Can you explain how Advocate works please?

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Puccini had fleas ,I bought a flea comb,Indorexed the house,washed everything possible at 60,hooveres like a demon and we use Advocate anyway but apparently we were applying it incorrectly.

So I've used Advocate correctly and then again a week later on the vet's advice and combed daily and were free for a week.

I've just pulled 3 tiny ones off him. Ffs !

I've never found any in the house apart from when they dropped off after I'd applied Advocate and I found some on his bedding.

We've never been bitten. Is the Advocate working ? I thought they bit and then died instantly but why would he still have some?

I'm considering the injection programme as well but is this necessary?

Am I right in thinking of the Advocate WASN'T working was have an almighty infestation by now?

Help!

** if

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They don't bounce off the flea comb,so maybe they're on their way out?

I don't know but we are still having trouble with Bogbastard and Advocate. We haven't seen them in the house but poor DD had bites on her scalp. cue defmuigation of her bedding with a flamethrower many 60 degree washes.

The vet did say that it might take three or four months to get rid of active fleas on him.

How were you applying it wrong out of interest?

My understanding is it makes the cat a walking flea execution machine so one bite and they should be dead, yes. He will be bringing them in from outside though?

Yes, he is an outdoor cat so bringing them in. He plays with the big boys

I used to apply to one spot at the base of the skull but the correct way is to spot it on in 4 or 5 places at the base of the skull and don't comb or stroke near the area for 24 hours. Also do it at night so they don't get wet if it's raining or rub it off.

I didn't know that, I've always put it in one place - we do the same with Profender. Does it say that in the instructions? We always do it at night though and avoid the area as it stinks!

"3 tiny ones"

newly hatched, not yet bitten Cat or only just bit cat, so not dead yet, may be about to die, hence why easy to catch.

Pink- if you look up his to apply Spot on on YouTube it shows the 5 spot method.

lljkk- hmmm,so that's promising then?

The house spray does not kill the chrysalis stage of the life cycle, so a couple of weeks after you've treated and sprayed, they can hatch. Thats probably the small ones you're seeing. I re-sprayed, washed, hoovered etc and they eventually went.
We also took the cat to the vets to have the program injection which means that any female biting flea can no longer lay eggs. Its around £30 so not cheap, but I was so sick of the fleas I felt it was worth it as an extra precaution.
I also let the cat wander freely through the house to destroy any remaining little buggers!

Yes I think it might be £30 well spent tbh! It's dh who isn't keen on it,its his furry baby you see.

Yeah, Puccini goes wherever he likes so hopefully the Advocate is working.

If there's a particular patch where he sits outside, you can also spray the Indorex there. Did you empty the vacuum cleaner outside straight away? The buggers escape FAST!
Indorex works indoors for up to a year after one spray so you shouldn't need to retreat if it was done according to the instructions. The cat needs Advocate once a month.

The spray kills adult fleas,larvae and eggs. What's the chrysalis stage,the bit where they're about to hatch?

I'll repeat over the weekend.

Sigh...

Spray indorex into your Hoover bag/dust collector compartment.

Useful info from the Indorex client leaflet:

Q. I used Indorex a few days ago and there are still fleas jumping around!
A. The pupae stage of the flea life cycle can survive in houses for up to 12 months and are unaffected by any known pesticide. They hatch out in response to stimuli like vibrations and warmth. The pupae hatch in waves, so the vibration created by vacuuming for 7 consecutive days encourages hatching and any newly hatched fleas will be killed.

Right, I'll get spraying again,thanks!

Yes,I spray into the dust compartment,good tip

It takes a couple of weeks for the fleas to all die off. The fleas will bite and fall off your pet as they die so yes it's working but still treat the house as advocate doesn't kill the eggs and can only kill fleas that bite. Hoover 15 minutes before you spray as the vibrations will wake up the eggs so when sprayed they can be killed off, also Spray the inside of your hoover with the spray to kill off any you hoover up.

I popped into the vet's today and spoke to a vet nurse, she said the fact no one in the house has been bitten and we've never seen any apart from on the cat means the Advocate is working. She said once a flea has bitten it can take up to 24 hours to die off.

I will spray again though on Monday but to make sure.