Should You Offer Your Pets a Monthly Preventative Flea Treatment?

Fleas are a pet owner's worst nightmare. Once pets are infested with fleas, pet owners will have a tough job on their hands trying to get rid of their pesky problem. In a bid to keep fleas permanently at bay, some pet owners go a step further and administer a monthly flea preventative treatment, even when their pets are not exhibiting any signs of infestation. Certain factors should be taken into consideration before you decide on this course of action.

Do Your Pets Spend a Lot of Time Outside?

Fleas can affect inside as well as outside pets, as fleas can be tracked indoors on your shoes and then transferred to pets. But pets that spend the majority of their time outdoors stand a higher risk of contracting fleas than those that are not directly exposed to fleas. Before opting for a monthly flea preventative treatment, look at your pets' risk. Are they prone to fleas each year? Or do they rarely have a problem with fleas? If it has been years since the last flea outbreak, a monthly preventative treatment may not be necessary for your household.

Are Your Pets Are Risk of Flea Re-infestation?

Pets that are at a high risk of re-infestation after a recent attack should be offered appropriate treatment until the problem has been fully contained. It can take a month or more to get a flea problem under control and will require a lot of patience on your part. Talk to your veterinarian for further advice on what you should do if you are worried about a re-infestation. He or she may recommend ongoing treatment for a few months until there is no further evidence of fleas.

Flea Treatments Are Expensive

If you have money to spare each month, you may have no qualms in offering your pets a regular flea treatment to ensure that your cherished companions do not develop fleas. But for a lot of pet owners, regular, ongoing flea treatments are too expensive. Pet owners with multiple pets often find the cost of repeated flea treatments too prohibitive to justify regular treatments, especially when their pets are not at a high risk of infestation or re-infestation.

Flea-related Complications

Fleas not only cause itching to pets and annoyance to pet owners; they also carry the risk of flea-related complications such as flea bite dermatitis, anaemia, tapeworm and more. If your pets have ever suffered from a flea-related complication in the past, or you are worried about their risk, offering your pets a monthly flea preventative treatment can give you the peace of mind you need.

Monthly flea preventative treatments can help protect pets from fleas and keep them content. However, regular treatment is not necessary for all pets, especially when they are at a low risk of contracting fleas. Assess their level of risk, past experiences and their health before offering a regular treatment. If in doubt, consult your veterinarian, who will be able to advise you further.