TITLE:
Comparative Efficacy of Three Commercial Ectoparasiticides against Fleas in Naturally Infested Dogs
AUTHORS:
Froylán Ibarra-Velarde, Yolanda Vera-Montenegro, Yazmin Alcala-Canto, Miguel Flores-Ramos, Nelyda Saldaña-Hernández
KEYWORDS:
Fleas, Dogs, Efficacy, Fipronil, Permethrin, Piperonyl Butoxide
JOURNAL NAME:
Pharmacology & Pharmacy,
Vol.10 No.5,
May
17,
2019
ABSTRACT: Fleas that infest pets are considered important
parasites of both animals and humans. These insects cause irritation and can
also transmit zoonotic diseases. Research has led to a rapid expansion in the
development of flea control products. In the face of a market that offers dozens
of commercial ectoparasiticides for dogs and cats, pet owners and veterinarians
must be provided with evidence to support their decision to select a product to
control fleas. To compare the efficacy of three commercially available products against companion animal fleas, a trial was conducted on
naturally-infested dogs in order to validate their pulicidal activity.
Thirty-two flea-infested dogs with fleas were divided into 4 groups (n = 8) for each treatment. Group 1 received one pipette of permethrin as a
spot-on dose of 650 mg/ml. The second group received 9.7% fipronil as a spot-on formulation. Group 3 was treated with a spot-on
formulation of permethrin 7.40% plus piperonyl butoxide at 7.40%. Group 4
remained as the untreated control. Fleas of all experimental dogs were examined
and counted on days 0, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 to determine the percentage of flea
reduction. Results showed a 100% efficacy for all tested products. Identified
species were: Ctenocephalides felis (75.7%), Ctenocephalides canis (15.9%)
and Pulex irritans (9.5%). Based on these results, it was concluded that the three anti-flea
products evaluated under the conditions of this study, produced an excellent
efficacy as from the third day after treatment.