Review: The Most Effective Flea Control Products

Spot-on Flea Treatments
Spot-on flea products are applied to the pet. A few drops are placed on the scruff of the neck, under the fur. Most spot-on products contain adulticides designed to eliminate adult fleas from the pet within 24 hours of application.

Benefits of spot-on flea control

• Rapid relief from adult fleas on the pet
• Easy to apply
• Convenient monthly treatment

Oral Flea Treatments
Orally administered products can be used to eliminate both adult fleas on the pet, and flea eggs laid around the house.

Insect Growth Regulators
When a pet is treated with an oral insect growth regulator, it circulates in the animal's bloodstream. Then, if a flea bites the pet, it ingests the insect growth regulator and passes it on to its eggs, rendering them unable to hatch.

With these products, you can have confidence that even if you do see adult fleas on your pet, they will be unable to infest your house with flea eggs. This removes the need to spray insecticides around your house, and makes them ideally suited for preventative flea control.

In fact, oral insect growth regulators can also be used to eliminate an existing household infestation. In this case, once you start treating the pet, any fleas already in the house will hatch, leap aboard the pet, and die without laying any more viable eggs.

These products are available in liquid form for cats and as tablets for dogs, from veterinary surgeons only. They are given in-food once a month.

Benefits of oral Insect Growth Regulators

• Effective prevention / removal of fleas in the home.
• Protection for the home without the need to use household insecticides, vacuuming etc.
• Easy to give, in food.
• For dogs, there is a combined insect growth regulator / worming treatment available.
• Convenient monthly dosing.

Adulticides
Capstar is an oral adulticide specially developed to offer the fastest removal of adult fleas from a pet. It starts working within as little as 15 minutes, and removes fleas for 24 hours thereafter.

This means that Capstar is ideal for using 'if and when' adult fleas are seen on the pet, in combination with long term use of an insect growth regulator.

Because it kills fleas so fast, Capstar can also be especially useful for those pets that are allergic to fleas.

Benefits of oral adulticide

• Fastest relief from adult fleas on the pet.
• Especially useful for the removal of fleas from pets that are allergic to them.

Injectable Flea Control
An injectable flea control product is available for cats. It contains an insect growth regulator which prevents fleas from being able to lay viable eggs around your home for a full six months.

When a cat is treated with an injectable insect growth regulator, it circulates in the animal's bloodstream. Then, if a flea bites the cat (which it will), it ingests the insect growth regulator and passes it on to its eggs, rendering them unable to hatch.

With this product, you can have confidence that even if you do see adult fleas on your cat, they will be unable to infest your house with flea eggs. This removes the need to spray insecticides around your house, and makes the product ideally suited for preventative flea control.

In fact, injectable insect growth regulators can also be used to eliminate an existing household infestation. In this case, once you start treating the pet, any fleas already in the house will hatch, leap aboard the pet, and die without laying any more viable eggs.

Benefits of injectable Insect Growth Regulator

• Long term household flea protection from one application.
• Protection for the home without the need to use household insecticides, vacuuming etc.
• No need to remember monthly treatments.
• Ideal for people who have difficulty giving or applying other forms of flea medication.

Household Flea Sprays
To kill fleas, we obviously need to know where they are. That’s the difficulty with household sprays. Flea eggs will be dropped around the house wherever the cat or dog goes. Problem is, you won’t always know where that is.

There is only one place we know with absolute certainty that fleas MUST spend part of their lives, and that's on the cat or dog.

That’s why it is always better to treat the pet, not the house.

safest flea control for pets

Ask Dr. Watts - Dr. Michael Watts, Vet Care, clevengerscorner.com

Published: April 26, 2009

Q: What is the best flea control product to use on my pets?

A: The answer to this question depends on several lifestyle and risk factors. For example, the best product for a dog that likes to swim may be different than the best product for a house cat. The answer may also depend on other parasites you are concerned about. For example, some flea products also protect against ticks, heartworm, mites, or intestinal parasites.

