Flea control
Flea guide
It can be very difficult to decide on the best method of flea control for your pet. This section is intended to help you find your way through the maze of flea preparations on the market. Proprietary products found in pet shops and supermarkets generally have limited effectiveness and need to be re-applied every few days. Products from The Veterinary Hospital and clinics have been carefully chosen for their effectiveness and safety, and with our help the right combination can successfully control even the worst flea problem. Please feel free to ask advice from any of our pet healthcare team - vets, receptionists and nurses. We are here to help you!
Most of the products sold in this practice are prescription medicines, which can only be supplied for pets registered with us and under our care, but some items are available on general sale. Some of the stronger flea killers are potentially toxic to the animal, the owner and the environment, and it is important that the instructions are carefully followed.
The adult female flea can lay up to 500 tiny white eggs on the animal. These eggs then fall off and develop in floor and wall crevices, bedding and upholstery. In about a week they develop into whitish-yellow larvae. The larvae spin cocoons, inside which the pupae develop over the next 3 to 4 weeks into adults. The pupae can remain dormant for many months, waiting for vibrations from a prospective host, or for the temperature to rise.
If you find fleas on your animals a few weeks after treatment, this does not necessarily mean your flea killer did not work. They are a new generation of fleas. For this reason, flea killers must be long lasting on the animal, and the problem in the animal's environment also needs to be addressed.
Did you know?
- The female flea can consume 15 times her own bodyweight of blood daily.
- Female fleas begin to lay eggs 36 to 48 hours after their first blood feed.
- If not treated adult fleas live and breed for well over 100 days on your pet.
- The female flea can lay about 50 eggs a day on your pet.
- One female flea can lay 2,000 eggs in her lifetime.
- Once fleas begin breeding on your pet they need a constant supply of blood.
- The flea cannot tolerate freezing temperatures for long periods.
- During the winter fleas are most likely to survive as adults on untreated pets.
- Fleas can cause tapeworm infestations in both dogs and cats.
Products for eliminating fleas from the environment
Program halts the flea's lifecycle by preventing flea eggs from hatching. Program can be used to prevent a flea infestation in your animals, or to help get rid of an existing flea problem. To be effective it has to be given to all dogs and cats sharing the household. Program should be given all year round on a permanent basis to keep your pets free of fleas. It is available as a monthly tablet for dogs, or liquid medicine for cats. For cats only it can also be given as a six monthly injection given at the surgery. Program has no effect on the dog or cat and no known toxicity. Program can be used in combination with any other flea product when treating severe flea infestations.
Staykil, Acclaim and Indorex are non-organophosphorus insecticides for use on the animal's bedding and around the home (not on the animal). One application to the house lasts up to six months.
Flea Ban is a powder for brushing onto carpets. It works by drying out flea eggs, larvae and pupae and is not toxic to animals or people. One application lasts for one year One or two packs treats an average sized house.
Products for killing fleas on the animal
Frontline is a very effective non-organophosphorus flea killer that can be27 March, 2006 It is not absorbed into the animal's system, but spread throughout the skin and kills fleas on contact, so the fleas do not have to bite before they are killed. A spray application lasts for up to two months in cats and three months in dogs. The spot-on preparation lasts for five weeks in a cat, and for two months in a dog.
Stronghold is a very effective spot-on which protects dogs and cats against most external and internal parasites including fleas. It is administered as a low-volume dose applied to the skin on the back of the neck and is effective against fleas for 30 days. The product can be used from 6 weeks of age and provides protection against key external and internal parasites.
In dogs: Adult Fleas, Flea eggs, Flea allergic dermatitis, Adult Roundworm, Sarcoptic Mange and Heartworm.
In cats: Adult Fleas, Flea eggs, Flea allergic dermatitis, Ear mites, Adult Roundworm, Hookworm and Heartworm.
Stronghold has been found to be safe to use on both cats and dogs and can be used in pregnant animals. One dose is administered monthly and the formulation dries quickly allowing owners to hug their pets after 30 minutes. Bathing is possible from 2 hours after treatment. There are six different colour coded pack sizes so that we can match the dose to your pet's weight and there are 3 doses in each pack providing three months protection for your pet.
It should be noted that there is no activity against Tapeworm, the other common internal parasite of dogs and cats.
Other Products The products mentioned above are the mainstay of effective flea control but will not suit every animal and every owner. Many other preparations are available in the practice, including shampoos, flea collars, wipe-on mousse and flea powder. Please ask for advice about these products if required.