Sandy and Augie

Article: Flea Season is Here!!

     Fleas are the bane of dogs and cats existence.   They can be uncomfortable, spread disease and parasites and even death in extreme infestations.  Fleas are capable of reproducing at an alarming rate in the right conditions or environment.  Their cocoons can exist in a sort of hibernation for 18 months.  Here in Houston we have the right environment for these critters to reproduce at least 9 months of  the  year.  Fortunately, we have an array of effective products that can be used to fight these pesky critters.

     Number one in our arsenal is an oral product called lufenuron, the active flea-fighting ingredient in Program and Sentinel.  Lufenuron is given orally once monthly and stays in the fatty layer under the skin.  When a flea bites the protected animal it can no longer produce viable eggs, effectively eliminating reproduction.  If  all the animals in a household are on lufenuron fleas cannot get a colony started and therefore are only occasional pests.  A flea's lifespan is only 2-3 weeks.  We recommend pets stay on Program or Sentinel year round so no fleas can lay eggs that will hatch.

     On those occasions when we have a break-out of new and hungry fleas in the neighborhood (mainly after a good rain in the spring and again in the fall) it is sometimes necessary to use a topical product to kill the wave of new fleas.  This is especially true if you take your dog to the park or on walks frequently.  The product we carry for this is Frontline Plus.  Appled to the back of a dog or cat Frontline can last from 1-3 months actually killing the fleas (added bonus - ticks!) that jump on the animal.  Bathing an animal treated with Frontline can reduce its efficacy so we recommend limited bathing when using this product.

     We also have a product that will get rid of fleas quickly.  It is a tablet called Capstar.   Given to an animal infested with fleas, it will kill all the fleas on the dog or cat within a few hours.  This is an excellent tool for  young animals where we can't use the topical products yet.  It is also effective for quick control while waiting for Sentinel or Frontline to give long-lasting control.  You can safely use all three products together.