Your family veterinarian is the best person to formulate the ideal flea control program for your pet. Veterinary-quality flea control offers the best possible safety for your pet and efficacy against fleas. There are many brands and types of veterinary-quality flea control. Here is a summary of the most popular monthly spot-on products:

-Advantage – quickly kills adult fleas with some activity against flea larva

-Advantage-Multi – same as Advantage with added medication to prevent heartworm and some intestinal parasites

-Frontline – kills adult fleas, ticks, and lice

-Frontline Plus – same as Frontline with an added flea “birth control” that interferes with the fleas’ reproductive ability

-K9 Advantix – same as Advantage with added medication to kill and repel ticks and mosquitoes; extremely toxic to cats

-Promeris – dog product kills fleas, ticks, and some mites; cat product not labeled for ticks

-Revolution – similar to Advantage-Multi with added benefit of killing some ticks and mites; my favorite product for most cats

There are also several oral medications your veterinarian may recommend to help prevent or control flea infestations. They include:

-Capstar – a daily tablet that quickly kills fleas after they bite

-Comfortis – similar to Capstar, but administered monthly

-Program – a flea “birth control” given as a monthly pill in dogs or a six month injection in cats; prevents fleas from reproducing, but does not kill them

-Sentinel – Program pill combined with heartworm and intestinal worm prevention

Q: Why should I purchase my pets medication from my veterinarian?

A: As pet owners spend increasingly larger amounts caring for their companions, many corporations are seeing profit potential in pet medications. There are several good reasons pet owners should continuing purchasing from their local veterinarian.

First, and most importantly, the proceeds from a sale at your local veterinarian go directly to improving the quality of care for your pet. Dollars spent in the office pay for salaries for the caring staff you know by name, updates in medical equipment used to cure sick pets and continuing education to keep your veterinary healthcare team current. When you purchase from a corporation, your money leaves the local economy and only leads to more shareholder dividends.

Secondly, you can have confidence in the quality and storage conditions of the medications you purchase from your veterinarian. The FDA, EPA, and many state pharmacy boards report complaints about counterfeit medications, ineffective products, and improperly labeled drugs coming from mail-order companies. Many manufacturers are even invalidating guarantees on medications that are not purchased through a veterinarian. You can trust that your veterinarian goes to great lengths to ensure the safety and effectiveness of every medication she supplies.

Finally, purchasing medications through your family veterinarian helps to keep other medical costs down. In human medicine and in veterinary referral hospitals, doctors do not sell medications directly to patients. As a result, all the costs of running a medical facility are charged to patients through high service fees. An examination may cost $200. Surgery easily runs into thousands or tens of thousands of dollars.

In contrast, your family veterinarian’s service fees are substantially subsidized by medication sales. If a significant percentage of pet owners choose to purchase medications through other sources, family veterinarians will be forced to significantly raise service fees to pay for the operation of their offices. By saving a few dollars with mail-order medicine, owners may ultimately find it significantly more expensive the next time their pets become ill or injured.

Effective Flea Control Tips

Are you a pet owner? Perhaps you take a step further and on one of those folks that has a whole menagerie of animals. Now the question is, do they all live inside a house with you? If your answer is yes, then you've probably dealt with the issue of flea control. This is especially problematic for those pets that constantly go from outside to inside all day long. Man, are you guys leaving yourselves opened to a full-time invasion of fleas.

Those pesky little suckers will never leave you alone once they have invaded your inner sanctum. They bounce around on the furniture and carpet in search of pets to nibble on. If you ever heard of flea circus? Don't put one on for you, if you let them. What really stinks is that they can even go after you if they can't find any animals. That's why you have to get down and dirty with some all out flea control.

What do you do to get rid of fleas? Have you ever tried the bug bombs? You know, the ones that you place in the center of the room and they blow smoke throughout your house. Pretty nasty business actually. You actually have to leave the house for hours on end until it clears up, if it ever does actually clear of. If I sound a little skeptical about using this technique then you're right.

The sad thing is that in my experience this method did not even work. It was one form of flea control that cost me more hassle than it did me good. At the end of the day, that nasty cocktail of chemicals gets all over everything. You have to actually wash anything that's washable and went down anything else. It's a real hassle. Fortunately there are other methods of flea control.

A short time ago, my home was invaded with tons of these tiny, dubious little creatures. I wasn't going to play any games with them and decided to pull out all the stops. I wasn't sure how I acquired this dilemma in the first place. It's not like we had pets that went in and out. We only had one cat for Pete's sake. I actually came to the conclusion that the fleas were brought into the house by us as opposed to the cat.

Either way, I called an exterminator for assistance. This was actually the most desirable form of flea control that I could think of. The exterminator came in, treated every room by spraying some kind of poison around the edges of the carpet, and that ladies and gentlemen was it. That's the way I go about this thing. It worked like a charm. I mean the fleas just suddenly disappeared. Apparently they all progress to the outside of the carpet and die. There's a real science involved with these guys.

