Review: PetArmor Plus Flea, Tick Treatment for Dogs

In Georgia, where the fall and winter months are warmer than other parts of the U.S., the battle against fleas is year round. Our family has used many flea control products over the years. Our search for a superior, no-fail product continues.

Our Papillon Lucy and Shih Tzu mix Shelby help test PetArmor Plus for Dogs and puppies weighing 4 to 22 pounds. It is advertised to kill fleas, ticks and chewing lice for up to 30 days. It's waterproof. It contains the same squeeze-on active ingredients fipronil and (s)-methoprene found in more expensive products, such as Frontline Plus.

PetArmor Plus for Dogs cannot be used on cats; it will kill cats.

What I especially like about this flea treatment is the applicator. Each product package contains three doses, or three applicators. You clip off the top portion of the applicator with scissors, which is marked with a line, and simply apply the dose to your dog between his or her shoulder blades.

I use an electric shaver to shave a section of fur to ensure the liquid flea treatment reaches the skin. The product must be absorbed through the skin -- into your dog's bloodstream -- to work.

Hound and Home gives PetArmor Plus for Dogs 4 stars because it is more affordable than other brands, works just as well as more pricey brands, and is easy to use. The reason it did not earn 5 stars is because we've had failure with the product in the past, though infrequent.

What PetArmor Plus for Dogs Kills

The product's formula kills the following pests:

• Adult fleas, and flea eggs and larvae for up to 12 weeks
• Ticks that may transmit Lyme disease
• Mites that may cause sarcoptic mange
• Deer ticks
• Dog ticks, including American dog ticks and lone star ticks

PetArmor Plus for Dogs by Weight

The product comes in four different doses for the following dog weights:

1. 4-22 lbs
2. 23-44 lbs
3. 45-88 lbs
4. 89-132 lbs

Why Flea Treatments Fail

We have used this product in the past with varying results. It works most of the time, and I believe the success is because we treat all of our pets at the same time and the environment. We wash our dogs a day before, apply the flea treatment to all four dogs at the same time, and also buy a separate flea treatment product for cats to apply to our cat Cash. We vacuum the carpet, treat the carpet with a flea spray, and mop our hardwood floors. We wash pet bedding and our own bedding as the smaller dogs tend to sleep with us. It's a major chore, but if everything is done the same day, you'll have success.

The product has failed, though infrequently, and I believe the reason was that we did not follow all of the steps outlined in the paragraph above. Also, if you apply the spot-on liquid without making sure it reaches your dog's skin, it will not be absorbed and therefore not work. Dog breeds with thick coats, like Golden Retrievers and Alaskan Malamutes, are especially challenging. I recommend that you shave a small section of the fur between his or her shoulder blades and apply the flea treatment there so you know it is absorbed through the skin.   

Lastly, the flea medicine could be expired, causing it to fail. Be sure to check the expiration date on the flea control product.

Have you used PetArmor Plus for Dogs? What has been your experience? Share your thoughts and experience in the comment section below. 

How to Rid Your Cat of a Flea Infestation

Our cat Cash warming the lunch tortillas.

Did you know that one mating female flea will lay approximately 20 eggs daily -- half of which hatch to females -- and can eventually produce about 20,000 new adult fleas in 60 days?

The typical cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis felis) find a warm, comfortable place to live, nourishment and a great place to raise a family on the hind quarters of your beloved cat. Flea bites cause terrible itching, and if your cat is hypersensitive, incessant scratching can lead to open skin wounds that are vulnerable to infection. The fleas can also carry infectious agents, like cat and dog tapeworm, and the bacteria that causes cat-scratch fever in people.

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine recommends two ways to counter flea infestation in your home:

1. You must rid your cat of the fleas.
2. You must get the fleas out of the environment where your cat spends time, which means treating inside your home and outdoor property (if your cat or other pets are allowed outside). 

Removing fleas from your cat's environment requires meticulous vacuuming, washing pet bedding, using flea-killing products, and, if a severe infestation, the services of a professional exterminator.

Flea Treatments That Work

William Miller Jr., VMD, a professor of dermatology at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, says that using a topical or oral flea treatment faithfully for all pets in the household "beginning in the spring of the year and going into the fall before colder weather sets in" will likely result in your cat remaining free of fleas.

The treatments also help flea dermatitis.

Not sure which flea product to purchase? Click here to read a list of over-the-counter medications and products recommended by the Cornell University Hospital for Animals.

