Flea and Tick preventative

[Catlady711]

Some flea/tick meds are not safe (I've seen particularly bad reactions to bio spot/hartz/sargents products at work).

Some internet pharmacies carry counterfiet (sp?) products that don't actually have the ingredients in it that it says on the label, or in the right concentrations if they do. Some do not have proper use instructions on the packages. Manufacturers will not honor any warrantee over products purchased except from a veterinarian. Internet pharmacies do not usually pass on manufacturer discounts/coupons and you're usually stuck buying in 3/6 pks vs being able to buy just a single tube from the vet as you need it.

In our area it gets cold enough that we don't recommend year round flea/tick prevention unless people travel with their pets to warmer climates or have a flea problem in the wintertime.

Frontline Plus, Advantage are both good products, and safe to use. We mostly used Frontline Plus where I work. However in the last couple years we've been having clients complaining that the products just aren't working like they used to. There could be some concern about fleas becoming immune to these products.

There is a new product available now called Promeris by Fort Dodge available only from veterinarians. I recently went to a seminar about this product that we started using last fall.

We have switched over many of our clients to this product and they have all been thrilled with the results. We tell them to call us if they're seeing any fleas in two days, we have yet to get a call from anyone.

Sorry if this will sound a bit like a sales rep shpeel but the seminar was not only exciting, but the results we've been seeing in the actual office and the clients reviews of results at home have been enthusiastic to say the least.

Highlights of the Promaris:

kills fleas in two hours (much faster than frontline's 24 hours)

paralyses the mouth parts of a flea and stops the biting in 20 minutes so the fleas don't get a blood meal and lay eggs around your house (always was a debate whether frontline killed fleas before they would bite or not possibly causing flea bite allergies)

for ticks in dogs Promeris only lasts 4 weeks though BUT lasts 6-7 weeks against fleas in dogs and cats (unlike frontline's 4 weeks for everything)

safe for humans and other pets (they made the product bad tasting so pets won't lick it off another pet, and it's not absorbed through the skin so it can't harm humans/other pets, the product works by attatching to the oil layer on the skin itself, not absorbtion)

waterproof

Has a wider range of doses based specifically on size including in cats (there have been many concerns that a wide size range dose was too much for small cats and tiny dogs in previous products)

main ingredient is Metaflumizone which fleas have never been exposed to before so they cannot have a tolerance built up already against it

As for ticks in dogs it will actually cause the tick to detatch, be unable to feed, paralyse it, then it dies, and it will help prevent reinfestation by paralysing the mouth parts so a new tick can't feed. (frontline can't compare to this tick killing/preventing product)

Is (at least where I work) cheaper than Frontline Plus.


Cons:

Promeris for cats does not have any tick fighting ingredients in it. However it is safe to use on your dog in a household that also has cats in it (unlike Advantix).

The ingredients in the product normally smell quite awful so the company has masked the smell with other scents. Dogs will smell like eucalyptus and cats like banannas for a day or two, but then the smell will wear off, but product keeps working. We always warn clients ahead of time about the smell in case someone is sensitive to those scents. Personally I like the smell myself. When we put a dog product on it clears my sinuses for a bit, and the cat one makes me crave a bananna split. ROFL

There are only a couple situations where another product might be better suited, at least for cats.

If you have cats that have a tick problem I'd recommend Frontline Plus

for cats going outside ALOT but do not get ticks I'd recommend Revolution (because of the heartworm, intestinal worm, and ear mite fighting properties)

If you have a dog, or an mostly indoor cat, Promeris really is the best working product I've seen in years.

[Spiritwind]

I use interceptor year around, and Frontline only as needed. Usually every 2-3 months starting in April... thru about October... I've never had to apply it every month.. and its worked great for me.