Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 2/23/2011

Question
In recents years I have used Frontline Flea preventative on my dogs. However, I have seen a flea preventative that also contains heartworm preventative called Program Plus. I haven't heard anything about this and wanted to be sure it was safe.The info on website:

Manufactured by Novartis Animal Health, Program Plus' active ingredient, Lufenuron and Milbemycin Oxime, is a long-term and very effective flea control treatment for your dog as well as its surrounding environment. Milbemycin Oxime is effective against Dirofilaria Immitis, as well as larval and adult stages of nematodes.

Program Plus should be given to dogs orally, preferably with with its meal. Coming in different pack sizes (red/green/yellow/white), Program Plus for dogs also prevents heartworm disease, hookworms, roundworms and whipworms, making it a multi-purpose medication to keep your dog in tip-top health.

Thank you very much for your help
Sherry

Answer
I am not sure where you live but here in California this product is called Sentinel. I have been using it on my dogs and cats for over 15 years and my 3 acres, my pets and my home are all flea-free. Even with deer, opossums, squirrels and many other flea-carrying critters roaming around my property I have never had a flea problem with my pets.
That says a lot for the effectiveness of this product.

Milbemycin Oxime is a low dose antibiotic that they found to be more effective against heartworms and other parasites than germs. Lufenuron is a growth inhibiting hormone that only affects chitenous creatures- those with hard shells on them like fleas. Both are extremely safe and non-toxic to humans, cats and dogs, unlike Frontline. Frontline is a nerve toxin and as such I have refused to use it at all. It does kill black widows as I found when testing it at home. The lufenuron works by sterilizing the fleas so that when they lay eggs on the pet, which then fall to the carpets, floor, ground, etc., the eggs are unable to hatch. The larval form of the flea, which lives in the carpets, floor, etc,feeds on the feces of the fleas on the pets. When that flea eats the lufenuron from the animals blood, it renders the larvae unable to spin a cocoon so it dies. The only thing that lufenuron doesn't affect is the adult in a cocoon. These cannot be killed by anything. Once they hatch however, they will go through the same thing as the other fleas went through.

In a few weeks your flea problems will diminish and soon you will have zero fleas. As long as your pets are on this, any eggs they lay will never hatch and once the adults are all dead, so is your flea problem.

For heavy infestations we recommend using a knock-down product such as Ovitrol Plus spray. It also has an IGR, or insect growth regulator, so it will also help remove the problem.

You probably also saw the flea pyramid on the Novartis site which shows you how the biggest flea problem is not the adults, but those you cannot see, the eggs, larvae and cocoons.

You can use this with confidence and knowing that you are not using a nerve toxin on your pets or around yourself has to feel good.  

I am surprised you have never heard of this product. As I said, it is very popular here and I will always use it on my pets. My cat takes the green size and my dog her size by weight.

You couldn't get a better product for flea and heartworm control.