Oh, and he also gave us a flea control medication to dab on the back of our cat's neck. He really covered it all. In the end, I have to recommend this route to flea control. I guess the professionals really do know their stuff. If you are in need of further information regarding flea control, you can easily go on the Internet and find a ton of information. Get rid of those nasty, little fleas today.

Flea Control

Fleas are wingless, blood-sucking insects that feed on dog, cats, humans and other species. There are many different types of flea each one specific to the animal that it lives on. The most frequent fleas found in the home are the cat flea and dog flea.

THE FLEA PROBLEM

Fleas and ticks are responsible for a number of diseases in pets and people. Some types of ticks, for example, can transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease to animals and humans and some fleas can harbor tapeworm larvae, which grow into adult tapeworms in the intestines of pets or people. Flea bites commonly cause skin irritation and itching and some pets are allergic to flea saliva.

Taking care of your pets responsibly includes protecting them from fleas and ticks. Fleas can be a problem even in the best kept homes and on the cleanest of pets. The best approach to managing fleas is prevention. But if you already have a flea problem, you can control them as long as you treat both your pet and your home. Many products are available to help control fleas and ticks on pets and in their environment. Check with your veterinarian for appropriate treatments.

FLEA TREATMENT AND CONTROL

The objective of treatment is to break the flea life cycle by treating the home, the pets, and the outside environment with insecticide. Before purchasing and applying pesticide products to pets to control fleas and ticks, talk to your veterinarian about the best product to use and how to treat the animal, as well as the environment.

After feeding on your pet's blood the female flea lays eggs which drop into the animal's bedding or favourite resting place. The highest concentration of eggs, larvae and pupae are likely to be in these areas rather than on the animal itself. This means the vast majority of the flea population lives in your yard or home.

Regular cleaning of bedding combined with thorough vacuuming of furniture and floors will help to destroy each stage of the flea's life cycle. Frequently vacuum floors, upholstered furniture, and areas where pets may sleep indoors. Treat animal bedding by boiling, or use animal-safe insecticides or other products recommended by your vet.

When treating the yard, don't forget to treat under bushes and in flower beds. If pets travel in the car, treat car seats and carpets as well.

You should continue to vacuum the house frequently and thoroughly. Throw away the dust bag (vacuum cleaner bags) from your vacuum after each use to prevent any flea eggs and larvae from developing. Don't allow pets to roam and pick up fleas from other animals and keep pets out of hard to clean areas.

PROFESSIONAL FLEA CONTROL

Once fleas are established, eliminating them requires persistence. If home treatments are ineffective, professional extermination may be needed. Further advice on methods of treatment can be obtained from the environmental health officer at your local council, or a commercial pest control company. You can also pay a visit to your veterinarian who will recommend services or products suitable to treat your pet and your home.

Flea Control

Fleas are small insects that are capable of giving humans and their pets big troubles with a little stab of their proboscis. There are over 2,400 species of fleas worldwide, but fortunately, there are just four or five species of fleas that are a threat to humans. The most commonly found species in America is the cat flea, which feeds on cats and dogs, as well as humans.

An infestation of fleas can be a serious threat, not merely an annoyance, in some cases. Flea bites can cause skin irritations as well serious allergies in pets and humans. Sometimes, more dangerous fleas pass on serious diseases. So it becomes very important to prevent them from breeding, or destroying them once they are present, by using various measures.

The first step towards stopping the growth of the fleas is through vacuuming the house on a regular basis. This helps in keeping the flea population low by killing adult and egg-stage fleas, although vacuuming has not proven very effective in killing the flea larvae. As a more advanced step, cracks should be sealed after vacuuming, to permanently eliminate these favorite breeding areas for fleas.

In cases of severe infestation, steam cleaning and other measures might be required. Research shows that if a cat flea larva is exposed to 1030F for one hour, it dies. Some commercial devices are available in the market to produce such lethal temperatures. As this tool that generates heat consists of a loose shaft, it can only be applied locally. Therefore, fleas may escape by hiding in the carpet or elsewhere.

Another method of killing fleas is by using insecticidal on the organic matter accumulated outside the house. Another product, named Insecticidal Dust, containing silica aero gel, is also successful in killing fleas by rupturing their skin and absorbing the oil and moisture. The direct application of products containing citrus peel extracts, d-limonene, and linalool on pets’ bedding are useful in killing fleas in all the stages of growth. Finally, pest control products sold by veterinary doctors, like sodium poly-borate, applied on carpets, are also useful in killing fleas.

