Flea, Tick and Mange Questions Answered
Q. Do I need to use flea treatment all year round?
A.
Whilst the cold winter months may mean that fleas will not survive outdoors, the warmth of your home means that fleas can survive indoors year round and infect your pets. For good flea control, it is recommended to treat throughout the whole year.
Q. What are the minimum age flea products can be used in kittens?
A.
Advantage, Frontline Plus and Revolution can all be used from 8 weeks of age in kittens.
Q. What are the minimum age flea products can be used in puppies?
A.
Frontline Plus can be used in pups from 8 weeks, Advantage and Advantix can be used in pups from 7 weeks, Revolution can be used in pups from 6 weeks and Sentinel can be used in pups from 4 weeks of age and 2lb in weight.
Q. What prevention options are available for ticks?
A.
There is a wide range of products available for tick control. They work in slightly different ways and have different lengths of protection from ticks, and some products are effective against a broader range of ticks than other products.
The commonly used products to kill and/or repel ticks include:
Frontline: This range of products (topical liquids and a spray-on formulation) are registered for the control of all four common ticks (Brown Dog Ticks, American Dog Ticks, Lone Star Ticks and Deer Ticks) in the US for 30 days, however it may take 24-48 hours to kill the ticks, so daily inspections are recommended. The Frontline range of products are not tick repellents. Frontline is also effective against fleas and chewing lice on cats and dogs and aids in the control of sacroptic mange in dogs. This is available through PetDrugs without a prescription.
Preventic collars: These tick prevention collars for dogs consist of a thin strap of plastic impregnated with amitraz. This slowly liberates the product in a sufficient concentration to kill all four common ticks (Brown Dog Ticks, American Dog Ticks, Lone Star Ticks and Deer Ticks) for up to three months. The dog should be inspected daily for ticks in high-risk areas. Take care not to allow the dog to chew on the collars, as they can be quite poisonous if ingested. These collars are also available through Pet Drugs.
Revolution: Revolution is effective against the American Dog Tick - it makes no claim regarding the other 3 common ticks found in the US. The label warns that in heavy tick infestations, complete tick efficacy may not be achieved after the first dose, so an additional dose may be given two weeks after the first dose, with monthly dosing continuing thereafter. In dogs, Revolution is also effective against fleas, heartworm, ear mites, and sarcoptic mange. In cats, Revolution is effective against fleas, heartworm, ear mites, roundworm and hookworm - it has no tick claim.
Note that Pet Drugs also carries two rinses for ticks - Permoxin and Demadex. These are applied to dogs after a bath. Weekly rinses of these products are required.
K9 Advantix: This is a topical liquid treatment for dogs, which prevents further tick infestation for four weeks. Ticks already on the dog at time of treatment will be killed but remain attached and visible. Treatment with Advantix should start before the first expected exposure to ticks. Application at one-month intervals will control the four major ticks in the US (Brown Dog Ticks, American Dog Ticks, Lone Star Ticks and Deer Ticks). Advantix also repels ticks and kills fleas. During tick season, daily searching for ticks is recommended.
Q. What products do you carry for mange in dogs?
A.
"Mange" means an infection with mites and can be caused by quite a few different types of mites in dogs. The three main types of mites affecting dogs are Sarcoptes (scabies) mites, Demodex mites and Ear mites. Only the first two tend to be referred to as "mange", though. Some are harder to treat than others, so it depends on the type of mange as to what the treatment required will be.
Sarcoptic mange, or "scabies" can be treated with the product Revolution. This is a monthly topical liquid treatment that goes on the back of a dog's neck. It treats fleas, prevents heartworm and treats ear mites and sarcoptes mites in dogs. Two monthly treatments were found to have 100% efficacy in eradicating these mites in product trials. PetDrugs also carries Demadex Acaricidal Dog Wash, which is effective in treating Sarcoptic mange - normally 3-6 weekly treatments will be required. Frontline, another monthly topical liquid treatment for fleas and ticks, also has a claim to aid in the control of scabies. Note that some dogs will continue to itch even after Scabies mites are killed, due to an allergy to the mites, or secondary bacterial infections, so anti-inflammatory or antibiotic treatment may be required to fully resolve the problem - a veterinary prescription will be required for either of these treatments.
Demodectic mange (or "red mange") is much more difficult to treat. With Sarcoptes mites, the mites are near the surface of the skin, but Demodex mites are deep in the hair follicles of the animal, so are more difficult for products to reach. Demadex shampoo can also be used for this at a higher concentration than for scabies treatment, for a much longer period. However, some animals may require ivermectin injections - these are off-label use of the product and can only be performed by your own veterinarian.
Ear mites can be treated with Revolution (onto the neck, not into the ear). Alternatively, Pet Drugs carries a number of ear canker drops, such as Ilium Ear Canker Drops, which contain pyrethrins. These are effective in treating ear mites, but must be used twice daily for up to a month to completely cure the mite infestation.
Q. Can I bathe my pet while using topical flea treatments?
A.
Frontline Plus, Revolution, Advantage and Advantix are all water fast or waterproof. Pets may be bathed, go swimming or play in the rain when these products are applied and they will remain effective for the whole month. Pets treated with Frontline Plus may be bathed once the application area appears dry, usually 24 -48 hours. If Frontline is to be applied after a bath, the manufacturers recommend that owners make sure the pet is completely dry before application.
Revolution is very quick drying, so pets may be bathed just two hours after the product is applied and the product will remain effective.
Advantage and Advantix also remain effective after bathing or water immersion. The company that manufactures these products has found that pets may be bathed from 2 days after the products have been applied and they will remain effective.
