Yesterday we had a lunch and learn at work.

A lunch and learn is when a representative from a manufacturer or a specialist from an area of veterinarian medicine comes in and buys the vets, vet techs and receptionists lunch and gives us a lesson on a certain topic.

The topic of yesterday’s lunch and learn was fleas and the speaker was a representative from Merial, the manufacturer of Frontline Plus.

Don’t worry I am not going to preach to you and tell what flea product is best, or what you should be using. That is your business.I just want to provide with some facts.

While I intended to post about this next week, I had to do it now before I forgot. I didn’t take notes, therefore it is all jammed in my little brain and I have to get out asap.

I know that most of us know basics of what a flea is and what a flea does and that we don’t like fleas sucking the blood out of our pets, I wanted to share a few things that you might not know about fleas and fleas products.

Why all the hype about fleas, now?

Let’s talk about why there is such a hype about fleas these days. I mean I remember 20 years ago with my childhood dog that you never really heard about fleas. I mean sure they existed, but no one seemed overly concerned about them, right? Well that most likely is because the roll that a pet plays in our lives has changed.

We live in a society where pets are not just our pets anymore, they are a member of our family. We take them everywhere with us. We take them on vacations to our cabins, we take them to dog parks, we take them to the beach, we take them to the pet store. We are out and about with our pets more than we ever have been before, which means we are exposing them to more potential dangers.

Know the facts about what you are dealing with.

The adult fleas that you see on your pet are only 5% of your flea issue.

The other stages of the flea that you can’t see are where the big problem really lies.

Your biggest problem is the eggs which makes up 50% of your issue.

35% is the flea larvae and 10% is the pupae.

Environmental flea infestations usually begin 6-8 weeks before you ever notice a flea!

So say you find one flea on your pet, chances are there are thousands of eggs close by waiting to hatch.

Just killing the adult flea isn’t a enough. Make sure you are using a flea product that also eliminates flea eggs and larvae too.

A single dose of any flea product cannot end or prevent infestations.

If you have a flea problem, it is recommended that you treat your pet with a proper flea product for at least 3 months so that you are bringing the flea population under control.

Remember that not all flea products are the same. 

Make sure you are using a flea product that is safe for your pet. Know the active and inactive ingredients because yes, this does make a difference.

Know where your flea product came from.

Per the representative from Merial that was speaking to us yesterday, Merial only sells their flea product to licensed veterinarians, and will only offer their Satisfaction Plus Guarantee if the product was purchased from a licensed veterinarian practice. So if you purchase this product at a store, it does not come with a guarantee because Merial has no idea where that product came from. They have no record of it being sold to that store.

So how do the stores get it? It’s called diverting and they are not obtaining it legitimately from Merial. Therefore, there is no guarantee.

Now I can only speak for Frontline Plus from Merial, I have no idea about the other flea products that are out on the market, but you might want to check out their guarantee.

And think about this, say that you purchase a flea product from your local discount store and your pet has a reaction to it, or the product doesn’t work. Who are you going to go to? The teenager at the store that sold you the product that  has no idea about that product or about animals?

Know where your fleas are coming from.

You treated your house and your pet but what about the family of raccoons that are living under your porch that are infested with fleas? Did you block off the porch?

You treated your dog but what about your indoor cat? yes, even indoor cats can get fleas.

What about the mat in front of your door where the neighbors cat sleeps? That mat might be covered with flea eggs.

The point is, experts are saying that this is going to be a big year for fleas so be smart and know what you are dealing with when it comes to fleas and your pet.

I was not compensated in anyway, shape or form for this post.

I just wanted to share some important information with you that I learned.

Alright that’s all I have for now.

My head is empty.