Why are some flea meds prescription-only and others sold in stores?

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. On the contrary! The over the counter flea and tick preventatives tend not to work as well as the prescription strength ones do. The active ingredients in the over the counter medications have been around for a very long time and fleas have built up a resistance to them over time so they may not work as well. These ingredients also tend to have higher rates of reactions in pets. Over the counter flea medications and preventatives can be toxic to cats especially. The prescription preventatives, however, have been rigorously studied for safety and effectiveness whereas the over the counter products may not. Therefore, it is really best if Gruber get a flea preventative from his veterinarian. That is the most effective and safest bet. I hope this helps and thanks for posting!

If possible I recommend products available at your vet's office. These products are usually more effective than over the counter products and have undergone more extensive testing/safety trials. Often your vet's office will also have rebates or coupons available when you purchase the products that will help decrease the cost to you.

We legally cannot prescribe anything, including flea medication, without seeing the animal in person. That's why it's illegal to buy flea medication online from a vet. Please be careful buying things like Revolution online without a prescription, as those are often counterfeit products.

I am so sorry that your pet Tori has fleas. Unfortunately you can't get a flea pill that will last without seeing a veterinarian. These are not sold over the counter. You will have to take Tori in to your local vet to get a prescription for safe use of the pill options. I would recommend Comfortis for cats to handle your flea problem. Also she may not be sensitive to all of the topical flea products. However for the good quality topicals (Revolution, Bravecto) she will still require a vet visit first. You should also consider using a flea fogger (from Lowe's or Home Depot) in your home to treat the environment. Best of luck with your flea issues. Take care.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Good question! In general it is best to purchase these medications from your veterinarian. When purchased through a veterinarian the company will most often guarantee the effectiveness. This is usually not the case with products bought online or over the counter. When sold through a veterinarian the company that manufactures the product will stand behind the product and often pay for medical treatment should the product not work for some reason. The veterinarian also knows how to properly store the product so that it does not get damaged or becomes ineffective. Finally, sometimes over the counter products or products sold online can be counterfeit or even dangerous to use. Your veterinarian also knows what particular products tend to be most effective for your location.

Tapeworms are killed by a medication called praziquantel, which is prescription only. A dewormer containing that can only be gotten at the vet. A great deworming medication is Drontal which kills tapeworms, roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms. OTC dewormers will only kill roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms. Personally I always recommend a deworming medication from the vet, as they are stronger and better than anything you get OTC. Drontal is safe and healthy for kittens. Bambi should get a dewormer now, and another in two weeks. After that she will need to be dewormed monthly until she is six months of age, and then every three months thereafter. It's perfectly safe to give them a deworming medication even if they don't have worms, it prevents them from occurring. I never recommend getting OTC flea and tick medications. Many brands of them, such as Hartz, are terrible products that do not work and can have serious side effects in cats. I personally recommend getting a flea and tick medication from the vet such as Frontline, Advantage, or Revolution. When you make an appointment with the vet to get her vaccines, you can also get the deworming treatment as well as the flea and tick medication. I hope this helps!

Over the counter Hartz and Sentry products do not work. I suggest you get prescription strength flea medications. You can easily get these medications from one of our VETCO clinics inside Petco stores. Here are the ones in your area: ( https://www.vetcoclinics.com/services-and-clinics/clinic-locations-and-schedules/?zip=77081 ) Take the cats with you. It is first come, first serve and there is no exam fee so just the cost of the products. The vet there can advise you when you can give the new product based on when you applied the other product. You also need to treat your house and yard (if you have one for fleas). I suggest these products: ( https://www.allivet.com/p-1389-knockout-es-area-treatment.aspx ) ( https://www.allivet.com/p-9065-vet-kem-yard-spray-32-oz.aspx?SearchTerm=yard%20spray+Auto ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.