Advantage Flea Treatment | Advantage for Dogs | Advantage for Cats

Advantage for dogs, cats and rabbits

Advantage is a non-prescription medication which is used to control fleas on dogs, cats and rabbits. Safe, effective and easy to use, it provides a useful alternative to the widely used products containing fipronil. Over-use of one product can be associated with the development of resistance. Advantage contains imidacloprid as the active ingredient which has not been over used and has effective and persistent activity against fleas, as well as biting lice. Advantage is a supplied in individual plastic pipettes which are easily opened and emptied onto the skin.
The active ingredient spreads over the surface of the body, dissolved in the oils which naturally coat the skin and hair. Fleas or lice which crawl over the surface of the body come into contact with the Advantage and are killed within 24-48hours. One application remains effective for up to 4 weeks on dogs, 3 or 4 weeks on cats, and 1 week on rabbits. Advantage is actually “waterproof”! Even if the animal gets wet or goes swimming, Advantage normally remains fully effective afterwards as it is protected by the oils on the coat.
The active ingredient, imidacloprid, is very non-toxic to mammals so is very safe. This goes for the human operator and the pet itself, unlike many of the older insecticides.  It is available in five different sizes:
Advantage 40 for Small Cats, Small Dogs and Pet Rabbits
     (for animals less than 4kg bodyweight, 0.4mls per tube, 4 tubes per packet)
 Advantage 80 for Large Cats and Rabbits
     (for animals greater than 4kg bodyweight, 0.8mls per tube, 4 tubes per packet)
Advantage 100 for Dogs
     (for dogs 4kg to 10kg bodyweight, 0.8mls per tube, 4 tubes per packet)
Advantage 250 for Dogs
     (for dogs 10kg to 25kg bodyweight, 2.5mls per tube, 4 tubes per packet)
Advantage 400 for Dogs
     (for dogs 25kg to 40kg bodyweight, 4mls per tube, 4 tubes per packet)
Remember that fleas spend some time living off the pet. They hide in nooks and crannies in bedding and anywhere on the floor where pets tend to go. Surprisingly they survive very well on wooden floors, living in the gaps between the floor boards. This explains why many people treat their pet when they see fleas in the coat, then are dismayed to see that there are still fleas there a few days later. These will probably be “new” fleas which have come from the environment. It is often claimed that there are one hundred fleas in the environment (mostly eggs and developing larvae) for every adult flea on your pet. These are all going to jump onto your pet as soon as they are ready. This is why it makes good sense to treat the living area with an environmental insecticide, to help prevent more fleas jumping onto your pet.
You can buy the Advantage products at discount prices from Viovet.co.uk .
A range of household insecticides to be used for fleas are also available.

Method of Administration of one Advantage pipette:

Remove one pipette from the package. Hold pipette in an upright position, twist and pull off cap. Use reversed cap to twist and remove seal from pipette. See Figure 1.

Figure 1: Opening a pipette

Administration to a Cat or Rabbit
Part the hair on the pet’s neck at the base of the skull until the skin is visible. Place the tip of the pipette on the skin and squeeze firmly several times to empty the contents directly onto the skin. See Figure 2.

Figure 2: Administration to the cat/rabbit

For dogs up to 25kg
With the dog in the standing position, part the coat between the shoulder blades until the skin is visible. Place the tip of the pipette on the skin and squeeze firmly several times to empty the contents directly onto the skin. See Figure 3.

Figure 3: Administration to dogs up to 25kg

For dogs of more than 25 kg
For easy application the dog should be standing. The entire contents of the pipette should be applied evenly as 3 or 4 spots along the top of the back, from between the shoulders to the base of the tail. At each spot, part the coat until the skin is visible. Wherever possible apply to undamaged skin. Place the tip of the pipette on the skin and gently squeeze the pipette to expel a portion of its contents directly onto the skin. Do not apply an excessive amount of solution at any one spot, as that could cause some of the product to run down the animals side. See figure 4.

Figure 4: Administration to dogs over 25kg

All Species
It is particularly important to apply the dose to an area where it cannot be licked off. Correct application will minimise the opportunity for the animal to lick off the product.
Apply only to undamaged skin. Do not allow recently treated animals to groom each other.

Article written by:
John Cousins BVSc MRCVS - A veterinary surgeon from VioVet - Online Pet Store & Pharmacy.

The article reflects the opinions of the author and should only be used as a guide. It can only be taken in conjunction with advice from your vet. No liability is accepted for accuracy of content or any other matter.