Flea and tick control in the 21st century: challenges and opportunities
Abstract
Historically, veterinarians have told their clients that one flea is all that is necessary to produce and maintain the clinical signs of flea allergy dermatitis (FAD). Newer adulticides, such as fipronil, imidacloprid, nitenpyram and selamectin, have had a positive clinical effect on dogs and cats with FAD. However, data on flea feeding and the effect of these products on flea feeding bring into question the once perceived dogma of the single flea bite concept. Current data would indicate that the primary role of these insecticides in managing FAD is in rapidly reducing flea numbers and reducing flea feeding rather than preventing flea bites. Controlling tick infestations is important not only because ticks are nuisance parasites of dogs and cats, but also because they are vectors of a variety of bacterial and protozoal diseases. Achieving satisfactory tick control is often difficult due to unrealistic expectations of pet owners, to residual acaricidal properties of products that are often less than 100% and because of constant re‐infestation pressure. Some of the most important factors veterinarians must be aware of are regional changes in tick distributions, our inability to control wildlife tick hosts and expectation differences between flea and tick control. These factors probably cause most real and perceived product failures.
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Seasonal treatment with formulations containing residual insecticides and/or repellents is the usual basis for flea control.
“This is usually based on seasonal treatment with formulations containing residual insecticides and/or repellents [7,17,18,101,147], most of which are out of the scope of the present article.”
From Fleas infesting pets in the era of emerging extra-intestinal nematodes (2013) · cites this paper as [101]
A year round approach is not applied for fleas by pet owners and veterinarians, because control of pulicosis is traditionally suggested from late winter or early spring and continued throughout summer until autumn.
“In general, a year round approach is not applied for fleas by pet owners and veterinarians, because control of pulicosis is traditionally suggested from late winter or early spring and continued throughout summer until autumn.”
From Fleas infesting pets in the era of emerging extra-intestinal nematodes (2013) · cites this paper as [101]
25-60% of fleas are blood fed within 5 min and partially digested blood can be defecated in as little as 2-6 minutes after fleas infest a host.
“This is even more important if one considers that rapid and voracious blood sucking by adult fleas (e.g. 25–60% of fleas are blood fed within 5 min and partially digested blood can be defecated in as little as 2–6 minutes after fleas infest a host) may indeed impair prevention of flea biting and feeding by residual insecticides [101,184,185].”
From Fleas infesting pets in the era of emerging extra-intestinal nematodes (2013) · cites this paper as [101]
Rapid and voracious blood sucking by adult fleas may impair prevention of flea biting and feeding by residual insecticides.
“This is even more important if one considers that rapid and voracious blood sucking by adult fleas (e.g. 25–60% of fleas are blood fed within 5 min and partially digested blood can be defecated in as little as 2–6 minutes after fleas infest a host) may indeed impair prevention of flea biting and feeding by residual insecticides [101,184,185].”
From Fleas infesting pets in the era of emerging extra-intestinal nematodes (2013) · cites this paper as [101]
The key drivers of FAD are the degree of hypersensitivity of an individual animal, the number of fleas feeding and amount of salivary antigens injected.
“Therefore, it is suggested that the key drivers of FAD are the degree of hypersensitivity of an individual animal, the number of fleas feeding and amount of salivary antigens injected [101].”
From Fleas infesting pets in the era of emerging extra-intestinal nematodes (2013) · cites this paper as [101]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Dryden, M. W.
- Affiliations
- Kansas State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Dryden, Michael Wayne
- Venue
- Veterinary Dermatology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2009-10
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 5-6
- Pages
- 435-440
- ISSN
- 0959-4493 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-3164
- OpenAlex
- W1841369928
- Cited by
- 94
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 4.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Veterinary Dermatology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Parasitology › Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Dermatological diseases and infestations
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Helminth infection and control
- Keywords
- flea control, tick control, flea allergy dermatitis, adulticide, fipronil, imidacloprid, nitenpyram, selamectin, tick-borne diseases, reinfestation, dogs, cats
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Cat Diseases, Cats, Dog Diseases, Dogs, Ectoparasitic Infestations, Siphonaptera, Insecticides, Oviposition, Ticks, Dermatitis, Allergic Contact
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