Fleas in Full Force
Many choices for flea control
There are many options when it comes to flea control. According to a study pet owners spend $9 billion a year to combat fleas and once you start shopping for flea control, the choices seem nearly endless! Here are some of the most popular types available. Please ask your veterinarian for guidance when choosing this or any medication for your pet and closely follow guidelines for use of the product as stated on the package.
Topicals These are liquids applied between the shoulders or the base of the skull of the pet, sometimes call “spot-ons”. These can last for several weeks and some (depending on the ingredient) are effective in repelling fleas as well as ticks and mosquitoes. Some have the added feature of continued performance even if your pet goes swimming or gets bathed. Advanced formulas have been recently produced that are only available from your veterinarian.
Pros: Very effective treatment, easy to apply, some water resistance
Cons: Most costly of all treatments
Sprays An economical way to go and can last up to several days as long as the pet stays dry but need to be repeated. Easy to apply, but be careful around the eyes and mouth.
Pros: Inexpensive
Cons: Pet must stay dry.
Shampoos Flea shampoos will wash away adult fleas and their eggs but it does not offer a long term control. Apply the shampoo to a lather and allow it to stay in contact for at least 10-15 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
Pros: Immediate removable of fleas and eggs
Cons: No preventative, infestation will recur
Powders Powders are dusted over the entire body and rubbed into the fur and are far less effective. Avoid the eyes and mouth. Side effects of powders may include vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, depression, lack of appetite and shaking.
Pros: Easy to apply
Cons: Potential side effects, pet must stay dry to maintain effectiveness
Dips A dip is a solution that applied to the animal with a sponge or poured over the body to kill fleas and ticks. Usually the product comes in a concentrate and then diluted for use. The pet is allowed to air dry. Depending on the product they may not be used on very young animals or on nursing or pregnant animals. Some people may also be sensitive to these products.
Pros: Relatively inexpensive
Cons: Cumbersome application and potential side effects
Collars Fleas collars use a concentrate to repel fleas and ticks but again are generally poorly effective. Could be most effective if they came small enough to put around the neck of the flea! Relatively inexpensive but could be strong smelling and some pets have contact irritation.
Pros: Inexpensive
Cons: Strong smell, possible skin irritation, mostly ineffective
Oral There’s a pill for that! Oral medication is available which has multiple functions to kill fleas and prevent heartworm disease in dogs and cats. Even internal parasites can be killed with some oral medications.
Pros: Easy administration
Cons: Possible vomiting or diarrhea.
Prescription treatments tend to be most effective and safer than over-the-counter options, but regardless of which option you choose, you can boost the effectiveness of your pet’s flea treatment by also treating the areas your pet frequents. When vacuuming, be sure to include the area under sofas where fleas and flea eggs may lie. Wash bedding or areas where you pet sleeps. For outdoors, pet-safe treatments are also available for yards.
My View: The Art of Veterinary Dermatology
As the Marketing Manager for Animal Dermatology Clinic I have, over the years, learned a great deal of the intricacies of veterinary dermatology and have seen some amazing results taken place with patients after being referred to Animal Dermatology Clinic. My employment does not make me a veterinary expert in any way, nor do I profess to have any medical skills, in fact I approach my diabetic cat like a hunter stalking a deer, fearing that any unusual noise or movement will cause one or both of us to lose our nerve in the administration of his insulin injection. Essentially, I am a regular pet owner, just like you.
Working here, I was always intrigued by the “art” of a science. I understood that there could be many paths to a solution but I learned later how that journey is taken is where the art of the profession is applied and in veterinary dermatology, that is very much the case.
Did you know that nearly every veterinarian can submit a blood allergy test for your pet? A number of pet owners have attempted to help their allergic pet by allergy testing through a laboratory, receive the results of the test and then based upon those results a course of treatment is administered. If there is little or no change in the pet’s condition, the owner declares “I’ve tried allergy testing, it didn’t work for my pet.” It is true that for intradermal allergy injections the success rate is about 70% for dogs and 60% for cats, but according to Dr. Chris Reeder (Animal Dermatology Clinic - Louisville, KY) “The individual animal must be treated with specific adjustments and fine tuning of allergy injections.
This is truly where the “art” of veterinary dermatology takes place. How, when and why allergy injections need to be adjusted can “make or break” how well the animal does clinically. The allergy test is only a piece of the puzzle and is used primarily as a recipe card for what to include in allergy mixtures for injections. The test alone does not mean an animal has allergies as other criteria also need to be met.”
Like snowflakes, each pet is unique, but you knew that, right? In veterinary dermatology that uniqueness is often taken into consideration when approaching diagnosis and treatment, although some owners are inclined to believe that treatment of a disease is like fixing a mechanical object or treating any other known condition: you have an infection, take an antibiotic. In the case of the client who stated in an on-line review, “…As a biologist…I have a hard time believing that each case is a unique, never seen before, stand-alone case, which seems to be the position taken by (Animal Dermatology Clinic)…”. This is not to single out biologists for their incredulity; that could be changed to any profession: “As a plumber, I have a hard time believing…”, you get the idea. But in fact, even using my example of antibiotics for infection, there are a wide variety of antibiotics from which to select and there is the possibility that the infection is resistant to certain antibiotics. Which to choose? (Hint: Don’t ask the biologist.)
I received an e-mail from a gentleman who believed that his dog had Pemphigus foliaceus (PF). If you have seen some of the pictures of patients with this disease, it is a sad and debilitating condition. He saw pictures on our website of pets with PF that had been treated. He wanted to know exactly what medication was used so that he could treat his dog, otherwise he was going to euthanize him. The medication used for PF is widely available and can be obtained from most veterinarians, but it is the dosage, the monitoring, and follow-up that is critical in bringing resolution to the condition, which without meticulous oversight could result in added medical complications or even death. I spoke to Dr. Reeder about this case, “There are many factors to watch for when treating an animal with any autoimmune skin disease as the treatment often requires immunosuppressive medications to control the disease. Many will need to have blood work, urinalysis and regular rechecks to monitor their clinical improvement.”
Of course, I could not advise him on medication, although for the sake of his pet, I wish it were that easy.
There are many more examples of how the doctors for Animal Dermatology Clinic apply their skills to discover and recognize the subtle differences of skin diseases and their approach and application to recovery is the art that creates the picture to a healthier pet.
Don Fruta, Marketing Manager
Comments? Does your pet have story of a difficult or chronic condition that was resolved at Animal Dermatology Clinic that you would like to share? E-mail me at [email protected]
