Protect Your Pets with Proper Flea & Tick Treatment

Fleas and Ticks can cause a lot of problems to pets and it is important that we take

adequate steps to protect them. There are a lot of different ways to control flea and

ticks and today’s pet owner has a lot of choice. Among the various categories of

products available today, topical and oral medications are the most popular Flea and

Tick treatments.

Topical Flea and Tick treatment includes spot-on products such as Frontline Plus for

Dogs, K9 Advantix for Dogs, Advantage for Dogs and Advantage for Cats, etc. These

medicines are monthly applications that are

applied directly on the skin. Since most of the

spot-on products are water-resistant, moisture

does not affect them. This allows pet to

continue to swim and bathe even after the

application of medicines. Spot on products are

the most commonly used products to control

flea and ticks as these are OTC products,

readily available and easy to apply and last for

30 days.

In oral flea treatment, a monthly administration of a pill protects your pet from fleas.

Some of the popular and more effective oral

treatments are Program Plus and Capstar for

Dogs and Cats. It is important to bear in mind

that oral flea treatments do not offer any

protection against ticks. It is therefore

recommended that a tick collar be used along

with it.

Flea & Tick collars, if used correctly, prove

quite effective. Most of these collars start

working in 24 hours and control fleas and ticks

for up to 3 months. These collars release

repellent chemicals at regular intervals which spread through the pet’s natural oils on its

hair, coat and skin. These flea killing chemicals then adhere to the hair and skin and

provide continuous protection. Flea collars are convenient to use and prove highly

effective during infestations, especially if your pet spends a lot of time outdoors.

Dips can be another option for Flea and Tick Control for Dogs and cats. As the term

suggests, the animal is literally immersed in the dip and then the product is allowed to

dry on the skin. A flea dip is a fairly effective way of eliminating fleas present on the pet

at that time however it is recommended not to use them too frequently.

Whichever method you chose to use, please ensure that you follow the manufacturer’s

instructions of use and disposal. Also keep in mind that along with keeping your pet free

from flea and ticks, it is also important to eliminate fleas and ticks from the pet’s

immediate environment like the pet’s bedding and your house and yard. This can be by

using products like carpet powders, sprays and forgers. Sprays can come handy as they

kill adult fleas and inhibit the growth of new fleas. Similarly forgers are good for

outdoors and very useful in highly flea infested areas. Carpet powders allow you to

remove fleas from carpets, furniture cushions and pet’s bedding. Bear in mind that

these treatments need to be repeated at regular intervals for ideal flea & tick control.