Why Most Pet Owners Fail to Rid Their Pets of Fleas Tips to Eradicate Fleas & Ticks During Peak Season

June 18, 2002, Schaumburg, Ill. -- With June 21 marking the official launch of summer, fleas and ticks are also at their peak season 'bugging' cats and dogs across the country. Zodiac, a leading manufacturer of pet care products, offers pet owners some critical advice to eradicate stubborn flea and tick problems quickly and easily.

"The adult fleas seen on your pet constitute about only five percent of the total flea population in the pet's home environment. The other 95 percent are comprised of the immature stages of the flea life cycle which pet owners rarely see," said Dr. Jordan Siegel, who serves as technical services veterinarian for the Schaumburg, Illinois-based company. "Because most pet owners only treat the pet and not their home environment, the fleas which develop in the home can re-infest the pet and begin the problem all over again."

In response to pet owners' questions about how to best handle flea and tick problems, Zodiac recently launched a comprehensive three-step program. Pet owners should have a much higher success rate by following these three steps identified by Zodiac:

The first step focuses on providing your pet with immediate relief. Shampoos, powders, sprays, and sponge-on products containing an insecticide can quickly kill any breeding, biting, adult fleas and ticks on the pet. Many of these fast-acting on-animal products may also contain an insect growth regulator that kills flea eggs to prevent infestation of your home and re-infestation of your pet.

In the second step of the program, ongoing protection and maintenance products are recommended to provide continuing protection against a flea and tick infestation on the animal. These products include both topically applied liquids that usually last for one month, and flea and tick collars that typically last for several months. While products containing an insecticide will protect against adult fleas and ticks, those that also contain an insect growth regulator provide even greater protection against a future flea infestation.

The third, and most overlooked, step is treating the home environment. Treating the home environment is critical because even if all the adult fleas have been killed on the pet, there can be ten times more flea eggs in the environment. Home treatment or premise control products include foggers, carpet and upholstery powders, pump and aerosol sprays, as well as yard sprays. Products containing an insecticide will kill adult fleas and ticks, and those that also contain an insect growth regulator will kill the many flea eggs and flea larvae that may be developing in your home.
Always carefully read and follow all label directions when using any flea and tick product, and consult your veterinarian for further information.

In summary, Zodiac offers pet owners the following tips for handling flea and tick problems:

Flea Treatment and Prevention

• Use a comprehensive "three-step" approach to treat for fleas and prevent re-infestation: (1) provide immediate relief by killing existing adult fleas on your pet; (2) use a maintenance product on your pet to provide ongoing protection; and (3) use a premise control product to kill flea eggs, flea larvae, and adult fleas in and around your home.
  
  
• Regularly vacuum your carpets and upholstered furniture. Vacuuming stimulates fleas to emerge from their protective cocoons of the pupal stage, and also removes some eggs, larvae, and newly emerged adult fleas. Make sure to get in the crevices of couches and chairs. Seal the vacuum cleaner bag and place it outside in a covered garbage bin if you suspect that your home is already infested with fleas.
  
  
• Don't neglect to treat all the places where pets may frequent when using a home treatment product. In addition to treating all carpeted areas of the home, treating closets, furniture, window ledges, doormats, garages, cellars, basements, attics, crawl spaces, and yards may be necessary to control the infestation. If the problem is severe, repeating the treatment in two weeks may be necessary to completely control the infestation.
  
  
• Wash your pet's bedding, rugs, or towels in hot water and detergent, and change your cat's litter and wash the litter box in hot, soapy water to physically remove any flea eggs that may have been deposited there.
  
  
• Maintain your yard. Fleas usually develop in moist, shady areas outside. Therefore, clear any sun-blocking vegetation near the home, rake up leaves, and dispose of grass clippings on a regular basis.

Tick Treatment and Prevention

• Use a similar comprehensive "three-step" approach to treat for ticks and prevent re-infestation: (1) provide immediate relief by killing existing ticks on your pet; (2) use a maintenance product on your pet to provide ongoing protection; and (3) use a premise control product to kill ticks in your pet's environment.
  
  
• Mow grass regularly to keep it short, keep bushes and trees trimmed, and dispose of any yard waste promptly.
  
  
• Avoid the woods or tall grassy areas that typically harbor ticks when walking your dog.
  
  
• If exposed to a tick-infested environment, examine your pet daily for ticks, especially around the head and inside the ears.
  
  
• Remove an attached tick as soon as it is discovered, because an infected tick can transmit disease within a relatively short period of time. Never try to burn the tick off or smother it as these methods are ineffective, and may harm your pet. Consult your veterinarian for tick removal advice.

Zodiac's three-step flea and tick products can be found at most local pet, discount, and grocery stores. For more information, visit www.zodiacpet.com.

Editor's Note: A press kit containing further background, as well as photography, is available upon request. Dr. Jordan Siegel is available for interviews on pet care-related topics such as flea and tick treatment and prevention. For more information, call (630) 469-0700.