Flea Control With Cats and Dogs: Summary Review

[Guest guest]

Free-Reprint Article Written by: Mark

See Terms of Reprint Below.

*****************************************************************

*

* This email is being delivered directly to members of the group:

*

*

*

*****************************************************************

We have moved our TERMS OF REPRINT to the end of the article.

Be certain to read our TERMS OF REPRINT and honor our TERMS

OF REPRINT when you use this article. Thank you.

This article has been distributed by:

http://Article-Distribution.com

Helpful Link:

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act - Overview

http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/dmca1.htm

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Article Title:

==============

Flea Control With Cats and Dogs: Summary Review

Article Description:

====================

Fleas are the most common external parasite of pets in North

America. Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common disease

among dogs.

Additional Article Information:

===============================

848 Words; formatted to 65 Characters per Line

Distribution Date and Time: Fri Sep 30 13:19:41 EDT 2005

Written By: Mark

Copyright: 2005

Contact Email: mailto:mark@...

Article URL:

http://thePhantomWriters.com/free_content/d/s/dog-and-cat-flea-control.shtml

For more free-reprint articles by this Author, please visit:

http://thePhantomWriters.com/free_content/d/index.shtml#Mark_

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Flea Control With Cats and Dogs: Summary Review

Copyright © 2005 Mark

Vet Depot – Discount Pet Medications

http://www.VetDepot.com

Fleas are the most common external parasite of pets in North

America. Fleas are small wingless insects that use their

specialized mouth to pierce the skin and siphon blood from their

host. When a flea bites, it injects a small amount of saliva into

the skin to prevent the blood from coagulating. Some animals

become sensitized to flea saliva and animals that are allergic

can have severe itching and scratching from a single bite. Flea

allergy dermatitis is the most common disease among dogs.

Current flea control products are primarily either oral or

topical systemic treatments. Most of the products may be used for

prevention as well as to treat existing flea problems. One group

of products control fleas by interrupting their development by

killing or stopping the maturation of flea larvae and eggs. These

drugs are called Insect Growth Regulators (IGRs). One common oral

product used is lufenuron which is found in the Program® line of

products which are administered orally in tablet or liquid form.

Methoprene and pyriproxifen are also IGRs that are available as

sprays or collars. The FDA shares regulation of these products

with the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department

of Agriculture. Because even the same products from other

countries have not been approved by these agencies, it is illegal

to purchase or import these products for use in the United

States.

Currently the most popular flea control products kill adult fleas

(adulticide), are applied topically and work rapidly. Popular

topical products utilize fipronil which is the key ingredient in

Frontline® Top Spot and imidacloprid which is in Advantage®. The

most popular product on the market, Frontline Plus®, utilizes

both an adulticide and an IGR. An oral adulticide that is also

available is nitenpyram which is in Capstar® and begins to kill

fleas in 30 minutes. Frontline Plus also kills ticks which makes

it the most popular product where ongoing tick protection is

required.

Consult with your veterinarian to determine which flea and tick

control products are best for you. The choice of flea control

will depend on your climate, environment, your pet's activities,

and potential for exposure. However, with consistent use, it is

almost always possible to control your flea problem. Using these

products throughout the year typically will eliminate the need

for regular insecticidal use. The following provide additional

summary information on selected popular products.

Program from Novartis®

Program is available as a once a month pill or oral liquid

suspension to be given with a full meal. Adult fleas that ingest

Program's key ingredient, lufenuron, produce sterile eggs.

Program does not kill adult fleas so pets remain susceptible to

fleas hatching and maturing pupa already present in the

environment. Therefore, some time may pass before the all fleas

are killed in an environment. In order to stop the life cycle,

every animal in the environment must receive lufenuron. Pets

should also be sprayed with an adulticide during the first week

or two of starting Program.

Advantage from Bayer®

Advantage is applied topically on both dogs and cats and seems to

be very well-tolerated by sensitive cats. Advantage kills fleas

within 24 hours and 100% protection can be maintained for cats

for 21 days and 90% protection can be maintained for dogs for 28

days. Advantage is susceptible to washing off so dogs that are

active outdoors and dogs that swim or must be bathed frequently

should be re-treated frequently. Up to weekly re-treatment is

allowed. The imidacloprid in Advantage does not effect ticks,

but K-9Advantix, with permethrin does. K9 Advantix is only

labeled for once a month K9 Advantix is ONLY FOR USE WITH DOGS

and MUST NOT BE ADMINISTERED TO CATS.

Frontline Spray, Frontline Plus And Frontline Top Spot from

Merial®

Frontline Spray, Frontline Plus, and Frontline Top Spot comprise

the market leading Frontline flea control product line. The

fipronil in Frontline products is a broad spectrum insecticide

available as a spray or topical. Fipronil works by binding

chemically to the pet's hair and is absorbed through the follicle

by the sebaceous glands. As a spray, fipronil kills fleas at 95%

for over 80 days after application on dogs and for 1 month with

biweekly bathing. Frontline is labeled for puppies and kittens as

young as 8 weeks (10 weeks for Top Spot) and it is not washed off

by bathing. Frontline is also affective against ticks. Some cats

may show minor adverse reactions with high volume use of the

alcohol based spray product which should be applied no more than

once a month. Frontline Plus also contains the IGR, S-methoprene

which inhibits the growth of immature fleas.

Capstar from Novartis®

Capstar is an oral tablet for dogs and cats that may be

administered as young as 4 weeks of age. It offers extremely

rapid and complete killing of adult fleas and is safe enough that

the tablets may be used whenever fleas are seen on your pet as

often as once per day. Capstar may be used in combination with an

IGR to kill fleas immediately to compliment the long-term control

of an IGR such as Program.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

© <a href=http://www.vetdepot.com>VetDepot.com – Discount Pet

Medications</a>

Mark is a staff writer for http://www.VetDepot.com. Vet

Depot offers discount and wholesale brand name pet medications

for dogs, cats, horses, and selected products for fish breeders.

All over-the-counter (OTC) pet medications are manufactured for

use in the United States with FDA/EPA approval. Vet Depot

purchases from the same distributors that supply your local

veterinarians. All products are Guaranteed Fresh.