Advantage (imidacloprid) Flea Adulticide for Cats and Dogs
A Fact Sheet from Veterinary Services, Bayer Animal Health
- Advantage is a revolutionary new low-volume topically applied flea control product that kills 98 to 100 percent of existing fleas on cats and dogs within 24 hours of application.
- Advantage prevents reinfestation of fleas for at least four weeks on dogs and up to four weeks on cats.
- Advantage kills female fleas before egg laying begins.
- Advantage has been used at elevated doses without adverse effects.
- Advantage contains imidacloprid, a new compound with a novel mode of action, which is unlike other chemistry used in animal health and is unlikely to show any cross resistance.
- Advantage does not have any odor.
- Advantage is available only from licensed practicing veterinarians who have a client-doctor patient relationship.
Questions and Answers About Advantage
Why is Advantage the ideal flea control product?
Advantage meets all the requirements of the ideal flea control product. It is effective, easy-to-use and has been used without adverse effects in domestic animal studies even at elevated doses. Advantage provides rapid flea kill initially and long residual activity. Advantage adheres to the skin and hair coat at the hair root level but it is not sticky or oily. Advantage is applied directly on the skin, but it is not absorbed into the blood stream or internal organs. Advantage spreads to every part of the pet's body and kills fleas on contact or when they ingest the product. Advantage is non-staining, non-stinging and does not have any odor.
How effective is Advantage?
Single treatments of Advantage killed 98 to 100 percent of fleas on pets within 24 hours.
Female fleas begin feeding when they get on the host and, on the untreated animal, egg laying starts within 36 to 48 hours.
When fleas get on the Advantage treated pet, they die before they have a chance to lay eggs. Studies show that Advantage reduces egg counts by more than 98 percent within 48 hours post treatment thus breaking the flea life cycle.
How long will Advantage work?
A single application of Advantage will kill fleas now and continue to prevent additional flea reinfestation for at least one month on dogs and up to four weeks on cats. Retreatment is recommended monthly.
What have been the results on field trials when Advantage is used?
Extensive trials demonstrated that Advantage was used without adverse effects even at five (5X) times the recommended rate daily for three consecutive days. Additionally, when Advantage was used weekly at five times the recommended dose for eight consecutive weeks there were no signs of toxicity.
Advantage demonstrated extremely low dermal toxicity, low inhalation toxicity and no skin irritation. Additionally, the product showed no dermal sensitization, and there did not appear to be any potential for reproductive toxicity.
In laboratory rats, Advantage has a dermal LD50 of >2,000 mg/kg.
How does Advantage work?
The active ingredient in Advantage is imidacloprid, a new compound which has never been used in animal health. Unlike organophosphates and carbamates which inhibit cholinesterase and pyrethrins that block open ion channels along nerve fibers, imidacloprid binds to nicotinyl receptor sites on the postsynaptic neuron which prevents the binding of acetylcholine. This action interupts nerve transmission and results in paralysis and death of the flea.
This mechanism of action is entirely new to animal health and the possibility of cross resistance with other flea control chemistry is unlikely. Advantage kills fleas on contact which differentiates it from insect growth regulators and insect development inhibitors which have no effect on the viability of adult fleas.
How is Advantage distributed on the animal?
Advantage is distributed to all parts of the body where fleas are found. Advantage spreads on the surface of skin at the hair root level aided by body movement providing complete coverage.
Advantage is not absorbed into the blood stream or internal organs.
How is Advantage applied?
Advantage is easy to apply. The seal of the Advantage applicator is broken and the low volume dose is placed directly against the skin between the shoulder blades of dogs and at the base of the skull on cats. Dogs that weigh more than 55 lbs receive the contents of two Advantage 55 tubes. One is placed between the shoulder blades and a second is applied on the top of the rump.
Advantage does not have to be given with food or on a full stomach.
Does bathing or swimming affect Advantage?
Treated pets exposed to bathing or swimming will maintain a rapid flea kill, but residual activity may be shortened. Under these circumstances, retreatment may be necessary, but no more than once a week.
Does sunlight affect the efficacy of Advantage?
Exposurer to six hours of sunlight after treatment with Advantage did not affect levels of the active ingredient on dogs.
How is Advantage supplied?
Advantage is available in three sizes for dogs. Advantage 10 is used on dogs weighing l0 lbs or less; Advantage 20 is for dogs weighing between 11 and 20 lbs; and Advantage 55 is for dogs weighing between 21 and 55 lbs. Two Advantage 55 tubes are used on dogs weighing more than 55 lbs.
Advantage is also available in two sizes for cats. Advantage 9 is for cats weighing less than nine lbs and Advantage 18 treats cats weighing more than nine lbs.
Advantage can be used on puppies and kittens over four months of age.
For more information about Advantage call
Dr. Steve Joseph
Basihyoid@Aol.com
Veterinary Services,
Bayer Animal Health, 1-800-422-9874.Advantage (imidacloprid) Flea Adulticide
VIN General Veterinary Library, 1996
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All rights reserved, copyright, Veterinary Information Network, Inc., 1996