Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 10/28/2010

Question
I just recently adopted a small mixed terrier dog between the ages of 1 and 3 years old. He has fleas and I have tried flea shampoo, flea collars, and a liquid you put on them that is similar to Advantage or Frontline. Is there anything else I can do to prevent them from coming back?

Answer
Hi Rachel,
Unfortunately all those products do not work very well anymore on fleas. I am guessing you bought these at a store or a pet store?

The only effective flea control you can buy is sold at a vets only. The veterinary medical field is constantly testing and updating their products and have created many products that are not only effective in killing off fleas, but are also safer than what you can buy in the store.

What you need to get is some Ovitrol spray for your dog and some house spray as well. Your biggest flea problem is not on the dog, but what is in your floors and carpets.

Here is a flea pyramid that shows you the worst part:

http://www.southwoodsvet.com/images/caseofmonth/fleas_pyramid.jpg

This will help you to understand how fleas live and spread.

The problem is that you need something to kill more than the adults. You need a product with an IGR or insect growth regulator.
Ovitrol products do just that. You can also put your dog on Sentinel which combines heartworm prevention along with flea control. The way that Sentinel works is to render the fleas sterile so that the eggs they lay will not hatch. Since the flea larvae that have already hatched feed on flea feces, when they eat the feces of the fleas ingesting Sentinel through your dog, they will not be able to spin a cocoon and they will die. The only stage you cannot kill with anything is the cocooned fleas. They will hatch in about two-three weeks and then you use the Ovitrol again to knock them down. Ovitrol has an IGR but it knocks down and kills the adults.

So that is your double whammy against the fleas. Trust me Rachel, this works. Just do your part and buy the right products. You will save money in the long run and your dog will be healthier because of less harmful chemicals like the spot-on liquids are made of.

Click through these tabs on this page to learn more about the flea's life cycle.

http://www.ah.novartis.com/cab/en/dog_fleas_lifecycle.shtml

from there you can read about how Sentinel works. I use it and have for over 15 yrs. There isn't a flea on my 3 acres of land because of it.

So let me know how it goes and if you have any other questions.