Taking preventative steps at the right time can save us from the annoyance and troubles caused by these tiny creatures; but if we already have them, there are a number of ways to eliminate them.

General Flea Control II

Treating the Pet's Environment:

In general, the products used in the environment can be more toxic and last longer than those which are applied to the animal. Never use these products directly on your pet or children unless the bottle states it is safe to do so (even then, I would question this.)

Where young children and infants are concerned, more importance is placed on safety than effectiveness. This is why it is important for you to be involved in the choices of products for your home and pets.

Premise control products kill only the susceptible stages of the fleas at the point in time they are used. They are fairly safe and can be used as the main environmental treatment in homes that have birds and fishes as pets. The frequency of fogging and spraying depends upon the temperature and humidity, degree of flea infestation, the traffic of pets in and out, the effectiveness of the products used, and the amount of household clutter in which fleas can hide.

Foggers are designed to cover large enclosed areas and are set off while all occupants (including pets) are away. They are most effective in empty spaces and in crawl spaces. In homes with furniture or items covering the floor they are not very effective. Foggers can take care of up to 80% of the problem. Make sure you get one with a growth inhibitor in it.

When using foggers, remove all living things from the premises. Cover your fish tanks and remove all the birds. Read labels prior to using any foggers or premise sprays. Because the insect growth regulator Methoprene is also removed with vacuuming, vacuum or steam clean before using them and wait at least 4 days after fogging to vacuum. Foggers are basically gone after 10-15 vacuumings.

Put your dollars into growth inhibitor products for most effective and economical results.

Premise Sprays are designed for spot treatment or for difficult to reach areas and for areas which are not enclosed such as a back porch or doghouse. Use premise sprays for the baseboards, under the furniture, and between the couch cushions and around the edges of the water bed mattress.

These products last 2-3 months, are not as easily vacuumed up (they last for 20-30 vacuumings) and are very good for high traffic areas and for continuous protection. These products are broken down and become ineffective by the sun's rays. Use them for touch up in well-traveled pathways in the house where you may vacuum more often. Don't forget to treat your car if you pets travel with you (even just once to the vet.) This product is effective and a good use for your dollars.

Yard and kennel sprays are for outdoor use and should be used in accordance with manufacturer recommendations. Most fleas live within a 30-foot radius of the building -- where most pets spend their time. These sprays can be purchased at your veterinarian's office, pet shops, on-line, or at the local garden store.

Nematodes that eat flea larvae: A few years ago I carried a natural product of nematodes to sprinkle on your lawn that would kill the flea larvae. That would be a great product if it were effective. The downfalls to this product were that it had to be kept wet, the expiration dates are short, it is expensive, and one can does not go far. If anyone of you out there has found a good product like this could be, let me know!

Malathion and Sevin are the sprays used most frequently for the yard, but get inactivated by sunshine and they will not last over 3-7 days. Spray them after the sun has gone down and when you know it won't be raining for a day or two.

Housekeeping can be an extremely effective flea control measure. Vacuuming will remove flea eggs, pupae and the flea droppings used by the larvae for food. Vacuum up some flea powder or add a piece of flea collar to each new bag or burn the vacuum sweepings to prevent fleas from completing their life cycle in the compost heap or trash bag. Vacuuming EVERY DAY is essential if you don't want to use chemicals. Also, getting rid of carpet in your house helps a lot. I would also recommend an occasional shampoo of the carpets (not dry-chemical cleaning) as it will suffocate the cocoons.

A note about worms: When fleas (or mice) are ingested by your pet the tapeworm (cestode) is allowed to finish its life cycle. If you see rice-sized segments sticking to the hairs around the rectum of your pet or see the segments or "ribbon or noodle-like" worms in the stool or on the animals bedding you should contact your veterinarian for a drug to treat them. Over-the-counter worm preparations only treat nematodes (roundworms) and are not effective against tapeworms. Worming may be necessary as often as every three weeks (the life cycle of the tapeworm) depending on the severity of the flea problem.

When in doubt (especially for large dogs, which can be very expensive to worm,) bring in a fresh stool sample for a floatation. The floatation may not show eggs even though your pet has worms.

My recommendation is to worm your pets if you are seeing fleas with a good tapewormer (I use Cestex) and worm twice a year with pyrantel pamoate (also called Nemex or Strongid-T) roundwormer. Piperzine is useless these days for roundworming and no longer works at all in cats. The grocery store doses are ineffective.

