Everyone that owns a cat or dog is familiar with Melbourne Beach Squirrel Removal the incessant itching and scratching that accompanies a flea infestation. Anyone who has ever had to eliminate an engorged tick knows how unpleasant a task this can be. Along with the hair loss, scabs, and skin irritations which accompany flea and tick infestations, there’s the frightening and real risk of disease spread. Ticks carry organisms that cause diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease, along with the several other potentially fatal illnesses. Plants which are allergic to flea bites can suffer torment for months from a single bite and tick bites can become infected. And the worst part is that for every one of these nasty parasites that you see on your pet, there are countless more in the environment. Simply removing the fleas and ticks on your pet doesn’t eliminate them from your house and yard.
Mosquitoes are an additional problem. Although they do not live and reproduce in your house, they rapidly multiply in still water anytime the weather warms up. The tire swing in your garden or the empty planter on your porch may contain thousands of mosquito larvae. Mosquito bites hurt, can cause allergic reactions, and can become infected. But most importantly, they can spread heart disease disease, West Nile disease, and other life-threatening infections to our pets.
There are ways to deal with these parasites. There is no perfect control, but by educating yourself regarding all of the available products, and employing the best product for your particular situation, you can reduce the chances that your pet will be infested with fleas or become a meal for ticks. When choosing an insect-control product, it is crucial to examine the period of the flea, tick, and mosquito season in your area, the severity of the problem, the sort of external parasites involved, the species, age, and health of the pet, and any chemical sensitivities in the household. Many people realize that they need to treat the yard and the house, as well as the pets, to achieve adequate control.
When reading product labels, look for the active ingredients, the species and age of animal which the item is intended to be used for, the kinds of parasites killed, and whether or not the item includes an adulticide, an insect growth regulator, or both.
Traditional methods of flea control for pets have included flea shampoos, dips, powders, combs, and sprays. Although effective, these products often only kill the adult parasites and have little or no residual activity. So, new fleas or ticks can re-infest your pet in a few days. Traditional methods may also be time consuming and frequently messy. The labels must be read carefully to assure the best use of the merchandise. Never use a flea, tick, or mosquito product for a cat unless the label specifically states that it is safe for cats. Many dog products are very dangerous for cats.
Newer products operate fast to kill the parasites. Rapid control on the pet can be accomplished with Capstar. This is a pill that is given by mouth and kills the fleas within a matter of hours. It only lasts one day, but is great at fast removing heavy flea infestations. It’s much easier to use, more effective, and safer than shampooing your pet to kill fleas and ticks. It starts to work within thirty minutes and removes over 90% of the fleas on cats in 6 hours and on dogs in 4 hours. It is safe in pregnant and nursing animals, and can be used on cats and dogs 4 weeks of age and older that weigh at least two pounds. It has no side effects and no contraindications and may be used every day, if needed.
Other new products kill fleas immediately and continue killing them several weeks. These include topical, spot-on products that are used monthly. They are put on the pet’s skin according to the label directions. These spot-on products may all look similar, but they do contain different ingredients. . It’s extremely important to read the whole label to be sure that you are using the right product for your pet’s needs. Some of the products kill ticks, some repel and kill ticks, and some kill or discourage mosquitoes. Some contain IGR’s. It’s important to understand that more potent products may have a higher chance of unwanted side effects.
It can be confusing to compare the various spot-on insecticide products. The choice is made by balancing safety, efficacy, length, addition of an insect growth regulator, and whether or not the product can be used on cats or dogs. Be aware that individual pets may respond to any given insecticide product. If a negative response does occur, the product shouldn’t be used again. Switching to another product may solve the problem, in that different individual animals do react differently to the varying insecticides. Let’s take a look at the most frequent spot-on insecticide products for your pets. These include Advantage, K9 Advantix, Frontline Top Spot, Frontline Plus, Bio Spot for Dogs, Bio Spot for Cats, and Revolution.
Benefit is made by Bayer. The product contains one insecticide, imidacloprimid: It can be used on dogs over 7 weeks of age and cats over 8 weeks of age. One of the fastest-working products, it kills 98-100% of the fleas on the pet within 12 hours and eliminates new fleas within 2 hours. It lasts up to 4 months. It has no repellent and can’t kill ticks or mosquitoes. It does not contain an IGR and can’t kill eggs, but it will kill creatures in a pet’s bedding when the creatures contacts a pet. It has an extremely good safety record. It’s effective in the face of bathrooms, swimming, and sun. Advantage kills fleas faster than other spot-ons and is very safe, so it is a great product if fleas are the only issue with your pets and when security is a major concern. It is especially good for indoor pets. It shouldn’t be reapplied at less than 1 month intervals.
K9 Advantix is also made by Bayer. This product comprises imidacloprimid (found in Edge), plus another insecticide, permethrin. The next insecticide makes this product more palatable and potentially increases the risk of side effects in pets. This product cannot be used on cats; it’s only to be used on puppies. It may prevent and kill fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes on dogs 7 weeks of age or older. Like Advantage, it lasts up to 4 weeks, kills 98-100 percent of fleas within 12 hours, and is not affected by bathing or swimming. It also kills flea larvae. It takes approximately two weeks to kill ticks. It shouldn’t be reapplied at less than 1 month intervals.
