Abstract
BackgroundA study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of afoxolaner chewables to control flea populations in naturally infested dogs in private residences in Tampa FL, USA. Evaluations of on-animal and premises flea burdens, flea sex structure and fed-unfed premises flea populations were conducted to more accurately assess flea population dynamics in households.MethodsThirty seven naturally flea infested dogs in 23 homes in Tampa, FL were enrolled in the study and treated with afoxolaner chewables. Chewables (NexGard® Chewables; Merial) were administered according to label directions by study investigators on study day 0 and once again between study days 28 and 30. Flea infestations on pets were assessed using visual area thumb counts and premises flea infestations were assessed using intermittent-light flea traps on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and once between study days 28–30, 40–45, and 54–60.ResultsWithin 7 days of administration of afoxolaner chewable tablets, flea counts on dogs were reduced by 99.3 %. By one month post-treatment, total flea counts on dogs were reduced by 99.9 %, with 97.3 % (36/37) of the dogs being flea free. Following the second dosing on study day 28–30, total on-dog flea burden was reduced by 100 % on days 40–45 and 54–60. On day 0, the traps collected a geometric mean of 18.2 fleas. Subsequent reductions in emerging flea populations were 97.7 and 100 % by days 28–30 and 54–60, respectively. There were 515 total fleas (Ctenocephalides felis felis) collected in the intermittent light flea traps on day 0, and 40.4 % of those fleas displayed visual evidence of having fed. Seven days after initial treatment, only 13.1 % of the fleas contained blood and by day 14 only 4.9 % of the fleas collected in traps displayed evidence of having fed. On day 0, prior to treatment, 60 % of the unfed fleas collected in intermittent-light flea traps were females, but by days 28–30, unfed males accounted for 78 % of the population.ConclusionsThis in-home investigation conducted during the summer of 2014 in subtropical Tampa, FL demonstrated that afoxolaner chewables rapidly and effectively eliminated flea populations in infested dogs and homes.
Highlights
A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of afoxolaner chewables to control flea populations in naturally infested dogs in private residences in Tampa FL, USA
Several studies conducted in Tampa, FL (USA) over the past 15 years have demonstrated that dinotefuranpyriproxyfen, fipronil (±, (s)-methoprene), imidacloprid, indoxacarb, lufenuron (+pyrethrin spray or + nitenpyram tablets) and selamectin were effective in controlling fleas on naturally infested dogs and cats and in private residences within 60 to 90 days, without the need for treatment of premises [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
There were a total of 48 dogs in the 23 homes that were treated with the afoxolaner chewables
Summary
A study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of afoxolaner chewables to control flea populations in naturally infested dogs in private residences in Tampa FL, USA. Premises and on-animal flea infestations are being controlled in these homes because these products prevent flea reproduction, either killing most newly acquired fleas prior to initiation of egg laying and/or rendering the vast majority of deposited eggs non-viable [5,6,7] Field studies such as these and other investigations have demonstrated that flea control likely succeeds or fails based upon a product’s or combination of products’ ability to effectively limit flea reproduction [5,6,7]. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of afoxolaner chewables in eliminating natural flea infestations on dogs in Tampa, FL USA
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