Find Freedom From Fleas

Warm weather is finally here! That means spending more time outside, especially with your pets. Backyard barbecues, mountain-side hikes and days at the beach all mean lots of fun, and unfortunately, lots of fleas.

The key word in controlling fleas is "prevention." Fortunately, there are a lot of good products out there to help prevent, kill and control fleas, and knowledge is power so read on!

Flea Facts:

Fleas, in the perfect environment, can live up to two years.

Fleas can go through an entire life cycle (from egg to adult) in as little as 10 days.

Fleas can cause life-threatening anemia.

Fleas can cause infection and "hot spots" in dogs and cats.

Fleas can cause tapeworms in dogs and cats through the ingestion of fleas.

Worldwide, there are more that 2,400 species of fleas.

The most common flea on dogs and cats is called the cat flea (ctenocephalides felis). Although it is called the "cat" flea, many species are susceptible to it.

In North America, a wide variety of nondomesticated hosts have been reported harboring "cat" fleas, including: coyotes, red and gray foxes, bobcats, skunks, rodents, raccoons, opossums and ferrets.

"Cat" fleas have been found infesting over 50 different hosts throughout the world.

Cold temperatures do kill "cat" fleas. For the "cat" flea, no life cycle stage (egg, larva, pupa or adult) can survive past 10 days if there is a consistent temperature of 37.4 degrees F. They only survive five days at 33.8 degrees F.

Once on the host, the cat flea will initiate feeding within seconds and mating will occur on the host in the first eight to 24 hours, with most females having mated by 34 hours.

Female "cat" fleas begin egg production within 36 to 48 hours of taking their first blood meal, reach maximum production between four and nine days, and are capable of producing eggs for over 100 days.

Female fleas produce an average of 1,348 eggs during their first 50 days on the host, equivalent to producing their body weight in eggs daily.

The life cycle of a flea involves egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

"Cat" fleas lay their eggs while on the host, not in cracks and crevices. Flea eggs are not sticky and readily fall from the host and into their environment.

Once flea eggs are in the environment, they will usually hatch in one to 10 days, depending on temperature and humidity.

"Cat" fleas spend their entire lives on your pet. They feed, sleep and lay thousands of eggs on your pet.

Flea collars only kill fleas under the area where the collar is. Basically, they don't work.

Cats are very sensitive to flea products, and owners should be careful using over-the-counter sprays or dips on these animals.

The key to controlling fleas is to interrupt their life cycle at an immature stage, so they do not develop into adults.

Unlike the mosquito, which eats once and goes off to digest its meal, fleas continue to repeatedly bite their hosts long after their hunger is satisfied.

Dogs and cats that have "flea allergies" are allergic to a protein that is found in flea saliva of certain fleas. When the flea bites the pet, it places this protein in the skin of the pet. Even though the fleas may not be present, the protein in the saliva may be present in the skin causing the pets to itch and scratch.

Pretty disgusting, huh? Now that you know a little more about fleas, you need to know how to prevent, kill and control them. The course of action you take depends on how many pets you have, where you live, and your pet's lifestyle.

The best thing to do is to go to your vet and have them design a program that is tailored for your pets. Below are some common products that are available, but the products you choose are really going to depend on your pet's lifestyle and how many fleas are in your environment.

Oral Products

• Program
  
  Program is available as the first and only oral "flea pill" on the market. Program works by introducing a low level of lufenuron into the pet's bloodstream. It is best absorbed after a full meal and has relatively few side effects. These can include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and lack of appetite.
  Program needs to be given once a month. There is also a six-month interval injectable form available for cats over six weeks of age. Once the flea bites your pet, the insect development inhibitor, lufenuron, is incorporated into the flea egg. It prevents the hatching of the egg by inhibiting the synthesis of chitin, the substance that makes up the hard exterior of the egg. Basically its birth control for fleas.
  However, Program has no effect on adult fleas. If you have a lot of fleas in your environment, it is best to use something that will treat adult fleas as well. Also, all pets in the household need to be treated for Program to be effective. This product is best used to prevent flea infestation.
• Capstar
  
  Capstar is absorbed systematically. Its active ingredient nitenpyram works in 30 minutes and lasts for 24 hours. It kills 100 percent of all fleas within eight hours, killing 90 percent within four hours. Manufacturers claim the product has no side effects and no contraindications. Dogs and cats must be over 21 pounds and at least four weeks of age to use Capstar safely.

Topical Products

There are three products that are available for topical spot-on treatments: Advantage, Frontline and Revolution. All of these are applied to the pet's skin. Advantage and Frontline are not absorbed by the blood stream as they spread across the lipid skin. Revolution is absorbed systemically and then redistributed back to the skin.

Topical treatments act to disrupt the flea's nervous system, causing the bug to die. Because these products kill the adult fleas, they are preferred if there is an active flea infestation.

• Advantage
  
  The active ingredient in Advantage is imidocloprimide, and it is generally safe because it is not absorbed systemically. Pets with a flea allergy benefit from Advantage because it kills the fleas with contact instead of after they have to bitten, which then causes the pet to be exposed to the antigen in the flea saliva that makes the pets itch.
  The treatment is administered monthly and can be used in puppies more than seven weeks old and kittens more than eight weeks old. Advantage kills both the adult flea and the flea larva. It kills 98 percent of fleas within 12 hours. The label says owners can wash pets in-between applications without diminishing effectiveness.
• Frontline
  
  The active ingredient in Frontline is fipronil, which is incorporated into the hair follicles and replenishes itself from the reservoir in the coat. The treatments tend to last one to three months.
  Like Advantage, Frontline is safe because it is not absorbed by the blood stream. The additional benefit of Frontline is that it is also effective against ticks. It can be used in kittens over 12 weeks of age and puppies over 10 weeks of age. The manufacturer reports that Frontline kills 100 percent of fleas in 18 hours.
• Revolution
  
  Revolution is applied to the skin but is absorbed systemically throughout a pet's system. It may take about 36 hours before 98 percent of the fleas are killed. This product can be used in cats and dogs more than six weeks old. The manufacturer states that it controls fleas, certain intestinal parasites, some skin mites, and ticks. It can also be used to prevent heartworm disease.
  Use of this product with ill, underweight, or weak animals may not be recommended. Also, it should not be used if your pet has broken skin, and dogs should be tested for heartworm disease prior to its use.

Again, I recommend going to your vet, discussing all of your pets with him or her, and coming up with a plan that's right for you. Remember that there are three areas that you need to think about when trying to control fleas: the pet, the yard and the house. In order to be effective, you need to treat all three areas.