When travelling with a cat, it’s important to keep them safe from vector-borne diseases. Bravecto® Plus is one of the many treatments available to protect cats from ticks and fleas. But, what sets Bravecto Plus apart from other tick and flea medication, is the fact that it lasts for 2 months. In addition, Bravecto Plus for cats keeps your them safe from mosquito bites and intestinal worms. So, when you use Bravecto for your cat, you can rest easy for two months knowing that your beloved pet is protected from tick, fleas, and mosquitoes. These insects carry dangerous parasites that they can transmit to your cat. If you’re relocating to a foreign country with your cat, you may find that your usual treatment from home isn’t available. Or, you might just prefer to use a treatment that’s only needed every two months, as opposed to monthly. In this case, Bravecto Plus is a great choice of spot on treatment, as its the only tick, flea, mosquito and worming treatment for cats that lasts for a full two months. Of course, always speak to your vet about the most appropriate pet travel medication for your cat. They will be able to advise the best medication and treatments for your destination of choice. Keep reading to find out about the vector-borne diseases that Bravecto Plus protects your cat from when you travel to a warm climate.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Table of contents
Tick, Flea, Mosquito & Worming Treatment for Cats
No matter where you live, your vet will always recommend that you use a worming treatment for your cat, as well as a tick and flea repellent. But, when you travel to a warm, international destination with your pet, the diseases carried by ticks and fleas tend to be more serious. Then there’s the added risk of diseases transmitted to cats by mosquitoes and sandflies.
For example, when you travel with your cat to European destinations such as Portugal, Spain, Italy and France, there’s a risk of diseases such as Tapeworm from Fleas, and Heartworm from Mosquitoes. There’s a lower prevalence in the development of these disease in cats, than there is with dogs. However, cats can still be prone to the dangerous parasites transmitted by these vectors.
Therefore, when you travel to many countries in Europe, such as Spain, Portugal, France and Italy, your cat must be effectively protected against fleas and ticks.
In addition, you have to consider the threats posed by mosquitoes and sandflies, which often cause endemic diseases in countries with long, hot summers.
How does Bravecto Plus for Cats work?
The consistent and effective protection provided by Bravecto Plus for cats is all thanks to the active ingredients Fluralaner and Moxidectin.
Fluralaner is one of the unique members of the isoxazoline family, which is the first new insecticide class in over a decade. It has no known insect or tick resistance. Once Bravecto Plus is administered to your cat, Fluralaner is readily absorbed into their bloodstream. The effect then lasts for two months.
However, Bravecto Plus hasn’t been shown to be effective for two months in kittens under six months old.
Bravecto Plus Side Effects in Cats
As with all treatments and medicine, there are possible side effects in using Bravecto. Reported side effects for both the cat spot-on treatment of Bravecto include:
- decreased appetite,
- diarrhea
- hair loss
- seizures
- tremors
While we’ve used Bravecto Plus to repel ticks, fleas, mosquitoes and intestinal worms without incident, your cat may be different. So, always speak to your vet first and foremost.
Which Tick Species is Bravecto Effective Against?
Of the many different species of ticks found across the globe, you may be surprised to know that there’s only a few that bite and transmit diseases to humans and animals.
There’s no doubt differences in the species of ticks that your cat encounters when travelling from a cold climate to warmer weather.
It can be helpful to know the dormant tick species in your holiday destination. But, if you use Bravecto Plus, you can be rest assured that your cat is protected from the following tick species.
| Tick Species | Other Names | Latin Name | Protection Period | Diseases | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Dog Tick | Wood Tick | Dermacentor Variabilis | 12 weeks | Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever & Tularemia | Rocky Mountains Pacific Coast |
| Black Legged Tick | The Bear Tick The Deer Tick | Lxodes Scapularis | 8 weeks | Babesiosis Ehrlichiosis Lyme Disease Powassan Virus | Eastern & North Midwest USA South Eastern Canada |
Note that Bravecto for dogs protects against more tick species, than the treatment does for felines.
Bravecto is approved for safe use on cats in Europe, as well as the USA & Canada, so you may choose to use this tick and flea treatment when you travel with your cat.
Do I need to use any other Cat Travel Safety Products?
Your vet will recommend the best course of action to protect your cat when you take a pet vacation.
Here in Portugal, we use Bravecto for cats every two months, and have found this to be the only treatment required. You can also use a Seresto Cat Collar for additional protection, and to keep your cat safe from Sandflies. We don’t use this as our cats are very active and lose their break-away collars every week! In addition, cats are at a very low risk of developing Leishmaniasis from a sandfly bite.
Where can I buy Bravecto for Cats?
You can only purchase Bravecto for cats and cats at licensed veterinarians.
Look out for other ways to keep your cat or dog safe when you travel, and remember to leave a review for your chosen pet friendly destination!
