Getting the Jump on Fleas

Choose between monthly flea products that work and are easy to use

The constant jangling of the tags as your pet scratches and chews keeps you up at night. Throwing a pillow at him certainly hasn't helped. Yelling doesn't succeed either. His skin is red and irritated. What the heck is going on? It's flea season! Wait a sec, you say. I've never seen one flea on my pet. And anyway, I keep my house clean. How dare you!

Well guess what? Fleas can easily be brought in from outside after a nice walk. They can come in on your clothing or on your pet. Their eggs are so tiny, you probably will never spot one. They can live in the smallest dust ball in the smallest crack or under the furthest reaches of your furniture. And for the poor dog or cat that is allergic to the bite of a flea, it only takes one to set off an allergic chain reaction of biting and chewing.

You've tried all the powders, sprays and shampoos you say? Well, technology has caught up in the war on fleas and there are three products you'll want to compare and try. You use them once a month! How's that for easy! The one that's been out longer is called PROGRAM. It is an oral drug that affects only the flea, not your pet, so it's very safe. It works by sterilizing the flea so that no more young are produced. Since flea larvae make up over 50% of the flea population, this is very effective at breaking the flea life cycle. But be prepared to continue to use household sprays and treatments for 60 to 90 days. That's how long it will take for PROGRAM to reach maximum effectiveness. Also, be sure to give it with a meal for it to be absorbed properly. You can also give PROGRAM in a single monthly tablet combined with heartworm prevention; it's called SENTINEL.

Other weapons in our flea arsenal are ADVANTAGE and FRONTLINE. Both of them are topical products that are placed on the skin between your pet's shoulder blades. They then spread over your pet's body and will paralyze and then kill any flea coming in contact with the product. These flea products are especially useful for those poor pets that are flea allergic; a flea does not have to bite to die! And FRONTLINE is also labeled for tick control as well. They both should continue to work even if your dog swims. It's ideal to bathe before applying, and FRONTLINE should not be applied within two days of the bath. Some clients use PROGRAM year round and then add ADVANTAGE or FRONTLINE during the worst of the flea seasons (usually Spring and Fall).

The newest flea product that also protects against heartworms is REVOLUTION. This is a topical product for dogs and cats that is applied to the skin once a month. This is a totally new route for heartworm protection. It's easy and it's effective. It also controls hookworms and roundworms in cats, as well as ear mites and mange mites. Ask us for more complete information about Revolution.

So now there are no more reasons not to get that good night's sleep. What? You say your spouse snores? Sorry, but we can't help you with that problem!