Claudio Genchi, DVM, PhD

University of Milan, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Milan, Italy

Giorgio Traldi, BS, PhD

Control of Flea University of Camerino, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Camerino, Italy

Allergy Dermatitis Paolo Bianciardi , DVM Dipl

Bayer S.p.A., Animal Health Division, Milan, Italy

F
lea infestation is one of the most common parasite problems Ten percent were C. canis, 1.3% were Pulex irritans, and 0.1% were
that practitioners have to manage in small animal clinical Nosopsylla spp. Eighty-eight percent of dogs and 95% of cats were
practice. Furthermore, flea allergy is the most common der- infested by C. felis only. Single-species infestations from C. canis
matologic problem in dogs and cats in many countries where the were found in 9% of dogs and 4% of cats. Most infestations involved
climate is favorable to the life cycle of the insect. Flea allergy can only one species (90.5% of dogs and 95% of cats). Two species
affect dogs and cats at any age and may result in severe symptoms. (mainly C. felis and C. canis) or three species together (C. felis, C.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of imidacloprid in canis, and P. irritans) were found in 9.5% of dogs and 4.5% of cats.
a topical formulation (Advantage®) administered to dogs and cats
with existing flea infestations, some of which suffered from flea Efficacy Against Fleas
allergy dermatitis (FAD). Flea numbers dropped significantly (P < .001) after treatment in
The study was conducted in collaboration with 423 veterinary dogs from both single-animal and multiple-animal households (Table
clinics located across Italy during spring/summer 1997. Dogs and 1). Twenty-one days after treatment, the percentages of dogs free of
cats from both single-animal households and multiple-animal fleas were 98% and 92%, respectively. At the end of the study (day 28),
households (households with two or more animals) were used. A the percentages were 93% and 83%, respectively. At the same time,
total of 1939 dogs (604 from single-animal households and 1335 the mean efficacies (defined as the percent variation of the average of
from multiple-animal households) and 1333 cats (291 from
single-animal households and 1042 from multiple-animal TABLE 1
households) were included in the study. Before treatment, DOGS WITHOUT FLEAS
animals were clinically examined, the flea burden was THROUGHOUT THE STUDY
assessed by flea thumb count, and dermatitis lesions of
FAD were ranked according to severity of the following Days After Treatment
signs: miliary maculopapular dermatitis, alopecia, hyper- 0 1 14 21 28
pigmentation, and crusty thickening of the skin. No ancil- Single-animal households 0 60% 95% 98% 93%
lary or environmental treatment was given throughout the (No. of dogs) (604) (365) (574) (593) (561)
study. Flea counts were ranked as 0, <5, >5<20, and >20 Multiple-animal households 0 51% 88% 92% 83%
fleas per animal and scores 0, 1, 2, and 3, assigned respec- (No. of dogs) (1335) (678) (1173) (1228) (1105)
tively. The dogs and cats were treated with a 10% weight
per volume topical formulation of imidacloprid in a single
spot on the back line at the recommended dosage (mini-
mum dosage: 10 mg/kg). Animals were examined for flea TABLE 2
infestations at 1, 14, 21, and 28 days after treatment. At
MEAN EFFICACY ON DOGS
each interval, fleas were counted and dermatitis lesions
were evaluated according to severity. Days After Treatment
0 1 14 21 28
Parasitologic Examinations
Single-animal households 0 73% 97% 99% 96%
Throughout the trial, 597 fleas were collected from
(604 dogs)
both dogs and cats included in the study. Specimens were
Multiple-animal households 0 65% 93% 96% 90%
identified according to the keys of Beaucournu and Lau-
(1335 dogs)
nay.1 Ctenocephalides felis was found to be the most wide-
spread species, accounting for 88.6% of all the samples.

Suppl Compend Contin Educ Pract Vet Vol. 22, No. 4(A), 2000 International Flea Control Symposium
 from 24% to 11% on day 14, 6% on day 21, and 5% on day
TABLE 3 28 (Figure 2).
CATS WITHOUT FLEAS
THROUGHOUT THE STUDY Bathing
Although the owners were requested not to bathe ani-
Days After Treatment
mals during the study, 224 dogs (11.5% of the whole sam-
0 1 14 21 28 ple, from both single-animal and multiple-animal house-
Single-animal households 0 57% 96% 98% 93% holds) underwent baths or shampoos after the imidacloprid
(No. of cats) (291) (167) (279) (285) (272) treatment. No statistical difference was found comparing
Multiple-animal households 0 54% 89% 91% 85% flea counts from bathed and unbathed dogs and the overall
(No. of cats) (1042) (563) (931) (952) (883) efficacy was not affected (Table 5). In some cases, dogs were
bathed repeatedly (2 to 4 times) throughout the study.
The clinical data assessed throughout the study (regard-
ing itching, alopecia, FAD) tend to show that bathed dogs
have a worse clinical situation and a more gradual and less
TABLE 4 significant relief of signs. FAD was already more severe at
MEAN EFFICACY ON CATS the beginning of the study in the group of subjects there-
after submitted to baths or shampoos by the owners (Figures
Days After Treatment
3 to 5). It is possible that bathing alters the skin environ-
0 1 14 21 28 ment, worsening the allergic symptoms from fleabites and
Single-animal households 0 69% 97% 99% 95% delaying the reparative process even in the course of an
(291 cats) effective treatment. However, it is possible that animals
Multiple-animal households 0 64% 93% 95% 90% showing more severe signs of dermatitis might have been
(1042 cats) washed by owners who believe that frequent bathing
relieves symptoms.

