First some information about fleas and ticks. Fleas and ticks are ectoparasites, parasites that can either live on or burrow into their hosts’ skin. Parasites live at least part of their life cycle on a host, since the host provides essential resources such as food (blood, sweat, tears), a warm, protected environment and transportation and transmission to another host. 

Fleas are small, wingless, blood feeding insects that have four life stages:egg, larva, pupa and adult. They can cause allergic reactions and disease to their hosts.

Ticks are an eight legged, blood feeding ectoparasite that are closely related to spiders, scorpions, and mites and live on mammals and birds. They are relatively large compared to fleas with soft rounded bodies. Most ticks attach to their host and feed for as long as 12 to 24 hours before they fall off. Most ticks spend about 10% of their lifetime attached to a host. Their bites can cause local reactions including skin damage, irritation, inflammation and hypersensitivity. Among the diseases carried by ticks are Lyme Disease, Canine Ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

When it comes to fleas and ticks, prevention is the key. I am going to discuss various treatments for your pets. If you have an infestation in your environment, please remember to consult your veterinarian or a professional exterminator immediately.  Flea and tick control is one area of veterinary medicine that has grown rapidly in the past few years. Some of the most commonly used products are once a month topicals, sprays/powders, dips, shampoos, collars and oral medications.

You should contact your veterinarian to discuss which options will work best for you and your pet based upon their age and health. Products should not be used on pregnant or nursing animals without first consulting your veterinarian. I will go into a few of the more popular methods for control. Once a month topical insecticides are applied to a small area on the back of the pet and are one of the easiest products to use. Most of these products treat both fleas and ticks in their various life cycles. Frontline, Advantage/Advantix and Revolution are among the most commonly used. Not all topicals are created equal. Please consult your veterinarian before purchasing and applying these products.

Sprays and powders are easy to apply but can be messy. These also contain pyrethrins and/or permethrin which kills adult fleas and ticks and in some cases stops flea eggs and larvae from maturing.  Dips and rinses are applied to the entire animal. They kill and repel adult fleas and ticks and have some residual activity. These substances may contain permethrin, pyrethrin, carbamates, or organophosphates.

Shampoos help rid the animal of its fleas but most have little residual activity. When using either a dip or shampoo, it is important to protect your pets’ eyes and ears.

Collars can be effective but need to be applied properly. The correct amount of snugness is important for it to be effective. Care must be taken when animals get wet because the collar can lose it effectiveness.

Oral products, such as Program and Capstar are also available. Program contains an insect development inhibitor that does not kill adult fleas but rather sterilizes the fleas. Capstar kills adult fleas but is only effective for 24 hours or less. Neither one kill ticks.

DO NOT USE PYRETHROIDS, ORGANOPHOPHATES, ORGANOCARBAMATES OR AMITRAZ WITH CATS.

Remember that with any flea and tick preventative you use on your pet, the flea or tick must actually be in contact with the active ingredient for them to die. You may see the flea or tick on your pet after the treatment but this must happen in order for the parasite to come in contact with the product and die. Most products kill the fleas and ticks within 24 hours and therefore reduce the risk of transmitted diseases.

I hope that this helps. Remember that prevention is key.