Flea Control Products

Delivery Systems

Shampoos:
Flea shampoos contain various insecticides that are variably effective. The primary use of a shampoo is to remove fleas that are present on the animal at the time of shampooing. For this to be effective, the shampoo should contact the pet for at least ten (10) minutes, before rinsing! Shampoos are generally considered safe products, but the label should be read. Only use a shampoo on an animal (e.g., cat or dog, etc.) for which it is labeled!

Try to keep the suds out of the eyes and ears during the bathing process. It may help to place cotton balls in the ears prior to bathing, but remember to remove them afterwards!

To shampoo a cat: Fill a pitcher with warm water. Do NOT run tap water near the cat....it will cause an undesirable reaction! Gently pour the warm water over the cat or use a sponge to wet the cat while talking softly to it. Then apply the shampoo and gently lather the soap. Gently pour the warm water from the pitcher over the cat or use a sponge to remove the soap after ten minutes of contact time. Make sure that the shampoo is labeled safe for cats!

Powders:
Powders can be effective insecticides on cats and dogs. They are easy to apply: shake a small amount of powder onto the skin over the base of the tail and gently work down to the skin. Other areas that should be powdered include the rear aspects of the hind legs, the stomach area, and around the neck. It is not necessary to completely cover the animal with the powder. Powders can make quite a mess during application. Dust may fly up and is easily inhaled by the pet and the applicator (YOU). Apply powders in well-ventilated areas. Do not apply powders if you have a respiratory disease, such as asthma.

Rinses or Dips:
Rinses apply insecticides all over the animal. The main advantage of a rinse is the longer residual action of the parasiticide compared to a shampoo. Always follow label instructions, make sure the product is properly diluted, wear gloves during application, and apply in a well-ventilated area.

Rinses are applied by first bathing the pet, towel drying the pet, and then using a sponge to sponge on the properly diluted product. Cotton balls should be placed in the ears (and of course removed afterwards) and care should be taken to keep the rinse out of the eyes. The product should be applied weekly or as recommended by your veterinarian. Follow label instructions!

Sprays:
Most sprays are now pump sprays vs. aerosol sprays. These can be quite effective as flea control agents, depending upon the active ingredient of the product. Sprays should be applied once to twice weekly, and in some endemic areas, every day after the animal comes in from the outdoors. It is not necessary to totally soak the animal. One or two sprays over the tail base, one on the rear aspect of each hind leg, one on the stomach area, and one or two around the neck or back is generally sufficient. You may also spray a cotton ball and wipe the spray around the eyes and ears, but try not to get the insecticide in the eyes!

A word of caution: many cats do not like sprays. The noise generated will make them run and hide, and believe me, it won't be easy to find your furry friend the next time you want to spray him/her. See the information on foams below.

Foams (i.e., Mousse):
Flea foams consist of an insecticide in a foam base. These products are excellent for spot treatment of cats that are afraid of the noisier sprays. The foam is dispensed into a (latex) gloved hand and then the foam is gently rubbed into the hair coat over the base of the tail, rear aspects of the hind legs, neck, face, and stomach areas.

Pour-ons:
A common ingredient of "pour-on" flea control products is permethrin, which is a synthetic pyrethrin. (e.g., Defend ®EXSpot;,Schering-Plough) It is approved for use on dogs only (NO CATS) and labeled for use at intervals of at least one week. These products can be quite effective when used in conjunction with other flea control products. Permethrin is commonly combined with pyriproxyfen (e.g., BioSpot tm; Flea & Tick Control for Dogs-Farnam; OviSpot tm; Plus Topical Flea & Tick Control -Hoechst Roussel Vet), which is an insect growth regulator. These products will not prevent the flea from biting the animal, so if the animal is allergic to flea bites and has constant exposure to fleas, they will not prevent the signs of allergies.

AdvantageTM (Bayer):
A recent addition to the family of pour-on products for flea control is AdvantageTM (Bayer). The active ingredient of this product is an insecticide, imidacloprid, which acts as a neuroinhibitor and kills adult fleas. Advantage is applied to the skin over the back, where it diffuses through the skin over the remainder of the body. Advantages: Fleas are exposed to the active insecticide upon contact : the fleas do NOT have to bite the host animal (your pet) in order to receive a lethal dose of imidacloprid. The literature with this product claims 98-100% kill of adult fleas within 24 hours and prevention of reinfestation for up to 4 weeks. Advantage is not systemically absorbed and therefore, the product is considered to be extremely safe. The label indicates that the product may be used on animals 4 months of age or older. Disadvantages: The skin may become quite greasy at the site of application....persisting up to several days.

