Advantage Flea Control and Amphibians

[j.]

Hello,
Does anyone know if Advantage flea control is safe to use in the presence of amphibians, on a dog or cat?

Thanks,
Jessica

 

[justin]

i would not use any chemicals for flea control in the presence of amphibians justin

 

[john]

I can't see how significant amounts of the flea medicine could come into contact with salamanders or aquarium water unless you rinse your hands in it or let the salamander walk in the other animal's hair. I wouldn't worry about it. I say that as someone who is familiar with chemicals and the risks associated with them.

 

[j.]

According to the makers, you apply a tiny amount to the animal, and it doesn't spread through the house or yard. However, it is supposed to kill fleas and ticks not only on the animal, but also in it's immediate environment, so I don't see how it could not be spread around. I spoke with someone at the company, and they said it would probably be okay because there aren't any side effects with aquarium fish, but that's not really a definite answer. I am wondering if anyone has any direct knowledge of this product, and if it can be used in the vicinity of amphibians?

 

[j.]

Thanks John, apparently I posted the above message at the same time as you.

That's pretty much what I thought, but I just wanted to check if anyone else has ever used this product. Maybe I am being a little paranoid anyways, I only saw a single flea on my patio

 

[martin]

I have 2 dogs that i use advantage flea control on.One of them sleeps 3 ft away from my ensicauda popei.
I have had no problems, the popei breed regulary.
I thought that the fleas died by biteing the dog who carries the chemical in his or her bloodstream.

 

[j.]

Thanks Martin. That's particularly the species I was wondering about too. I thought that's how Advantage works too, but it says it also kills eggs and larvae, so I don't know.

 

[michael]

Hi, I am a liscensed veterinary technician, so I know a little about this topic. I don't want you to take this as a the answer, IT IS ONLY MY OPINION, but it is one based on a lot of experience with the product that you have mentioned. The active ingredient in Advantage is Imidacloprid, this is a pesticide. It will kill arthropods, and if you put it in your animals mouths it may make them sick, if you don't wash your hands and handle your amphibians there is a very good chance they could also be ill. This chemical works by attacking the fleas nervous system, it is transmitted on the oils on you pets body, so it does spread in your immediate environement. If this is a significant concern to you I would consult with your veterinarian about a product called Frontline (another type of flea control) or Program.
All that being said, I personally use Advantage around my home, on my cats, and they actually are squatting over the top of my Salamandra salamandra enclosures on occasion. I have had no noticable ill effects and have not noticed any signs of toxicity in my salamanders. On a side note, you definitely do want to do something to treat the fleas on your dog (which it sounds like you are being very proactive about), and I would say that you are very safe with a product like Advantage, their are many worse options for your salamanders (flea bombs, etc)

 

[j.]

Thanks Michael. Yeah, I would never use flea bombs or sprays or anything like that. From all the posts, I feel confident that it would be okay to use on my dog. She rarely enters the room my amphibians are in anyways, so that's even less of a risk. Thanks to everyone for all the input.

Jessica

 

[michael]

Hi, just one more note on this, I spoke with a Bayer (the company that manufactures Advantage) representative on this topic, they really couldn't give me an answer due to the fact that is an "off label" thing that they don't want to be held liable for, but they gave me the number for their veterinary technical support staff. Here is the number, you can call it and they should be able to give you an official answer on this topic (I haven't called yet, been a little too busy). 1-800-422-9874. I'll be calling later myself, but in case anyone has any other or specific questions that they want answered.