Flea control
Posted: Wednesday, March 22, 2006
by Todd Gnesin
ThePetonline.com
Flea control
After years of frustration, we finally have flea products that work: Revolution, Advantage and Frontline. They work well enough and fast enough that even if you have a heavy flea infestation, you probably 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.Advantage and Frontline
Advantage and Frontline Top Spot are supplied in a little plastic squeeze tubes. Select the size that matches your pet's weight and apply the entire contents directly onto the skin, once a month.Reasons to choose Advantage instead of Frontline
Advantage is easy. The packaging is easy to use, and Advantage comes with a little picture showing exactly where to apply it.It can be used any time. You can bathe your dog and apply Advantage a few hours later.
Using both products according to label instructions, Advantage is slightly cheaper.
Reasons to choose Frontline instead of Advantage
Frontline lasts longer. For flea control in dogs, it's probably good for three months. For cats, two months. When the manufacturer began recommending it for tick control, they changed their recommendation from every three months to every month.Used monthly, Frontline does an acceptable job of tick control. We have had clients complain that it doesn't work and others sing its praises. If you have a serious tick problem, Preventic Collars (dogs only) may work better. Preventic collars make the ticks fall off before they die. With Frontline, ticks usually stay attached and must be removed individually.
Frontline doesn't wash off as easily as Advantage. Both products withstand occasional swimming and light bathing, but Frontline stands up to frequent swimming and even a serious bath now and then.
If used every two months, which is adequate for flea control, Frontline is less expensive.
With Frontline, keep these things in mind:
Do not bathe your dog three days before or three days after applying Frontline Top Spot.Your veterinarian should give you the the little extra sheet that shows where to apply Frontline and explains how to deal with the somewhat awkward packaging.
Frontline spray
Frontline Spray works the same as Frontline Top Spot, but is not quite so easy to use, since it must be sprayed all over the body. For cats and small dogs, Frontline spray is much less expensive than Frontline Top Spot and just as effective.Other monthly insecticides:
Hartz Control, Bio-Spot, Sargeant's Pretect, Zodiac Spot-on, Powerspot, and Defy all contain permethrin, an insecticide that has been used for many years as a flea spray. When used to prevent a flea problem, they work ok. If your pet already has fleas, get Advantage or Frontline, which work a lot better and are less toxic than permethrin. Advantage and Frontline are safe for cats and puppies, these other products are not.
Compare BIO SPOT
How To Get Rid Of Fleas
Topical and Oral Preventives
Bio Spot® for Dogs
Advan-
tage®
K9
Advantix
Front-
line®
Front-
line
Plus®
Program®
Capstar
Kills
Adult
Fleas
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Controls
Flea
Develop-
ment
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Kills
Ticks
(Lyme
Disease
vectors)
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Repels &
Kills
Mosqui-
toes
(Heart-
worm,
West Nile
Virus
carriers)
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Adminis-
tration
Apply
Topically
Apply
Topically
Apply
Topically
Apply
Topically
Apply
Topically
Oral
Pill
Oral
Pill
Dosage
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
Monthly
One-Time
Minimum
Age
For
Dogs
12 wks
& older
Dogs
> 7 wks
Cats
> 8 wks
For
Dogs
7 wks
& older
For
Dogs
& Cats
8 wks
& older
For
Dogs
& Cats
8 wks
& older
For
Dogs
& Cats
6 wks
& older
For
Dogs
& Cats
4 wks
& older
2 lbs
or more
Active
Ingred-
ients
Permethrin
&
Nylar
IGR
Imidac-
loprid
Imidac-
loprid &
Perme-
thrin
Fipronil
Fipronil
&
Metho-
prene
IGR
Lufenuron
Niten-
pyram
Flea and Tick Products
FAQ Frontline Plus
| Topical and Oral Preventives | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bio Spot® for Dogs | Advan- tage® |
K9 Advantix |
Front- line® |
Front- line Plus® |
Program® | Capstar | |
| Kills Adult Fleas |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Controls Flea Develop- ment |
Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Kills Ticks (Lyme Disease vectors) |
Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Repels & Kills Mosqui- toes (Heart- worm, West Nile Virus carriers) |
Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Adminis- tration |
Apply Topically |
Apply Topically |
Apply Topically |
Apply Topically |
Apply Topically |
Oral Pill |
Oral Pill |
| Dosage | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly | One-Time |
| Minimum Age |
For Dogs 12 wks & older |
Dogs > 7 wks Cats > 8 wks |
For Dogs 7 wks & older |
For Dogs & Cats 8 wks & older |
For Dogs & Cats 8 wks & older |
For Dogs & Cats 6 wks & older |
For Dogs & Cats 4 wks & older 2 lbs or more |
| Active Ingred- ients |
Permethrin & Nylar IGR |
Imidac- loprid |
Imidac- loprid & Perme- thrin |
Fipronil | Fipronil & Metho- prene IGR |
Lufenuron | Niten- pyram |
Flea and Tick Products
FAQ Frontline Plus
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