Capstar and Program Flea Control: Different from Other Flea Treatments

Capstar and Program flea control are different from other flea treatments and both are safe and effective without putting toxic chemicals on your pet's skin or exposing you or your kids to harmful fumes and toxins. With cautions and warnings like keep children away from treated pets, wash your hands after applying and don't inhale the vapors, you have to wonder just how safe are flea treatment products. My favorite precautionary statement says this flea control product is hazardous to people and domesticated animals. Even though Capstar and Program flea control have been around for awhile, there's still a lot of pet owners who have never heard of them and both flea products are different from other flea treatments.

Fleas are nasty little buggers than can cause a pet all kinds of aggravation and health concerns. Too many fleas can kill a pet. Just because you don't see fleas on your pet, it doesn't mean they aren't hanging out in your home. Fleas spend part of their life off pets in out of the way places around the house, laying eggs and leaving stashes of food (undigested dried blood) for fleas in the larvae stage to eat. Deposits of dried blood on your pet's back and down around the base of the tail are telltale signs your pet and your home are infested with fleas. Capstar and Program flea control can help you get rid of them.

There's no such thing as a baby flea. Smaller ones are newly hatched and hungry fleas. The bigger they are, the more blood they've been taking from your pet. The female has to have a blood meal before she can mate and lay her eggs. With enough food and ideal temperatures and humidity, fleas can live up to 7 months, but their average life span is 2 months. In perfect conditions for mating and abundant food (blood) supply, one female flea can average over 800 eggs in her lifetime. Females far outnumber males and a flea infestation can overpower a home in a short period of time.

Capstar is a life saving pill to keep around for emergency use on a pet who has been overrun with fleas and needs help fast. Not all pets react to fleas in the same way. While some will scratch, whine and be noticeably distressed, others don't seem to be as bothered by them and may not show any outward signs of fleas. They're the ones who can be overcome with fleas before you know there's a problem. Capstar is different from topical or spray flea control and starts working in about 15 to 30 minutes after you've given a pill to your pet. It will kill all adult fleas on your pet for up to 24 hours, but has no effect on the eggs or larvae and has no residual protection left on the pet after 2 days.

Capstar contains Nitenpyram, a chemical that kills fleas by damaging their nerves, but won't harm pets. It can be given to puppies and kittens as young as 4 weeks old weighing at least 2 pounds and you can give it to pregnant and nursing moms. It's safe for daily use and can be used in conjunction with other flea control treatments or other medications. Since it contains no chemical residue, parents don't have to worry about their kids coming in contact with treated pets. According to the manufacturer, Novartis, there are no side affects. I've used Capstar for years with no ill effects for any of my pets other than scratching as the fleas die. However, as with any medication, always monitor pets for any adverse reactions. Any medication can have side effects for a certain percentage of pets. If you aren't sure if your cat or dog actually swallowed the pill, it's safe to give them another Capstar.

Program is a monthly flea control and can be used along with Capstar. It comes in pill or liquid form or twice a year injections. Unlike Capstar which kills adult fleas, Program won't kill adults, it prevents the larvae from hatching, breaking the life cycle of fleas. It's the only flea treatment that can penetrate the hard, protective cocoon of the flea in the larvae stage by attacking the flea inside the cocoon. It contains lufenuron which is an insect development inhibitor. Program flea control interrupts the flea cycle by making the female sterile. She ingests lufenuron when she bites a dog or cat and passes it on to her eggs. Fleas in the larvae stage have to grow a tooth which is used to cut through their cocoon. Program prevents the all important tooth from developing, leaving the flea trapped in its cocoon where it dies. Treating pets with Program once a month and a Capstar every couple of days is a good way to break the life cycle of fleas because Program keeps larvae from hatching and Capstar kills the adult fleas. Neither one will kill ticks, so if you take your dog hiking, camping or have ticks in your yard, you need to consider other flea control that will give your pet protection from ticks.

You can get Capstar and Program without a prescription from most vets. You can find both cheaper online, but you have to be careful who you buy them from. Only purchase the flea control from a trusted online site. Some online retailers sell expired lots which means the flea control may not be as effective. Talk to your vet and negotiate for a lower price. More and more vets are willing to sell at a lower cost to meet online pricing. Novartis, the manufacturer, will only guarantee Capstar when purchased from a vet. The average cost from a vet can start at $20.00 for one Capstar pill. The cost online is variable and you can find them in packets of 6 pills at an average cost of $20 or less, if they're on sale. Capstar comes in two different sizes, 2-25 pounds for cats and small dogs and 25 pounds and over for dogs. Program is broken down into weight groups, so weigh your cat or dog to know which dose you should use. A 6 month packet starts at around $40 online.

Fleas carry tapeworm eggs which can be ingested by pets when they bite or eat fleas during grooming. It's a good idea to have your pet wormed if you find fleas on them. A tapeworm looks like white rice sized specks moving in a pet's feces or around the anus. These are segments of the tapeworm and contain eggs which are eaten by flea larvae to continue the life cycle of the tapeworm. Roundworms look like spaghetti and are found in a pet's feces or in vomit. Pets don't get roundworms from fleas.
Capstar, Drugs.com

Flea Adult, pestproducts.com

Program Flea Control, Flea Control Guide