If you have wormers at home and would like to try to use them up first, call your vet. We need to know the chemical name (scientific name) to be able to tell you if you have the proper medication.

NEVER give a store bought wormer to a pet who is sick unless your vet is consulted first. You may cause some severe problems--especially with triple wormers. I once had a relative give her pregnant dog a triple wormer. The dog strained so much that her uterus burst and she died.

Diatomaceous Earth: Not all diatomaceous earth (DE) is alike. Stay away from filtration types. All DE that is used for filtration purposes (pools, spas, etc) has undergone chemical and heat treatment. The heat treatment greatly increases the percentage of crystalline silica, which poses a serious inhalation risk. DE has high crystalline silica content and some DE has high levels of arsenic in it. Our local organic people recommend Perma-Guard (www.perma-guard.com). Another brand to use that is safe is Biconet. Only natural untreated DE should be used for insect control.

How does DE work? The dust clogs their breathing apparatus so they suffocate. Unfortunately it may also make asthma symptoms worsen.

Mopping with soap and mild bleach water is quite effective for flea control in those houses with no carpets. Many of my clients with flea allergic animals and inhalant allergy children eventually change over to hardwood floors and linoleum.

Flea attractant lights. What a racket. Don't waste your money on this gimmick.

White dishes filled with water and Joy dish soap: I suspect if you are attracting fleas to this kind of contraption that you have a severe infestation and should think about doing something a bit more effective.

General Flea Control

Did you know…

• Fleas spend only 10% of their time on your animal

• An average fleas' life span can be up to 2-3 years

• One female flea can lay up to 1 million eggs during its life

• Eggs can live unhatched in your carpet for a year until the right environment for hatching occurs

• Bark dust, wood piles and ivy are great places for fleas to survive the winter months

• The flea is the second oldest insect (the cockroach is the first) because of its excellent survival mechanisms

The Flea Life Cycle

Adult cat and dog fleas prefer to feed on pets rather than people. The pets are closer to the ground and have warmer body temperatures than humans. Second choice would be children -- especially infants and toddlers. Female fleas will probe and bite and average of seven times in a "grouping" before locating a blood vessel in the skin. The saliva they leave with each bite can cause a localized allergic reaction (flea allergy dermatitis or FAD as we call it in the veterinary world.) After feeding on large amounts of blood, the female flea deposits her eggs and droppings (flea dirt) which consists mostly of undigested blood. Both the eggs (which are white and about the size of a grain of salt) and the droppings (which are black and appear like ground pepper, often in the shape of a comma) drop off the animal's coat and spread all over the environment.

Here's a quick home-test to see if your pet has fleas: Lay out a white piece of butcher paper and groom your pet for a few minutes as they stand on the paper. Do you see any black, comma-looking things against the white paper? If so, put a drop of water on it. If it's flea dirt, the water will turn pink.

Flea eggs remain in the environment for variable amounts of time and are not destroyed by extremes in temperature or by pesticides. When proper conditions exist, the eggs hatch and release tiny white larvae. These larvae are not able to get around and must rely on the undigested blood left in the droppings for their food source. Larvae are very susceptible to extremes in environment, pesticides, and insect growth regulators.

Within several days the larvae spin a protective cocoon called a pupae around themselves. The pupae are very resistant to all but steam cleaning and can lie dormant for many months to years. The pupae is the primary stage that over-winters in the environment. When conditions are favorable (warm and moist), the pupae release young adult fleas and the cycle is complete.

The length of the flea life cycle can vary from a little as one month to as long as two or three years.

Flea Control Products

There are many products available to eliminate fleas. They differ in effectiveness, application, safety, convenience, odor of the product, and duration of effectiveness. Sounds pretty complicated, right? It is. It's actually a chemical nightmare.

AN EFFECTIVE FLEA CONTROL PROGRAM MUST INCLUDE ALL ANIMALS IN THE HOUSEHOLD AND THE ENTIRE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE ANIMALS LIVE (INCLUDING YOUR CAR.)

Many people only use one product at a time, which is NOT effective. You must treat the animal, the house, and the yard all at one time to get this challenge under control.

Control of fleas on the pet: You have your choice of powders, sprays, dips, spot-ons or oral growth regulators.

Flea Powder: Manufacturers of these products say flea powder is safe to use every 3-4 days on dogs and cats older than 8 weeks of age. The active ingredient, (pyrethrins being the safest and most natural ingredient) takes about 15 minutes to kill fleas when first applied. By the end of 5-7 days, if not reapplied, flea powder works only as a residual, taking up to 12 hours to kill the flea. There is no growth regulator in this product so it only kills the adults.

