What can I do about all these $#%* fleas????
CONTENTS:
Fleas are capable of reproducing with amazing speed. Each female lays about 200 eggs at a time. Within a month, just 10 reproducing females can create a population of over 267,000 offspring at various stages of development. It's an invasion!! This is WAR!!! Fleas mature from eggs to adults in 2 - 3 weeks. Adults can live from 6 - 12 months. They spend their lives on your pet sucking blood, breeding and producing waste ("Flea Dirt"). After a blood meal, the female lays eggs on the furniture, bedding, pet, floors and yard. These hatch in a few days into worm-like, legless larva which are hardly visible. They slither to cracks and crevices in wood floors and wiggle into the carpet.
The larvae spin into cocoons, which are not hurt by flea sprays. The pupae, inside the cocoons, may hatch in a few days or remain dormant for years. They hatch as hungry adults when stimulated by footstep vibrations or exhaled carbon dioxide from humans or pets. Adults must feed on blood to reproduce, which is why they spend their lives on cats and dogs.
Flea-fighting strategy is based on a triad. Treat the pet, the house and the yard. Only by attacking the flea on all three fronts can you be successful and win.
Why give the enemy a chance to bring in thousands of reinforcements? Simple measures taken early will make it unnecessary to mount massive campaigns later in the season. Don't expect fleas to attack only the route you have chosen to defend. Fleas are masters of camouflage and sneak attacks. Examine your pet in a well-lighted area and over a light-covered surface. Look through the fur down to the skin. Black specks that look sort of like pepper are flea manure. If you're not sure whether the specks are manure, wet them with a small drop of water. Manure will dissolve into what looks like, and is, blood.
Since fleas are such a universal problem, there are many products for fighting them, but many of these products are not effective. You cannot win your war against fleas if you fight them with weapons that don't work. While cost is a consideration, performance must take priority.
With few exceptions, weapons available to us in the flea war are poisons. Use ONLY flea-killers which are labeled as being safe for your intended purpose. The consequences of using a "dogs-only" preparation on a cat can be tragic. Don't use a chemical intended for outside use on the inside of your house. Don't use a premises treatment on your pet. If you're not sure how to use a product, call your veterinarian for advice.
If you have a major flea problem, don't expect to solve it overnight. If your initial attack has been properly executed, you will make a huge dent in the flea population. That's great, but don't hold the victory celebration just yet. In any massive infestation, some fleas will manage to survive even the most vigorous attack. "Mopping-up operations" at proper intervals will keep survivors from quickly multiplying.
Advantage™ - became the one of the newest entries into the
flea war fray in 1996. While it is an insecticide, it is proving
that when used monthly, it seems quite safe and effective in killing
adult fleas on both dogs and cats. It kills the adult fleas on
contact, without them having to bite your pet.
Bayer even provides
an 800 number for consumers to call for more information (1-800-NO-FLEAS)
or you can check them out at the Advantage™ Web Site.
You can also Order Advantage™ through the mail.
Frontline Top Spot™ - is also one of the newer entries into the
flea wars.. Apply every 3 months to kill
adult fleas on dogs and cats on contact, without them having to bite your pet. The manufacturer,
Merial, also claims that when used monthly, it will kill all stages of brown dog ticks,
American dog ticks, lone star ticks and deer ticks.
You can find out more at the Frontline Top Spot™ Web Site.
You can also Order Frontline Top Spot™ through the mail.
Program™ - entered the battle in 1995. In most, but not
all, cases Program has been wildly successful in controlling re-infestations
by preventing the female's eggs from hatching. While this product
does not kill adult fleas (so dogs and cats can re-infest themselves
with adults) and it does have a 1-3 month "lag" time
(during which you may not see much improvement) while Program™
is breaking the cycle, most pets respond excellently to this product.
Program™ works best when given with a full meal.
Program™ even comes in an INJECTABLE form for cats, giving SIX MONTHS of flea fighting.
