Advocate and Frontline changes to prescriptions?

[abbiefield]

Hi,

I wonder if someone can explain? The vet was not exacly clear on this.

I have always got my Frontline / Advocate from the vets.

I went in to get some more yesterday and was told I couldnt have any without seeing a vet first. I had to bring the cat in with an appointment before I could have the flea treatment.

I have not had this before. I have been using stuff from the vets for 10 years nearly. They made some tale about needing a prescription and having to give the cat a health check first.

Can someone explain why this change?

Its not that I am complaining or anything but the cat is an old boy (who I love dearly) and I dont want to have to distress him by bungling him up and taking him to the vets this way without it being absolutely necessary. He will be distressed and upset. I only take him to the vets when absolutely necessary these days. Keeping him free of fleas is for his comfort.

Since I have been treating him without needing to take him in , I would just like to know why this is happening now?

Thanks

[Fluffycloudland77]

I know for advocate they have to have been seen in the last 6 months before my vet will prescribe it.

[Noteventhebestdrummer]

Buy it from Amazon instead?

[cozietoesie]

They'll likely be enforcing their policies more tightly - maybe a new vet/some official body/some new or reminder good practice guideline has put them in mind of it. (One of the vets who post might comment.)

Vets generally can't prescribe unless a cat is 'in their care' and they know about them. That's a sensible thing, I think. If a medicine is prescription, it's usually a serious potion and to know that a cat is fit and well (or at least to be aware of its particular problems) before you prescribe is pretty important in my view.

Seniorboy's vet has a 6 month policy for repeat or non-attending prescriptions. (They have to have seen the animal in the last 6 months.) He usually has seen the vet in the right timescale but even if he hadn't, it wouldn't bother me even though being vetted is not his favourite thing. When you live close by an animal you can overlook things about them through familiarity and having a vet check is, I think, a good thing. The health check may sometimes seem fairly cursory but it's amazing what they can pick up in a quick routine examination.

I have a feeling that you can get Advocate at least without prescription by the way. (Happy to stand corrected on that one - it's early and I'm only on my first cuppa.) Even so, I think I would still take him in to be seen. Are you saying a vet hasn't seen him for 10 years?

[Lonecatwithkitten]

To be able to prescribe frontline combo or advocate both of which are prescription only medicines the animal needs to be under the vets care. In my practice that would be seen within the last year.
I suspect the practice has been inspected by the veterinary medicines directorate and had their knuckles rapped for not adhering to this requirement.
I have tighter times on other meds for example heart medication the pet needs to have been seen in the last three months.
Last time I was inspected the inspector said 1 year was okay for flea meds, 6 months was too long for chronic health conditions and 2 months was too short to be fair to clients.
If we fail to ensure the animal is under our care we can loose our pharmacy licence and would be unable to hold any meds.

[cozietoesie]

Useful point about different timings for different meds. Seniorboy sees his vet about every 3-4 months anyway for various things so it's never been necessary for him to make a special journey.

[abbiefield]

Thank you for the replies.

Are you saying a vet hasn't seen him for 10 years?

No, certainly not. The cat is registered with them and they have seen him fairly regularly (for little incidents like fights as well as vaccs etc). I also getmy Cat food there - James Wellbeloved Senior by the 10 kg bag.

I have to admit that it may well have been around a year since I last took him in. He is a " big " boy - likes his food and comfort eats. But he is a big cat anyway structurally.

The last time I took him I was told he was over weight and to not feed him. I tried and he left me and went to seek food elsewhere. I was lucky to get him back but not without him having been in the wars. I checked with a different vet who treated him then ( same practice who told me not to bother because he wasnt "that overweight" anyway). But I have tried to avoid the lecture since.

He is a rescue cat so had a bad time and tends to be nervous and very distressed if you put him in a carry all to take to the vets. He associates it with bad times and abuse.

As I said I have got my advocate from the vets every three months and they havent said anything before.

I also asked if instead they would sell me frontline Combo. They said the same thing - not without bringing him in .

However, I know I can get Frontline Combo from Pets at Home. In fact I went and got some yesterday afternoon - was in Pets at Home for supplies, whilst I work out what is best to do for abbiescat. I did like Advocate.

[cozietoesie]

When Seniorboy lived with my Mum, he was never vetted - and as a consequence had the most dreadful mouth when he came to me and hadn't had booster shots/a check in living memory. More importantly, he was terrified of vets. I stopped that by treating it very matter of factly - in the carrier and 'Just be quiet - this is business!'.

When he started going to the vet regularly and learned that I wasn't going to pay any heed to his fuss and that he came home afterwards, he started adjusting. I still get some yowls on he journey there but then he's a Siamese and they're born talking: I think the noise is for form's sake nowadays rather than being heartfelt. (He says nothing when he's actually at the vets or on the journey home.)

How active is abbiecat? You've got the option of trying to up his activity level generally as well as putting him on a diet if he's a big boy. (And if your vet said to 'not feed him' he was very ill advised: putting a cat on a diet is a long term thing and not a short sharp shock.) Maybe read the 'Treatment' section in \link{http://www.icatcare.org/advice-centre/cat-health/obesity-cats\this?}

[cozietoesie]

PS - and maybe try some food foraging toys for him as well if he's already on dried food and you don't use them? \link{http://www.apbc.org.uk/system/files/private/advice_sheet_15_-_environmental_enrichments_games_for_cats.pdf\This} might be of interest - see the third page.

[abbiefield]

Abbiecat is a very indoorsy /outdoorsy / indoorsy boy. He used to be far more active.

He does chance his paw looking for mice in the hedge and field ( we live in a rural area) but isnt that successful. They dont tend to come out when he wants to play. He has brought me the odd rabbit or two and left it on the step because he couldnt drag it in through the cat flap.

He's 15, nearly 16 and tends these days to walk from the house to the summerhouse, settle down and sleep, followed by walking back to the house and settling on the bed etc.

In between he will ask for food if he wants it. He does like his food but I dont think he feeds that much. In winter he is heavier than summer because he goes out less ( too cold I guess). I only give him James Wellbeloved and one bag will last me nearly 3 months.

He has free range of the house and the garden (an acre) and the field behind. He doesnt tend to venture too far now. Not out of the garden much. He isnt playful anymore. He shows disdain and disinterest and prefers to sleep or laze around.

[cozietoesie]

He's an older boy so that's pretty much to be expected. Seniorboy (19) spends a lot of his time lazing. He has arthritis so that makes him less mobile anyway but I certainly wouldn't expect him to be leaping around like a two year old in any case.

If he's heavier in winter, it sounds as if in-house activity levels might be your way to go so I'd maybe try giving him some of his kibble in a food toy. You could either make some yourself - if your Blue Peter skills are up to scratch - or get a cheapish food ball/something similar on line or in a local pet store or supermarket. He'd probably enjoy the extra stimulation as well as using more energy.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Pets at home will only be able to sell you ordinary frontline not frontline combo which is the prescription only product that not only kills adult fleas, but also does household control making it superior to the pets at home product.

[FushandChups]

Also, your cat may have slimmed down or bulked up since their last visit. just been today and my cat has lost weight (which she needed to) so the advocate spot on she'd had for the last six months was too strong so is now on a more appropriate dose...