Print and television advertising plays to a flea phobia and simply promises to rid a pet of parasites. Some clients have unrealistic expectations of spot-on products, experts say. “We can assume the technology will continue to make our lives easier and fleas’ lives worse.” Take Time to Educate Both can get the job done, but the newest technology does it better,” says Sebastien Gray, DVM, product manager with Summit VetPharm of Fort Lee, N.J. “Today’s flea control is like comparing an iPhone or BlackBerry to a 1980s cell phone. The products available today are the fastest acting and most efficient ever presented for a pet owner’s use. In these cases, owners must be diligent with washing pets’ bedding and using a spray on the yard.” This means that even if you heard of someone else’s flea problem ending with one application, yours may not. “Natural variation in the population happens with everything. “Some organisms are more susceptible than others,” Dryden says. “A lot of us aren’t taking the time to do this, but if we did we could improve control and more accurately know if resistance occurs.”Ĭertain parasites, even within the same species, can be harder to eradicate than others, according to the professionals. Veterinarians can’t just be a Wal-Mart or Kmart we have to educate clients about what they can expect from the product and show them how to apply it. “Human error is found to be the cause for lack of control time and time again. Dryden says, noting that resistance is likely to happen eventually with commonly used products. “Resistance to spot-on products has never been documented,” Dr. One thing researchers agree on is it’s not a resistance issue. Without an investigation, experts say, it’s difficult to know why fleas persist on a client’s pet after treatment. “I have investigated homes that by owner description sound like there could be a resistance problem but found, when I looked closer, there was always a reason for the failure. “What clients are likely seeing are new fleas from the environment as opposed to fleas surviving after a proper spot-on application,” says Michael Dryden, DVM, Ph.D., a professor of veterinary parasitology in Kansas State University’s Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology. However, more often than not, the owner projects a sterling report of by-the-book compliance and a bewilderment of continued flea propagation.Īttempting to resolve the infestation, veterinarians often switch to a different product and the resistance tale grows. They can’t force the client to follow product directions, nor can they administer the flea control every month.Īsking a client about product application, the home environment and untreated pets can reveal a potentially resolvable situation. Veterinarians are in a tough spot when a client challenges the efficacy of spot-on insecticides.
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