Frontline Topspot is produced by Merial and contains the insecticide, fipronil. It may be used on dogs and cats 8 weeks of age or over. Frontline for dogs and cats will kill 100 percent of their pet’s fleas within 18 hours and ticks within 48 hours of application. It kills ticks for up to one month, and fleas for up to 6 weeks on cats and 12 weeks on dogs. If both fleas and ticks are a problem, it should be applied monthly. It is currently approved for use on breeding, pregnant, and lactating queens to control fleas, ticks, and biting lice. It’s approved for breeding, pregnant, and lactating dogs to control fleas, ticks, and to aid in the control of sarcoptic mange mites. It is not affected by swimming or bathing. It shouldn’t be applied at less than one month intervals.
Frontline Plus can be manufactured by Merial. It is licensed for dogs and cats over 8 weeks of age. It kills ticks for up to one month on cats and dogs, and fleas for up to six months on cats and 12 weeks on dogs. It is safe for breeding, pregnant, and lactating animals. Due to the additional IGR, it’s been shown to kill flea eggs and larvae for up to six weeks to the cat merchandise and 12 weeks for your dog merchandise. This provides a more rapid reduction in fleas in the house and environment that Frontline Topspot. If both fleas and ticks are a problem, it needs to be applied monthly. It is not affected by swimming or bathing. It should not be implemented at less than one month intervals.
Bio-Spot for Dogs is made by Farnam Corporation and contains permethrin (found in K9 Advantix) along with an insect growth regulator, pyriproxyfen. . It repels and kills mosquitoes for up to 4 weeks, but it is not a heartworm preventative medication. It’s for use only on dogs over 12 weeks old. . It cannot be used on cats. It controls over 92 % of fleas within 24 hours of use. It’s relatively stable in water or bathing, but it listed as being able to be reapplied if eliminated by shampoos. It’s not removed by mild shampoos. It is usually applied at 4 week intervals.
It can be used on cats 5 lbs and over. It kills fleas for up to one month, deer ticks for up to a month, and flea eggs and larvae for up to three months. It also repels mosquitoes for up to a month. This product is made to be used on cats only.
Revolution is made by Pfizer. It comprises the insecticide, selamectin. A prescription is required for this item. It has different indications for cats and dogs. For dogs, it kills adult fleas and prevents eggs from hatching for one month. It helps control and prevent heartworm disease, ear mites, and sarcoptic mange, and kills ticks for one month. For cats, it kills adult fleas for one month, prevents flea eggs from hatching for one month, prevents heartworm disease, kills ear mites, kills roundworms, and kills hookworms. It is generally used at monthly intervals unless a different use is recommended by the prescribing veterinarian. It is absorbed systemically and won’t be removed with swimming or bathing.
Program is an oral product for dogs and marketed as a tablet for dogs and a suspension for cats. This product contains the insect growth regulator, lufenuron. This product prevents flea eggs from hatching and larval forms of germs from maturing. It effectively sterilizes any biting fleas. It does not kill adult fleas, but is effective at removing flea populations in the environment. Since only 2% of the flea population is at the adult form, the product works to get rid of the fleas in the house and yard. It has to be administered in combination with food. Lufenuron can be found in the heartworm preventive medication, Sentinel. The Program pill is tagged for dogs and in addition, can be utilised in cats that are 7-15 lbs and over 6 weeks of age. The feline suspension may be used for cats that weigh more or less than this range. Program is a great product if fleas only intermittently irritate your pets and you would like to make sure that biting fleas do not include hundreds or thousands of eggs to your environment.
The flea and tick-killing spot-ons have dramatically improved our successes in controlling these parasites. So, if your environment is filled with maturing and biting fleas, it can take several months to acquire control if you only use a spot-on and don’t treat the environment. Many choices are available for environmental management. These products will help remove adult fleas, and those with insect growth regulators will reduce eggs and larvae.
Your selection of flea control product will be different based on the needs of your pet and you. By way of example, a dog that is highly allergic to flea bites needs a product which repels fleas and kills them, not just one with an IGR. An elderly, toy dog that spends 98% of its time at the house may do fine with only an IGR, such as Program, or a product which only kills fleas, such as Advantage. A stray pet that is coming into your house and has fleas might be treated using a product such as Capstar and a spot-on product, or bathed with a flea and tick shampoo, then be treated in the upcoming few days using a spot-on product. A dog or cat with ticks might require a product such as Frontline Top Spot, Frontline Plus or the appropriate Bio Spot. Any pet that has side effects from a product should be bathed with a shampoo that will remove oils from the coat rather than be treated with the product again.
It’s important to read all labels to properly select and use the products that best match your pets’ needs. Only use products according to the label directions. Do not use partial doses, do not give dog products to cats, and do not overdose the pet. Misuse of these insecticide products can significantly increase the chances of side effects. Insect Growth Regulators increase control without significantly increasing side effects, so choose these when it makes sense to do so. By picking the item that best controls the parasites and matches your pet’s age, health, and weight description, you can eliminate the pests which are bothering your pet and limit side effects. With numerous flea and tick products available, there is no reason for any pet to suffer from these parasites.