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Kills Fleas |
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Repels Fleas |
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Kills Flea eggs and Larvae |
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Prevents Development |
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Kills Ticks |
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Repels Ticks |
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Kills and/or Repels Mosquitoes |
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Prevents Heartworm |
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Other Parasites Information | NA | Chewing lice for up to 30 days. | Eliminates infestations with chewing lice |
Waterproof (shampooing once a week can reduce effectiveness) |
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Safe for pregnant or nursing Pets |
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How long does it take to work | Reapply Activyl every 30 days. | Starts working in 1 hour | Starts killing fleas in 30 minutes |
Taste | Applied to skin | Applied to skin | Applied to skin |
Active Ingredient(s) | indoxacarb | Fipronil | Fipronil, S-methoprene, Pyriproxyfen |
RX Required |
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Dosage | |||
Usage |
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Video | Coming soon | Coming soon | Coming soon |
Vet Review | Another recently available new topical flea preventative for dogs and cats. This new product works by being activated by only the flea's enzyme systems into a flea specific mechanism which paralyzes and kills the adult flea. The company claims that it does not get into the blood stream, but stays only in the superficial skin layers of the pet. Any adult fleas which come into contact with this product are quickly killed so that fleas do not have to actually bite the pet, which is tremendously helpful in those flea-allergic pets, where it only takes a few flea bites to set off an extensive itchy allergic reaction. Another wonderful benefit of this product is that it is waterproof, which is especially helpful in those active outside pets who are exposed to rain or like to swim. This effective product starts working within 12 hours of application, where over 90% of adult fleas are killed. Another excellent benefit of this product is that it also inhibits the development of flea eggs and larvae in the environment, which is a big bonus since much of the flea life cycle occurs in the home environment. While Activyl is very safe and effective for most pets, I have seen occasional rare reactions in sensitive pets, which most commonly is seen as irritation or excessive itchiness at the site of application. While the company says that it is odorless, some of my clients have said that they do sense an odor within the first several days of application, as well as leaving an occasional oily film for the first day or two following application. This film, however usually quickly disappears. The only other very rare reactions include digestive upset and/or drooling/neurological reactions, and certainly if a pet has any chronic digestive weaknesses or history of seizures, etc then the local veterinarian should be consulted before applying the product. I give this product an overall rating of 4, with an ease of use of 4. | This reliable and more economical alternative to Frontline comes from a very reliable company, Elanco. Its main ingredient, fipronil, probably has the most clinical record of experience of efficacy over many years, in killing both adult fleas before they lay eggs, as well as various species of ticks. Its safety is touted by supposedly targeting only the nervous system of the pests. With cats, we always must be careful when evaluating the newer generation of emerging pesticides for fleas and ticks that are coming out, as kitties' detoxification pathways are typically more sensitive than dogs'. Most kitties tolerate this single spot application quite well. In addition to being waterproof, so important for outdoor kitties, this product is easier to apply than most competitors, as well as leaving no pungent or chemical smell like many over the counter competitor products. Most of my clients have found it as effective as Frontline, but not as quick as Advantage. Some clients have complained that it does not seem to repel the ticks, who can occasionally be found attached to the skin before they die. Not only it is important in using products like Easy Spot to prevent flea bite anemia in cats, and unsightly tapeworms, but in recent years, fleas have been shown to carry an increasing number of serious diseases and infections, including Bartonella species, amongst others. Another benefit of this product is that it is labeled as safe to use in pregnant or nursing cats. Side effects, although rare, may include topical irritation at the site of application, lethargy, as well as rare twitching reactions, agitation, and/or restlessness. These are typically short-lived, and fortunately, are very uncommon across pet populations that the product has been used. Some veterinarians and experts have wondered about the recent resistance of fleas to some of the fipronil-based products, but that has not been my experience. I give this product an overall rating of a 4, with an ease of application and efficacy of 4, as well. | As most exterminators will tell you, the battle with external parasites and pests is an always evolving battle, as over time, parasites will develop partial resistance to products that had once worked almost perfectly in the past. This has been my experience with some of the older flea/tick formulations and has been reported by my veterinary colleagues and clients alike on occasion. While the older products are mostly still effective, companies are always researching new formulations to stay one step ahead of the development of resistance in the parasites. One of the latest formulations, Frontline Gold takes advantage of newer technologies and now has added an additional insect growth regulator, Pyriproxyfen, to its original formulation, to help enhance the efficacy of the Frontline plus product. The Frontline product is thus able to kill the next generation of flea larvae and eggs even more effectively by breaking the life cycle of the flea. The likelihood of flea immune resistance to this new triple action formula is thus significantly reduced. Given the increasing global warming seen in recent years, the expanding and increasing flea populations in heavily infested areas, however, do require a truly holistic approach by the animal guardian in treating the home, environment and yard for optimal flea control, as it is important to keep in mind that much of the flea life cycle still occurs in the home. While many clients find the more easily applied, self-puncturing tube dispensing method(often only requiring the use of one hand) to the old product, other clients find it difficult to see if all of the product has been dispensed from the colored tube. This new product, however, is quite effective, with only rare topical irritation at the site of the application an only rare complication. With that being said, I give this product an overall rating of a 5, with an ease of application of 4. |