NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

Livestock and Natural Resources

FLEA CONTROL ON YOUR DOGS

During this time of year, there certainly is no shortage of fleas in this part of the world. Many of you are aware of products, which are very effective, now available to help reduce flea problems on your dogs and cats. To share some more insight on these products, Dr.Nancy C. Hinkle, Extension Veterinary Entomologist, University of California, Riverside, recently prepared information that should be helpful.

There are several on-animal products which are effective for flea control. Many contain pyrethrins, which are safe, effective products, but kill only the fleas on the animal at the time of treatment but do not provide residual control. Your veterinarian now can recommend products that provide several weeks of control with a single application, such as Frontline or Advantage, that provide several weeks of control with a single application. Or, to forestall flea infestations, an animal can be started on Program (the flea developmental inhibitor) early in the season to prevent a flea problem developing.

The two products prescribed by veterinarians for on-animal flea control are Bayer's Advantage (imida-cloprid) and Merial's Frontline (fipronil).

Advantage is applied in a small volume (a few milliliters) on the back of the neck of the animal, or between the shoulder blades of dogs. It then distributes over the body surface in the skin oils. Bayer claims four weeks efficacy against fleas on both dogs and cats, but apparently it is not effective against ticks.

On the other hand, Merial claims up to three months control of fleas on dogs (but only one month for cats) from a single application of Frontline. It is also efficacious against ticks. Frontline can be applied as a whole-body spray or a spot-on.

Both Frontline and Advantage are available only through veterinarians.

Novartis Animal Health has Program (lufenuron), the insect development inhibitor that is given orally. For dogs, a pill is given monthly; a liquid formulation is added to a cat's food. Any flea that feeds on the blood of the animal subsequently is unable to reproduce. Because lufenuron has such extremely low mammalian toxicity, this compound is very safe and highly effective.

These are products that have long been needed, providing rapid knockdown of fleas on the animal, long-term residual efficacy, and ease and convenience of use. Combined with in-home use of insect growth regulators, it should now be possible to provide a high level of flea suppression.

Dr. Hinkle also offers a warning, however, that inappropriate use of flea control products may sicken or kill pets.

She reports veterinary emergency clinics are seeing increasing numbers of puppies and cats poisoned by flea and tick control products.

The popularity of spot-on products and the confusion of products having similar names have produced situations where pet owners are using inappropriate materials to treat fleas on cats and young dogs.

Many of these over-the-counter products contain permethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide that can usually be used safely on dogs, but may be lethal to puppies and cats. These permethrin products are very popular as they are typically less expensive than materials obtained from veterinary clinics.

By comparison, the veterinarian-supplied Advantage and Frontline products are registered for both cats and dogs. When used according to label directions, they claim to provide a full month of flea and tick suppression on the pet.

A six-month supply of either Advantage or Frontline may cost $40-50. However, this is not unreasonable when you consider that the typical pet owner spends more than that for flea collars and treating the home with flea bombs in a six-month period.

In an effort to save money, the responsible pet owner should be careful not to endanger the pet's health. A visit to the emergency room can quickly wipe out any savings from purchasing a cheaper flea control product.

As with all potentially hazardous products, it is important to read and follow label directions. If cats are not explicitly mentioned on the label, do not apply the product to cats. Similarly, check to see what the minimum age for application to dogs is; often a product that is safe for adult dogs is not safe for puppies. These products likely will also indicate that they should not be applied to nursing dogs, to prevent poisoning the puppies. Interestingly, some labels also recommend that the product not be used on certain breeds that have been shown unable to tolerate the chemical.

It is possible to obtain safe and effective flea suppression with the products available today. However, it is important to be an informed consumer. Check with your veterinarian before purchasing a product. Read and follow all label instructions. And monitor the pet for a couple of hours following application to ensure that no adverse effects occur.