A cheaper option

Sometimes I come across a product that's so good or such a great value that I have to share it with my friends. This is NOT a paid post and I am not being compensated in any way for this - it's just a great deal.

We've been dealing with a flea infestation in my house pretty much since we adopted our kitten, Colleen, as I mentioned in an earlier post. We had the same problem when we first adopted our older cat, Cookie. They had fleas but were too young for the commercial flea treatments available (pretty much all of them say not to use them on kittens younger than 12 weeks), so the fleas were able to get a foothold in the house.

With Cookie, I used Capstar and Program to resolve the problem, and they worked great - better than great. After getting rid of his initial flea problem as a kitten, we never had another for the eight years after - until little Colleen joined the family. (I'd stopped treatment on Cookie for financial reasons.)

For a quick overview, Capstar, whose active ingredient is nitenpyram, kills the fleas your dog or cat has NOW. It starts to work within 15 to 30 minutes, and the fleas just fall off. It's not a long-term solution. It only lasts for 24 hours, but repeat doses can be given. What it's for is to get rid of the fleas on them NOW. For the long-term flea control, after eliminating the initial infestation, that's where the Program comes in. Program is a once-a-month treatment whose active ingredient is lufenuron. It works to ensure that fleas that get on your dog or cat can't breed. One flea isn't a problem - it's the 60 eggs every female can lay every day that's creates the problem. The two medications can safely be used together.

Well, the only - and I mean ONLY - problem with Capstar and Program is that they are quite pricey. When I was searching for treatment for Colleen, the cheapest I found were $20 (plus shipping) for six tablets of Capstar and $35 (plus shipping) for six tablets of Program. And that was a deal in itself, nearly all sources had the Program at closer to $50. 

In searching for the best deal, I came across something even better - something I hadn't even considered before for pet medications - generic alternatives. I use generics all the time for people medication, so why it hadn't crossed my mind for my pets, I have no idea.

What I found is from a company called Little City Dogs. I suppose it's not technically a generic but rather the same medication - the same dosage of the active ingredients - for considerably less cost. I was able to purchase 12 capsules of the Capstar alternative and 12 capsules of the Program alternative for a TOTAL COST of $37.50, INCLUDING shipping. That's six doses for each cat - a six-month supply. You can't even get that awful, ineffective flea control at Walmart for less than that. 

I bought mine through Amazon, and in reading the reviews, I had no doubt they'd be as good as the originals.  I've since received them, and I can confirm - they work. 

So, if you've found you love Capstar and Program, but you don't love the price, now you have a cheaper option that's just as effective. Glad I could help. :)

(By the way, you still need to treat your HOUSE in the case of an infestation. If you can flea bomb safely, it's highly effective. I can't, because we have aquariums, so I went with the more environmentally and pet-friendly approach of diatomaceous earth.)