# Bob Martin tapeworm spot on



## ycbm (24 February 2018)

I have only just realised that I have been giving my cats only one tube of Bob Martin spot on tapewormer when going by the packet,  they should have been getting two.

But it has done the job fine all the same and keeps them clear for several months.

Is it over strength? Are they just trying to sell twice as much as people really need?  

Is there any point in me giving two in future when I can see that one works?


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## MagicMelon (21 March 2018)

Personally I'd look for a different product. Spot on IMO is nasty toxic stuff. My mums cat had ended up with permanent hair loss on the back of her neck which the vet believes is due to the continued use of this stuff. I never use it on mine...


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## ycbm (21 March 2018)

MagicMelon said:



			Personally I'd look for a different product. Spot on IMO is nasty toxic stuff. My mums cat had ended up with permanent hair loss on the back of her neck which the vet believes is due to the continued use of this stuff. I never use it on mine...
		
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I'm happy with it, been using it years with no issues. It's praziquantel, same as I give  my horses direct into their mouths. I'm guessing that cats like your mum's have a skin sensitivity to the  gel it's  carried in, maybe. I can't believe it's a widespread problem, it wouldn't still be on the shelves of pet shops, surely?


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## Leo Walker (21 March 2018)

you might want to google Bob Martin. Its nasty stuff and there have been tons of issues including fatalities with it


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## ycbm (22 March 2018)

Leo Walker said:



			you might want to google Bob Martin. Its nasty stuff and there have been tons of issues including fatalities with it
		
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I'm sorry LW, but if this was true of the stuff stocked in supermarkets and pet stores,  they've have gone out of business long ago, both Bob Martin and the stockists. No shop would keep a proven dangerous product on the shelf for years. There are thousands of cats a year being treated with it. A few adverse reactions are to be expected, just like we get them in horses with wormers sometimes.


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## MotherOfChickens (22 March 2018)

the issue with bob martin and fatalities in cats, afaik, is that the dog flea product contained permethrin which is toxic to cats. the packaging on the product was not clear enough and so some people used it on their cats, it wasn't due to wormers from what I remember. I just worm my cats regularly during hunting season with drontal. 

ybcm as with all medications, it is dosage dependent-so if your cats weight enough then they will need more of the drug-same with larger horses. underdosing of wormers is far more likely to cause resistance than worming effectively regularly.


https://www.vettimes.co.uk/news/bob-martin-pulls-permethrin-products-from-supermarkets/


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## Leo Walker (22 March 2018)

ycbm said:



			I'm sorry LW, but if this was true of the stuff stocked in supermarkets and pet stores,  they've have gone out of business long ago, both Bob Martin and the stockists. No shop would keep a proven dangerous product on the shelf for years. There are thousands of cats a year being treated with it. A few adverse reactions are to be expected, just like we get them in horses with wormers sometimes.
		
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But it is true. As I said, feel free to google it. The information is easily accessible.


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## ycbm (22 March 2018)

Leo Walker said:



			But it is true. As I said, feel free to google it. The information is easily accessible.
		
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A tiny number reported on social media among millions of animals being treated worldwide.

It will happen with any drug. 

No shop chain is going to continue to sell a drug year after year that harms animals, on which they have to make big payouts. 

No manufacturer is going to continue to sell dangerous products year after year, , ditto the huge payouts. 

My cats are not, and previous cats never have been, harmed by praziquantel spot on wormer for cats. One of my horses, on the other hand, nearly died from a flu vaccine. I don't go round telling everyone not to give their horses flu vaccines, yet you'll find many reports  online of adverse reactions. 

Social media is great for alerting people to serious issues. Unfortunately, it's just as great for scare mongering of things which are not issues at all.


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## ycbm (22 March 2018)

MotherOfChickens said:



			I just worm my cats regularly during hunting season with drontal.
		
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I wish mine had an off season. We get 'presents' of rodents all year round. A whole nest of bald babies once ! 




			ybcm as with all medications, it is dosage dependent-so if your cats weight enough then they will need more of the drug-same with larger horses. underdosing of wormers is far more likely to cause resistance than worming effectively regularly.
		
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The thing is MoC, that I've inadvertently been half dosing them for two years by forgetting what it said on the packet, yet it's worked every time and for just as long as giving the right dose. It's tape only, and you can see tape segments on their fur, so its obvious when they are dead. My conclusion is that they don't need the two tubes suggested on the packet, but only one. I would not risk under dosing a horse because they contaminate their own pasture. I wouldn't knowingly risk under dosing a cat. But since I've mistakenly done this for so long now with the cats with no ill effects, I'm inclined just to carry on.


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