EDMOND —
Q: During the past two and a half years I’ve spent $300 on a popular brand name spot-on flea control product for my two large dogs — but the fleas must have built up a resistance to it because it obviously isn’t effective any longer. In your opinion, what is the best flea control product available today? Thanks for any help. — Jason M.
A: First let me present a few facts concerning this tenacious parasite that has been around for centuries despite our best efforts to eradicate them — they have not only survived, but remain a pervasive presence. If you have any doubts about these little buggers being a formidable foe, consider the following: One female flea will lay several hundred eggs in her relatively short life span; 10 adult fleas can produce a quarter of a million new fleas; an adult flea can survive for up to four months between meals if a suitable host is not available; the average flea eats 15 times its body weight in blood daily, which often leads to severe anemia in the host animal.
Fleas love a warm, moist atmosphere. If given the choice, a flea will choose climates with temperatures ranging between 65 to 85 degrees and 75 percent to 80 percent humidity. They prefer four-legged animals, such as a dog or cat, for their blood meals, but if they’re not available, you’ll do quite nicely. Oddly, it’s not the actual bite of the flea that causes the sustained swelling and discomfort, but the allergic reaction to the insect’s saliva that is deposited at the site.
If you’re itching for more information on dog and cat fleas, here’s some interesting trivia: The average flea is only two to three millimeters long and weighs one-half grain (about one-millionth of a pound); despite their size, fleas can pull 160,000 times their own weight, which is the equivalent of a human pulling 24 million pounds; they also can jump more than 150 times their own size (12 to 14 inches), the human equivalent of about 1,000 feet; a flea can jump up to 30,000 times without stopping. Considering all of these physical attributes, it’s no wonder these pesky parasites are such a menacing adversary.
Parasitologists, who specialize in such facts and figures, tell us that there are more than 2,000 species of fleas and that most of them have been identified here in Oklahoma.
Now to Jason’s question regarding the most efficient flea control product for his two dogs in this area at this time. I did a limited survey of six local companion animal veterinarians in Oklahoma City and Edmond — the majority stated they felt the chemical spot-on product titled K9 Advantix, by Bayer, was doing the best job. Advantix also controls ticks and repels mosquitos and flies, but is considered extremely toxic to cats and should not be used on puppies under seven weeks of age.
This may be of interest to those of you who are “anti-chemical” when it comes to applying the basic chemical products to your dog or cat for external pest control. I recently received an e-mail from a lady who has several dogs and previously had a flea and tick problem. She stated that she would like to share her success in controlling the problem by using an all-natural spot-on product called Natural Defense, by Sentry. Its ingredients are peppermint oil, cinnamon oil, lemon-grass oil, olive oil and thyme oil. Your might want to give this a try if you’re averse to the common chemical products. It’s safe for use on young puppies and around children and she described a pleasant odor. This is an over-the-counter item and is considerably less expensive then most brand name spot-on products.
DR. WILLIAM K. FAUKS is a retired Oklahoma City veterinarian. If you have any questions regarding the health of your pet, please write to “Ask a Vet,” at 3142 Venice Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73112, or e-mail bfauks1@aol.com.
Features
Flea control no easy task
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