Note: Powder should be diluted to half strength with talcum powder when used on puppies and kittens.

Disadvantages of flea powder: Flea powder can make the coat feel rough and dirty. So, if your pet is already uncomfortable from the fleas and now you are alienating them by not giving them the affection you used to when their coats were cleaner and softer, this makes the problem worse. The animals do not enjoy flea powder and it may make asthma worse.

Flea Sprays: Sprays can vary somewhat. Most are alcohol-based and some are more organic than others. The alcohol is for quick kill of the adult and pre-adult stages. Some flea sprays contain an insect growth regulator that will kill flea eggs as well. Make sure you get one with this in it. Pets run when they see you come to them with that bottle after a few applications.

The only time I use flea spray is when I'm treating a cat for ear mites (I spray some on a Kleenex and wipe their head down after I clean their ears and put medication down both ear canals.) I also use it to spray my pant legs when I take walks in the woods during tick season.

So, could you use rubbing alcohol or vodka to kill the adults? Yes, but using rubbing alcohol can be toxic. Rubbing alcohol contains a bit of methanol, which can cause blindness when ingested. Cats groom themselves and will ingest this. If you want to use alcohol, stick with vodka or Everclear, but it's really not very effective.

Aromatherapy: Herbal insecticides include pennyroyal (very toxic), clove, citronella, and eucalyptus oils (diluted of course.) These can be mixed in with shampoos or applied to a material flea collar. They can be very irritating when applied directly to the skin. They should not be put directly onto the coat either because when the animal grooms himself or herself they will ingest it. In general, pets hate this type of flea control and only submit to it in a learned helplessness type of situation.

Flea collars are only minimally effective in the control of fleas. Most collars contain dichlorvos, which is released as a vapor. They are sold under several trade names. Dichlorvos is toxic to animals and people and can cause severe reactions occasionally. Remember, flea and tick collars don't work well for animals over 20 pounds.

Note: Collars are especially harmful to Persian cats. They may also cause localized reactions around the neck.

Ultrasonic collars are ineffective and may cause hearing loss in your pet. Ultrasonic collars are an expensive gimmick. Don't fall for this.

Dips which kill fleas and mites for several days or weeks are highly toxic and should not be used for routine flea control. One study found that more than 3 dips per year led to an increased incidence of cancer. Wear gloves if you decide on this method of flea control (although I have no idea why you would.) Try to pick a non-organophosphate (OGP) type with a growth inhibitor in it.

Pour-on and Spot-on products containing organophosphates are also very toxic. Organophosphate spot-on kills the fleas only after it bites the pet and sucks its blood. These products are also dangerous where infants are concerned. Do not let a small child be exposed to the pet for at least 24 hours after these products are used. I have heard of instances where the parent found a dead infant the day after putting this on the family dog that slept with the child. They are applied once every two weeks. A good rule of thumb is "if a little is good, a lot is NOT necessarily better." Use only the dose specified on the bottle. Make sure you know the weight of the animal before you dose them. Make note of the next paragraph.

Common side effects to flea products may include hypersalivation, vomiting, and diarrhea. Some animals appear to foam at the mouth, others stagger about. Their pupils dilate and they seem disoriented. The best treatment is to remove the product from the animal's skin or body. Bathe your pet immediately—with a mild shampoo NOT containing flea control. Some animals may need to be treated by a veterinarian with atropine or steroids to help the animal deal with the toxicity and in some instances to save their lives. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call your vet.

One product on the market seems to be working quite well and is minimally toxic. It is called Advantage. Advantage is a spot-on with a growth inhibitor, which works for 3-4 weeks. It permeates the fatty layer of the skin. It should be applied after the bath because bathing leeches the product from the skin. Advantix is a formula that is used for those who are in a tick area. It is also fairly safe.

For dogs that swim regularly, this product may not work as well as others such as Program. If Advantage is not working for you, you are most likely not following a total flea control program of treating all animals in your house, premise spraying the house, the car and treating the yard as well.

Occasionally I have seen Advantage react locally with the skin causing the hair in that area to fall out, but this is rare.

Program is an oral product that contains growth inhibitor. It is given once a month and literally sterilizes the adult fleas so they cannot produce any eggs. It is very safe for both the animal and owners. The animals don't mind the taste in most cases and it is very effective when used with environmental control. Some forms of Program also include a heartworm preventative and monthly roundwormer (pyrantel pamoate). This product is especially recommended for flea problems of a larger magnitude and for long term maintenance. It's not a good product for the flea allergic pet, however because the flea still needs to bite the pet to ingest the growth inhibitor.

