Novartis Capstar Flea Treatment Blue Tabs for Dogs and Cats
- Oral tablet for controlling adult fleas in cats and dogs
- Active ingredient is Nitenpyram, which interferes with normal nerve transmission and kills fleas
- For cats and dogs 2 to 25 pounds
- Should be given orally no more often than once per day
- Please read all label information on delivery
This review is from: Novartis Capstar Flea Treatment Blue Tabs for Dogs and Cats (Misc.)
Apparently some cats and dogs respond badly to this medication, but it works wonderfully for my cat. She weighs just 10 pounds, so I give her half a tablet (I cut them apart in a regular pill cutter) and any fleas she's picked up fall off and die. My vet explained to me that the chemical in Capstar isn't recognized by the animal's body - it just passes through without being absorbed and broken down. It comes out as a gas through the pores of the skin, and acts on the fleas like cyanide gas acts on people. It's instantly lethal to the fleas. Unfortunately, when the fleas get the first whiff of gas, they respond by biting REALLY HARD in a reflexive reaction. Some cats and dogs who have several fleas may experience sudden very hard bites in many areas of their bodies, which could account for the jumping around and panting. It doesn't feel very good. Flea bites are terrible under normal circumstances, and their "death bites" are worse.
About twenty minutes after I give her the half-tablet, my cat starts scratching and/or licking hard at any fleas that are biting her. It goes on for about 10-15 minutes. Then they fall off and die. They don't completely die right away, so I stay away from her during this phase, or they'll jump on me and start their dying bites, and it's not pleasant!
Since I only give her half a tablet, a box lasts me twice as long as usual. I give her a tablet every 3 weeks or so, whenever she picks up a flea or two or three. She's an outside cat so we struggle with this off and on all summer. I also take her to the vet to get her Program shot, which works in conjunction with the Capstar tablets. Program keeps the fleas from laying fertile eggs, so the house doesn't get infested.
This review is from: Novartis Capstar Flea Treatment Blue Tabs for Dogs and Cats (Misc.)
I used this stuff on my cat who was loaded with fleas from the next door neighbors dog. It takes about 30 minutes for it to start working on him, but when it does - IT DOES. He starts scratching and itching like crazy and while all thats going on the fleas just fall off of him and die. They literally fall off. This stuff works great.