the sum of given scores at different times of the study: Wilcoxon Conclusion
Matched-Pairs Signed-Ranks Test) were 96% in dogs from single-ani- The results obtained during the study confirm that the topical
mal households and 90% from multiple-animal households (Table 2). treatment of imidacloprid is safe and effective against flea infesta-
Twenty-one days after treatment, the percentages of cats free of tion in dogs and cats.2,3 The compound had a rapid adulticide
fleas were 98% and 91% from single-animal households and multiple- activity and a high residual activity that lasted at least 4 weeks. No
animal households, respectively (P < .001). At the end of the study affect on efficacy was observed in relation to size of the animal,
(day 28) the percentages were 93% and 85%, respectively. At the haircoat length, gender, or bathing/shampooing. The rapid killing
same time, the mean efficacies as defined above were 95% in cats from effect of imidacloprid is well documented and the complete effica-
single-animal households and 90% from multiple-animal households cy (100%) is achieved after 12 to 24 hours in experimental stud-
(Tables 3 and 4). ies.4 In the field study, the lower efficacy observed at day 1 after
treatment must be considered a consequence of reinfestation by
Efficacy Against Flea Allergy Dermatitis 100 –
A total of 688 dogs—232 (38%) from single-animal households Signs
90 – Absent
and 456 (34%) from multiple-animal households—showed clinical
80 – Mild
signs of FAD prior to treatment. The percentage of dogs with signs Moderate
70 – Severe
of FAD decreased in dogs from single-animal households from 38%
Percentage

60 –
to 16% on day 14, 7% on day 21, and 6% on day 28. In animals from
50 –
multiple-animal households, FAD signs decreased from 34% to 17%
40 –
on day 14, 10% on day 21, and 8% on day 28 (Figure 1).
30 –
Seventy-six cats (26%) from single-animal households and 247
20 –
cats (24%) from multiple-animal households showed clinical signs
10 –
of FAD prior to treatment (total = 323). The percentage of cats with
0– 0 1 14 21 28
signs of FAD decreased in animals from single-animal households
Days After Treatment
from 27% to 12% on day 14, 8% on day 21, and 5% on day 28. In
animals from multiple-animal households, FAD signs decreased Figure 1. Flea Allergy Dermatitis (n = 688 Dogs)

TNAVC, January 2000 Suppl Compend Contin Educ Pract Vet Vol. 22, No. 4(A), 2000
 100 –
90 –
Signs TABLE 5
Absent
80 – Mild MEAN EFFICACY AGAINST
70 –
Moderate FLEAS IN BATHED DOGS AND
Severe
UNBATHED DOGS
Percentage

60 –
50 –
Days
40 –
1 14 21 28
30 –
20 – Bathed (224 dogs) 67% 94% 97% 92%
Unbathed (1715 dogs) 66% 92% 96% 89%
10 –
0–
0 1 14 21 28
Days After Treatment

Figure 2. Flea Allergy Dermatitis (n = 323 Cats) 0.8

Dogs
Bathed
2
0.6 Unbathed
Dogs ** *
Bathed
1.5 Unbathed
* 0.4
**
1
0.2
*

* *
0.5
1 14 21 28
Days After Treatment
*P < .05 group effect between times.
1 14 21 28 **P < .01 group effect between times.
Days After Treatment
*P < .001 group effect between times.
Figure 4. Alopecia: Comparison Between Bathed and Unbathed
Dogs
Figure 3. Itching: Comparison Between Bathed and Unbathed
Dogs
development of immature stages present in the environment
1 before product application.
Dogs Regarding FAD, effective control of parasites causes a rapid
Bathed
0.75 ** Unbathed improvement of allergy signs until almost complete remission up to
**
28 days following the first product application. In agreement with
MacDonald,5 the results of this study clearly show that the severity
0.5
of clinical signs of FAD are closely related to flea burden. Although
** ** threshold of sensitivity to flea allergens is different for each subject,
0.25 *
use of an effective insecticide alone dramatically decreased FAD
signs in dogs and cats within 28 days.

1 14
Days After Treatment
21
*P < .05 group effect between times.
**P < .01 group effect between times.
Figure 5. Flea Allergy Dermatitis: Comparison Between Bathed
and Unbathed Dogs
young, newly-emerged insects from cocoons in infested house-
holds. However, considering that the life cycle of fleas lasts 14 to
17 days under adequate conditions of temperature and relative
humidity, the results confirm that treatment with imidacloprid is
able to maintain high levels of efficacy that interrupt the flea life
cycle by preventing reproduction, flea egg reproduction, and
28
References
1. Beaucournu J-C, Launay H: Les pouces (Siphonaptera) de France et du
bassin Méditerranéen occidental, Faune de France et Région limitophes 76.
Fédération Française des Sociétés de Sciences Naturelles, Paris, 1990, p
548.
2. Hopkins TJ, Kerwick C, Gyr P, Woodley I: Efficacy of imidacloprid for
removing and preventing Ctenocephalides felis infestations on dogs and
cats. Austr Vet J 26:150–153, 1996.
3. Jacobs DE, Hutchison MJ, Krieger KJ: Duration of activity of imidaclo-
prid, a novel adulticide for flea control, against Ctenocephalides felis on
cats. Vet Rec 140:259–260, 1997.
4. Cruthers L, Bock E: Evaluation of how quickly imidacloprid kills fleas on
dogs. Comp Contin Educ Pract Vet 19(5):27–28, 1997.
5. MacDonald JM: Flea control in animals with flea allergy dermatitis.
Comp Contin Educ Pract Vet 19(5):38–40, 1997.

Suppl Compend Contin Educ Pract Vet Vol. 22, No. 4(A), 2000 International Flea Control Symposium