Find out more at the: Program™ Web Site
Program™ is incorporated with Interceptor™ Heartworm Preventative in a product called
Sentinel™, so ONE pill, ONCE a month, attacks BOTH fleas and heartworms.
Find out more at the: Sentinel™ Web Site
In order to control fleas inside, you must treat the total outdoor environment, including dog house, rug, etc.
Methoprene - is not really a poison, but an "insect growth regulator". What it does is truly revolutionary. By itself, it is not the entire solution, but it should be applied along with whatever else you use. Methoprene stops flea larvae from cycling into adults, thus effectively breaking their life cycle. It may be applied by spraying or fogging, and remains active, although odorless and invisible, for long periods of time.
If you used only methoprene in your house, an acceptable level of flea control would take many months to achieve. That is why it should be used in combination with conventional insecticides in order to kill as many larvae and adults outright as possible. A spray or fogger, such as Ovitrol™, Siphotrol™ or Ectoguard™, is very effective when used with methoprene.
Start your attack indoors. If you have a severe infestation, you will have to do more. The problem is that the cocoons (pupae) present in carpets, upholstery, pet bed and cracks and crevices. There are huge numbers of cocoons on the premises which will eventually hatch and overwhelm your pet - and you - with equally huge numbers of ravenously blood-hungry adults.
No matter what you use on your pet - if that's all you do, it won't work. For every flea you manage to kill on your pet, there will hundreds more to take its place - unless you eliminate them from the premises.
Pet treatment is the most variable and complex of the three area of flea control. What you use and how you use it depends on many factors, including the species of your pet, the severity of your flea problem, your chosen means of housing your pet, the presence of children and your own preferences. Potential problems such as a pet's allergy to flea bites (their saliva) or an owner's allergy to insecticides must also be taken into account. Don't overbathe your pet. Even the gentlest shampoo will dry and irritate the skin if used too often. Baths and dips should be used only as a means of getting a bad flea situation under control, not as a routine maintenance. It is possible to do much more damage with daily or every-other-day baths and dips than the fleas themselves. Light infestations should not be taken lightly. Take effective measures at the earliest sign that your pet has picked up fleas. At that stage you may need only to apply a residual spray or foam. Pyrethrin products are natural botanical products which have been proven to be safe and effective of dogs and cats. Its efficacy can be enhanced dramatically by mixing with another chemical called a "synergist". Pyrethrin preparations are known primarily for their fast knockdown effect and their high degree of safety. Many flea products are not compatible with each other and cannot be used in combination. Also, some insecticides for dogs should not be used on cats.
Veterinarians are concerned, as you are, about insecticide exposure to you, your pets and your household. Considerations will be given to these factors in tailoring a flea-control program for your individual circumstances. Keep the insecticides away from children. Read the container's label carefully when using chemicals and insecticides.
a. Clean and vacuum living quarters well, especially where your pet sleeps. Dispose of vacuum cleaner bag outside immediately.
b. Fog the house with Siphotrol™/Ovitrol™/Sustain™ Fogger. For best results, use 1 can per large room and spray other rooms. Follow the label directions carefully. Four (4) days later, spray as directed below.
c. Spray Siphotrol™/Duratrol™/Sectrol™/Sustain™ Premise spray on floors where you are unable to vacuum and under furniture. Repeat every 2-3 weeks during flea season (April - December).
d. Treat the yard and/or kennel area with a Lawn and Kennel Spray, such as Duratrol™/VetKem™/Sustain™ Yard and Kennel Spray.
e. Treat up to 3 feet off the ground and repeat in 2 weeks and then monthly until the flea season ends.
f. Consider using a professional exterminator.
We hope that you will find this information helpful in your quest for better pet care. If you have any questions or comments, please call your veterinarian's office, or feel free to e-mail us.
David E. Hammett, DVM
and the Staff of All Creatures Veterinary Clinic, PC
