I've applied the flea preventative that I've gotten from my vet (for one month) and my pets still have fleas. So I went to the local shopping mall and picked some up, and still have fleas. I need help.

Flea prevention can become a complicated subject, so talking with your veterinarian or their office staff can help to answer some questions.  There are different types of flea preventatives, and each work best in different situations, relating to the number of fleas your pet is exposed to. If you live in an area where stray animals come through your yard (and that can include rabbits), then your yard may become infected more than once in a season.  Spraying the yard will kill the adult fleas, but the eggs can hatch, giving you a new population of fleas to control within a week. 

Flea preventatives bought in shopping centers that advertise "kills and repels" tend to not provide the same protection as their higher priced counterparts sold through veterinarians, due to the differences in chemicals and modes of action. I always question an advertisement that states "kills and repels fleas" - if the fleas are killed, why repel?  Typically, that means the chemicals lose their strength before the end of the month.

If you have a pet that has a preventative pouron bought through a veterinarian, and still have fleas, then you may have an infested environment, either the yard or the house.  The best strategy to take is to treat the environment with a flea control product that has an IGR - Insect Growth Regulator - that will kill the flea eggs, and prevent a new hatch of fleas to hatch and attack your dog in the next week.

Remember - veterinarians spent plenty of time being educated about fleas, their life cycles, and control measures.  You don't get the same education at the shopping mall.  The information you gain at the veterinary office will offset the increased price - by providing a more effective flea control strategy that will reduce ultimate costs and hassles.

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