Washington D.C. Everyone’s talking about fleas? It was a topic repeatedly discussed at the 144th Annual Convention of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Washington D.C.

            For the past few years, pet owners have increasingly been complaining about once dependable flea products purchased through veterinarians not working as effectively as they once did. Veterinarians are equally as frustrated about not being able to dependably put the bite on fleas.

            Dr. Michael Dryden, veterinary parisitologist at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Manhattan is one of the world’s experts on the little buggers, and he addressed the topic at the convention. He conceded something is happening out there, but was hesitant to the use the dreaded ‘R’ word: Resistance. 

            Instead he called the phenomenon ‘back end slippage.’ He means that in some instances the effectiveness begins to slip at around three weeks.

            “If it was true resistance (fleas building up an immunity), these products (purchased through vets) wouldn’t work at all – and that most certainly that is not the case,” Dryden stressed. “In fact, for people who religiously use the flea products year-round, they don’t seem to have any problem at all.”

            “People using these products year round, don’t give fleas a chance to take hold in the environment,” concurred veterinary dermatologist Dr. Linda Frank of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine – Knoxville. “At one time, you didn’t require your- round control here (in Tennessee), but now it’s suggested.”

            Dryden added, “I don’t know if it’s global warming or a cyclical climate change, but I do know our winters begin later than they once did, they’re overall milder and the spring begins sooner. That means a longer flea season.”

            What happens is that now in October or March that occasional stray flea – a flea which may not have existed just a few years ago because it was too cold - hops on an unprotected pet. Going indoors, the flea deposits eggs in the carpeting – and suddenly, there’s an infestation “This isn’t the fault of a product not doing its job,” Dryden said.

            Dryden endorsed the Companion Animal Parasite Control Council recommendation for year-round flea protection. “I understand that in January in Bangor, Maine, with a foot of snow on the ground, this doesn’t seem to make sense – but people forget to start the flea protection when it warms up. Even in Maine the flea season is longer than it once was.”

             Another issue is compliance, people simply forgetting to dose consistently on a monthly basis.

            Of course, in the South fleas exist year-round, and while compliance may be an issue for some – it seems even people who are clearly religious about flea busting sometimes scratch at more than their heads, attempting to figure out where they went wrong.

            Sprawling suburbia increasingly intersects with wildlife; from raccoons to feral cats – and those critters don’t wear flea collars. Fleas drop off in the yard to hitch a ride on pets, or even human shoes and are then brought indoors.

            “That’s one reason why flea protection for even indoor-only cats is strongly recommended,” Dryden said.

            So, can you still beat the fleas at their own game? Absolutely. Franks said, “It’s reasonable to ask your veterinarian about using products in combination with one another. Just be sure to ask your vet first, since some products shouldn’t be combined. Or, if you’re efficient at scheduling and really do remember, dosing some products every 20 or 25 days instead of every 30 days.”

            But if indeed fleas are in the process of resisting the older products, might the new ones – including Sergeant’s Gold Flea & Tick Squeeze-On For Dogs and ProMeris for Cats (a dog version should be out later this year or in 2008) be better choices? 

            Franks said she understands that theory – but, no one knows.

Dryden added, “We do know that today’s generation of products are better than they were years ago. We just have to be smarter than the fleas.”

            The Companion Animal Parasite Control Council recommendations are at: www.petsandparasites.org.

© Tribune Media Services, Steve Dale