Preventative medications work in two ways : some repel adult fleas from jumping on to the pet ( e . g . the Seresto collar ), while others kill adult fleas once they have fed on the animal and prevent them laying viable eggs ( e . g . Credelio tablets or Bravecto spot-on treatment ). Select a product that best suits the client ' s pet ( s ) and make the owner aware of its correct usage ( Figure 3 ), how long it will be effective and any relevant warnings .

Additional resources

Elanco . Credelio Plus . Available from : https :// www . myelanco . co . uk / brand / credelio-plus [ Accessed 14 March 2023 ].

Elanco . Credelio for Cats . Available from : https :// www . myelanco . co . uk / brand / credelio-for-cats [ Accessed 14 March 2023 ].

Felpreva . A breakthrough in parasite protection for cats . Available from : https :// www . felpreva . co . uk [ Accessed 23 March 2023 ].

NOAH . Stronghold Plus spot-on solution for cats . Available from : https :// www . noahcompendium . co . uk /? id = -464634 [ Accessed 10 February 2023 ].

Figure 3 . Spot-on treatment being applied to a dog .

Shorten the pupal stage

Pupae are not susceptible to the environmental treatments discussed earlier and can only be eliminated when they emerge as adults . Creating ideal conditions for pupae to emerge can speed up the flea life cycle to eliminate the problem as quickly as possible .

The optimum temperature for fleas is 21 – 30 ° C , but they can be active all year round , particularly due to the use of central heating in homes . Pupae emerge in response to vibrations , heat and increased levels of carbon dioxide . In order to encourage these conditions , owners should keep their homes warm and vacuum the floors and furniture daily ( Figure 4 ). Even when these optimal conditions have been created , it is important to make owners aware that it can still take 2 – 6 weeks to eliminate pupae from the home environment .

MSD Animal Health . Bravecto . Available from : https :// www . bravecto . co . uk / [ Accessed 9 March 2023 ].

NOAH . Frontline Spray 0.25 % w / v Cutaneous Spray Solution . Available from : https :// www . noahcompendium . co . uk /? id = -453591 [ Accessed 10 February 2023 ].

Paul L . Educating clients about flea prevention . Today ' s Veterinary Nurse . Spring 2022 . Available from : https :// todaysveterinarynurse . com / parasitology / educating-clients-about-flea-prevention / [ Accessed 14 March 2023 ].

Richmond P . A nurse-led approach to flea control . The Veterinary Nurse . 2018 . Available from : https :// www . theveterinarynurse . com / Review / article / a-veterinary-nurse-ledapproach-to-flea-control [ Accessed 9 March 2023 ].

Rust MK . The biology and ecology of cat fleas and advancements in their pest management : a review . Insects . 2017 ; 8 ( 4 ): 118 . Available from : https :// doi . org / 10.3390 / insects8040118 .

Vetoquinol . Anti-parasite products . Available from : https :// www . vetoquinol . com / en / products / domains / parasiticide [ Accessed 14 March 2023 ].

Figure 4 . Owners should be encouraged to vacuum furniture .

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