Flea Prevention

This year has been such a bad year for fleas! We are having many clients come in and tell us the same old thing isn’t working this year!

We have started using several new products. Canine flea control is reaching new heights! We are carrying the Comfortis tablet which begins working in about 30 minutes! The Comfortis also protects against fleas for about 30 days! This flea control can also come with added heartworm prevention and that product in called Trifexis.

Comfortis and Trifexis are both great flea products that work for dogs but they do not cover tick prevention! We were using the Frontline products for the tick route but after so much client feedback we have switched over to a newer product called Vectra. This comes in both a feline and canine version and is a topical like the Frontline. Vectra uses a different active ingredient than Frontline so the fleas do not have the immunity to the product.

Ovitrol Xtend is also a great product for spot treatment in between monthly dosages of Comfortis, Vectra or Trifexis. This product is just sprayed on the patient and you rub them down with a towel to kill any fleas that may have snuck in!

Now that we have discussed the chemical means of flea control lets discuss the organic. Dr. Brooks’ favorite method of flea control is that if you own the home you live in to plant garlic around the perimeter. Now, we live in Texas, you can’t go down to Kroger and buy them out of garlic to plant at your home. That stuff won’t survive our May heat, much less our August drought. You have to buy a native variety of garlic, Archie’s Gardenland, Tractor Supply and sometimes Russell’s Feed Store have good selections.

Why Garlic? The fleas smell the garlic and it is easier for them to go to the Smith’s or Jones’ next door than get to your place and your pets. Dr. Brooks has had garlic at his farm in the garden and has been bug free for about 15 years. Garlic also gets better each and every year that it grows, this allows it to stay put and you don’t have to keep planting it each and every year.

There are many products that are available out there from your local supermarket but Dr. Brooks strongly advises against using these. Many of these products are not thoroughly tested and can cause severe adverse reactions. Some pets have hair loss, severe itching and swelling, high fever and in very severe cases, death.  We recommend using a product that is well known and has the research to back it up.

We would love to talk to you about the best way to control your flea situation!!