Flea Control
04/21/04

The fleas are out in force!  The past three weeks has brought a flood of flea related issues to our doors so here’s some hints about how to control the itchy little pests.

First of all, flea collars and flea baths don’t work. Flea collars force your pet to constantly breathe insecticide and are very ineffective.  Flea baths do nothing to address the life cycle of the flea.  Yard sprays and house foggers are almost a thing of the past since many of the insecticides used are no longer available.  The good news is there are now products that are much easier, less expensive, less toxic and far more effective.

The problem with flea control has always been the pre-adult stages (eggs, larvae and pupae).  When you kill the fleas they are quickly replaced by the army of pupae waiting to hatch out and begin feeding. Pre-adult stages represent 95% of the total population so by the time you become aware of the problem you’re already behind the curve.  Luckily there is now an extremely safe product that prevents the maturation of the pre-adult stages and avoids this problem without the use of insecticide.  It is combined with monthly heartworm preventative in a flavor coated tablet called Sentinal@ and is guaranteed to control fleas.  We will provide free product to kill fleas if you find them while using it.  Since Sentinal@ doesn’t actually kill fleas you might find them during the most active part of the flea season but this can be quickly remedied. While it may not be right for every animal, this is our favorite flea control method due to its low toxicity and ease of use.

For pets with skin allergies or with current infestations we recommend the topical spot on products called Advantix@ and Frontline@.  These products kill fleas for up to a month and can virtually eliminate flea bites.  They are a different, less toxic, form of insecticide than we’ve had in the past and have proven both safe and effective.

If you have both dogs and cats as pets you may ask your veterinarian to help you design a comprehensive program for the herd.