Wow! There are so many different Flea and Tick Control types of applications what one should I use for my pet? This has nothing to do with who may have manufactured the product but the “delivery” system of the treatment to get rid of the problem. Whether you are dealing with fleas or ticks, developing a program of Flea and Tick Control Prevention or treating a particular situation we have the information here to help you may an informed decision.

Over the years the process of treating or ridding your pet of any pests they may have, has risen to a science of destruction. We now know more than ever what it takes to not only disrupt a flea or tick life cycle but what products are best for every scenario we might confront.

Companies have developed a vast assortment of products to help us in our quest. This article will discuss topical treatments, sprays and mists, flea collars, shampoos, dipping products, flea combs and oral tablets. There are also repellents, desiccants, powders and foggers but are generally very specialized treatments, not recommend or very effective and will not be part of this discussion.

Where do you start and which Treatment Application is right for my situation? The best approach I think is to understand what each type of application is meant to do and when to use it. From there, selecting the right approach should be a lot easier than you might expect. We’ll go down the list one-by-one and see what they have to offer.

Topical Treatments

Topical treatments are applied to pet’s outer skin. The medication is applied directly behind the head between the shoulders. This stops the pet from licking off the medication once it is applied. It’s a quick application method from a single dose plastic applicator. They work well and are effective in a good Flea and Tick Control program.

These applications are designed to kill adult fleas within 24 hours. They also kills flea eggs and larvae to keep ALL stages of fleas from developing. Topical liquids also kill all stages of 4 major ticks, including the one which may carry Lyme disease. They stay waterproof and some can be used on puppies 8 weeks and older.

However, if you have more than one pet this might not be the best method. One pet might lick off the medication from another. I have this situation but my Min Pins actually sleep in a pet carrier at night so I put it on at bedtime and once they’re locked up I don’t have that issue. For those that can’t keep their pets separated, then a course of oral medication may be in order.

If you have young children in the house this type of treatment may not be a good choice either. When kids are at that stage of their lives when everything goes in the mouth, if they happen to touch the pet and get some of the meds on their hands they may wind up ingesting some of the meds. Again an oral medication may be appropriate to remedy this type of situation.

Flea & Tick Sprays and Mists
These are products administered from a spray bottle. Flea and Tick Spray can be used on dogs, cat, puppies and kittens to control fleas, ticks and flea larvae. They generally contain Insect Growth Regulator (IGR’s) and provide quick relief killing adult fleas and ticks on contact. It also continuously kills flea eggs laid on the animal, breaking the flea life cycle. Residual activity of the product prevents re-infestation. Fleas are killed within the first day. Sprays continue to work for up to one month. Use a spray when combating large areas of infestation.

Children in the house might cause you to think twice. The spray, although quite effective can get all over when they are used. Containing the spray to a very specific area is a noble gesture but impractical at best. If kids aren’t in the house then this is a great way to protect your pets and areas they inhabit.

Flea & Tick Collars

Flea and Tick Collars are available for dogs or cats. Collars come in several sizes specifically addressing the size of a pet’s necks. They are plastic and over time release insecticide to kill the fleas or ticks. They were developed in the early 1960’s and were an effective and practical treatment at the time. The downside is that their effectiveness tends to be more localized around the head area.

Although many dogs and cats tend to get “collar dermatitis” at the neck, they add an extra layer of protection keeping them away from their head especially if it is an outdoor pet.

Shampoos and Dips

Flea and tick dips are used when you need an immediate knockdown of fleas and ticks. They tend to be used on outdoor dogs that are infested. To effectively treat the pet you need to dip them in a solution up to their necks or sponge it all over their bodies. Not for use on cats. Dips have a residual smell and you probably don’t want that in the house.

Shampoos are another quick remedy for relieving your pet of ticks and fleas. They don’t have any residual prevention against these pests though. They do clean your animals quite well and effectively help with skin conditions. Read the product label for more details.

Flea Combs

A flea comb is a good pesticide-free method of removing fleas from your dog or cat. A flea comb works by catching the fleas in the very narrow gaps between the teeth or forcing them to jump off. Use a flea comb outside, and keep a container of soapy water nearby for drowning the fleas, or comb your pet in a bathtub where you can rinse the fleas down the drain. Start by running the comb gently through your pet’s coat. After each run through, dunk the comb in the water and leave any fur caught in the comb in the water. The soapy water will kill the fleas. Continue this procedure until the entire pet has been combed, making sure to comb their underside. A flea comb can be used every day when fleas are bad, and can help prevent fleas entering the house if used before the pet comes inside.

Oral Medications

These are chewable tablets for your pet. They have a short span of effectiveness usually 24 hours. People give them to their pets if going to a park or an area they may have a concern about having them get infested while walking them. They can be given daily to your pets.

Look at what your individual needs are in terms of a treatment plan for your pets. Once you know that and how bad the problem is hopefully this list gives you an idea of what treatment application will be most effective for your pet and their surrounding areas.

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With over 200 species of Fleas and a similar number of Ticks found in the U.S. is no wonder they are your pets worst enemies. Further still, since they are so easy to attract and move from animal to animal so easily a strong program of Flea and Tick Control is imperative.

Wading thru all the products and determining which one to use can be a daunting task. In order to do so successfully you need to start by asking yourself a few simple questions. You should write the answers down so you can compare the results when reading the manufacturers suggestions.

Here’s what you need to know.

