What’s the deal with fleas?

At Pinehurst Veterinary Hospital, we are passionate about parasite prevention!  So many people tell me every day, “But I just don’t want to put chemicals in their system if it’s not necessary.”  I am here to tell you that it’s necessary.  And what’s more, “chemicals” is a tough word for me.  Drugs, yes.  Chemicals….hmmmm, that’s a stretch.  It just carries a connotation of bleach, Agent Orange, Erin Brokovich and chromium-6.  And that clearly is not what this is.  Most people would not hesitate to give their pet a dewormer, so what’s the problem with flea and tick prevention?  There are so many more harmful things that people do to and with their pets without realizing it than give them tested, and trusted, medications like PRESCRIPTION flea and tick prevention to let them live a healthy life.

 
It's called preventive medicine.  

Fleas and ticks carry diseases such as ehrlichia and mycoplasma (both of which destroy their red blood cells), anaplasma (which destroys their platelets and leaves them unable to clot their blood), lyme disease (really sick, with joint pain, and lifelong suffering even with treatment), tapeworms (gross), and flea allergic dermatitis (the MOST COMMON SKIN ALLERGY. PERIOD.)

This is going to shock you, but fleas and ticks are insects (OMG!).  The really awesome thing about insects is that they have different weaknesses than mammals.  Some really smart people actually figured out what factors the insects need for growth, reproduction, and life in general that are different from mammals.  These insect factors are targeted in prescription flea products, making them toxic to fleas and ticks, but safe for dogs and cats.  Its actually genius.  

This cat was given OVER-THE-COUNTER flea medication that was labeled for dogs by mistake Prescription flea meds are the safest way to protect your pets from harmful parasites.

All of that being said, all flea and tick preventatives are not equal!  Fleas have unfortunately become resistant to most over the counter (OTC) flea medications, and the natural remedies (garlic extracts, diatomaceous earth, cloves, oils, etc) simply don’t work.  In order to keep them safe, which is the ultimate goal, sadly you need to pony up to pay for the more expensive, but more reliable, prescription medications.   You want them safe, right?  Safety means research, and research costs money.  And speaking of safety, don’t ever use dog flea products on cats.  This is also going to shock you:  cats are not small dogs.  They actually process things differently in many aspects of their metabolism.  I have attached a video of a cat who unfortunately had OTC dog flea meds applied to it.  It was an accident, but the owner had been trying to save money, and it really cost them in the end.  (Don’t worry, the cat lived.  But it cost $2000 at the ER to treat her.)  It just shows that yes, there ARE risks to using flea preventatives when they are not 1) used appropriately, and 2) used with the help and guidance of a veterinarian. 

If you still have concerns about flea and tick prevention, please ask one of the doctors at Pinehurst.  Our whole goal is to keep your pets healthy.  Please ask us!