Ask a Vet

The Humane Society of St. Lucie County has a veterinarian on staff at the shelter. Dr. Manning will answer questions upon request to be posted online. To submit a question, email shawnhart@hsslc.org.

Question:

Help! I have a flea infestation in my house! What do I do?

Answer:

Are fleas infesting your household this summer? If you are having trouble getting rid of fleas, you are not alone. Fleas and Florida go hand in hand. They can cause disease, and they can cause dogs to itch terribly. It is the most common skin disease seen in dogs and cats.

Fleas survive by drinking blood directly from the dog or cat. Fleas are not so easy to see on the pet, but the flea dirt is more visible. Flea dirt is actually dried blood or "poop" from the flea, and is much easier to see falling off the pet. It is often comma-shaped and turns red when a little water is placed on it. Often, flea dirt can be seen or felt near the tail on the cat or dog.

What do you do if your pet has fleas? Be prepared to battle them for several months! The flea has four stages to its life cycle; egg, larvae, pupa and adult. The adults are relatively easy to kill, but the eggs are much more difficult to kill. Thankfully, the days of flea dips are over. The newer products are much less toxic and more effective, although you may have to apply them each month for up to six (6) months to get adequate flea control.

For severe infestations, you may need to call a pest control company to spray the home and yard to help get a handle on the fleas. There are do-it-yourself products available at some veterinary offices, online or at home improvement stores.

As you probably know, there are many, many products out there, but I will go over a few of my favorites. For dogs, I like Advantage II and Frontline Plus (for fleas). They are drops that go on the back of the neck. Pet Armor is a generic form of Frontline Plus that is about half the price.

There is a new pill called Comfortis that I really like, because it kills fleas for an entire month. Another pill called Trifexis kills fleas, heartworms, and intestinal worms for a month. Sentinel kills fleas, heartworms, and intestinal worms.

For cats, I like Advantage II or Frontline. I like Revolution too that also kills heartworms. Advantage Multi kills fleas, heartworms, and intestinal worms. These are all drops that go on the back of the neck, since it is more difficult to give a pill to a cat.

Many of the flea-only products are now available over the counter, but it is a good idea to consult your veterinarian before purchasing. If the product also kills heartworm larvae, you will need to purchase it from your veterinarian. You can purchase all of these products online, but some must be ok'd by your veterinarian first.

Do you have any other questions? Ask Dr. Sara at DrSara@hsslc.org.