How Does Advantage Work to Control Fleas?

What Is Advantage?

Advantage is a flea medication for dogs and cats. It is applied topically once a month. Advantage comes in a small tube with a pre-measured dose of the product. It is available in different dosages based on the weight of the animal. Advantage is applied to the animal's fur, in a line from the neck to the tail. The animal's natural oils spread the Advantage over the whole body. Advantage can be purchased from a licensed veterinarian.

How Advantage Works

The active ingredient in Advantage is Imidacloprid, an insecticide that kills fleas on contact. Imidacloprid works by inhibiting the nervous systems of fleas, which causes paralysis and death. When applied to the fur of a dog or cat, it kills 98 to 100 percent of the fleas on the animal within the first 24 hours. The dosage of imidacloprid contained in Advantage is enough to be harmful to fleas, but not enough to be harmful to cats and dogs. It is important to use the recommended dosage to prevent a harmful reaction. Older animals, pregnant animals and animals with serious health conditions may not be good candidates for treatment with Advantage. Imidacloprid does not kill ticks. Animals that live in tick-infested areas should use a different flea product that also kills ticks.

Toxicity to Dogs and Cats

The World Health Organization lists imidacloprid as moderately toxic. Laboratory studies show that imidacloprid can cause reproductive problems in mammals. High doses of imidacloprid can cause symptoms of skin irritation and breathing problems, and may lead to death. Advantage applied to dogs and cats in recommended dosages under a licensed veterinarians care is considered safe to be safe by most traditional veterinarians. Holistic veterinarians generally do not recommend Advantage or any other chemical-based flea control.

Toxicity to Other Animals

Imidacloprid is harmful to birds, fish and beneficial insects such as the honey bee, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (see Resources below). Imidacloprid has been linked as a cause of colony collapse disorder in honey bees. Germany has banned the use of imidacloprid because of the devastation to honey bee colonies.
Female birds exposed to imidacloprid lay eggs with thin shells. The thin shells are not sufficiently strong enough to protect the embryos during development. These thin eggs often fail to produce hatchlings.

Resources

• Data on Imidacloprid from the EPA