Sentinel flea treatment is a preventative measure, and does not actually attack adult fleas.  It also works against heartworms, as well as other sorts of worms such as whipworms, hookworms and roundworms.  Again, however, it does not attack adult versions, but rather the eggs, preventing an outbreak from occurring in the first place.  For a vet to prescribe this medication, they will first have to make sure your pet is not infected with adult intestinal worms.

Even if you keep your house and garden completely clean, you cannot prevent your pet from coming in contact with fleas unless you never let them leave your house and garden.  That is not a good idea because they also need exercise to keep healthy.  Therefore, a product such as Sentinel flea treatment, if given in the Spring, before summer, which is the main flea season, is a good product to prevent your pet from getting an infestation of fleas.

Sentinel flea treatment comes in tablet form, and is flavoured so that your pet will not mind taking it, but just to be safe it is best to fold it up into their food.  The tablets are made up of Lufeneuron to tackle fleas and Milbemycin to combat intestinal worms.  In both cases, the ingredients attack the development stages of the parasites, interrupting the life cycle.  Lufeneuron prevents eggs from hatching, so that new fleas cannot develop; other treatments will be needed to get rid of the adult fleas.

It is also important to remember to clean the house, the bedding of your pet, and your garden in order to eradicate the already present eggs, larvae and pupae scattered around by the fleas on your pet.  For tips on how to do this, see the sections on “flea treatment for your house” and “flea treatment for your garden.”

Sentinel flea treatment, and other such aggressive techniques for getting rid of fleas, should generally only be used if your pet has a bad outbreak of fleas or else if it is used as a preventative measure.  If your pet is allergic to the faeces or saliva of fleas, for instance, and it is important that they do not have any contact with them at all, then this is a good option.  On the whole, however, if it is possible to use natural or non-chemical means to deal with your flea problems then this will have less chance of producing adverse reactions in your pet as chemicals will always have the chance of producing unwanted side effects.