I am often asked about Frontline products. I will have to say that I have never muscle-tested this product to be safe for any pet. It sure is popular and sells like crazy (I don't carry it.) I don't know why, but Advantage and Program seem to be the safest products with the fewest chance for side effects.

Flea Shampoos provide no protection once they are rinsed off. They can provide temporary relief (a few hours with severe infestation of the environment) and will kill the fleas on the animal at the time of the bath. They are good in getting rid of the flea dirt on the skin, but they also dry the skin out and are not good for dogs with dry/flaky or oily/greasy skin. It's better to choose the correct medicated shampoo for your pet in these cases.

Apply flea spray, powder, or Advantage to the pet after the bath for longer lasting results. Any animal having skin disease along with the flea problem should see your veterinarian for proper treatment and recommendations regarding diet, shampoo and treatments.

I'm sorry to say that B-Vitamins, Brewer's Yeast, Garlic, Cedar Chips and Herbal Flea Collars will not kill fleas. They do, however, make the skin smell bad to the flea and will deter them. Scientific studies show a decrease of only 20% in the flea numbers with the use of these products.

Note: Cedar chips and shavings can be harmful to your pet's skin. The slivers off the chips can embed into the skin and cause tumors (that goes for rats too!). The essential oil of the wood is also very toxic and has been known to cause cancer.

Avon Skin-So-Soft is used by itself as a flea deterrent and is in Duo-Cide products. To use this product, add 2 tablespoons Skin-So-Soft per pint water in a pint spray bottle. Shake well just before using each time--it is an oil/water interface. Skin-So-Soft may make the coat oily and you may have to wash the pet more often as the dust will stick to this oil more readily. If your pet has allergies, this would not be a good choice. The goal is to reduce allergen exposure on the coat for allergic pets. This product would help the pollens to adhere to your pet causing more problems.

Flea combs are highly recommended for animals that cannot tolerate flea products. The challenge is to get the owners to use the comb as often as necessary to help the animal--every day. Grooming can be biweekly after you comb off no more fleas for several days in a row. Continue to use the flea comb daily for those flea-allergic pets. Fleas need to be crushed with a thumbnail as they have very hard exoskeletons.

Some fleas combs are better than others. Try to purchase one that will rake off the adult fleas, eggs, and flea dirt all at once. These combs are also excellent in the prevention of hairballs in cats (and will comb out lice in a child's hair very effectively). Fleas combs won't comb through the longer coats very easily--the tines bend and break. I like the kind imported from England. They have a great handle you can palm and metal tines that can really take a beating (or grooming.) I also use my flea comb to comb out the winter coats on my pets. They cost about $7.00.

Flea Control

Flea control

Whoever said getting rid of fleas is easy needs to re-think again. In my experience, flea control can be quite challenging when confronted with flea infestation, flea bites, or fleas on pets.

Flea control is and can be effected by:

* climate changes

* where you live

* and a host of other reasons

Fact is, fleas never discriminate. They feel equally as comfortable on the most well groomed show dog or... on any stray animal. Their goal is clear... to simply feed and breed!

This is where your flea control skills will be tested to the max. There are so many methods of getting rid of fleas...
Which Flea Control method(s) to use?

You can go either way by using either natural flea killers or by opting for a more aggressive alternative... chemical solutions. Both of these flea control methods have pro's and cons. It's really a case of discovering what's right for you, your house or your beloved pet.

I definitely recommend booking an appointment with your local vet. There, you'll be able to get specific information geared towards your individual needs.

You can of course try your own hand at flea control and save quite a bit of money on professional services. The choice is always yours.

My Personal Flea Control Tip

So, your beloved pet has fleas! First course of action... Don't panic, you're not alone with this problem. And you certainly won't find yourself short of anti-flea solutions.

Right now, you're probably really worried, almost to the point of frustration at the very sight of your pet itching like crazy as fleas settle down to a healthy meal of fresh, warm blood.

What to do?

Where do I go?

And which product is the best for darling pet?

I've faced the very same questions and after trying umpteen different products as a pet owner, the one that really stood out from the rest (in terms of results), was Advantage Flea Control.

Enough has been said, written and publicized about Advantage Flea Control without me having to blow the trumpet also.

In short, when faced with the challenge of controlling fleas on your pet, I highly recommend you give Advantage a try.

