Temperate winter climates, or the use of home heating, allows fleas to
continue producing eggs throughout winter, smashing the commonly held idea
that dogs and cats do not need flea treatment in the winter months.
During the winter
of 2000, veterinary clinics throughout Australia worked with Merial, the
makers of FRONTLINE, to survey the incidence of fleas on untreated dogs
and cats. The aim was to establish the proportion of cats and dogs with
fleas during the winter period.
The key findings are:
- Fleas are present on dogs and cats during the winter. These fleas will continue to lay eggs which will develop in our homes to infest pets during the warmer months
- It might come as a surprise to pet owners that more cats have fleas than dogs. Grooming techniques such as coat licking are the cat's subtle way of scratching for fleas.
- The study also found that dogs from households with a cat had a higher prevalence of fleas and pets from multi- pet households also had a higher prevalence of fleas
Results1
% of untreated
pets with fleas and/or flea dirt
Temperate winter
climates, or the use of home heating, allows fleas to continue producing
eggs throughout winter, smashing the commonly held idea that dogs and cats
do not need flea treatment in the winter months.
As the cooler
months approach, it is important to remember that the winter period remains
a prime incubation period for these household pests. A single monthly treatment
with FRONTLINE® kills fleas fast and keeps on killing fleas for at
least a month, even if your pet gets wet.
Special
Offer
This winter,
your veterinary clinic is featuring a special FRONTLINE winter treatment
bonus, offering six months worth of FRONTLINE Top Spot for the price of
five months. Ask the friendly staff for further details.
(Available through
Australian veterinarians, only. Offer ends 31 Jul 01)
1. Merial data
on file
Merial would like to thank the practitioners who generously contributed
to this research.
FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of Merial.
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