Do you enjoy taking your dog for regular swims, or maybe not a fan of top-spot medication for flea control? A new flea control product, Comfortisâ„¢, might be right up your alley.

Comfortisâ„¢ rapidly kills fleas for one month following single administration of the beef-flavoured, chewable tablet. Because it is a tablet, it can’t rub or wash off.

The active ingredient is spinosad – a chemical derived from a soil bacterium, Saccharospolyspora spinosa. Spinosad causes fleas to get involuntary muscle contractions and tremors, leading to paralysis and death of the flea.

Trials have shown excellent safety, with no physical or neurological abnormalities noted in animals treated at several times the recommended dose rate. The main side effect of this drug is vomiting. This generally occurs within 48 hours post treatment, and incidence of this side effect decreases with repeat doses.  Comfortis™ tablets have been administered safely with other frequently used veterinary products such as vaccines, wormers, and tick collars.

Comfortisâ„¢ should not be administered to puppies under 14 weeks of age. You should seek veterinary advice if you would like to use this in pregnant and lactating females or dogs with pre-existing epilepsy. Safe use in breeding male dogs has not been evaluated.

All in all, this new flea control product offers excellent flea control for dogs in a tablet form. This product would be great for water-loving dogs, or for anyone who doesn’t like the mess of top-spot products.