Frontline Plus For Flea Control

When it comes to controlling fleas and ticks, FRONTLINE Brand Products are the #1 recommendation of veterinarians for flea and tick control for dogs and cats.

FRONTLINE Plus offers long-lasting flea and tick control, killing up to 100% of fleas on your pet within 18 hours and up to 100% of ticks on your pet within 48 hours. Best of all, research confirms that FRONTLINE products work for an entire month to help keep your pet flea-free.

Information about Frontline plus
Frontline Plus provides protection against fleas and ticks, and contains a special ingredient to kill flea eggs and larvae. By stopping the development of new fleas, Frontline Plus provides the most complete flea and tick protection available. Frontline Plus kills 100% of fleas and ticks within 48 hours, including many ticks that transmit dangerous diseases that can affect other pets and humans.

Frontline Plus Flea Control has been formulated for use on puppies and kittens from eight weeks of age and is safe for use on pregnant and lactating animals. It is a water-resistant flea medication, so it continues to kill fleas even after shampooing, swimming, rain or exposure to sunlight.

Frontline Plus features

• Kills fleas for at least one month
• Controls and treats Flea Allergy Dermatitis
• Kills all known ticks for at least one month
• Water-resistant
• Easy to administer spot-on application
• Each tube contains Fipronil & S-Methoprene

Flea Control for Dogs & Cats. Pet Flea & Tick Control

Fleas and ticks affect most dogs and cats, and the problems they cause can range from irritating to life-threatening. We carry a range of different products for preventing and controlling these parasites so that you and your pet can remain happy and healthy. The following products have been carefully selected to ensure that you are purchasing quality medication at an affordable price.

Using Insecticide To Eliminate Flea Infestations

There are essentially 2 different types of insecticide used to prevent or eliminate flea infestations:

Adulticides
To remove adult fleas from your pet
Adulticides are designed to kill adult fleas on your pet. Most work within 24 hours. However, freshly-caught fleas (known as 'hitchhiker fleas') can breed rapidly and may have the opportunity to lay eggs before they die. This is why scientists the world over agree that the most effective way to prevent or eliminate fleas is to use adulticides in combination with Insect Growth Regulators. This is known as Integrated Flea Control.

Insect Growth Regulators
To eliminate flea eggs in the home

Insect Growth Regulators have been developed especially to target the egg stage of the flea life cycle. Quite simply, they are designed to prevent flea eggs from hatching. So, if your cat or dog does shed any flea eggs around your home, they'll just die and get sucked up by the vacuum cleaner. And all without the need to spray the house, and wash all the bedding.

There are different ways of practicing Integrated Flea Control, depending on the level of control required for the pet, its 'natural' exposure to fleas, the level of control that you want to achieve, and the type of product you want to use.

Pest Control for Fleas

Vacuuming of carpets - it is essential for carpets and timber floor areas to be thoroughly vacuumed especially in low traffic areas - under furniture - around edges of rooms - hallways - concrete pathways - before commencement of pest control flea insecticidal treatment.

Insecticide treatment - in severe cases there may be no practical alternative to insecticide treatment of likely habitat areas - particularly low traffic areas of carpeting - around the edges of timber flooring - dog or cat resting areas.

FUMAPEST uses a low hazard IGR synthetic pyrethroid insecticide - a light spray to carpet areas and upon drying it is brushed further into the carpet pile with a straw broom.

Insect Growth Regulator IGR - a ultra low hazard insecticide that acts specifically to inhibit development of the flea at the larva stage of their life cycle. The IGR interfers with the flea moultnig process. Fleas moult several times from larvae to adulthood.

The flea larva is a small "grub" that lives in carpet, in cracks or joins of timber flooring and in soil areas. A readily accessible supply of organic matter, such as shed skin flakes from humans, is essential for it's development. This is the critical point in the life cycle of the flea.

With a heavy infestation of adult fleas the affected rooms should be fumigated with a similar insecticide dispensed through a fogging machine. This will provide immediate relief (like a flea "bomb") but with not kill the larva or egg sacs. The carpets and other areas should be treated as noted above with an IGR synthetic pyrethroid insecticide.

To help prevent reinfestation we recommend the home owner regularly vacuum carpets; regularly wash your dog or cat with shampoo containing a flea control product; and restrict access of your dog or cat to any sub-floor areas, particularly during the humid summer months. If your dog or cat regularly plays with stray dogs or cats then the transfer of fleas eggs is virtually certain during the hot humid months of the year.