Topicals are a good choice when battling an infestation on your animal. The drawback is that your animal is exposed to a much higher active ingredient concentration at one time, whereas the collar releases small amounts of active ingredient over a long period of time.
Some flea collars hold effectiveness much longer than the topical flea treatments, with some offering up to 8 months of protection, compared with topicals that need to be reapplied every month. This is a big reason some pet parents choose collars over topicals.
In general, cats strongly dislike being sprayed so many cat owners prefer to use topical flea products. Flea collars may seem convenient, but most do not work well (the exception is flea collars that contain an IGR) and are not generally recommended.
Ranging from skin irritation and gastrointestinal distress, to organ failure and even death, flea collars have a long history of harmful effects in both cats and dogs. When used as directed, flea collars are still known to cause severe chemical burns and seizures in pets.
It is generally not recommended to combine different flea treatments unless specifically advised to do so by a veterinarian. Flea treatments come in a variety of forms, such as spot-on treatments, shampoos, oral medications, and sprays, and each may contain different active ingredients.
The known safe answer is to wait the period of time the product is supposed to work, typically 30 days, before reapplying. An alternative is to bathe the pet in a detergent shampoo (meant to strip off skin oils) and reapply after 24 hours.
How Long Do Cat's Flea Collars Take to Work? The chemicals within your cat's flea collar are typically released within 24 hours of putting it on, and It begins killing and protecting your cat from fleas at around the three-week point, but again this depends on the type of collar you have used.
However, according to New York-based veterinarian Matthew McCarthy, flea collars work better as a supplement than a standalone treatment. “While they're certainly budget-friendly, flea collars don't quite measure up to the topical or oral treatments available today,” he says.
Flea Collars for Cats & Dogs
Most flea collars for cats and dogs are exposing your pet to long term toxicity and poisons and are known to have a long history of causing health issues in pets, even death. Flea collars have a range of active ingredients using chemical based insecticides and pesticides.
Yes, the Flea and Tick Collar for Dogs must be worn continuously, and a new one should be re-applied every 6 months.
Topical flea and tick treatments such as Revolution Plus kill fleas and ticks within 12 hours of application, and at least 98% of fleas are killed within 24 hours. Oral medications such as Capstar begin to kill fleas within 30 minutes, and continue to rapidly control fleas for 24 hours.
Fleas generally cannot live in human hair. While most species prefer to live on the furs of animals, they can use humans as temporary vectors. In such cases, fleas can infest and bite humans. You may get infected if there is a serious case of flea infestation in your environment.
Cost-effective. Collars typically provide up to six months of protection at an inexpensive price point. No reminders necessary. If your busy schedule causes you to forget the last date you applied drops and sprays, collars are a great substitute.
95% are in the environment as flea eggs, larvae and pupae.
Seeing fleas after treatment isn't really about how long it takes for flea treatment to work or for fleas to die. It's about the number of life stages in the pet's environment that develop into new fleas and jump on a pet.
Your pet isn't wearing their collar continuously
If the collar is removed, it is not able to continuously release its active ingredients onto the skin and hair and your pet will not be protected. To keep the collar working optimally, check and adjust it regularly so it's fitted correctly around your pet's neck.
Often even after treating with a suitable flea treatment you will still see flea's on your animal. However, this does not mean that the treatment has not worked or that the fleas are immune – the reasons are fairly simple: Fleas are hatching in your home and re-infecting your pet.
1. Best Overall: Frontline Plus Topical Treatment. The most frequently recommended is a topical treatment.
It's a matter of what you're looking for, but here are the highlights: Both kill fleas and ticks, but Seresto repels ticks as well. Frontline Plus protects against mosquitoes, Seresto does not. Seresto is designed to last 8 months with one collar, Frontline Plus is 1 month per application.
Under many circumstances, newer dog flea collars are safe options for flea and tick control (unlike older collars, which were largely ineffective). The Seresto collar is a very popular and effective option. It uses flumethrin and imidacloprid to kill fleas at multiple stages of development, and kills ticks as well.
Pesticides on your pets can be transferred to your children. Do not allow children to play with the collar and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling it.
Cats are much more sensitive to chemicals than dogs and can have severe reactions to some topical flea medications. Veterinarians urge owners to exercise caution when applying flea preventatives and read the packaging carefully before applying.