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Can you do flea treatment again if it doesn’t work?
Why am I still getting fleas after treatment?
Are fleas resistant to flea treatment?
What is a flea treatment that still works?
How to apply flea treatment so that it is 100% effective
There are many different flea treatments that “still work” to kill fleas on pets, in fact most people believe fleas are now resistant to flea treatments but this isn’t true. So, why is my flea treatment not killing fleas? Well there are a lot of reasons for this but the most common, according to researchers and flea experts, is not applying flea treatment correctly. Continue reading to find out how to make your pet’s flea treatment 100% effective at removing fleas.
Unless instructed by a vet, you shouldn’t reapply flea treatment sooner than the product recommends. For spot on flea treatments, like Itch Flea Treatment for Cats and Itch Flea Treatment for Dogs you usually apply every 4 weeks because the formula kills fleas and protects your pet for up to 30 days. Using flea treatment again if you think it doesn’t work can be risky. Manufacturers test flea treatment to make sure they’re effective and safe when used as instructed so using them more than suggested can lead to problems. Flea treatments use chemical insecticide ingredients to kill fleas quickly so reapplying flea treatment again before the recommended time can lead to overdose symptoms like:• Drooling
• Vomiting
• Tremors or twitching
• Skin irritation
• LethargyIn severe cases, it could lead to poisoning. Cats, in particular, are sensitive to the ingredients in many flea treatment products, so following the recommended dose for the suggested period of time is much safer for your pet.
If you're still seeing fleas after treatment, it doesn't necessarily mean the treatment failed. In many cases, it's because of the flea life cycle rather than resistance. Or it means you’ve used the flea treatment incorrectly because it’s very easy to apply flea treatment wrong.
If the fleas aren’t going away after treatment, the most common reasons are:
New fleas are still emerging.
Fleas will feed on your pet and then lay up to 50 eggs a day. The flea egg shells aren’t sticky, so these eggs fall off your pet and drop into your carpets, furniture, cracks in floors and on your pet’s bedding. Flea eggs, larvae, and pupae can survive in your home and in warm houses will hatch into adult fleas within 2 weeks. Many treatments only kill adult fleas, so whilst you’re killing the fleas you see on your pet, you’re still going to see new fleas emerge.
To get rid of 100% of fleas you need double-action treatment for your pet AND your home! Opt for a vet approved pet flea treatment that targets all stages of the flea life cycle, like Itch Flea Treatment for Cats and Itch Flea Treatment for Dogs. And also use a household flea treatment in your home, like Itch Flea House Spray to kill the flea eggs and larvae living in your floors and furniture.
The treatment needs more time.
After a pet is treated, newly emerged fleas often jump onto the pet and die within hours, but you may still notice them before they do. It can take 1–3 months to completely break the flea life cycle in a heavily infested home.
The pet is being re-exposed.
Pets can pick up fleas in your garden, other animals, or untreated pets in the household.
Not all pets were treated.
Every dog and cat in the home needs to be treated at the same time, even if only one seems affected. This is because any untreated pet will allow the fleas to continue to feed and they will survive on them, meaning the fleas in your home have found a loop-hole and it'll be even harder to remove them!
Not cleaning enough.
Vacuuming frequently, washing pet bedding weekly in hot water, and treating your home with household flea spray are needed alongside pet treatment if you are dealing with a severe home flea infestation.
The flea treatment wasn't used correctly.
For spot on flea treatments you must apply correctly to the back of your pet’s neck, directly on their skin. After this, you shouldn’t bathe them or get them wet for 48 hours - This includes cats licking the treatment area, avoid this! By not applying correctly the efficacy of the product is reduced and it might not be killing fleas in the way it is supposed to.
Here's how to apply spot on flea treatment correctly to cats and dogs.
Wrong dosage.
Flea treatments include strong chemical active ingredients to kill the fleas fast, so they are sold in specific dosages according to your pet’s weight and age. If the wrong dose of flea treatment is used or even an expired dose, then the flea treatment might not be working and could also cause other serious problems.
For safe and effective treatment, try a Monthly Flea Subscription to Itch Flea which is tailored flea treatment accurately to your cat’s or dog’s weight, age and lifestyle, and delivers it exactly when you need it so the dose is always right and ready for your pet!
Lately there has been a lot of discourse on Reddit and other forums questioning the resistance of fleas to flea treatment, more specifically people believing that fleas are resistant to the active ingredient, Fipronil within flea treatment formulas.
However, as the National Library of Medicine reinforces, flea resistance is yet to be demonstrated and the failure of a flea treatment not working can be sufficiently attributed to application issues, such as inadequately treating your pet for long enough - Ongoing flea treatment is recommended by vets to kill fleas and stop an infestation.
Most of the time, what you think is flea resistance, is often the emergence of immature fleas which are hatching from pupae shells into adult fleas.
For safety and regulation, flea treatments are licensed by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and tested to kill fleas effectively. Therefore, there is no such thing as “a flea treatment that still works” if the flea treatment is approved and licensed by the VMD, because then it is scientifically proven to work and kill fleas. However, fake flea treatments that are not government-backed are less certain and can in fact leave your pet worse off.
Despite this, a flea treatment that is licensed and regulated by the VMD might not be working for you and you’re still seeing fleas on your pet because the active ingredients used aren’t strong enough to kill your level of infestation. For best results, use a flea treatment that kills fleas, larvae and eggs so you’re targeting all life stages in the flea life cycle and have a better chance of eliminating fleas instantly.
It’s fairly straight forward to give a flea tablet to a pet or pop on a flea collar, yet when it comes to spot on flea treatment you need to apply it following these important instructions:
Apply directly to the skin, on the back of your pet’s neck.
Keep' em dry. After you apply, your pet can't get wet for 48 hours.
Don’t touch the treated area. Hands off.
No licking the treated area (your pet, not you…).
Don't share your bed with your pet on the night your pet is treated.
Treat all of your pets in your household at the same time, ideally in the evening.
Keep up with ongoing flea treatment for at least 3 months.
Weigh your pet regularly and change the dose if their weight changes.
So many flea treatments still work, you can check the VMD product catalogue to see flea treatments that are licensed and tested to work. It’s more about choosing a flea treatment that works for your level of flea infestation. To remove fleas immediately from your home, opt for a flea treatment that kills both fleas and their eggs so that you put a stop to the infestation spreading throughout your house. And once you’ve selected the best option for your pet and home, it’s crucial to apply the flea treatment correctly - The Itch house rules have all of the steps a pet owner needs to follow when using flea treatment.
Itch Flea Treatment gets to work instantly and kills adult fleas on your pet within 24 hours. Scientifically proven and vet approved, Itch Flea targets fleas, eggs and larvae to halt fleas from developing and stop any new fleas emerging.
Tailored treatment for all cats and dogs, including pregnant pets. Delivered for free, exactly when you need it. So you never forget.
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