Battling Fleas And Ticks

[RoughCollies]

FLEAS

Few creatures can inflict more misery, ounce for ounce, than fleas. These tiny, almost-invisible pests can make life miserable and disrupt your household with a vicious cycle of biting and scratching. Fleas may also cause flea allergy dermatitis in some pets and may be carriers of dangerous diseases.

EGG STAGE
A female lays about 2,000 eggs in her lifetime. In one day, a single female flea can lay up to 50 eggs. The eggs aren't sticky – they quickly fall off your pet and into areas of your home. In 2-10 days, the eggs hatch.
LARVAL STAGE
After hatching, the larvae head toward dark places around your home and feed on "flea dirt" – flea feces containing partially digested blood from your pet. The larvae grow, molt twice, then spin cocoons, where they grow to pupae.
PUPA STAGE
Immature fleas spend approximately 8–9 days in their cocoon. During this time, they continue to grow to adulthood, waiting for the signals that it is time to emerge.
ADULT STAGE
Full-grown adults detect heat, vibrations and exhaled carbon dioxide from inside their cocoons, telling them a host is nearby. The adults leave their cocoons, hop onto a host, find a mate and begin the life cycle all over again.

Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD)When a flea bites your dog or cat, it deposits a small amount of saliva in the skin. Your pet can develop FAD in reaction to this saliva, which causes severe itching. In addition to your pet scratching or biting excessively around the tail, groin or backside, scabs or bumps may also appear on your pet's neck or back. Anemia
Anemia may occur in pets if too many fleas suck their blood. The signs of anemia include pale gums, weakness and lethargy in your pet. Tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum)Dogs or cats may become infected with tapeworms by ingesting an infected flea. Pets may have intense **** itching, and tapeworm segments may be seen around the **** area or in the feces.


TICKS
Often too tiny to be seen, ticks attach to pets and feed on blood until they are engorged. They thrive in high humidity and moderate temperatures, but can be found all over the country. Ticks may carry and transmit diseases, including Lyme disease, that can cause serious health problems for pets and people.

EGG STAGE
Female ticks lay eggs in secluded areas where vegetation is dense and several inches high. Adult females of some tick species lay about 100 eggs at a time; others lay 3,000 to 6,000 eggs per batch. Regardless of species, tick eggs hatch in about two weeks.
LARVAL STAGEAfter hatching, the larvae move into grass or shrubs in search of their first blood meal. If you or your pet passes by, they attach themselves and crawl upward in pursuit of an area of the skin that they can feed from. Then they drop off the host, back into the environment.
NYMPHAL STAGE
After finding their first blood meal, the larvae molt into the nymphal stage and begin searching for another host. Nymphs are small in size and often go undetected, increasing the chance for disease transmission.
ADULT STAGE
Once the nymph has had its blood meal, it molts into an adult. Adult female ticks feed on a host. In some cases, they will increase to 100 times their original weight while feeding. After feeding, the female will mate, fall off and lay her eggs in a secluded place – beginning the life cycle again.

Lyme DiseaseA bacterial infection that infects both people and dogs, Lyme disease is carried by the deer tick. Signs include lameness, fever, loss of appetite, fatigue and enlargement of the lymph nodes. The signs of Lyme disease often resolve quickly with antibiotics. BabesiosisAcute signs may include fever, loss of appetite, and anemia. Shock, coma or death may also occur, especially in puppies. The infection responds to a variety of drug treatments. Blood transfusions and other supportive care may be necessary in some animals. Ehrlichiosis*An infectious blood disease that attacks your pet's white blood cells. Signs include fever, depression, lameness, and loss of appetite. Antibiotic therapy often results in dramatic improvement within 1-2 days. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever*Often transmitted by the American dog tick and the wood tick. Signs include fever, loss of appetite, coughing, bruising, lameness, depression, vomiting and diarrhea. If untreated, permanent damage and even death may occur.

http://frontline.us.merial.com/home/index.asp

[RoughCollies]

Products to Battle with

Topical

Frontline Top Spot
Frontline Plus
Kills fleas for at least one month Controls and treats flea allergy dermatitis Kills all known ticks for at least one month Water-resistant Easy to administer spot-on application Each tube contains Fipronil & S-Methoprene

Advantage
Kills fleas for at least one month
Kills flea larvae in pets' surroundings
Easy to administer monthly application
Water-resistant
Each tube contains Imidacloprid
K9 Advantix
Kills adult and larval fleas fast... keeps killing for a month Kills and repels ticks to protect your dog for a month Kills and repels mosquitoes for a full month Water-fast formulation Easy to apply spot-on application Each tube contains imidacloprid & permethrin

Revolution
Prevents heartworm disease Kills adult fleas and prevents their eggs from hatching Treats and controls ear mites Treats and controls sarcoptic mange One tube applied monthly Each tube contains Selemectin

Oral

Capstar
Nitenpyram 11.4mg per tablet
Capstar® tablets are an oral treatment for the treatment of flea infestations on dogs, puppies, cats and kittens 4 weeks of age and older and 2 pounds of bodyweight or greater. A single dose of Capstar will start to work within 30 minutes, killing adult fleas on pets. Capstar does not provide prolonged protection against reinfestation, so pets may be safely dosed as often as once daily. All pets should be treated for the best flea control.

Sentinel
Sentinel contains two drugs: Interceptor, for heartworm control, and Program, for flea control. Sentinel costs about the same as using the two drugs separately, but if your dog needs both, it is slightly more convenient than giving two separate pills. My comments about Program apply equally to Sentinel

Program
Program® Flavor Tabs® are an oral medication for the control of flea populations in dogs and puppies over four weeks of age. Program contains lufenuron, an insect development inhibitor, which controls flea populations by breaking the flea life cycle at the egg stage. Program has no effect on adult fleas, however they ingest the medication when they bite treated pets and any eggs they lay have an abnormal shell and will not hatch.

Garlic as a Flea Preventative
http://www.springtimeinc.com/product/148/2

http://www.healthyfoodforpets.com/FleaFree.html

Why the Cheaper Brands are NOT worth it...

http://www.elversonpuzzle.com/biospot.html

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsh...tick-drops.htm

http://www.hartzvictims.org/