Why is fast speed of kill important? Well, it takes around 48 hours for fleas to begin laying eggs once they have started to feed. If we can kill the fleas before they can lay any eggs, then this will break the life cycle and fix your flea problem faster.

In a study done by Dryden, Smith, Payne and McTier in 2005, selamectin (Revolution), fipronil-(S)-methoprene (Frontline) and imidacloprid(Advantage & Advocate)were compared to see which flea treatment product kills fleas the fastest. They were tested for speed of kill at days 2, 7, 14, 21 and 28, to simulate what would happen over the course of a monthly flea treatment.

Following initial application, imidacloprid was the only product to cause significant flea reduction in 6 hours.  By 24 hours of applications, all three products had killed at least 96.7% of fleas on the pet. So basically, after a day, almost all of the fleas on the pet will be killed regardless of which product you use.

One week after treatment, all three products were still going strong. Each product reduced flea populations by around 70% in 6 hours, and had killed 99.4% of fleas in 24 hours. This is good – no fleas are living long enough to lay eggs and reinfest the environment.

Three weeks after initial application, the speed of kill for all the products had decreased significantly, with none of the formulations killing fleas within 6 hours.  At 28 days after treatment – selamectin killed 99% in 48 hours, fipronil-(s)-methoprene killed 86.4% within 48 hours, and imidacloprid killed 72.6% within 48 hours. This is where things start to drop off, which is why these products need to be used monthly.

From these results, we can see is that there is no real difference between any of the products for the majority of the time. Imidacloprid gets a jump start on the other product and starts killing fleas sooner, but by 24 hours they are mostly the same. At the end of the month, selamectin has the most staying power, still killing 99% of fleas before they are able to breed.

Interestingly, another study (McCoy et al, 2008)- showed that Revolution is more effective than Frontline Plus and Advantage in reducing the amount of blood consumed by fleas.

In reality, it doesn’t matter which of these products you use. They are all excellent products and will do a much better job of killing fleas than any flea shampoos, flea collars, flea powders or natural flea treaments.

To a flea free pet!

Dr. Simon

Technorati Tags: advantage, advocate, fipronil, flea control, flea treatment, frontline plus, imidacloprid, revolution, selamectin

Choosing the right flea treatment is imprortant for your cat's health

Cats with fleas can be a tricky problem. Because of their interest in exploring and fastidious habits, figuring out that your cat has a flea problem can be one of the hardest parts of flea treament!

Cats are more likely to pick up a flea infestation than your average dog because they tend to go exploring when let out of the house. Their travels can take them all over the neighbourhood, and they are likely to spend time in areas that a flea-infested animal may also frequent. As they travel around on their daily rounds, young adult fleas will jump on and hitch a ride.

Once they have a significant number of fleas, then flea eggs will start to accumulate in your home environment. These will develop into larvae and pupae, and eventually hatch and infest your cat as well. Soon you can have hundreds of fleas in your house, making your cat itchy and possibly even having a snack on any humans they happen to find as well.

Cats are very clean animals, and like to spend a lot of their time grooming. This grooming behaviour is quite effective at removing fleas and cleaning up any flea dirt or similar. However it also makes it difficult to realise if your cat has a flea problem. If they have only low numbers of fleas, they might remove them by grooming before you notice them.

Sounds like a good thing, right? Unfortunately there are some drawbacks. Firstly, fleas are frequently carriers of the tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum. When your cat grooms a flea and ingests it, they are likely to get a tapeworm infestation as well. Secondly, cats with flea allergies do not need to have large numbers of fleas to cause a problem. If they are grooming the fleas off before you see them, then your cat may be suffering without you even knowing!

Luckily, there are plenty of cat flea treatment products available to use on your cat. This includes Advantage, Advocate, Frontline Plus, Revolution, Program, and a number of other products. You can get some products from your supermarket or local pet store, while others are only available from your veterinarian.

When choosing a product, make sure to avoid any product that contains permethrin, even if it says that it is ok for cats. Cats have a problem with breaking down this product and can become quite ill, even using it at the recommended dose rates.

The safest and most effective options for flea treatment in cats are the ones that you can buy from your veterinarian. These products have undergone extensive safety and effectiveness testing, which means that they are less likely to cause side effects and more likely to help you to get rid of fleas.

Your choice of cat flea treatment product ultimately depends on what you are looking for. If you are interested only in treating fleas, and not worried about treating heartworm or intestinal worms, choose Frontline Plus or Advantage. Both of these are cost-effective and work great at treating flea infestations.  If you are interested in a product that “does it all”, then the best choices are Revolution or Advocate. These combine flea control ingredients along with heartworm and intestinal worm control and protection.

Make sure to treat every animal in the house, and treat them every month. If you are persistent and remember to use your flea treatment product, then you will be able to get on top of your flea problem and prevent it from coming back. It is always a good idea to consult your veterinarian before starting any new treatment on your pet, especially if they have any previous medical problems.

To a flea free pet!

Simon

Technorati Tags: advantage, advocate, cat flea control, cat flea treatment, frontline plus, revolution

Frontline Plus is a safe and effective flea control product

Frontline Plus is probably the most well known flea control product available.  And there is a good reason for that: Frontline Plus has a long history of safe, effective flea control.

Frontline Plus contains 2 active ingredients: fipronil and s-methoprene. The fipronil kills adult fleas and ticks, and treats and controls biting lice as well. The s-methoprene kills eggs and prevents larval and pupal development.

These two ingredients work in combination to ensure that effective flea control is maintained for an entire month. Once monthly application means that you can enjoy more time with your pet without having to worry about fleas.

If you live in a paralysis tick area, Frontline Plus applied every 2 weeks to dogs will protect them against paralysis ticks. This is a great benefit, as paralysis tick infestation can be fatal to your pet. For cats, you can protect them against paralysis ticks with Frontline Spray instead.

If you like to bath your pets, have no fear. Frontline Plus is waterfast and will continue to protect your pet despite the occasional dip.

You do need to apply Frontline to a dry coat, so make sure that your pet is completely dried before applying it.

While Frontline is waterfast, if your pet is a really frequent swimmer (more than a couple of times a week) you may find that its effectiveness is diminished. For these dogs you are probably better off with a product like Comfortis which can’t wash off.

Frontline Plus is safe to use in pregnant and lactating cats and dogs, which means that your pet can stay safe and flea free during this important time.

Because it is so effective at controlling fleas, Frontline Plus is registered to treat and control flea allergy dermatitis, the most common allergic skin condition in dogs and cats.

If you are looking for a top spot product to control fleas (and ticks) then Frontline Plus makes an excellent choice.

Click here to buy Frontline Plus

To a flea free pet!

Simon.

Technorati Tags: flea control, frontline for cats, frontline for dogs, frontline plus, frontline spray

Flea control for puppies is very imporant as they are especially vulnerable

To a Flea Free pet!

Simon Heikkila

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardstowey/ / CC BY 2.0

Technorati Tags: advantage, advantix, advocate, capstar, comfortis, flea control, flea treatment, frontline plus, kitten flea control, puppy flea control, revolution, sentinel spectrum