FLEA AND TICK PREVENTION

Spring is soon to be upon us and it is time to think about flea and tick control on our pets. The level of control that one needs depends on the level of exposure each of our pets has. Generally speaking, the more outdoor the lifestyle the greater the risk for your pet. Never before has the pet owner been confronted with more options for flea and tick control. Choices include, collars, oral medication and topical spot on products.

The good old-fashioned flea and tick collars worked on the belief that the collar would protect the animal by emitting a "cloud" of protection. They were made of insecticides called organophosphates and pyrethrins. Simply put, they have never worked. In addition, they have the highest level of toxicity for the environment and for the animal. The only collar we recommend is the prevetic collar for ticks. It has an effective insecticide called amitraz, but it is only effective against ticks.

The oral flea preventatives are a good protection against flea infestations. The drugs, lufeneron (Program), and imidicloprid, (Advantage) are absorbed into the blood stream. When the flea bites the pet, the flea ingests the drug and it prevents flea eggs from hatching. It does not kill adult fleas, and it does not protect against ticks.

The topical spot on product, Frontline, has been recommended by us because it has been safe, and effective. It also offers the convienience of killing both fleas and ticks, and being waterproofed after 2 days. The makers of Program are launching a negative ad campaign against this product, claiming that it leaves toxic environmental residues. The fact of the matter is there are NO studies supporting this claim. This insecticide is a new class that is used on crops used for human consumption. It is so safe because it passes through a mammal's body, unchanged. It binds to receptors called GABA receptors that are unique to insects. We will continue to recommend this product this season and both veterinarians will continue to use it on their pets. A second topical called Revolution will be released soon. It claims to offer heartworm prevention as well as flea and tick prevention. Early results question the effectiveness of this treatment and we will carry the product for those people who would like to try it, but we would caution all owners that it is a new product and only time will tell how effective, and safe it is.

If your property were heavily infested with fleas and ticks, it would be advisable to spray the grounds with a broad-spectrum insecticide like diazanon to assist in pest control.