Flea product efficacy, pet owners' adherence and treatment failure: what's the connection?

Abstract

Successful flea control relies mainly on the use of effective anti-flea products and the adherence of pet owners to treatment recommendations. When flea infestations continue to persist, despite the application of a potent flea product, lack of efficacy may be suspected. This study evaluated whether common flea products are still effective. As compliance is also critical, the impacts of owners' adherence on treatment success were also investigated, with a view to giving recommendations for improvement. The authors tested the hypothesis that when treatment failure occurs, perceived inefficacy of anti-flea products is caused by poor compliance. Searches were carried out in PubMed and CAB Abstracts, with abstracts screened against predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. In total, eleven studies on efficacy and seven studies on adherence were included in the analysis. All anti-flea products included in the study, with the exception of fipronil-S methoprene and possibly selamectin, appear to be effective in treating and preventing flea infestations in dogs and cats. With the majority of pet owners failing to adhere to recommendations, all veterinary staff should be proactive in providing rationale for the use of anti-flea products and reassure owners of their effectiveness to maximise compliance.