Caring for our beloved furry friends becomes our duty whenever we decide to adopt a pet. Ticks and fleas pose a very big threat to the state of the healthiness of not only pets but also humans. The reason is, the diseases that these small bugs carry can be transmitted to pets first, and later to humans due to the sheer level of interaction we have with our pets.
The most usual dangers that fleas pose are giving dermatitis and transferring tapeworm. Ticks, on the other spectrum, commonly carry more harmful bacteria, including babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and mycoplasma. If the former will be just an annoyance to your animal, the latter can actively lead to the death of your pet. This is not even bringing up the rarer diseases that these insects can carry (and that can lead to serious complications in your and your pets’ health).
My friends and acquaintances always inquire about what is the swiftest way to fight with these nasty creatures and relieve their pets from this suffering.
I decided to put the pieces of advice that I give into an accessible and simple-to-understand blog. In this review, you will discover the greatest remedies to fight off fleas and ticks, as well as recommendations on what to look for when you are deciding which item to purchase.
The Capstar Reviews
In this section, I will examine my two personal favorite treatments from the brand Capstar. It is one of the most popular names in this category of products as it deals with fleas effectively. This brand name is an offspring of an American-based animal health giant company, Elanco Animal Health. This company focuses solely on disease-treating products, encompassing food, and dedicated treatments.
With these reviews, I want to communicate my trust and confidence in these products. After reading this article, you won’t be doubting “Is Capstar effective?”, you will be sure of it.
1. Exceptional Capstar Flea Treatment for Dogs: Capstar Oral Flea Treatment for Large Dogs
Specifications:
- Active Ingredient: Nitenpyram
- Item Form: Tablets
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Item Weight: 0.56 Ounces
- Product Dimensions: 0.63 x 5.75 x 4.5 inches
- Target Species: Dog
This product is the variant for you if your beloved “small” friend is a massive dog. I mean the dimensions from 26 to 125 pounds in weight. If your canine falls within this range, and it is overrun with these insects, then storm swiftly to the store for animals and get Capstar Oral Flea Treatment for Large Dogs. Your canine will benefit from this.
Effectiveness
This remedy is not a holistic strategy of battling bugs and not a preventative one. You should employ it only in the case if your animal is already infested with the annoying bugs. Only then, this flea eliminator will prove itself extremely useful. If you prefer to care for your canine comprehensively, then you need to combine this aid with other remedies that are prophylactic and enact a more persisting impact.
Here’s what happens to fleas after Capstar
The acting element, nitenpyram, eliminates efficiently and swiftly over 90% of bugs. You get to see it working in the first thirty minutes, but the full result is only realized over four hours. You can administer only one dose a day, stopping as soon as the bugs are eliminated.
Some Capstar for dog reviews say that this ailment does not function effectively when the animal’s weight is more than 100 pounds. Still, in my own experience, the treatment has worked each time flawlessly.
Price
This flea eliminator is averagely priced. It turns it into an awesome deal due to the exceptional performance.
Ease of Use
The remedy exists in pill form to be given orally: no injections or sprays. If your pet eats pills readily, then curing your canine will be simple. 6 doses encompass 57 mg of the active element, and only one tablet is to be given per day.
Safety
The active element of the product is safe for both species: canines and felines. However, due to the vast amount of the components in this remedy, it is suitable only for large breeds of dogs, so it is not explicitly advertised as for cats.
This flea eliminator shouldn’t be utilized on humans, as the interaction of nitenpyram with the human body is not sufficiently examined.
Your beloved pet may scratch as an aftereffect of insects dying, but this is temporary. Some other, very rare secondary effects may be lethargy, vomiting, no appetite, incoordination, and hyperactivity.
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2. Great Capstar Pills for Cats: Capstar Oral Flea Treatment for Cats
Specifications:
- Active Ingredient: Nitenpyram
- Item Form: Tablets
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Dosage: 1 Tablet
- Target Species: Cat
This item is the same in almost every aspect when compared with the previous ailment. It differs only in the number of acting elements in each dose.
Effectiveness
This bug remover can be employed on both felines and canines that weigh anywhere between 2 and 25 pounds. The efficiency of this remedy stays the same: it eliminates over 90% of the bugs over four hours for canines and six hours for felines.
Price
You may think that the smaller quantity of acting elements would drastically lower the price. However, the price tag remains unchanged.
Ease of Use
As in the case with the previous item, this ailment has to be ingested orally and has a maximum of only one table per day. It has 11.4 mg of the acting ingredient, nitenpyram.
Safety
With this Capstar Oral Flea Treatment for Cats, you should be careful not to overdose your pet. Administering too much of the acting element to your furry friend may result in the nasty conditions mentioned above, and you have to get your pet immediately to a veterinary.
Also, you can only administer this remedy to felines and canines that weigh over 2lbs and are older than 28 days. I constantly keep hearing questions like: “Is Capstar safe for cats?” There is no necessity to have doubts about this brand, as it is to felines if utilized correctly. Therefore, there is nothing to worry about. Of course, the remedy may lead to brief scraping and has to be given only once per day. Noteworthy, this product shouldn’t be utilized on humans.
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The Bottom Line
These two entries get an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5. Both of them are the same remedy, just intended for differing animals, so separating them would make absolutely no sense. Capstar’s claims about the ailment being effective short-term cures for fleas are proven by the performance of nitenpyram without any adverse results to pets (at least, not that I know of). This line-up doesn’t deserve to be rated any lower, considering that the product does what promises and does it exceptionally.
