Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How fast selamectin, imidacloprid, and fipronil kill fleas on cats
By Dryden, M W et al.·Published in Veterinary therapeutics : research in applied veterinary medicine·2005·Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Comparative speed of kill of selamectin, imidacloprid, and fipronil-(S)-methoprene spot-on formulations against fleas on cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 80 cats with flea infestations was treated with one of three spot-on treatments: selamectin, imidacloprid, or fipronil-(S)-methoprene. Imidacloprid worked the fastest, killing nearly all fleas within 6 hours, while all three treatments significantly reduced flea numbers after 24 hours. However, their effectiveness decreased over the month, with selamectin remaining the most effective at killing fleas after 28 days. If your cat has fleas, selamectin may be the best option for long-lasting protection.
People also search for: cat flea treatment selamectin · how fast does imidacloprid work on fleas · best flea medicine for cats
Abstract
The speed of kill of selamectin, imidacloprid, and fipronil-(S)-methoprene against Ctenocephalides felis infestations on cats for one month following a single treatment was evaluated. Eighty cats were randomly allocated so that there were 20 cats in four different treatment groups. On Days -2, 7, 14, 21, and 28, each cat was infested with 100 adult C. felis from the Kansas 1 flea strain. Following initial application only imidacloprid had caused a significant reduction in adult fleas on treated cats within 6 hours, but by 24 hours all three formulations had killed 96.7% of the fleas. At 7 days post treatment, all three formulations reduced flea populations within 6 and 24 hours by 68.4% and 99.4%, respectively. At 21 and 28 days after treatment, none of the formulations killed significant numbers of fleas as compared to controls within 6 hours of infestation. At 28 days after treatment, selamectin, fipronil-(S)-methoprene, and imidacloprid had killed 99.0%, 86.4%, and 72.6% of the fleas within 48 hours of infestation, respectively. This study demonstrates that the speed of kill of residual flea products on cats decreases throughout the month following application. It also demonstrated that selamectin provided the highest level of residual activity on cats against the Kansas 1 flea strain.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16299669/