Fleas are making dogs miserable; what can owners do?

Question: Help! My two dogs (Maltese) are being eaten alive by fleas. I am faithful with applications of Revolution. The start of our problem was when the vet had me try Sentinel in December. By January, I went back to Revolution. I treat all areas in the house. I know they are picking them up on our walks. I have begun spraying the dogs w/flea preventive when we walk. That still does not help. I live in a community where they spray, take care of all common areas. My poor dogs are miserable. – Nona

Answer: It has been a challenging year for flea control. You have been using very safe and effective products that generally do a fantastic job at controlling fleas. The great thing is that these products also prevent heartworms and other parasites.

The trouble is that they are not killing the fleas fast enough for a ?flea allergic? dog. Revolution is a great topical product that can take hours to kill the adult fleas. The fleas can bite before they die. The fleas will never reproduce but can still cause your dog to itch and scratch for days.

Sentinel is a tablet that the dog takes by mouth. It does not kill adult fleas. Once a flea takes a blood meal on your dog the eggs will not be able to develop to adult fleas.

For dogs that are flea allergic I like to use a ?faster kill? product. Some products with a fast kill are Capstar, Comfortis, and Trifexis.

These are all tablets that are taken by mouth. The fleas often die within an hour or so. I like these products for people who don?t like to put smelly tubes of liquid on their pets.

Remember that it is very hard to keep an outdoor area ?flea free?. Most backyards are visited by wildlife that can carry fleas. Many neighborhoods also have feral cats that can carry fleas. Fleas are often found in abundance where the pet sleeps. Good flea control in the house and yard can help make a safe zone for your pet.

Ask your veterinarian which products are best for your pet.

Dr. Baker

Dr. Susan Baker
Baker Veterinary Clinic
1801 S. Congress Ave.
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Read more articles by Dr. Baker | Ask her a question

Source: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/pawshere/2011/08/05/fleas-are-making-dogs-miserable-what-can-owners-do/

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