Points to Think About While Choosing the Remedy
Having finished the examinations, let’s talk about the various options of treating your pet for fleas. Additionally, I am going to clarify the general guidelines on choosing an ailment, and how Capstar fares up against another popular flea (and tick) removers.
Here Is What You Can Get
There are three main ways to fight infestations of blood-sucking insects on your beloved pet: topicals (sprays), orals (pills), and collars. The first ones are effective but can commonly cause skin exasperation and even hair loss in pets. Yet, they are the way to go if your animal refuses to eat tablets completely.
If you are lucky, then the second variant should be the thing you opt for, as the negative conditions are incredibly rare, and the remedy is very effective. Lastly, the third method is not as efficient at eliminating bugs rapidly, as they do it over time.
How Your Pet Influences the Treatment Choice
First of all, you have to look for remedies specifically advertised for the species of animal that you have. If not, do not play the game of being a veterinary expert, as the unstudied interaction between some elements and animals may cause severe health problems.
Capstar suits felines and canines, but you have to be mindful of how much your darling animal weighs and how old it is. For example, giving this treatment to pets that weigh less than 2lbs and are younger than 28 days will lead to the animal becoming overdosed and receiving nasty health conditions.
How to Get the Most Out of Capstar?
Capstar can be utilized in conjunction with some other ailments and flea/tick remedies, which include preventative drugs, antibiotics, vaccines, etc. To eliminate these insects most efficiently, you have to combine immediate and preventative ailments. For example, you can use Capstar with some topical that impede future infestations. Additionally, washing your animal regularly with the usage of special anti-flea shampoos is recommended.
Capguard vs Capstar
These two products are incredibly similar. The active ingredient is the same, as well as the dosages in which they are sold. Having no differences in the process of manufacturing of the treatment, with both flea killers, you will get absolutely the same results. The only difference between the two is that Capstar is the official brand name of nitenpyram (the active ingredient), and Capguard is a generic one. My recommendation is – always choose the brand name.
Capstar vs Comfortis
In many ways, these two items are very similar. They are both reactive treatments, meaning that as soon as you notice the infestation, you can get one of the two products to eliminate the blood-sucking bugs. However, Comfortis has a different active ingredient – spinosad, which has to be prescribed by a veterinarian while Capstar is an over-the-counter treatment. If you do not have the money or time to take your pet to a vet, Capstar is a great choice.
Capstar vs Advantix
Specifications:
- Active Ingredient: Permethrin
- Item Form: Drops
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Item Weight: 0.1 Pounds
- Product Dimensions: 7.75 x 1 x 4.25 inches
- Target Species: Dog
While it may look like the two treatments are very similar, they are not, as Advantix is a preventative product. Also, this treatment can be used only on dogs, but it kills ticks in addition to fleas! If you have a dog or several dogs, then you can combine Capstar and Advantix to create a comprehensive treatment against bugs for your pet.
Capstar vs Seresto
Specifications:
- Active Ingredient: Flumethrin* 4.5%, Imidacloprid 10.0% (*Trans Z-1/trans Z-2 Ratio: max 66% trans Z-1 and min 34% trans Z-2)
- Item Form: Solid (e.g. Chews Tablet Toy)
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Item Weight: 2.08 Ounces
- Product Dimensions: 4.75 x 4.75 x 1.5 inches
- Target Species: Dog
Seresto is a collar that gives a persisting insect-killing over almost nine months, so there’s no actual comparison of this item with the Capstar. They could be both utilized as an aid to each other, boosting effectiveness through the roof. Although using the two products in combination is a perfect pairing, you should still consult with your veterinary.
The Commonly Asked Questions
I know that many pet owners come to such articles looking for a quick answer to one of their questions about a product. So, here are my quick answers to popular questions about the product at hand.
1. Does Capstar Kill Ticks?
No, it does not. It exterminates only fully developed fleas. For ticks, you have to combine this treatment with some others to create a holistic strategy against the insects.
2. How Does Capstar Work?
The active element in the products spreads itself throughout the body of a dog and reaches fleas. It halts the nervous system of the insects, making them drop dead instantly.
3. Do Fleas Have to Bite for Capstar to Work?
Yes, the insects intake the active ingredient of the treatment by biting your pet and sucking the blood, which contains the paralyzing element.
4. How Often Can Capstar Be Given?
It is very important not to overdose your pet with the treatment. Therefore, only one pill per day is allowed to be administered.
5. How Fast Does Capstar Work?
After the ingestion of the treatment, wait for thirty minutes to pass. Then, you will start seeing fleas drop dead.
6. How Long Does Capstar Last?
It will last only about 24 hours. The reason is, the treatment was not designed to be a preventative one.
7. Can You Use Capstar with Seresto?
Although I have seen some people online combined these two items without any adverse effects, please, consult your veterinarian. You should take care of your pet not to get any side effects.
Conclusion
To sum it up, I hope you enjoyed reading my article, as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have reviewed Capstar flea tablets for dogs and cats and discussed different aspects of flea/tick treatments, and, by now, you should be able to pick out the perfect insect killer for your pet easily!
Now, I would love to hear back from you! Did I mention everything you wanted to know about flea/tick treatments? Do you have any questions left after reading the piece? Please, write all these points in the comments below.
References:
- The fast acting flea knockdown (Elanco):
https://www.elanco.com.au/products-services/companion-animal/products/ca-capstar - Efficacy and longevity of nitenpyram against adult cat fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) (National Center for Biotechnology Information):
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14596282/ - Spinosad General Fact Sheet (Oregon State University):
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/spinosadgen.html
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