Preventative Treatments for Pets

Fleas are a common pest which are the most active in the spring and summer months and if not prevented can quickly become big problem. There are many different methods which are available to help prevent an infestation before it occurs such as Advantage, Frontline and Program flea control. All of these veterinary recommended treatments work by combating a flea problem before it occurs be inhibiting the growth of fleas and disrupting their life cycle so that new fleas are not allowed to hatch and then go through the larvae and pupae stage before becoming adult fleas. By using one of these popular preventative treatments, you can rest assured that if a flea does leap onto your pet, it will not be able to multiply and turn into a much larger problem for both you and your pet.

   
  Advantage is a topical treatment which does not require that the flea bit the pet in order to be eliminated. When a flea comes into contact with your pet it will die, and better yet it has the ability to kill fleas within all four of the various life stages which a flea goes through. While many flea treatments which control and prevent fleas are not recommended on pets younger than four months of age, Advantage is safe to use on puppies as young as 7 weeks old. All you have to do is apply the topical solution to the base of your pet’s neck once a month and it will continue to work until the next treatment is applied. Advantage is even water proof so you do not have to worry about it washing off in between treatments. The active ingredient which is used in Advantage is Imidacloprid which is an insecticide which is able to block the fleas’ nerve receptors and quickly eliminate them.

     Frontline is another popular preventative treatment which is able to help prevent a flea infestation from occurring. Unlike Advantage, Frontline has the ability to kill and prevent both fleas and ticks. The active ingredient which is used in this preventative treatment is Fipronil which will affect the nervous system of the fleas causing paralysis and death to any flea which comes in contact with your pet.  Like Advantage this preventative treatment is applied to the pets’ skin at the base of the neck and then worked down to the shoulder blades. It is recommended that a new application be applied once a month to effectively prevent fleas from infesting your pet and your home.

     Program flea control works in a slightly different way from the other two preventative treatment methods discussed. This preventative flea treatment comes in both an oral or injectable version which is able to effectively control fleas using an insect development inhibitor which will disrupt the life cycle of fleas which bite your pet. Once a flea has bitten a pet which is protected with program flea control, they then become sterile and the eggs which are laid are unable to hatch and produce a new cycle of fleas. The oral treatment is given to dogs once a month, while the injectable form is given to cats with a single injection lasting up to six months.