Study suggests cat owners should increase the duration of flea and tick treatment

Flea and tick control is a crucial component in preventive care and companion animal practice.

A retrospective study of owners purchasing feline flea and tick products was conducted and compared them based on the annual doses purchased by cat owners. Records were analyzed from a commercial database obtained from a veterinary practice management software.

Results showed that cat owners purchased an average of 1.5 doses of fluralaner per year, which provides about 4.2 months of treatment. The combination of fipronil, s-methoprene, and pyriproxyfen was purchased by pet owners for 3.6 months, while the combination imidacloprid and pyriproxyfen was purchased for 2.8 months. Feline owners who purchase fluralaner every year reported a longer duration of coverage than feline owners purchasing the combination of fipronil, s-methoprene and pyriproxyfen or imidacloprid/pyriproxyfen.

Feline owners that acquired a flea and tick treatment with a 12-week redosing interval protected their cats for an extended period yearly compared to those who purchased a monthly treatment. All these data obtained suggest that owners should increase the duration of flea and tick control on their cats.

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Adherence to veterinary recommendations for ectoparasiticides purchased by cat owners in the USA