Flea Control, Flea Control
By Betty Sleep
If you have pets, especially those that go in and out, sooner or later you are going to haveto deal with fleas. And while they may be cute in a cartoon, performing little tricks in a flea circus, there is nothing cute about having them in your home.
This is where the old saying comes in handy, “an ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure”...and a lot of work, as well. In the old days we had flea powders, and commercial brand collars that you picked up at the local department store. Neither one of them worked very well, and actually posed health hazards for owners and pets when ingested or inhaled.
We are fortunate now, to have a wide range of choices in preventing flea infestations. For those who prefer not to go the chemical route, there are Program pills, and more recently injections. The pills are good for one month, and the injections, for several. Program’s basic “ingredient” is actually a flea hormone, which when ingested by a flea that bites your pet (since they must have a blood meal to reproduce), enters their system and then prevents the shell of the flea egg from hardening enough for the eggs to hatch. While it doesn’t kill the fleas immediately, it puts an end to the life cycle. Fleas themselves do not live that long, so that when any adults present have died, There will be no offspring to follow them.
The ingredients in Program do not “bind” to an animal’s organs and will cause no side effects if accidentally overdosed. It has also been used in pregnant and nursing animals by some breeders, although this type of use should always be checked out with your veterinarian, who may prefer an alternative treatment at that time. Another side benefit, discovered only in the last year or so, is that Program has proven effective in treating Ringworm, a nasty and highly contagious skin condition that is transferable between humans and animals. Studies have found that the same ingredient which prevents a flea egg shell from hardening, also prevents the basic structure of the fungus from completing its formation.
On the chemical list, there are products such as Advantage, and Revolution. Both work in the same manner, being a very small tube of liquid that is placed on the back of a cat’s neck, or the neck and along the spine of a dog. These are given as being effective for one month, although effectiveness may be diminished by bathing of the pet. Advantage deals solely with fleas, while Revolution will also take care of mites, roundworms, and other pests. Advantage is not recommended on pregnant animals. Revolution may be used in pregnant and nursing animals, and also allows for use in younger kittens and puppies. Besides these liquids, there are also collars treated with the same type of chemicals, which by theory, spread themselves down through the fur, and protect an animal for several months.
If you are unfortunate enough to suffer a true flea infestation, it’s important to remember that you have to treat the premises, as well as the animals. Generally you can tell by the size and colour of the fleas you are finding, how far things have progressed. If they are only small, and almost black, you may be in the early stages. If you are large ones that are more of a dark, reddish brown, they are mature fleas which may have already begun to lay eggs in your house.
There is no truly effective “natural” remedy for this problem. But in resorting to pesticides, seek a veterinarian’s advice on the type and efficacy. Many people think that spraying their floors and furniture is enough. But fleas can burrow into your baseboards and right down to the underlay of your carpeting to lay eggs. So while the top layer which is hit by sprays may die, you could get a surprise several months down the road, when fleas emerge from the carpet. Be prepared to treat your whole house, and reserve a second treatment for down the road, or in cold climates, the Spring- which is when warmth and moist air brings the hatching cycle into play.
While there are herbal or “natural” products recommended for flea prevention, such as using cedar for bedding in dog houses, or wiping cedar oil on your baseboards, if you have fleas in the house, you have a problem. Not only dogs can be allergic to their bites (flea dermatitis is often a cause of “hot spots”), but people as well.
If you don’t want to spend the Spring and Summer, and possibly a good part of Fall wondering if that itching is just you, or Fluffy has brought home some friends, talk to your vet about the best choices for you and your pet.
About the Author:
I am an obedience instructor, kennel owner, and ten year breeder/exhibitor of Golden Retriever dogs. Over the years I have experienced the best and worst of pet buying and selling, and responsibility/irresponsibility on the part of both breeders and buyers.
That, combined with my other hobby of breeding Birman cats, which I also show, and have placed in several countries, gives me a fairly comprehensive overview of pet care, ownership, training, feeding, and health issues.
I have worked with animals for 30 years, and been a freelance writer for 25 of those, contributing to the fields of fiction, non fiction, historical research, humour, statistal data, childrens works, in a number of medias including television, radio and the Internet.
Currently, I am a service provider on www.elance.com, having filled assignments in editing a health calendar, a 19 page website, creating an ad campaign, and designing logos/web pages. I am also a contributing author for Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges Into History, release date: Sept.20, 2001.
For the last three years, I have been a contractor/host for Talk City Inc; where I was the forum Manager of Health and Wellness, and a topical conference host on a variety of subjects including pet care.
Writing is a hobby and a passion, and works well with my at home activities, here in Canada...when I get a chance between dog walks and litter scooping :-)
Article courtesy of Suite101.com.