There are no reports in the scientific literature on the efficacy of this product in field conditions (normal everyday life) as a flea control product for dogs and cats. Like all pour-on products (topicals), the efficacy of the product is reduced if the animal gets wet (e.g. rain, swimming) and re-application may be necessary.
TopSpotTM (Merial):
Another recent addition to the pour-on group is fipronil...sold as Top SpotTM; by Merial. the product was available a year ago as a spray (FrontlineTM; and is known for its excellent control of both ticks and fleas. The topical pour-on formulation makes this product much easier to use on animals with long hair.
RevolutionTM (Pfizer):
The most recent topical insecticide approved in the United States for flea control is selamectin (Revolution : Pfizer). The product is applied topically on the skin between the shoulder blades and repeated monthly. The product is labeled as safe for use in breeding animals, pregnant and lactating females, and in puppies and kittens greater than 6 weeks of age. The product kills adult fleas and prevents eggs from hatching. It has been shown to be safe in ivermectin-sensitive Collie Dogs. This product has also been labeled as effective to treat canine scabies (aka., sarcoptic mange), otoacariasis (aka., ear mites), as a preventative for heartworm infestation, and for treatment of roundworm and hookworm infestation in cats. It also is labeled as an effective agent to control ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) in dogs.

Oral insecticides:
The only major oral medication used for flea control is lufenuron, available as the oral product Program ( Novartis Animal Health) for dogs or cats, or in combination with milbemycin SentinelTM, for flea control and control of heartworm and intestinal parasites. Sentinel is given once monthly and is available in a tablet form.

Flea collars / medallions:
Hmmm. What can I say? My personal experiences in veterinary dermatology suggest that flea collars are fairly worthless when it comes to flea control. The best thing about the collars is the reflective material that is built into many collars. This seems to have a better chance of helping your pet than any insecticidal or repellent effects of the ingredients.

A recent paper on the efficacy of flea collars did show that flea collars containing deltamethrin or diazinon did reduce the flea population in a controlled, experimental environment by 93% for 90 days (diazinon) or 150 days (deltamethrin). HOWEVER, 93% means that 7% of the fleas survived. In addition, there is no evidence to indicate how quickly the collars might kill or repel "new" fleas in a real environmental situation. Therefore, it would seem that animals with allergic reactions to flea would not benefit as much as animals without allergic reactions. The authors opinion is that collars may be effective in some situations, IF the animal does not have flea allergy dermatitis...otherwise.....try something else!
Reference: Franc M, Cadiergues MC. Comparative activity in dogs of deltamethrin- and diazinon-impregnated collars against Ctenocephalides felis. AJVR 1998:59;59-60.

Ultrasonic flea collars are especially ineffective!
Reference: Dryden MW et al. Effects of ultrasonic flea collars on Ctenocephalides felis on cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 195:1717-1718, 1989.

Foggers (aka., bombs, aerosols): Foggers are basically insecticides or insect growth regulators in a pressurized can. Foggers may contain one or more of several active ingredients. Activation of the fogger releases the material in a mist or fog, which the dissipates over the immediate area. Foggers do not penetrate well, nor do they deliver the ingredients under objects like beds, couches, chairs, area rugs, etc. This lack of adequate penetration, in my opinion, makes the fogger an inadequate product for flea control.

The place where foggers can be useful is a large open area, such as an unfinished basement or garage. Be sure to read the label for warnings and instructions for proper application. Foggers come in various sizes intended for varying areas (square or cubic feet), so read the label and get a fogger that is appropriate for your area! The most efficient use of foggers requires that the appropriate size is applied in several areas of a house.

House Sprays: Hand-held sprayers are the best way to deliver an insecticide to the home or other confined area. Commercial products are available, containing various effective insecticides as well as insect growth regulators. Sprays should contain a product that has good "knockdown" capability so that contact with a flea will kill that flea. (See section: Households with Infants) In general, sprays should be applied every 7-14 days in houses with an active flea problem, and they should be applied immediately after vacuuming. (See section on Treatment of the House) Sprays are more effective at reaching areas under furniture and those nooks and crannies where cats like to hide. Be sure to read labels for restrictions and application instructions.

Yard Sprays: Several yard sprays are commercially available. These generally contain insecticides that will kill fleas upon contact, have residual action, or both. See the section on Treatment of the Environment for specific instructions. In general, yard sprays are NOT necessary for effective flea control. However, problem areas in a yard may include areas under porches, under stairs, sheds or doghouses (which should be treated like the house), and areas under or around trees or bushes that are shaded. Organic material may protect fleas from exposure to the active ingredient. Always read labels for restrictions and application instructions.

More Information:

Content provided by Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine for educational purposes only.

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