Platinum Author
Fleas are tough little insects. They move quickly, hide in your pet's coat and in your furniture and they reproduce They thrive in warm environments with high humidity and feed on blood. Dog flea medicines are best selling pet meds and offer variety of choice for every pet owner.
The flea life cycle has four stages - egg, larva, pupa and adult. Fleas may live from two weeks to several months. Looking closely at an adult flea you will notice a flat body with 3 pairs of legs. The hind legs are designed for jumping, a talent fleas are known for.
A female flea can lay as many as 50 eggs per day. These eggs have no way to stick to the dog they were laid on and will drop off on pet bedding (and possibly on his owner's bed), on carpets and on furniture your pet visits. The eggs can hatch within a few days or in a couple weeks (depending on temperature) and the larvae emerge. Flea larvae are about 6 mm long, white and almost transparent. Their food source is the feces of other fleas which is mostly composed of dried blood. The larval stage lasts approximately 1-2 weeks at which time the larva spins a cocoon.
The final stage in a flea's life before reaching adulthood is the pupa. An adult flea can remain in this cocoon for a year while waiting for just the right time to make its appearance. The trigger to emerge is an outside stimulus such as warming temperatures or an increase in humidity. In ideal conditions, the adult flea may leave the cocoon in as little as 3 days.
The flea life cycle is widely varied by the environment. It's difficult to control an insect infestation where the life cycle may be as short as 10 days or longer than a year. The best flea medicines for dogs focus on breaking the life cycle of a flea by killing the varmint at every stage of its life. Fleas will make your dog miserable as he tries in vain to scratch off the insects crawling and jumping on his skin. For dogs with flea allergy dermatitis the problem is even worse as any flea bite causes an immune reaction in the dog's body and leads to skin problems and secondary infections.
Flea prevention products can be divided into several categories. For several years, topical flea drops have led in sales but increasing consumer complaints about side effects have led worried pet owners to seek other options.
This new addition to dog flea medicines has been an instant hit with dog owners. This product avoids concerns expressed by some consumers over the safety of topical flea meds. The answer to those concerns may be Comfortis, a new flea medicine that has gained rapid acceptance by pet owners.
It is interesting that Comfortis is not one of the products that promise protection from multiple pests. The focus is on fleas and breaking the flea life cycle. Comfortis is provided in a beef-flavored chewable tablet that dog's are happy to take and is safe to take in conjunction with heartworm preventatives.
Pet parents are advised to give the monthly dose of Comfortis just before the pet's meal and year round dosing is recommended.
Concerns about side effects of spot on drops have risen as the topical products have added additional protection to address multiple pests. Comfortis goes back to the basic need of dogs and their owners for a simple product that is safe, has few side effects and kills those fleas.
This is one of the fastest acting canine flea medications as Comfortis begins killing fleas within 30 minutes of ingestion and kills fleas before they can lay eggs. The product can be used on dogs 14 weeks and older but is not suitable for small puppies.
About this Author
Pet owners worried about safety of flea treatments for dogs [http://www.petscriptsdirect.com/canine-medications/flea-medicine-for-dogs/oral.html] are raving about Comfortis. Try this new spot on flea treatment and kill fleas fast with discount pet meds from http://www.petscriptsdirect.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=D._Thurmond,_D.V.M.
