But have you known a dog to praise his fleas? – W.B. Yeats
If Mr. N had to rank the world’s evils, he would probably categorize them as one, not being able to go with me everywhere, two, fireworks and three, fleas. His flea allergy send him into a licking, biting frenzy and then we have to cone him and give him allergy medication. He shows his disapproval by using the cone as a weapon and jamming it into our legs.
The fleas that you see on your dog are a tiny percentage of the actual population while the rest can survive in a home for up to a year before finding a host. Even in cold climates, they can survive as adults on dogs, cats, wild mammals or in a pupal casing in protected environments.
And they breed like… fleas. Female fleas start egg production within 20 to 24 hours of their first blood meal and they can produce 40 to 50 eggs per day. And under normal circumstances, the majority of adult fleas generally live for two to three months. If you do the math, that’s a lot of fleas crawling around your house and on your dog.
Mr. N is bathed regularly due to having hair not fur. The payoff for barely shedding means high-maintenance grooming and frequent baths. It’s a price we are willing to pay. Mr. N has his own opinion on the matter. Such regular water exposure can be a problem when using topical flea treatments.
Virbac® SENTINEL® SPECTRUM® is a chew which means that it can’t be washed off (which is good because it is long lasting but side effects may be harder to eradicate) and is evenly distributed. Sentinel brand products work through an unique ingredient, Lufenuron which prevents fleas from maturing. The majority of fleas are flea eggs and maggot-like flea larvae. By stopping them from developing into adults, you can prevent re-infestation and infestation before it becomes a problem. Prevention is the best medicine.
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| Mr. N has found dead fish, rats, a raccoon, birds and more. |
The unholy trifecta for contracting tapeworms include ingesting fleas during self grooming, chewing and licking at a flea bite, and eating dead animals. Mr. N rarely gets the chance to eat dead animals and he’s more inclined to roll on them but he does enjoy a self-grooming session and flea bites mean lots of chewing and biting at the base of his tail where he tends to get bitten.
If you see small white worms on your dog’s rear end, in their feces or where they live and sleep (i.e your home), your dog may have a tapeworm infection. And who wants worms in their house or bed? Mr. N is on year round flea and parasite prevention for precisely this reason. As few bugs as possible in the house.
Last month’s survey’s results were turned into an infographic. The majority of people stated that heartworm and flea protection were a high or very high priority. 79 percent said their dog is on flea prevention all year long while 20 percent said they only apply protection during the spring and summer. Survey participants were well-informed on tapeworm infestation with 70 percent saying a dog can contract tapeworms from infesting just one infested flea and 90 percent saying tapeworm segments can be found near a dog’s rear end, in feces and where the dogs lives and sleeps.
Is your dog on a regular preventative? If you’re looking for a reliable parasite prevention method, ask your vet if SENTINEL SPECTRUM is right for your dog.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Virbac® SENTINEL® SPECTRUM®. The opinions and text are all mine.
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June 17, 2016 6:30 pm
Oh Mr. N, why do you roll on dead animals? Don't you know that's yucky? I agree that heartworm and flea protection are a very high priority!
July 25, 2016 11:50 pm
Well he thinks he smells good.
June 17, 2016 8:05 pm
These gross things definitely need to be kept away from our pets! I don't think anyone really likes those spot on treatments (our dogs would hate the ones that meant they couldn't swim for a while after putting them on), so chews seem like a good alternative to that.
Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets
July 25, 2016 11:51 pm
Swimming isn't really an issue for Mr. N but no one wants to pet him afterwards!
June 17, 2016 10:06 pm
Bentley and Pierre are both on SENTINEL SPECTRUM. I don't have time for fleas and heartworms are a huge problem in Bayou country!
July 25, 2016 11:51 pm
Yeah, it's not as big here but it's becoming more of a problem.
June 18, 2016 1:51 am
Eek fleas and tapeworms are no good and gross, Sentinel Spectrum sounds like a great product to have to keep those away.
July 25, 2016 11:51 pm
They're super gross.
June 18, 2016 3:01 am
Prevention is so very important! We HATE fleas! They are vile! And let's not even talk about heartworms! EEK!!!! We must protect our pets!
July 25, 2016 11:51 pm
I agree with you!
June 19, 2016 8:27 am
I need to ask my vet about this, I'm so glad it covers both fleasand heartworms!
July 25, 2016 11:51 pm
What is she on now?
June 20, 2016 1:57 am
Mr N it's a good thing you are so cute because we have read every post about Sentinel! But, it sounds like a good product that we want to check out. Love Dolly
July 25, 2016 11:52 pm
Haha. I know, there's a lot!
June 20, 2016 4:03 am
My mom's dog has an infection due to flea bites. He usually gets a topical treatment, but I think he missed it this past month because of my mom's back surgery. She needs to check into these chews.
July 25, 2016 11:52 pm
Eek! Not good. I hope your mom's dog and your mom are both better.
June 20, 2016 5:59 am
Having a flea allergy would be so difficult for a pet! I'm glad that Sentinel is helping to keep those nasty fleas as bay. That is a great point about it not being able to be washed off. Between being bathed and swimming during the summer, that could be a huge problem for dogs.
-Purrs from your friends at http://www.PlayfulKitty.net
July 25, 2016 11:53 pm
Mr. N does not swim voluntarily but he does get a lot of baths.
