Coping With Fleas

Main Category: Veterinary
Article Date: 24 Aug 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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According to the FDA, research shows that fleas could potentially bite your pet 400 times a day(1). That is 4,000 bites a day if your pet has just 10 fleas. Even though pet owners want to ensure the health and well being of their beloved companions, sometimes the most well cared for pets can become infested with these parasites at some point in their lives.

In addition to the distress of watching their cats and dogs suffer from discomfort caused by biting fleas, pet owners experience frustration and embarrassment when it comes to dealing with these parasites. Estimates show pet owners spend over a billion dollars on flea preventatives and treatments annually(2). This may be attributable to the fact that fleas can be difficult to control.

This is evident by the fact that adult female fleas can lay as many as 25 eggs a day(3). Newly hatched adults that remain in a pupal cocoon can survive without a host for months(4). But perhaps even more surprisingly, adult fleas, which live on dogs and cats, only make up five percent of the total flea life cycle(5). The remaining 95 percent -- eggs, larvae, and pupae -- conceal themselves in carpets, bedding, and other furniture until they mature.

Too often, owners simply treat the affected pet; however, when that pet re-enters an infested area, they can become reinfested. So, it is important that pet owners treat the pet, as well as all affected areas.

"I get quite a few clients who complain that they've treated their dog or cat for fleas and yet they're still infested, even in January," said Dr. Marty Becker, veterinarian and best selling author. "The first thing I tell them is you have to treat the entire problem, not just part of it, and prevent fleas throughout the year."

The stigma associated with having a pet and/or home that is infested with fleas is long-standing. Those with flea problems often feel embarrassed. What should pet owners do to cope?

The Complete Solution

One way to combat the stigma is to be informed. Fleas often find the conditions inside your home optimal for survival. Once thought of as a warm weather threat, fleas are recognized as a year-round problem due to factors including climate change and transient populations. Severe weather fluctuations that bring hot and wet conditions are ideal for flea population growth.

Within the home, and outdoors, areas frequented by an infested pet should be thoroughly treated. Some additional tips to be considered are the following:

-- Bedding should be washed;

-- Furniture should be cleaned;

-- Carpets and rugs should be vacuumed;

-- Owners should make sure that lawns are cut and bushes are trimmed;

-- Backyard fencing is also a good idea, as it prevents stray animals that might be infested from wandering into your yard.

The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) recommends year-round flea control -- and these recommendations are endorsed by the American Association of Feline Practitioners and The American Animal Hospital Association(6). Owners should make sure their pets are protected with adequate prevention and treatment options. A great, convenient option is a monthly topical with proven flea-control, such as Advantage(R) Topical Solution for dogs and cats, which has been trusted by veterinarians and their clients for more than ten years.

Talk to your veterinarian about additional ways to protect your pet and home from fleas. For more information, including a coupon for a free tube of Advantage with purchase, visit http://www.nofleas.com.

About Bayer Animal Health

Bayer HealthCare's Animal Health Division is the maker of Advantage(R) Topical Solution for dogs and cats and K9 Advantix(R), a flea, tick and mosquito control product for dogs only. The division is a worldwide leader in parasite control and prescription pharmaceuticals for dogs, cats, horses, cattle, and poultry. North American operations for the Animal Health Division are headquartered in Shawnee, Kan. Bayer Animal Health is a division of Bayer HealthCare LLC, one of the world's leading health care companies.

About Bayer HealthCare

Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world's leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Diabetes Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. The pharmaceuticals business operates under the name Bayer Schering Pharma AG. Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide.

With sales of EUR 905 million (2006) the Animal Health Division is one of the world's leading manufacturers of veterinary drugs. The division manufactures and markets approximately 100 different veterinary drugs and care products for food-supplying animals and companion animals (dogs, cats, horses).

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development, or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 20-F). The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

References

(1) Bren, L., Taking the Bite Out of Fleas and Ticks, FDA Consumer Magazine, July, 2001

(2) Lyon, William F. Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet: Fleas HYG-2081-97 http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2081.html

(3) Bio-Integral Resource Center. March 1997, third paragraph, first sentence

(4) Rood, T. "Fleas, a Scratchy Subject or Tiny Terrorist." Cornell Cooperative Extension. http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/yates/fleas.htm

(5) Chung, A. and Dr. Bonnie Jones, DVM. "How to make fleas flee." The Delphos Herald. July 19, 2007. http://www.delphosherald.com/2007/04/18/how-to-make-fleas-flee

(6) The Companion Animal Parasite Council Guidelines for Ectoparasites: Fleas, retrieved June 21, 2007; Capcvet.org; Brunt, Jane et al. American Association of Feline Practioners 2006 Panel report on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Bartonella spp. infections Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2006) 8, 222; AAHA Endorses Parasite Control Guidelines, News Release issued by AAHA April 22, 2004.

(C) 2007 Bayer HealthCare LLC, Animal Health Division, Shawnee Mission, Kansas, 66201

Bayer, the Bayer Cross, K9 Advantix, and Advantage are trademarks of Bayer

Bayer Animal Health
http://www.nofleas.com

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