Premise Flea Control?

[maerlyn]

I was just speaking with a friend who's finding the flea problem on his dog. He's following his vet's instructions, but the dog still has fleas - and the medication seems to make her lethargic. I used a premise spray once, years ago, and haven't had a problem since. Even my grey boys, my outdoor cats, don't have fleas. I think the premise spray made the difference. Can anyone recommend a good premise spray that wouldn't be expensive? The one I used is no longer made. I'd like to help my friend if I can. Thanks!

[Catty1]

There are two very good flea treatments that are applied to the skin, and they are not that costly. Have him ask his vet about Revolution and Frontline. I have used Profender here in Canada, and for outdoor pets it's applied every 3 months. One of them also works on tapeworms that fleas cause.

I hope your friend's dog is better soon!

[pomtzu]

I've never heard of premise spray, so can't be of much help there. I use Advantix II on my 2 pups, and they never have a flea problem. It's not inexpensive, but it works and is not some cheap fly-by-night brand that could be harmful without you knowing it.

[maerlyn]

Thanks for the replies! He's been using Frontline alternately with the oral med the vet gave him. The right premise spray helps because it kills the fleas in all stages, including the eggs. I called my vet hospital, and the vet tech recommended one, so I'll pass that info on. Thanks again!

[Jessika]

We have been seeing breakthrough flea problems with our clients who have been using frontline religiously on their pets. The vets feel the fleas are developing a resistance to the Frontline. I wouldn't recommend using it anymore, especially if you're seeing fleas while using the product. I have not heard of the spray you're talking about, but some products we use and recommend to our clients are Revolution, Comfortis, and Vectra 3D.

As far as I'm aware, though, the tick efficacy portion of Frontline is still working well, just not the flea preventative portion.

[maerlyn]

Many, many years ago, we had a *severe* flea problem. My vet recommended a then-new premise spray to be used once in the spring and once in the fall. It was expensive, but I tried it. To this day, I have no flea problem at all - with 5 cats, 3 of them indoor (but go out occasionally) and two semi-ferals who are always out. No fleas - at all - not one - even on the outdoor cats. I attribute this to having sprayed my house, killing the adults fleas, the youngsters, and even the eggs. It's only marginally effective to use spot flea treatment on the cat or dog when the fleas are laying eggs and hatching in the house. Since my vet hospital recommended this particular spray (the original kind from years ago is no longer available), I feel safe in recommending it to my friend.