 hours after the initial treatment, from 98 to 100% of live fleas and ticks on the pet’s body die. After another 12 hours, the parasite larvae also die. In addition, when the fur comes into contact with bedding and other surfaces, the drug helps get rid of ectoparasites located in the places where the cat likes to rest.

A structural analogue of the drug are drops from the same German company Bayer, intended for small breeds of dogs and puppies weighing up to 4 kg - Advocate. Analogs of the drug Advantage for cats that are similar in action are:

• Stronghold (USA);
• Ultra Guard (USA);
• Drops Frontline (France);
• Drops at the withers Dana (Russia);
• Bars (Russia);
• Barrier (Russia).

The owner of the animal must always consult with the attending veterinarian of his animal in order to choose the right drug to help fight fleas and ticks. If for some reason the animal cannot tolerate the drops at the withers and develops an allergic reaction, you can always replace the antiparasitic agent with a spray (Frontline, Hartz), or buy a good flea collar (Kiltiks, Bolfo).

General recommendations for the use of drops

To minimize the risk of developing negative reactions, as well as to get the maximum benefit from using an insecticide, you need to follow some recommendations.

1. Drip the solution into the withers area so that the cat does not have the opportunity to lick the medicine.
2. Make sure the withers area is clean, dry and undamaged.
3. Remove the cap from the pipette and pierce the protective film of the spout with the back of it.
4. Use two fingers to spread the fur in the area where the product is applied.
5. One pipette - one dose. If the cat weighs more than eight kilograms, then several pipettes are used. So, for a cat weighing 10 kg you will need one pipette with a dosage of 0.4 ml and one with a dosage of 0.8 ml. The drug is calculated according to the scheme 1 ml/kg.
6. During the day you cannot pet, pick up or bathe your pet.
7. You can wash your pet at least every 2 days.
8. Repeated treatment with the drug can be carried out after 28 days.

Withers - the area between the shoulder blades closer to the base of the neck

Do not use drugs that have expired. It is also prohibited to use empty medicine pipettes for household purposes. They must be disposed of in waste containers.