No fleas on me!
Flea treatments have come a long way in the past few years. Vets shudder to think of life before such products as Programme, Frontline, Advantage and Revolution. With the advent of these new products, flea infestations are preventable and accidental poisonings in pets have all but disappeared.
A dog-generation ago, the common flea treatments were organophosphates (common ones include chlorpyrifos, dichlorvos, phosmet, naled, tetrachlorvinphos, diazinon and malathion), organochlorines and carbamates. Organophosphates work on the nervous system of the flea and can affect the nervous system of pets or owners in the same way. If products are used on sick or weak animals, or accidental overdosing occurs, signs of toxicity in the pet include salivation, discomfort, vomiting, diarrhoea, tremors or convulsions and death from respiratory failure.
These harmful chemicals are still available to the public, without supervision or education, in many forms including sprays, powders, shampoos, flea collars and as topical applications on the back of the neck. The products will often have fine print warnings against using them on young, old or unwell animals. However, they are not safe to use in any situation, especially as other pets or people in the household may also come in close contact with high levels of the substances. Organophosphates can be readily absorbed through the skin and children are particularly susceptible to poisoning because of their small size and close proximity to pets.
And also of importance – these chemicals are not very effective in killing fleas! Organophosphate collars in particular are ineffective and dangerous, and it astounds many animal health workers that these products are still available. There are even jokes about these and they include that they only work if the flea actually wears the collar, if the flea accidentally trips over the collar and falls off the animal, or if you trap the flea under the collar as you put it on!
Pyrethrin products available for dogs are safer but must be applied frequently and are not well tolerated by cats. Not all products are safe for cats. The main toxicities vets see are when dog products (especially some that also contain tick preventatives) are applied to cats. Cats are very sensitive to many chemicals that do not harm dogs or humans. Read the label and check with your vet staff. We live in a new world of flea prevention and there is no need to put your pets or your family at risk. Talk to your vet staff about the most effective and safe flea prevention products for your whole family.
- The new-age veterinary-only flea products are termed either non-pesticide growth inhibitors (these stop the flea from reproducing) or new age insecticides, and do not harm pets or their owners. They are safe for use on young kittens and puppies, pregnant or nursing animals, and in most cases even old and sick animals (check the product with your vet).
- Most are available as a spot-on/top-spot (applied on the back of the neck) application.
- They are effective in killing fleas for the stated period (one month or longer).
- They target different life stages of the flea (kill eggs, larvae or prevent reproduction), so effectively prevent reinfestation. Remarkably 95 per cent of the flea life cycle is in the environment, not on the animal. Before the new treatments were available, treating a pet with a severe flea problem meant also flea bombing or spraying the house. The newer treatments mean that regular treatment of the pet with a topical treatment is usually all that is required to prevent flea problems. Nevertheless, treating the pet's environment and bedding at the beginning of regular parasite treatments is recommended.
- These treatments are effective even if the pet is bathed or swims a lot (though some products have better water resistance – check with your vet).
- Safety issues aside, the effects of these products are longer-lasting and more effective than the over-the-counter products and so represent good value, even though they do cost more.
|