Fleas are found year round in Bellevue Washington. There are two ways to prevent flea infestation in your pet:
1. Kill adult fleas with a insecticide.
2. Block the flea's reproductive cycle with an oral medication.
A recommended insecticide on our list is FRONTLINE Plus. Not only does FRONTINE Plus kill 98–100% of adult fleas on your pet within 24 hours, it also contains a special ingredient that kills flea eggs and larvae to keep ALL stages of fleas from developing and pestering your pet and your family.
FRONTLINE Plus completely breaks the flea life cycle by effectively stopping the development of new fleas. And, FRONTLINE Plus kills all stages of 4 major ticks including the one which may carry Lyme disease.
For those who would like another option for flea control besides a pesticide, there are a few other products we recommend. One is COMFORTIS, a chewable tablet given once a month with a meal. Spinosad, the active ingredient in COMFORTIS is an organic compound produced by the fermentation of a bacterium, Saccharopolyspora. COMFORTIS begins killing fleas within 30 minutes of administration. COMFORTIS may be safely given in combination with other parasite preventatives if needed, such as a heartworm preventative.
The other non-pesticide flea control recommended is SENTINEL. It is an oral tablet for the prevention and control of flea populations, the prevention of heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) disease and the treatment and control of roundworms (Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina), hookworms (Ancylostoma caninum) and whipworms (Trichuris vulpis) in dogs.
SENTINEL contains the active ingredients milbemycin oxime and lufenuron.
It is well tolerated by dogs of all ages and breeds, including Collie breeds and breeding animals.
SENTINEL must be given at monthly intervals, preferably on the same date starting within 1 month of the begin of the transmission season and continuing until 1 dose after its end. Where heartworm transmission is not seasonal SENTINEL is given throughout the year. Dogs living in heartworm-free regions and traveling to heartworm risk areas should be treated within 1 month of the beginning of the exposure to transmission. If necessary administrations should be repeated monthly until 1 administration after the end of the exposure risk. If SENTINEL replaces another heartworm prevention the first dose should be given within 1 month after the previous treatment. The tablets can be given directly into the mouth of the dog or they can be given in a portion of food.
Dogs should be tested for heartworm infection. Heartworm prevention programs should be started only in dogs found to be uninfected.
Another option for flea control in cats is PROGRAM Injectable. This is an injection that is given in our office every 6 months for the prevention and control of flea infestations in cats.
Lufenuron, the active ingredient of PROGRAM, is an insect development inhibitor (IDI) belonging to the group of benzoyl-phenyl-ureas (BPUs). Like all BPU's, lufenuron acts as a chitin synthesis inhibitor. Female fleas feeding on treated animals will produce eggs out of which no larvae will hatch. The interruption of the flea life cycle results in a long-term, very effective flea control on the animal as well as in the environment.
Treatment of existing infestations can begin at any time. In cases of severe infestations the use of an adulticide during the first few weeks of the treatment may be necessary.
All dogs and cats in a household must be treated in order to prevent the build up of developing fleas in the environment, thus establishing an infestation.
The manufacturers of each of these preventatives guarantee their products for safety and efficacy when purchased through your veterinarian. They do not, however, guarantee the products if purchased through discount internet pharmacies.
