Flea Medications
Why are Medications so Important ?
Keeping your pet up-to-date on flea medications is very important in the fight against fleas. Providing consistent flea control helps to break the life cycle of the fleas. Since both cats and dogs can carry the same types of fleas both should be keep on flea control at all times.
One bite from a flea can cause an allergic reaction called FAD which causes certain animals to lose hair and self traumatize themselves causing skin infections.
Using quick kill medications such as Capstar immediately when flea are noticed can stop fleas from infesting your home and pets. Fleas are VERY difficult to remove from the yard and home once they have started breeding. Once a heavy flea infestation of your home has begun professional extermination is often needed.
Staying up to date on your pets flea medications can save money in medical bills, stop disease, prevent human infectious parasites and keep your home flea free.
Below are brief descriptions of safe veterinary recommended flea control products that can be purchased from your veterinarian or an online pharmacy and delivered to you at home.
General Overview and Medication Guidelines:
(No prescription required for the below items)
Capstar
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Prescription products:
Revolution (selamectin)- (RX required) Revolution is a spot on product that is applied once monthly as a heartworm preventative and flea preventative. It can be used on dogs and cats as young as 6 weeks of age. This product also is used to treat sarcoptic mange, ear mites and ticks. It is an excellent flea control product for the cat but is not believed to be a very effective tick preventative.
Advantage Plus (imidacioprid with moxidectin)- Very similar to advantage, this new product requires a prescription due to the heartworm preventative added. This product also controls hookworms, roundworms and whipworms.
No prescription required:
Instant kill:
Capstar (nitenpyram)- Capstar has been referred to as the “miracle drug” and is highly recommended by veterinary dermatologists. It offers a very quick kill of all adult fleas in contact with your pet. The drug is considered very safe and can be used as often as once daily, or whenever you notice fleas on your pet. Capstar may be used in animals as young as 4 weeks old. It should be used in conjunction with long term flea control products. These tablets can be purchased at your veterinarian or an online pharmacy, no prescription is required.
Flea Birth control:
Program (Lufenuron) - This is a very important class of drugs called an insect growth inhibitor. This oral tablet given once monthly to your pets causes the female fleas to lay sterile eggs. This is a very effective method to break the flea cycle by not allowing new fleas to hatch in your house. However, this product does NOT kill adult fleas or stop the fleas from biting your pets which can cause flea allergic dermatitis. This product should be combined with a product that kills adult fleas such as advantage or frontline. Great product for difficult flea infestations.
Longterm and Adult Flea preventative:
Advantage (Imidacioprid)- Advantage allows for 100% kill of adult fleas. This product is available as a spot on for both cats and dogs. Advantage is often the drug of choice for flea control in cats and dogs. It should be applied once monthly but can be used every 2 wks if needed. (Pets should not be washed 72 hrs before or after applying advantage).Frontline, Frontline Plus (fipronil)- Frontline is a broad spectrum insecticide which is effective against adult fleas and ticks. The product is absorbed in the hair follicles by the sebaceous glands. The product is labeled for puppies and kittens older than 8 weeks of age. The product comes in a spray which is not lipid soluble so the entire pet must be sprayed to disperse coverage or flea protection. Caution with the spray in cats due to the alcohol base which may cause reactions.
Safety of flea medications:
Certain flea medications can be very dangerous for cats. NEVER use a dog flea control product on your cat. Also, many over the counter flea products contain pyrethrins which are very toxic to cats and can cause vomiting and seizuring. Flea medications sold at Pet Stores should be avoided. The listed products above are veterinary approved and tested.
Flea Treatments
Purchase Below to get Lowest Prices on Internet
Capstar
Frontline
Advantage
Program
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