Flea Control Review

Introduction to Flea Control

Perhaps because they're mostly prescribed or dispensed by veterinarians, we found the most thorough reviews of flea control products at veterinary websites like DrLarryPetVet.com, PlacervilleVet.com, Main Street Pet Care and the online pharmacy 1-800-PetMeds. However, the top-rated source in our All Reviews chart is Helium.com, where 20 authors -- ranging from pet owners to pet experts to veterinarians -- post essays on the subject of "the best products for getting rid of fleas." We also found some useful flea-control information at general websites like About.com, Yahoo! Answers and All-Pets-Info.com.

Unfortunately, because veterinarians are the gatekeepers for most flea control medications, we found online retail and opinion sites -- where owners post comments about various products -- less useful here than for other pet categories. Still, we've included Petco.com, PetSmart.com and Epinions in our reviews chart, because the limited number of reviews here shed some light on the most effective (and the most ineffective) methods of flea control.

When it comes to flea control, there's a huge gap between what unsuspecting pet owners believe will work, and what veterinarians and dog and cat experts know will work. If you prowl the Internet (or your average chain pet store), you'll find all sorts of products -- shampoos, dips, sprays, collars -- that promise to eradicate or prevent fleas, but that quickly prove disappointing or even harmful (as witnessed by the negative comments about some of these products on review sites).

Flea collars are a case in point. We wanted to include at least one collar in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers, but of the two companies most often mentioned by reviewers, one -- Preventic -- has apparently discontinued its line of flea and tick collars (its website now displays only a single tick collar for dogs), and the other, Hartz, has caused a groundswell of consumer discontent with its 2-in-1 Flea & Tick Collar for cats (*Est. $5) . Owners posting to some websites, including HartzVictims.org, claim that this collar harmed or even killed their pets. While we're not in a position to evaluate the medical merit of these claims, it's clear from user and expert comments about flea collars in general that they are largely ineffective at controlling (much less killing) fleas.

An April 2007 piece from Texas Farm News puts it best. Says veterinarian Bob Judd, "The first thing most people think of when they think of flea control is to get a flea collar. Unfortunately, flea collars are basically useless in most dogs and cats. They do not provide enough coverage to kill or repel fleas; in our practice we see many pets loaded with fleas that are wearing new flea collars." Judd goes on to criticize flea shampoos -- which will rid a pet of adult fleas, but will not prevent re-infestations -- and adds that "many sprays, powders, and dips are still available for flea control but unfortunately they do not last long enough to be effective."