VETERINARIANS ADOPT WELLNESS OUTLOOK ON
FLEA CONTROL
During the last few
years, veterinarians have begun to emphasize flea prevention.
"The traditional
approach to flea control could be called a 'fire-engine approach,'" said
veterinarian Dr. Michael Dryden, an associate professor of diagnostic medicine
and pathology at K-State. "Response to the problem hasn't come until there
is a 'flea fire.' This is not the way to handle fleas."
Program essentially
sterilizes the female flea when it feeds on the pet. It is in a class of
substances called insect growth regulators. These regulators inhibit the
development of larval insects or prevent egg development. Monthly doses of
Program prevent the formation of chitin, an essential part of a flea's
exoskeleton, thereby making survival of larval fleas impossible.
Additionally, there is
no need for concern about the pet's safety when using Program. Dryden says the
pill is 200 times safer for animals than insecticides and has been approved for
use in 35 countries.
Program won't kill
adult fleas already living on the pet. And it won't prevent the pet from being
bitten by a new flea that hops on the animal. Fleas are blood suckers that will
cause your pet to itch and maybe get a skin infection. Not only do pets itch
when they get fleas, they also shed flakes of flea dirt, which is the dried
blood left behind by the fleas. Some pets are allergic to flea saliva.
Dryden said an
effective flea program treats the infested pet, all contact animals and the
environment.
To get rid of fleas,
vacuum the carpet before applying insecticides and discard the vacuum cleaner
bag immediately. Each week, wash the places the pet spends most of its time;
and use a spray or fogger with an insect growth
regulator to inhibit the growth of the flea eggs and larvae in the environment.
Dryden suggests
treating carpets with insect growth regulators like fenoxycarb
or methoprene, which can protect the area from fleas
for up to a year and a half. Outdoors, fleas thrive in cool shaded areas -- the
same places your pets go to escape summer's heat.
"Mow or rake the yard
and use a spot treatment with a combination of an insect growth regulator and
an insecticide in areas such as dog houses and beneath shrubs," Dryden
suggested.
A methoprene
product available at many pet supply stores is a collar that prevents flea births.
"These effective
collars suffer from the image of collars not doing their job," Dryden
said. "Remember, Program and methoprene control
only flea reproduction, not existing fleas. Therefore, the environment must be
treated with flea sprays to control adult fleas."
Dryden says owners must
be proactive to limit the flea count.
"Start now with
treatments before there is a flea problem. Start in April or May," Dryden
said. "Prevention at the reproduction stage limits the number of fleas
you're dealing with. One or two fleas aren't a problem. The problem is the
hundreds of fleas resulting from reproduction."
Prepared by Cheryl May
Copyright © 1996.
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