Flea treatment shampoo is one of the best ways to treat fleas, but it is also one of the most difficult to apply to a pet.  Unlike drops which only need be applied to the parts worst infected, or tablets which only need to be swallowed, the shampoo must be rubbed in thoroughly all over the body right until it gets through to the skin.  Once this is done, it needs to be left for at least five minutes and then rinsed off.

If that doesn’t sound difficult then you obviously have some very well behaved pets!  Actually, dogs tend to be more compliant when it comes to this sort of thing, as opposed to cats.  Well, dogs are more compliant than cats are full stop basically!  But you might also like to consider that cats generally don’t like getting wet, whereas a lot of dogs don’t mind.  That does not mean that the shampoo option is necessarily a bad one for a cat; it’s best to talk it over with your vet, they will offer you more specific advice.

However, there is one more point to consider when treating cats, which goes not only for flea treatment shampoo but any other product you use on your cat, which is that it should not contain permethrin.  When cats clean themselves they will ingest trace amounts of it and it will be bad for them, so be careful of that.  Any products sold for cats shouldn’t have it in anyway, but some dog shampoos might.

In any case, the flea treatment shampoo will come with instructions, and it is important to follow these.  If you have any questions or concerns about it then you should talk to your vet about them.  To give an idea of how it works, though, the bottles will come with a dispenser head which is attached, and all you have to do is put the bottle up against your pet’s fur and allow the shampoo to come out.  You won’t have to make your own hole, it will all happen quite easily.  Remember that you have to rub it in all over the body until it gets all the way down to the skin.  Take care not to get any of the shampoo in your pet’s eyes, mouth or other sensitive areas; in fact it is best to keep the formula quite clear of them.  Once the shampoo has been properly applied, leave it on for no more than ten minutes, but no less than five, to allow it time to work.  And then rinse your pet off very well so none of the shampoo is left on the fur or skin.

This is a relatively fast acting treatment, with results usually seen within at least twenty four hours, and sometimes in as little as six.  Two of the best brands of flea treatment shampoo are Vectra and Frontline.  If you’re scientifically minded at all, these shampoos tend to include ingredients such as dinotefuran, pyriproxifin, fipronil and permethrin.  Actually that’s what they contain whatever kind of mind you have!  As already stated, however, make sure any flea treatment shampoo you intend to use on your cat does not contain permethrin.

And just a final reminder to follow all of the instructions that come with whatever product you buy!  Happy flea hunting!