Transcript Fleas - Westbury Animal Hospital

Fleas
Flea Life Cycle
• Life cycle=90 days
Therefore… it will take 3 months of proper preventatives to
eliminate a current infestation.
• The female flea lays eggs on a live pet that then fall off into
the environment.
• These eggs will hatch and the flea undergoes several life
stages before becoming an adult and look for a host. (This
whole cycle can take 30-40days)
• There is a stage of adults called the pre-emerged adult in the
cocoon that can stay dormant for 30 weeks before getting on
a host.
Diseases Transmitted
• Tapeworms
• Flea Allergy Dermatitis
• Murine Typhus
• Cat Scratch Disease- Bartonella hensele (cats are not
symptomatic- transmitted to people)
• Plague-Yersinia pestis
Treatment
• Step #1: Get pet on a proper preventative monthly
• Step #2: Ensure ALL pets in the household are on preventative
• Step #3: Hire a good exterminator to treat the yard
Flea “Myths”
• “I have never seen fleas so I do not need flea prevention.”
• “My pets are indoors only. I don’t need flea prevention.”
• Fleas are often brought indoors on our clothing and shoes and can
easily get in the house.
• “Once I treat my pet and the fleas go away my work is done.”
• This is one of the biggest mistakes an owner can make. The fleas will
be back. Flea preventatives need to be used year round.
• “I read that feeding my pet garlic will prevent fleas and mosquitos.
• Garlic is toxic to dogs and cats.
• “Flea products are toxic.”
• All flea products offered and that are appropriately applied have
been extensively tested and approved by the FDA to be safe for your
pet. Products that advertise a “natural” method of prevention are
false advertising and not effective
But what about our medicated
flea baths?
• Flea baths are nice to remove any current live fleas on the pet
or removing lingering flea dirt.
• This only accounts for <2% of the fleas in the environment and
will not come close to solving flea issues.
• Get the pet on a preventative year round!
Why preventatives “fail”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Bathing the pet directly before or after applying topical
preventatives
Letting doses lapse- or pet is vomiting up meds when owner not
looking
Not treating all pets in the household
Using subpar preventatives OTC
Not giving it enough time—remember 90 days!
We cannot always control the environment!
Feral cats and wild animals walk through our yards dropping fleas daily
and constantly re dosing the yard with new fleas
“I see fleas on my pet, it means my preventative is not working!”
Have you been giving this routinely for at least three months?
An occasional flea may occur, as long as they are not living on
the pet and dying off quickly then the preventative is working
Preventatives- Canine
• Prescription Only
• Trifexis
• Oral, Heartworm and flea prevention
• Not for patients with seizure history
• Advantage Multi
• Topical, Heartworm and flea prevention
• Non-prescription
• Comfortis
• Oral, Fleas only
• Not for patients with seizure history
• Activyl
• Topical, Fleas only
• Capstar
• Oral, Fleas only- temporary and lasts only 24 hours.
• Nexgard
• Oral, Fleas and Ticks only
• Not for patients with seizure history
Preventatives- Feline
• Prescription Only
• Revolution
• Topical, Heartworm and flea prevention
• Advantage Multi
• Topical, Heartworm and flea prevention
• Non-prescription
• Activyl
• Topical, Fleas only
• Capstar
• Oral, Fleas only- temporary and lasts only 24 hours.
Drugs in Westbury Pharmacy
Preventative
Drug
Route
Species
Treatments
Cautions
Triheart
Ivermectin,
Pyrantel
Oral- tablet
Dog
Heartworm; hookworms,
roundworms
Heartgard
Ivermectin,
pyrantel
Oral- chew
Dog, Cat
Heartworm; hookworms,
roundworms
Trifexis
Spinosad,
Milbemycin
oxime
Oral- tablet
Dog
Heartworm; hookworms,
roundworms, whipworms,
Fleas
Revolution
Selamectin
Topical
Cat
Heartworm, Fleas, ear
mites, controls ticks in dogs
and intestinal parasites in
cats.
Advantage
Multi
Imidacloprid,
Moxidectin
Topical
Dog, Cat
Heartworms, fleas,
intestinal parasites and ear
mites in cats.
Comfortis
Spinosad
Oral- tablet
Dog, Cat
Fleas
Activyl
Inoxacarb
Topical
Dog, Cat
Fleas
Nexgard
Afoxolaner
Oral- chew
Dog
Fleas and some ticks
Caution in
seizure patients
Scalibor
collar
Deltamethrin
collar
Dog
Ticks
Toxic to Cats
Caution in
seizure patients
Caution in
seizure patients