Oral Flea Medication
Oral flea medication in the form of Program was very popular until Frontline came about. It was convenient,
relatively safe and it worked by effectively acting like a birth control for fleas – it stops the flea eggs and flea
larvae from developing, hence breaking the flea life cycle. Problem is, it does nothing to kill the adult fleas already
on the dog or cat. To be effective, you have to start the program a while before the peak flea season kicks in and
then you can stop giving it when the season tapers off. This is only if you live in an area where the flea infestation
is seasonal.
It is available in 4 strengths in flavoured tablets for dogs (>6 weeks old) and 2 strengths as a liquid for cats (> 6 weeks old). They need to be given in conjunction with a meal.
Oral flea medication is very effective in dogs and cats which are not allergic to fleas and where the odd flea picked up from the park or neighbour’s cat isn’t a big problem. However, if your dog is allergic to fleas, then it’s best that you opt for the flea spot on treatments or Frontline spray to kill the adult fleas that hop on before they have a chance to bite your dog.
Sentinel is another oral flea medication which has the added benefit of having heartworm prevention and control of your regular dog gut worms like hookworm, whipworm and roundworm. Comes in 4 sizes for dogs more than 4 weeks old. Not for cat use. Given monthly as a flavored tablet. As with Program, it stops the flea cycle by halting development of flea eggs and flea larvae but doesn’t kill adult fleas. With the added benefit of heartworm prevention, it means that you should visit your vet for a heartworm test before starting your dog on it.
Read on…
- Flea washes and flea dust powders
- Flea collars
- Flea spot on treatments like Frontline flea control, Advantage flea control, Advantix flea control, Revolution flea control
- Flea spray on treatment like Frontline spray
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