| Vet Review |
I have started to use this product over the past several months and have mixed feelings about it. A big advantage is the ease of administering the beef and pork flavored tablet but it should be administered on full stomach. And while it avoids the oily liquid pesticides on the back that many clients don ' t like, if a pet is allergic to beef or pork this is a big disadvantage. The best thing about this product (which is similar to Capstar) is the quick kill of adult fleas working within 30 minutes and being almost 100 percent effective against fleas within 4 hours of giving it, and lasting for a month!!! (much longer than a Capstar pill.) A big problem is not only the expense but it also has no tick coverage. In my experience and opinion, I have also seen several dogs vomit when given this pill and it is really not supposed to be used in patients with seizure disorders, which is also a concern of mine in terms of safety. Along the same line, it is not supposed to be used in pregnant or nursing females, as from what I understand when the product was tested there were supposed loss of litter during pregnancy, poor weight gain of puppies and vomiting, the latter symptom which I have seen in clinical practice. In general I am always a little worried about products not approved for young puppies, as the puppies have to be at least 14 weeks of old, according to the label use of this product. It is not a cheap product, and for the above reasons I don't use it often even though it is tremendously effective against fleas. For the reasons stated above, I therefore give this product an overall rating of 2 with effectiveness (for fleas) of 4, the ease of use a 5, and the taste a 4. I still prefer Front line, Advantage and K9 Advantix despite the oily spot because of the increased coverage of parasites, and my concerns about safety
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For my clients who prefer an effective non-pesticide manner of preventing and controlling fleas on their dogs and cats, program offers a wonderful alternative. When this product first came out, I used to educate my clients on the fact that it was in essence a birth control pill for fleas. The main ingredient lufeneron is an insect growth regulator that does not kill adult fleas, but sterilizes adult fleas and prevents them from laying eggs that develop into larvae and future adults. Each adult flea can lay up to 2000 eggs in its life. It is because of this effect on flea development which makes program such a wonderful preventative. For existing flea infestations, I don't find this product works as well unless it is combined with oral Capstar, which kills adult fleas on cats and/or topical products like Frontline or Advantage. I have found this product both very safe and effective with only rare side effects seen i.e rare digestive upset. It is best given with a meal for maximal absorption which is hard on some kitty owners My overall rating of this product is a 4 with ease of use a 4, taste a 4 and efficacy a 5, in particular for preventing flea infestations before they become established.
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In recent years, the company Bayer has developed a revolutionary flea/tick collar for both dogs and cats that is highly effective, especially in flea control, as well as providing moderately effective tick control. The most exciting aspect of this product is that it provides BOTH repelling and killing of fleas and ticks for up to 8 months!! While it is somewhat expensive, it is actually cheaper than purchasing 8 months of Revolution, Advantage or Frontline. In many areas of the country, this protection will last the entire flea and tick season, by just properly applying the collar. Another major advantage over collars developed in prior years (i.e. Preventic collar) is that Seresto is water resistant, and can be worn with confidence, even by dogs who frequently swim. The collar also has no odor, as well as a powdery, soft feel, in addition to leaving no greasy topical residue, like many of the other topical flea and tick products available. The collar is safe if chewed and/or even eaten by the pet, which was a problem with the old Amitraz based collars such as the Preventic collar. The Bayer company has also made it radioopaque, in case an overzealous pet did ingest the collar, so as to allow radiographic tracing and/or location should it possibly get caught up in the intestinal tract. The collar also has unique technology, in that the release of the active ingredients is triggered by friction of the movement of the pet's hair and body heat. The cat collar even has a break-away apparatus to allow for the pet to safely detach from the collar should it get caught on something outside. The reflectors on the dog product also allow the dog to be seen during the hours of darkness. While the collar is very safe for most pets, I have occasionally and rarely seen reactions in sensitive, geriatric or chronically ill pets. These typically involve transient itching, redness and hair loss at the site of adherence to the skin. While most of the time this will resolve on its own in a week or two, occasionally pets will develop enough irritation where the collar may need to be removed. The major rare systemic reactions seen in sensitive pets are mild lethargy and decrease in energy, but even more rare is the development of neurological symptoms, including weakness and/or seizures. I don't recommend that it be used in pets with a history of seizures and/or neurological sensitivity or reactions. While it is amazing for killing and repelling all stages of the flea life cycle quite quickly, it can sometimes take up to several days for the maximal effects to be seen with tick control and prevention. I, therefore, give this product an overall rating of a 4 out of 5, with an ease of compliance and efficacy of a 4.5 out of 5.
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