Efficacy of a new combination of fipronil and permethrin against Ctenocephalides felis flea infestation in dogs

Abstract

BackgroundFive studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of a new combination of fipronil and permethrin on cat fleas, Ctenocephalides felis, when applied to dogs, including dogs that underwent water exposure or shampooing.MethodsIn each study, 16 dogs were allocated to two groups. Each dog was infested with 100 unfed adult fleas on Days −1, 7, 14, 21 and 28. Eight dogs were treated with a new topical spot-on formulation containing 6.76% w/v fipronil + 50.48% w/v permethrinon Day 0; and eight dogs served as untreated controls. Twenty-four or 48 h after treatment or subsequent infestation, each dog was combed to remove and count live fleas. In addition, the dogs were subjected to different levels of water or shampoo exposure. In study 1, dogs were not subjected to any water exposure or shampooing; in study 2, dogs were water immersed twice during the month on Days 10 and 24; in study 3, dogs were water immersed three times on Days 10, 17 and 24; and in studies 4 and 5, dogs were shampooed once on Day 17.ResultsAll groups of dogs administered a single topical treatment with a combination of fipronil and permethrin had significantly (p < 0.005) lower flea counts than untreated controls 24 h and 48 h post-treatment or post-infestation, regardless of whether they underwent water exposure/shampooing or not. The reductions in C. felis counts were between 98.4% and 100% at all time points in all studies.ConclusionsThe new topical spot-on formulation of fipronil and permethrin maintains a high level of protection of dogs against C. felis flea infestations even when the dogs are exposed to environmental factors that are believed to adversely affect efficacy, such as water exposure or shampooing.

The Biology and Ecology of Cat Fleas and Advancements in Their Pest Management: A Review

“…A combination of fipronil/permethrin spot-on treatment on dogs provided >98.4% kill of adult fleas for 28 days. Neither shampooing or immersing the dogs in water 2 or 3 times affected the efficacy [ 352 ].…”

Assessment of the efficacy of a topical combination of fipronil-permethrin (Frontline Tri-Act®/Frontect®) against egg laying and adult emergence of the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis) in dogs

“…It is known that the active ingredients (i.e. fipronil and permethrin) act by contact after topical application and need to diffuse all over the dog’s body, which takes from 24 to 48 h [11, 13]. Looking at the emergence of new adult fleas from these collected eggs at Day 0 to 1, the proportion of emergence was 0.535 and 0.380 in the control and treated group, respectively.…”

“…A single topical application provides immediate and sustained insecticidal efficacy against adult fleas [11]. Recently, the speed of kill provided by Frontline Tri-Act ® against C. felis and Ctenocephalides canis fleas was demonstrated, with a sustained killing effect in 6 h for 4 weeks against new infesting fleas [2, 14].…”

Comparative Efficacy of Frontline Tri-Act&lt;sup&gt;&#174;&lt;/sup&gt; Spot on (Fipronil/Permethrin) versus Seresto&lt;sup&gt;&#174;&lt;/sup&gt; Collar (Imidacloprid/Flumethrin) against Fleas (&lt;i&gt;Ctenocephalides felis&lt;/i&gt;) and Ticks (&lt;i&gt;Rhipicephalus sanguineus&lt;/i&gt;) on Dogs with Simulation of Bi-Monthly Rain Exposure

“…This has been previously demonstrated by comparing Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine the flumethrin/imidacloprid collar to two fipronil based products (Frontline Combo® and Certifect®) [11]. Recently, a spot on formulation combining fipronil and permethrin (Frontline Tri-Act®) has been developed for use as a monthly topical solution for the control of fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, sandflies and biting flies in dogs [12]- [18].…”