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.
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