Why are fleas still biting my ankles?

Flea control

New once-a-month flea products from your veterinarian work well enough and fast enough that even if you have a heavy flea infestation, you won't need to fumigate your house or spray the yard. Simply treat your your pets. Fleas jump on pets, fleas die. As simple as that.

Comfortis

A an effective flea product that eliminates your family's exposure to pet insecticides.

Comfortis is a highly effective once-a-month pill for flea control in dogs. It circulates in the bloodstream and kills fleas when they bite. Fleas bite frequently, so Comfortis works fast. It is the only monthly flea product that is effective and stays entirely within the dog - you and your family are not exposed. Especially when dogs sleep in bed with the kids, that's an important benefit. Comfortis costs about the same as Vectra or Frontline.

Vectra 3D

Excellent flea and tick control for dogs

Vectra is a new product for flea and tick control. It is applied to the skin once a month like Frontline, but works better. Better for fleas and much better for ticks. It is a tick repellent, so most ticks jump off right away. Those that hang around die quickly.

Permethrin, one of Vectra’s ingredients, is well tolerated by dogs and people, but not by cats. Vectra for dogs should never be applied to cats. If your cat and dog curl up together, or if your cat grooms the dog, don’t use Vectra. Frontline is fine, but not Vectra. There is product called Vectra for Cats, but if you have heartworms in your area and are going to spend that much money, Revolution is a better choice.

Frontline

An excellent choice for flea control in both dogs and cats

Frontline is one of the most effective flea medications we've got and unfortunately one of the more expensive. The product has been around for a long time and we are starting to see some resistance, which is the reason we recommend using Frontline Plus rather than Frontline TopSpot. Frontline Plus contains (S)-methoprene, an ingredient that prevents reproduction by fleas that aren't killed by Frontline alone.

Because Frontline depends on natural skin oils to spread itself around, it's best to wait about two days after bathing before applying the product and avoid bathing or swimming for a couple of days afterwards.

When used monthly, Frontline does a decent job of controlling ticks and is the only satisfactory product for tick control in cats.

Frontline spray

Excellent and inexpensive flea control for cats and small dogs

Frontline Spray works the same as Frontline Top Spot. It must be sprayed all over the body, so it is more difficult to use than spot treatment but works much faster. For cats and small dogs, Frontline spray is also much less expensive. Using Frontline spot treatment for cats costs about twelve dollars a month; the spray costs about a dollar- a huge difference. Frontline Spray is the least expensive way to effectively control fleas on cats and small dogs.

Discount prices on Frontline at
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Advantage

A safe and fairly effective flea product

Advantage is easy to use and works quickly. It costs about the same as Frontline, but doesn't last as long and is not quite as effective.

Program and Sentinel: Flea birth control

Program

Not very effective flea control.

Pets receiving Program secrete the drug into the natural oils in their skin and fleas living on the skin absorb the drug. These fleas lay sterile eggs, but in other respects live full and happy lives. The female flea will still live about three weeks and suck blood two or three times a day. This makes Program an acceptable drug for pets that do not already have fleas and have little or no exposure to fleas. The main problem with Program is that when pets receiving it are exposed to fleas, they get fleas. If you want to use a product that protects the family from insecticide exposure, Comfortis is a much better choice.

Sentinel : for flea and heartworm Control

Sentinel contains two drugs: Interceptor, for heartworm control, and Program for flea control. Sentinel is an excellent product for heartworms, but not particularly useful for flea control.

Traditional flea control products

Flea spray and powder:

A lot of hassle and not very effective

Don't bother. Frontline Spray works ten times better; it's safer, and for small pets costs about the same.

Flea dip

Highly effective but smelly and lots of work

Not safe for cats, but flea dip is a perfectly reasonable choice for big dogs, which are expensive to treat with other products. You need to dip the entire dog, nose to tail, every three weeks throughout flea season. Because of the smell, dip is not a good choice for indoor dogs. Dip is a waste of time for small dogs, since Frontline spray is cheaper, probably as effective, and much easier to use.

Flea Collars

Good for preventing flea problems - not good for solving flea problems

Flea collars are still an economical and useful method of flea control when used before you see fleas. If your pet is already itchy, it is too late for collars.

Many flea collars kill adult fleas and also make flea eggs sterile. They aren't very effective if you already have a flea problem, but collars are easy and cheap, and a lot better than nothing. Many people, including myself, don't like the smell of flea collars or the smell and oily feeling the insecticide leaves on their hands after petting a dog wearing one.

Natural flea control methods

Possibly an interesting hobby, but not very effective

Natural or non-insecticidal flea control methods, such as flea combs, eucalyptus oil, sonic collars, flea traps, brewer's yeast etc. are not very effective. If you have only one or two small pets and a lot of spare time, you may find them somewhat helpful.

If this stuff is so good, why are fleas still biting my ankles?

The flea life cycle:

Fleas and butterflies have the same life cycle: egg, caterpillar, cocoon, adult. The adult female lives its three week life on the dog, sucking blood two or three times and laying twenty or thirty eggs each day. Growth from egg to adult takes about three weeks. This means that by the time you notice fleas, there will already be enormous numbers of eggs, caterpillars and cocoons in your carpet. Flea pupae, protected in their cocoons, are invincible. Even if you vacuum and fumigate, they will continue to hatch and most of them will bite somebody before they die. Use Comfortis, Vectra, or Frontline for your pets. Fleas will hatch, jump on the pet and quickly die.

click on chart above for flea pictures and more information about the flea life cycle

source material for chart courtesy Miles Inc.

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