21 Fleas: Systemic products
Description
This article is from the Fleas, Ticks, and Your Pet FAQ, by tittle@zmall.com (Cindy Tittle Moore) with numerous contributions by others.
21 Fleas: Systemic products
These have all appeared within the last two years or so. The general
market seems to be heating up -- more demand or better research? And
the trend is definitely toward a substance on the coat or in the
bloodstream to kill fleas.
Advantage (imidacloprid)
Advantage, from Bayer, is an adult flea poison. It works by
disrupting the flea's nervous system. It is a liquid that you
apply to the dog's skin and kills on contact (therefore fleas
are not required to bite the dog). The substance will wash off,
so swimming is recommended against. It is not absorbed into the
bloodstream or internal organs. It is a repellant and an
insectide, and people are reporting being flea-free in a matter
of days. Studies show that it is selectively toxic to insects
as other animals have receptors that do not bind imidacloprid
effectively and so are not affected. This is applied along the
dog's or cat's back and works for a month. After application,
watch your pet for signs of lethargy or allergic reaction --
while studies show that there are no adverse effects up to five
time the recommended dosage, there are always sensitive
individuals. Advantage runs $15-$20 for a dose large enough for
a labrador (two vials). Ingredients include: imidacloprid -- a
chloronicotinyl nitroguanidine synthesized from the
nitromethylene class of compounds. This binds the insect's
nicotinyl receptor sites thus disrupting normal nerve
transmission and causing its death.
Frontline
Similar to Advantage, but is not water soluble (must use
alcohol to wash it off). It can be used on pups, kittens, cats,
and dogs. It does not use pyrethrins/permethrins (good news for
dogs allergic to these substances). It can repell for up to
three months (in infested areas, the reported efficacy is
closer to a month). Active ingredient is fipronil 5-amino -1-
(2, 6-dichloro-4 [trifluoromethyl]phenyl) -4- (1,R,S)-
(trifluoromethyl0sulfinyl) -1H-pryazole-3-carbonitrile 0.29%
inert ingredients 99.71%. Fipronil is a nervous transmission
interruptor, causing rapid death to fleas and ticks. Kills 96%
of fleas in the first two hours, 100% within 24 hours. Ticks
die before attachment. Fipronil is from the new phenylpyrazole
class. Unlike any other molecule, fipronil acts on the GABA
(gamma aminobutyric acid) mediated chloride channels of
invertebrates. It is not systemic, it collects in the sebaceous
glands (so you aren't supposed to give a bath 2 days prior or
after, so there is oil on the skin for it to attach to). It can
be used on puppies (8 weeks or older) and kittens. It has a
toxicity rating of LD 50 which is similar to aspirin. Frontline
CAN BE TAKEN OFF with Sulf Oxydex Dog and Cat shampoo,
manufactured by DVM Pharm. The peroxide in the shampoo deep
cleans the sebaceous glands and therefore washes all Frontline
away when rinsed.
Knockout
Works like Frontline, but is only approved for dogs. Contains
permethrins, and is supposed to repell both fleas and ticks.
Active ingredients: Pyriproxyfen:
21[1-methyl-2-(phenoxyphenoxy)ethyoxy] pyridine....0.05%
cyclopropanecarboxylate 2.00% inert ingredients 97.95% Also has
NYLAR, which is an insect growth regulator.
ProTICal (formerly Defend)
A topical agent, the product is absorbed into the skin and
spread through the fat layer; some dogs are sensitive to this.
Not approved for cats. Supposed to work for both fleas and
ticks, but many reports of tick infestations anyway. Active
ingredient is permethrin.
Proban (cythioate) and Prospot (Fenthion)
These are not licensed for use in cats in the U.S. They may be
used on dogs. They work on the principle that if you poison the
bloodstream, the fleas will die after ingesting the poisoned
blood. Several problems: first, you *are* introducing a low
level of poison into your pet's bloodstream, and the long-term
effects are unknown. Second, this does not help at all the pet
that is allergic to fleas and cannot afford to be bitten in the
first place.
Program (lufenuron)
From Steve Dudley: Ciba-Geigy Animal Health has pioneered an
approach to flea control with the systemic use of an insect
growth regulator (IGR), benzoyl phenyl urea lufenuron. This IGR
acts as a chitin synthesis inhibitor causing mortality in
hatching flea eggs and moulting larvae. Hatching fleas are
unable to get out of the egg shell because the egg tooth, a
chitin structure, cannot form. Larvae die during moults, again
due to the inhibition of chitin formation. The IGR has no
adulticidal activity, but female fleas that ingest the compound
transfer it to the ovaries and eggs (transovarial effect).
Chitin is a polysaccharide, that along with various structural
proteins makes up 25-50% of the dry weight of insect
exoskeletons. It is necessary for integrity and strength.
Lufenuron, marketed in the US under the PROGRAM tradename
(available by veterinary prescription only), and widely
available in Europe, is administered orally with food, in
tablet form, for dogs. A suspension form is administered to
cats. To maintain effective levels of control for a 30 day
period, 10mg of lufenuron per kg of body weight is recommended
for dogs. For cats, 30mg of lufenuron per kg of body weight is
recommended. Dosages are absorbed from the intestinal tract
into the general circulation and retained in adipose tissues.
Excess is excreted. From the adipose tissue, lufenuron is
slowly released back into the general circulation and excreted
over time. The major route of elimination is via the feces. It
was found that after two days of feeding on treated dogs, no
adult fleas developed from eggs laid by females feeding on the
dogs. 80% control of a flea population takes about 4.5 weeks,
as pre treatment flea larvae and pupae in the environment still
must complete their life cycles. Acute, sub chronic, and
chronic dose studies revealed no adverse affects relative to
the animals safety and tolerability. Used in conjunction with
flea adulticides, no enhanced signs of toxicity were evident.
This was taken from the following article: A Novel Approach to
Flea Control: Systemic Use of Lufenuron. By Rudolf Schenker and
Philip A. Lowndes. Ciby- Geigy Ltd., Basel, Switzerland.
Other notes: a version approved for cats (liquid form) is out
now. It's also approved for use with nursing mothers. This is
not toxic to adult fleas. Program has no warnings or
contraindications on the FDA approved package insert; it can be
used in conjunction with other flea control products and
heartworm preventives. The main drawbacks of this regime is
that it is a preventive type of remedy; it will not work well
(or immediately) against an acute flea population. It also
requires that the dog be bit by all the fleas in the house for
them to produce the defective larvae; this is not acceptable
when the pet in question has flea allergies! Finally, for
Program to be effective, all animals in the house need to be
placed on it.
BioSpot
Topical application, kills fleas, eggs, and ticks. Repels
mosquitos. Works for one month. Sometimes turns white hair
yellow temporarily. Contains permethrins and IGR.
Contraindicated for use in cats.
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