Advancements in Flea and Tick Protection

Advancements in Flea and Tick Protection

            Parasites like fleas and ticks have been on earth for millions of years.  These tiny blood-sucking critters are not only a nuisance, but they can also cause extreme itching, and skin irritation, may cause anemia, and spread serious diseases like Lyme and Ehrlichia, bartonella (cat scratch disease) and even bubonic plague (yep, it still exists today and fleas are the carriers!). 

            Keeping our pets free of parasites like fleas and ticks is an ongoing struggle.  Luckily, scientific research has made significant progress in safely preventing flea and tick infestations. Let’s look back at how flea and tick control has changed through the decades and learn about the newest breakthrough in parasite prevention, Bravecto Quantum.

            In the 1900’s, fleas and ticks were often treated with harsh substances such as carbolic acid, creosol, naphthalene (moth balls), and even kerosene! As one can imagine, while these substances were toxic to fleas and ticks, they also posed heavy risks of toxicity to the dogs and cats being treated. Safer products like boric acid and diatomaceous earth are not effective against all life stages of fleas and ticks, therefore, they are not reliable in eliminating parasites from pets or the environment.

            From the 1920’s through the 1940’s, somewhat safter products like powders, dips and shampoos became available.  Most of these contained pyrethrins (derived from the chrysanthemum flower) which worked well on dogs but proved toxic to cats.  Rotenone and derris were other flea and tick killing compounds found in powders and sprays.  Believe it or not, in the mid-1940’s WWII era, DDT was actually applied to pets and used in homes to kill fleas and ticks!

            The 1960’s brought the invention of flea collars, most of which contained organophosphate chemicals.  Organophosphates were also used in pesticide sprays and powders. While somewhat safer than the compounds being used at the turn of the century, these chemicals were still fairly toxic.  Fleas and ticks also developed resistance to these products making them less effective in killing fleas and ticks over time.

            Only in the 1990’s did we see significant advancement in the development of safe and effective flea and tick control.  This was the invention of topical or “spot on” products such as fipronil (initially found in Frontline brand) and imidacloprid (Advantage) which were safe for both dogs and cats and were highly effective against adult fleas and ticks. Insect growth regulators also became available in the 1990’s—compounds like lufenuron and methoprene were used to prevent flea eggs from hatching thus interrupting the flea life cycle by inhibiting reproduction.

            Finally, in 2013, chewable flea and tick products for dogs were launched.  Safe and highly effective at killing fleas and ticks, many products using the same class of drugs called isoxazolines became available for both dogs and cats.  While there are some concerns for pets who have underlying neurologic conditions, these drugs have revolutionized flea and tick control for our companion animals.  Given as an oral chew (a few are also available as topicals), these products enter the bloodstream where they relocate to the fat and skin remaining in the tissue for 1-3 months. Isoxazolines have no known toxicity to organs such as the liver or kidney. 

            In 2025, we now have another version of the isoxazoline—the fluralaner found in Bravecto brand chews has been formulated to be given as an injection under the skin that will kill fleas and ticks for up to one year!  Bravecto Quantum is now available in the United States.  An injection that kills fleas and ticks sounds a bit scary, but it is a safe way to beat these nasty parasites.  Once injected, Bravecto Quantum absorbs into the bloodstream and binds to fat and other tissues in the body where it is slowly released into capillaries in the skin over the course of 12 months.  Quantum begins working within 2-5 days to kill fleas and ticks and the parasites die within 24 hours of ingesting the drug when they take a blood meal.  Quantum is available only for dogs 6 months of age or older (the dog needs to be in a stable weight range, so giant breed dogs may need to wait until they are 12 months old for effective use).  It has been available in Australia for about a year and has a high safety record with injection site pain and lethargy being the most common.  As with chewable or topical Bravecto, Quantum injections should not be used in dogs with known seizure or neurologic disorders.  Patton Veterinary Hospital feels this will be another great option for flea and tick prevention for our canine patients.  Ask our staff for more information about Quantum.

            This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.

            https://thepethistorian.com/2016/10/05/fleas-and-other-itches-tis-still-the-season-part-two/