Dr. Miller says that treating your cat and other pets is not enough. You need to prevent recurring flea infestation in the environment. Raccoons, skunks, possums and other wildlife will bring fleas to the yard. The fleas will jump on your animal companions and once inside your home, you'll have a re-infestation of fleas by the thousands.

Read the label of flea killing products carefully because some substances are created only for dogs and can be toxic to cats.

Have you discovered a flea treatment that keeps your cat flea free? Do you have a flea control plan that works well? Share your experience and thoughts in the comment section below. 

PetArmor FastCaps Nitenpyram Flea Medicine Review

In our household of four dogs and one indoor/outdoor cat, the battle against fleas rages all year. In 2015, the fleas have been especially difficult to get rid of since Georgia has had only two frosts and our winter temperatures, so far, have been mostly around 60 and 70 degrees. The fleas are thriving outdoors, which brings up another important fact -- if you can afford to treat the outside of your home for fleas, you should as part of the overall flea control plan.

I've had animal companions my entire life, and I have tried flea baths, flea collars, flea bombs, pest control professionals, topical flea treatments, flea medication tablets and more over the years. I no longer use unsafe methods like flea bombs, but I have not found an infallible flea control method. My research into less toxic flea control options continues.

A recent fail using a topical product for cats and dogs that provides flea and tick control for 30 days led me to try a new product. At a chain retailer I found PetArmor FastCaps, which has an active ingredient called Nitenpyram. Nitenpyram is a fast acting, orally administered flea treatment that is absorbed into the blood of your dog or cat and is quickly ingested via blood by feeding fleas. It is the same ingredient used in the veterinarian recommended drug Capstar.

FastCaps offers Nitenpyram in 57.0 mg tablets for dogs over 25 pounds. There are tablets for smaller dogs and cats as well.

The box of FastCaps reads, "Begins working within 30 minutes." Sold! I was so excited that I purchased two of the products, one dose for our two large dogs, Roscoe and Max, and our two small dogs, Shelby and Lucy, and Cash, our cat.

The product directions read, "A single does of FastCaps tablest should kill the adult fleas on your pet." It is important to realize the flea eggs will not be killed by the product, so you will need to shampoo your pets. wash bedding, vacuum carpets, mop your floors and treat the environment.

I wrapped the FastCaps tablet in cheese. Max was the only dog who spit out the pill. I waited a few minutes, hid the pill inside a piece of hotdog, and Max swallowed it whole. Administering this flea tablet to dogs is rather easy.

Our cat Cash was a different story. Cash is not the kind of cat you can open his mouth and place a pill in his throat -- you would be risking life and limb! I hid the crumbled tablet mixed in his cat food. He ate only a small portion. We have concluded it is best to use a topical flea treatment for Cash, however, this product may work well in more cooperative kitties.

Side Effects

Lucy, our Papillon, had unusual excitability. She could not sit still. This lasted nearly two hours after she was given the FastCaps tablet.

No other side effects noted in Roscoe, Max or Shelby.

Result

The product claims to achieve greater than 90 percent effectiveness against adult fleas on dogs within 4 hours and cats within 6 hours. The first time we used the tablets, our dogs had noticeable relief in about four to five hours -- no sooner.

To effectively counter flea infestation, I know that I must get the fleas out of our home and off our property. We did not call a professional exterminator because we had hoped winter frost would kill the fleas outside. Inside our home, I vacuumed the furniture, rugs, carpeting and mopped floors. I sprayed the carpet with a veterinarian recommended pesticide spray, which required that the room be closed off until the spray was dry.

I washed the bedding, including human bedding, and shampooed Lucy and Shelby. I would have shampooed Roscoe and Max but they ran and once I cornered each one, the wrestling match ended in a loss for me. Later, I took both boys outside on the deck for a good brushing, which I hoped would get rid of the flea eggs.  

According to veterinarians, for best results, you must use a flea treatment exactly as directed beginning in the spring, through summer and going into winter. Your animal companion is more likely to remain free of fleas.

The PetArmor FastCaps, combined with the home flea treatment and grooming, was a success. Re-infestation is inevitable, but the period of time between dosing is unknown and likely varies depending on the pet's environment. The product manufacturer claims you can give another dose as often as once per day.

FastCaps tablets are safe for use in dogs, puppies, cats and kittens that weigh 2 pounds or more, and are 4 weeks of age or older. The tablets are also safe for pregnant and breeding dogs and cats.

PetArmor FastCaps are made in France and manufactured for Sergeant's Pet Care Products, Inc. in Omaha, Nebraska. The tablets are available for purchase at chain and online retailers.

Have you used PetArmor FastCaps tablets for your dog or cat? Share your experience in the comment section below.