Activyl vs. Flea5X Plus Comparison

Activyl

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Flea5X Plus

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Revolution Plus for Cats

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Kills Fleas

Repels Fleas

Kills Flea eggs and Larvae

Kills fleas before they lay eggs

Kills Ticks

Repels Ticks

Kills and/or Repels Mosquitoes

Prevents Heartworm

Other Parasites Information

Eliminates infestations with chewing lice, aids in the control of sarcoptic mange infestation

Treats and controls ear mites, roundworms, and hookworms.

Waterproof (shampooing once a week can reduce effectiveness)

N/A

Safe for pregnant or nursing Pets

The safe use of Revolution Plus in pregnant, breeding or lactating cats has not been evaluated.

How long does it take to work

Reapply Activyl every 30 days.

Fast-acting protection that lasts up to 30 days

Starts killing fleas within 6 hours

Taste

Applied to skin

Active Ingredient(s)

indoxacarb

Fipronil/(S)-Methoprene

Selamectin, Sarolaner

RX Required

Dosage

Usage

Video

Coming soon

Vet Review

Another recently available new topical flea preventative for dogs and cats. This new product works by being activated by only the flea's enzyme systems into a flea specific mechanism which paralyzes and kills the adult flea. The company claims that it does not get into the blood stream, but stays only in the superficial skin layers of the pet. Any adult fleas which come into contact with this product are quickly killed so that fleas do not have to actually bite the pet, which is tremendously helpful in those flea-allergic pets, where it only takes a few flea bites to set off an extensive itchy allergic reaction. Another wonderful benefit of this product is that it is waterproof, which is especially helpful in those active outside pets who are exposed to rain or like to swim. This effective product starts working within 12 hours of application, where over 90% of adult fleas are killed. Another excellent benefit of this product is that it also inhibits the development of flea eggs and larvae in the environment, which is a big bonus since much of the flea life cycle occurs in the home environment. While Activyl is very safe and effective for most pets, I have seen occasional rare reactions in sensitive pets, which most commonly is seen as irritation or excessive itchiness at the site of application. While the company says that it is odorless, some of my clients have said that they do sense an odor within the first several days of application, as well as leaving an occasional oily film for the first day or two following application. This film, however usually quickly disappears. The only other very rare reactions include digestive upset and/or drooling/neurological reactions, and certainly if a pet has any chronic digestive weaknesses or history of seizures, etc then the local veterinarian should be consulted before applying the product. I give this product an overall rating of 4, with an ease of use of 4.

1800petmeds is very excited to now offer an economic and reliable alternative to the brand name Front line plus in the war against flea and tick infestations on dogs and cats. By storing itself in the oil glands of the skin, the ingredients self distribute through the hair follicles and provide protection against fleas, ticks and lice for up to a month. While most of the competitors' products kill only the adult fleas on pets, the two main ingredients in this product, fiprinil and methoprene, not only kill the adult fleas and ticks, but also eggs and larvae, which may represent up to 95% of the total flea population. Recent studies in dogs have shown that these ingredients together start killing fleas within 4 hours, and within 12 to 24 hours 100% of the fleas are killed. While many competitors' products require the fleas to bite the pet, Flea 5x kills on contact. Another wonderful advantage of using Flea 5x is that the product is water proof, and will not be washed away with bathing or swimming, as long as animal guardians wait until the product is completely absorbed into the oil glands, which usually takes 48 hours, before bathing the pet or allowing pet to swim. Veterinarians and guardians should also know that this product is safe to use in breeding, pregnant and lactating dogs and cats. However kittens and puppies should be at least 8 weeks of age before applying this product. Because fleas and ticks pose many health threats to both dogs and cats, including dangerous anemia, rickettsial diseases, flea allergy dermatitis, and tapeworms, it is important to have all pets on a comprehensive flea and tick control program such as Flea 5x. And with the reliable 1800petmeds brand name, animal guardians can confidently rely on the performance of this product as comparable to the brand name. I see very few disadvantages in using this product. Rarely there may be a mild contact dermatitis at the site of application, where occasional pets experience crusting and hair loss. Even less common are idiosyncratic digestive or neurologic upset in very sensitive patients. Any pet with a chronic health condition or prior sensitivity to chemicals or vaccination should have a thorough veterinary exam and evaluation before applying any topical or oral pesticide product. I also recommend that the application of products such as Flea 5x be done on a different day(preferably at least 7 days apart) from other parasite control products such as heartworm prevention or immune challenges such as vaccination. Occasionally clients may see more fleas on their pets after immediately applying Flea 5x plus, but this is just the dying off of the flea population, as they rise to the top of the coat. Because of the often presence of eggs in the environment before the application of this product, it may take a few months to kill the total population of fleas in the home, which is why I often suggest treating the home as well when starting pets on a product like flea 5x plus. While flea 5x does not repel fleas and ticks, I have not found any current products on the market effective with that in my experience and opinion. I give this product an overall rating of 4.5(on scale of 1-5) with the efficacy and ease of use of a 5.

A significant limitation of the original revolution product for cats is that it did not cover any species of ticks, which is especially important in those cats who go outside and/or live with dogs where there is increased chance of tick borne infections such as Lyme disease, Ehrlichia and Anaplasmosis in dogs, not to mention the risk of tick born disease exposure in people whose cats bring ticks in to the home. With this new formulation clients get protection against 3 species of ticks. The American Heartworm Society has published that one in 4 cats diagnosed with heartworm disease are indoor only cats, so that especially in Southern, warmer clients, heartworm disease prevention may become as important in cats as dogs. And it takes only a few heartworms to cause significant disease in cats, who seem much more sensitive on exposure to this parasite than even dogs are. This versatile product not only kills fleas before they eggs, but gives additional 6 in 1 protection again ticks, round worms, hookworms, as well as ear mites. THe product is quite quick drying, easy to apply, and not messy or greasy like many other topical formulations. The only down side as to efficacy is in those cases where there is a severe flea infestation affecting multiple animals in a household, where I have found some of the other products a bit more effective in those cases in both dogs and cats, however the vast majority of flea infestations are easily taken care of with this product. Because of the addition of the Sarolamer ingredient for tick control, I would not use this product if there is any history of neurological disease or seizures in the cat. The only other rare side effect I have seen is lethargy and because of its easy to use formulation, only very rare contact sensitivity. With all this being said, I give this product an overall rating of a 4 out of 5 with an ease of application of 5.

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