June 20, 2016 6:26 am
We use Sentinel in our home every month. My Sadie also has hair, not fur, so washing off the topical treatment is a problem here too. Sentinel chews are a great way to make sure my dog is protected, but not have to deal with the messy, smelly liquid.
July 25, 2016 11:53 pm
The topicals are pretty messy!
June 20, 2016 1:37 pm
Sentinal is a great product. Thank you for sharing about the importance of protecting pets from fleas. They can get out of hand really quickly if you aren't careful!
July 25, 2016 11:53 pm
They breed like fleas!
July 22, 2016 1:51 pm
These worms are so icky!! I give my friends a pill every 3 months and flea/tick spot-on liquids every month!! We had a tick incident a few weeks ago!! We have to keep our babies safe from these parasites!! Big kiss for Mr. N!!
July 25, 2016 11:54 pm
Eeew. Ticks are so gross. He sends a kiss back!
July 22, 2016 4:50 pm
I use a topical flea and tick remedy currently and I'm always afraid I'll wash it off! The package says it's fine…but I always worry. A pill is a great idea!
July 25, 2016 11:55 pm
Pills are easier because then we don't freak out when Mr. N starts rolling on the carpet and other things lol.
July 22, 2016 5:48 pm
I have been focusing on natural flea control since my dog has cancer. So far so good (fingers crossed).
July 25, 2016 11:56 pm
I hope his treatment is helping!
July 22, 2016 9:48 pm
Fortunately, my dog Victor is heart worm free and is also on Sentinal. Heis a flea magnet. Ticks are now a huge issue around here too.
July 25, 2016 11:54 pm
Mr. N is a flea magnet too. *sighs
July 22, 2016 11:34 pm
My dog is on a topical and a pill preventative, per the vets recommendation. She also gets a bath once a week. Fleas and ticks are horrible where we live, when I adopted my dog she had flea dirt. So glad she is now free of them!
July 25, 2016 11:54 pm
That's about how often Mr. N gets bathed. I think he had flea problems before we adopted him too.
July 23, 2016 2:55 am
At the moment, Rugby is wearing an Amber Crown Flea and Tick collar. I like it because it's all natural and organic. He hates most chemical applications, and I really wanted to find something natural that he could tolerate well. So far, so good! 😀
July 25, 2016 11:50 pm
We've tried several natural methods but Mr. N has a flea allergy so he really needs the chemicals!
July 23, 2016 11:57 am
I love that there are so many chewable flea protection options now. I was always really comfortable adding the chemical drops directly to Ruby's skin. She has so many skin sensitivities that it just didn't feel right.
July 25, 2016 11:31 pm
Poor Ruby. It never seemed to bother Mr. N (topicals that is) but I didn't like the waiting period of letting it dry.
July 23, 2016 1:33 pm
It's hard to imagine cute stylish little Mr N rolling in crap. I hate fleas and worms too.
July 25, 2016 11:30 pm
He does it very stylishly lol!
July 24, 2016 12:51 pm
I also use an oral flea preventative for my cats rather than a topical. I think it works so much better, as like you said it can't be washed off, and I don't have to worry about the cats ingesting the topical medication that isn't meant to be ingested! Glad to hear that Sentinel is keeping Mr. N Flea free 🙂
July 25, 2016 11:22 pm
I worry about kids petting Mr. N and then sticking their fingers in their mouth lol.
July 24, 2016 3:03 pm
This would certainly be more pleasant than the crusty application we currently use. And Henry's skin does become easily irritated.
July 25, 2016 11:22 pm
Yeah, everything has side effects but if he has skin problems, this might be good to try.
July 24, 2016 11:02 pm
Well, you already know how I feel about fleas…EW! Jon Farleigh is severely allergic to their bites, too (we've had them in the house, but thankfully, I got rid of them before we got infested, this time). An education about the flea lifecycle is SO important in managing them. Glad you found something that works for you!
July 25, 2016 11:21 pm
Poor Jon! Mr. N goes slightly crazy.
July 25, 2016 2:54 am
I am still using a topical. So far, so good. I will consider this in the future.
July 25, 2016 11:21 pm
Mr. N gets too many baths for topicals to be truly effective, I think. Plus kids are petting him all the time.
July 25, 2016 2:15 pm
Luckily my two haven't ever had fleas since they have always been on preventative. However, we do have 4 dogs at my work that have fleas right now! We are giving them flea baths and the owner is going to the vet to get treatment for them.
July 25, 2016 11:20 pm
Eek! I hope they feel more comfortable soon.
July 25, 2016 5:59 pm
Flea prevention is so important, even for indoor cats. This sounds like a good product for dogs.
July 25, 2016 11:20 pm
It is. Fleas are everywhere!
July 25, 2016 7:59 pm
Fleas and ticks can wreak havoc. And the dogs really need us to protect them. Great post!
July 25, 2016 11:20 pm
They do create chaos!
July 27, 2016 2:18 am
Mr. N sure is a cutie! Luckily, we've never had a flea problem with my Huskies, and yes, they are on a monthly topical preventative. I like that this one can't be washed off or leave greasy stains on the fur like topicals because it's a chew, however, with having had an epileptic Husky for years and always have to be careful of seizure triggers, the chew would not have been a good choice for him, even some of the topicals are not as they can be a trigger. But it's wonderful that this is a choice for others! Great post!