Activyl vs. Parastar Plus for Dogs Comparison

Activyl

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Parastar Plus for Dogs

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Vectra 3D

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Kills Fleas

Repels Fleas

Kills Flea eggs and Larvae

Prevents all flea stages (eggs, pupae, larvae, and adult fleas) from developing.

Kills Ticks

Repels Ticks

Kills and/or Repels Mosquitoes

Prevents Heartworm

Other Parasites Information

Eliminates infestations with chewing lice, aids in the control of sarcoptic mange infestation

Also kills biting and sand flies, live and mites for one month

Waterproof (shampooing once a week can reduce effectiveness)

Safe for pregnant or nursing Pets

How long does it take to work

Reapply Activyl every 30 days.

Starts working in 1 hour

Starts to reduce flea feeding in just 5 minutes

Taste

Applied to skin

Topical

Active Ingredient(s)

indoxacarb

Fipronil and Cyphenothrin

Dinotefuran, Pyriproxyfen, Permethrin

RX Required

Dosage

Usage

Video

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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.

Parastar Plus combines the proven performing main ingredient of fipronil with cyphenothrin, which allows for more rapid killing and treatment of fleas, ticks, certain mites, and lice. This combination allows for this topically applied product to begin killing within an hour. In my experience, most of my clients have reported higher efficacy and better satisfaction for tick control over fleas. It seems to be easier to dispense out of the applicator over competitor products, and especially with lighter colored dogs the product does not seem to stain. However on occasion, I have seen a sensitive darker coated dog have some mild bleaching at the site of application. With some longer haired dogs, I have seen it leave an occasional slightly sticky spot at the site of application as well. Like many of the competitor products, it is touted as waterproof, however, I try and recommend that clients do not bathe dogs for 2 or 3 days before or after application, as some feel that this may affect the efficacy of the product. In my experience, I have found that this product is better at preventing problems rather than controlling already heavy flea infestations, in which case I usually will go to one of the newer oral tablets for flea/tick control that usually kill rapidly within 30 minutes. Another limitation of the product is that you can't use Parastar Plus on less than 4-pound dogs, which is an added benefit of topical prescription products like Revolution. As with any product of this type, occasional itchiness, and/or irritation/agitation from applying the product may be seen, but I find this side effect less common than with competitor products. It is also important for clients to understand that it is critical, especially with heavy flea infestations, to also focus on treating the environment as well. Overall this product has performed better for tick control and prevention than for fleas. I give it an overall rating of a 3, with an ease-of-application rating of 4.5 out of 5.

For clients that prefer an outstanding topical medication that has thus far had an excellent record of efficacy against both fleas and ticks. This product includes 3 very powerful and synergistic flea/tick pesticides that work in slightly different ways, with one preventing development of flea eggs and larvae, while another ingredient quickly kills; killing probably the fastest of any products on the market, starting to act within 5 minutes. Ticks will take somewhat longer, but within 2 days most ticks are killed. The addition of the permethrin ingredient does add the benefit of this product in BOTH repelling and killing ticks, , as well as the additional benefit of killing and repelling mosquitoes, the main vectors of heartworm disease in dogs and cats. As with other topicals, occasionally pets will develop an irritation or sensitivity at the sight of application, with some pets being occasionally restless, agitated, or fidgety. On rare occasions vomiting and/or diarrhea may be seen but this has not been much of a problem in clinical practice, where most pets seem to tolerate the product quite well. While the trio of main ingredients in this product seem to provide additional efficacy and coverage of various stages of the external parasites, including the benefit of repelling them, I am always a bit cautious about combination products like this, which rarely may lead to unknown chronic side effects that we are not yet aware of. With that consideration, this product is still an excellent and effective choice. I give this product an overall rating of 4 out of 5.

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