As vets, we’re always advising you on the best way to treat and manage your own pets – but do we really follow our own advice? VetHelpDirect spoke to 7 vets about parasite control in their own pets – and this is what they told us…

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What flea treatment do you use on your own cats? And why?  

Samantha Coe

I love lufenuron for cats. It is an injection given every six months and  although it does not kill adult fleas it does prevent an infestation in the  environment. Unlike spot on treatments it has no potential environmental  issues and does not leave a wet patch on the fur (which was an issue  when my children were small).  

Cassandra Longhi-Browne

They both wear a Seresto collar and it suits them really well. It is very convenient to not have to remember treatments monthly and it works really well in keeping parasites off.

Lawrence Dodi

I use a prescription long-acting spot-on every 3 months. The product is veterinary licensed and I have found it to be effective, safe and tolerated well by my cats.

Lizzie Youens

I use Seresto collars for both of mine: easy, effective and I don’t have to remember to replace them as often! Pi also hates spot-ons and I got tired of chasing her around the house. I set a reminder for when they will need to be replaced and forget about it for eight months!

Louisa Marcombes

I prefer to use the newer products, containing for example imidacloprid or fluralaner as there seems to be a fair bit of resistance developing to older treatments, such as fipronil and they don’t work so well. I personally don’t necessarily treat every month, mainly because I am worried about resistance developing again and also because there is evidence coming through that these treatments may have an effect on insect life in the environment. But to be safe, I do carry out regular checks of Kitty’s coat with a flea comb to check for flea dirt so I can catch any infestation early. 

Sarah Cooper

The current flea treatment we use is a prescription tablet, which might put some people off, but actually my cats will eat it like a treat so it’s really easy to give. I like the fact that it’s safe and effective. I have previously used spot on treatment but was never sure I got all of it onto the right place!  

Sarah Hunter

Tiffin has the prescribed long-acting spot-on treatment. I would prefer to use a tablet so that I wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally stroking the greasy patch on her neck but I like only having to give it every three months. I think it’s important to use regular parasite treatment as Tiffin likes to hunt and we live in the countryside so she’s probably more likely to pick up ticks.

What worming treatment do you use on your own cats? And why?  

Samantha

Prescription roundworm and tapeworm tablets are great since I discovered my cat loves it! I brought a tablet  home for him from work when he was young and expected a fight to get  him to take it. Accidentally I dropped it on the floor and he ran up and  gobbled it down. What a result; it works every time!  

Cassandra

Usually a tablet or a spot on, when I manage to catch them! It is hard to treat semi ferals, even for a vet!

Lawrence

I use Droncit spot on every 3 months. I use it for the convenience it provides in allowing me to avoid tableting my cat.

Lizzie 

I use combined roundworm/tapeworm tablets on prescription: both of mine eat them like treats. I think worming should be done as an individual assessment as some cats are much higher risk than others. With both of mine known to hunt, and with small children in the house, I opt to worm mine every couple of months.

Louisa 

I believe in treating each cat for parasites according to its individual lifestyle, rather than treating all cats the same. So, for Kitty, who is a decent mouser and who is outdoors a lot, I will give her a wormer with tapeworm (roundworms) every 2-3 months. I would also treat her for tapeworm if I found any fleas on her. If she was an indoor or geriatric cat, just roundworm treatment every 6 months or so is probably sufficient. Of course, for pregnant and nursing cats and young kittens, who are more at risk from worm infestations, a much more comprehensive treatment protocol is required. 

Sarah C

I use double-action prescription worming tablets for my cats and I have done for several years now. It is a safe and effective treatment and I find the small tablet and single dose makes it easy to give. At the moment I tend to worm them routinely every 3-4 months, but we are starting to see more resistance to flea and worming products and becoming more aware of their impact on the environment. I think in future we will use tools like worm egg counts to make sure our pets are wormed only as frequently as they need to be.

Sarah H

I give Tiffin a prescription-strength combined tablet every three months, although she hasn’t brought any fresh food home for a while, I expect she’ll start hunting again so want to make sure she’s covered.

NB: Prescription-only brand names have been altered in accordance with UK law that means that we can’t list them.

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