1. Are you treating a dog, cat or both? There are different medications for each pet.
2. How old are they? Puppies and Kittens are usually treated differently and not with common products. They need to be over a certain age or you can’t treat them at all.
3. Are you treating for Fleas or Ticks? Sometimes the products will kill both; some however do not.
4. Are you treating the surroundings? If so the products you use are available but require other application properties.
5. Is this a program of Flea and Tick Control Prevention?
6. Does your pet have any known allergies to specific medications?

Don’t let all this information scare you. These are the questions necessary to ask yourself so it makes the selection easy and understandable. No matter what manufacturer it is they all post the ingredients, benefits, dosage, precautions, comments, weight and age requirements specifically for use on a cat, dog, puppy or kitten.

Generally there are 8 different forms of Flea and Tick Control. This does not include all of the natural treatments and remedies that people use. Although not as widely tested, some pets cannot tolerate the chemicals in the normal courses of treatment. A natural treatment plan may be required for your animal and their surroundings.

This is a list of the different treatments available.

1. Flea and Tick Collars. They are available for dogs or cats. Depending on the manufacturer can kill all stages of fleas as well as adult ticks. There are specific collars for dogs or for cats.
2. Flea and Tick Spray. There are different sprays for each purpose. There are sprays used to treat the pets living and sleeping areas. There are also sprays for the yard and sprays are available to use directly on the pet as a once a month preventative treatment as well.
3. Flea and Tick Dips are used especially useful when your pet has serious infestations of fleas or ticks. Some also contain aloe to help with skin conditions, irritations and protect them from the sun.
4. Flea and Tick Shampoos are to wash the pets and provide good skin and fur protection from fleas and ticks. Use shampoo during a normal course of other treatments for added protection.
5. Oral doses of Flea medications are available for your pets. These kill fleas and infestations of fleas on dogs or cats within 4 – 6 hours.
6. Topical treatments are a quick one month protection application for your pets you apply to the skin directly behind their head on their back. This prevents them from licking the medications off the skin.
7. Area foggers for the inside of the home are available when you need to take more drastic action. They will treat up to 10,000 square feet and kill most pests including adult and pre-adult fleas, including flea eggs for 7 months, ticks, cockroaches, spiders, and ants. The downside is getting out of the house and the fact they are generally highly flammable aerosols. But if you need this massive approach they are definitely worth looking into.
8. Flea and Tick Powders kill them on contact. Use directly on the pets according to the directions or to cover areas of carpet to control the spread or lifecycles of the pests.

Responsible pet care is the most important aspect of preventing pet diseases. Flea and Tick Control is a major part of a good program of prevention. Making sure you have a proper Flea and Tick Control program in place to check your pets on a regular basis and the correct meds for prevention of infestation will keep them and their surroundings clear of these parasites.

Visit The Flea & Tick Control Shop for all your pet meds at great savings & free shipping. Watch for coupon codes for additional savings.

Part of owning your pets besides playing with them or feeding them and giving them a good home is responsible pet care. Pets are part of your life and look to you to protect them from pests. Keeping them free of Fleas and Ticks is a major component of that care.

In order to provide this care learning about the products and which ones will provide the safest and most efficient form of protection is the first step. Let’s take a look and see what the best steps to take are during this process.

With so many brands now available on the marketplace today the choices are far reaching. Add to that the number of breeds and your particular pet most of all. Remember, every pet isn’t the same so even using a completely safe product may not work on your dog or cat or may be harmful to them.

Pets like any other animal may react adversely to a treatment that 99 out 100 others may be fine with. Because of their own chemistry and the complex chemistry of the product, the two may not mesh.

Lets take a look at the list of what to watch for when starting a good program of Flea and Tick Control.

1. Read the label. Making assumptions about what you are buying because of a company’s reputation, what you read or someone told you doesn’t cut it.
2. Don’t cheap out on the treatments. You’ll get what you pay for. Responsible companies test their products for safety.
3. Don’t ever use a product that is for your dog interchangeably on your cat. This can cause them serious problems.
4. See if the products contain chemicals that might harm other pets or children. This doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t use them. It means you may need to implement other safeguards when you do. Keep these products locked up when they are in the house.
5. Don’t overuse the treatments on the pets. More doesn’t mean better and instead of helping your pet you are probably hurting them.
6. Watch your other pets for signs of sickness. A flea collar protecting one animal for example might be a detriment to another.
7. If you only have one pet in the house look for any possible signs of poisoning while using the products. This may include, throwing up, excessive drool, shaking or even irritations on the surface of the pets skin.
8. Remember to treat the sleeping and playing areas of the pets as well. An effective Flea and Tick Control program doesn’t only concentrate on the pet but all of their surroundings as well.
9. Try using products that contain IGR’s (Insect growth regulators) and adulticides. This helps insure the treatment will provide protection against a reoccurrence on the pets thru the Fleas or Ticks whole life cycle.
10. Talk to your veterinarian. Let them know that you want to start a program of Flea and Tick Control for your pet(s). They’ll have the pet’s history and can recommend what will be right for them.

Taking care of our pets shouldn’t be a chore for us. An ounce of prevention while setting up a good program of Flea and Tick Control is well worth the effort. You’ll be happy in the long run and definitely, so will your pets.

Visit The Flea & Tick Control Shop for all your pet meds at great savings & free shipping. Watch for coupon codes for additional savings.