The Vet Practice

But before you grab the first, best priced (and the one with the most attractive packaging)  - FLEA KILLER please check out what chemicals it contains.

Flea products come in all different formats: from shampoos, sprays to spottons, even oral tablets -and they all contain some type of Active Ingredient to kill these unwelcome creatures quickly.

However, some of these Active Ingedients, while safe to use on or near dogs, can be exteremely dangerous for Cats.

Products containing Pyrethrums / Permethrins are for DOGS ONLY. Do not use these on Cats or allow cats to come into contact with them.

Same goes with products containing the Active ingredient Amitraz.

Application of a permethrin or pyrethrin based insecticide to a cat will usually result in toxic symptoms within a few hours.

These include:

• Salivating (drooling)
• Seizures or muscle tremors
• Vomiting
• Lethargy

This mistake is often made in multi pet households where it's tempting to buy a pack of something and share it around all the pets. With so many of these products available on the market, and most being sold without advice, (online stores and supermarkets) it's easy to overlook the fine print.

How to choose the right Flea Product

First of all - most Flea preventatives are formulated for a specific species. There's products that are safe for use on Cats and ones that are for Dogs only. Most products will clearly indicate the species thy're intended for but still check the fine print. Sometimes pictures can be misleading.

Then of course there's the age, weight and health restrictions. All products should caution you against using the product on or around specific types of animals such as young puppies and kittens or animals which are sick or underweight.

Sometimes names of products can be confusing too. Advantix for example (A flea and tick preventative spotton for dogs) can be confused with Advantage - another product which kills fleas only.

Both Advantix and Advantage contain the Active Ingredient Imidacloprid which is safe for both dogs and cats however Advantix also contains Permethrin (to kill ticks) and is toxic to cats.

So never - ever use Advantix on Cats. In fact, if you apply this product to your dog keep your cat well away from him for the first few days after application. So sleeping together is a big No - No!

Our advice is - get advice whenever you buy antiparasitic products and stick with well respected brands that use safe active ingredients - and ones which are guaranteed effective against the feisty invaders.

Some cheaper generics may contain ingredients which no longer work as well because the parasites have developed a resistance to them.

Also - be aware that some flea products don't actually kill adult fleas. They act as a Flea contraceptive which simply prevent fleas from breeding. These products won't help you if you need to get rid of fleas quickly. Their role is to reduce the flea population over time. Sentinel Spectrum is an example of this type of product.

Choosing antiparasitics can be confusing and it's easy to make a mistake. So - always read the fine print and preferably - ask for advice. After all - peace of mind is important too!