Veterinary Medicine - November 2007 - (Page L12)

FLEA BITE FACTS Q&A Flea Trax I Getting clients to comply with administering topical therapy can be difficult because: • It requires a time commitment • It can be labor-intensive • It can be expensive • The animal may resist the application • The client may not understand how to properly administer the product. Ihrke: Clients often don’t comply with bathing pets using medicated shampoos that require a minimum of 10 minutes of contact time. This is time consuming and labor intensive. Medicated leave-on rinses may be used after shampoos. Creams and ointments are less commonly used in animals because many skin diseases are generalized and the application of these products to animals with a hair coat is messy and expensive. We identify compliance problems with the application of any topical products. An animal may resist application. With small volume products, such as prescription spot-on products, owners may be unsure if they have applied the product properly so that spreading on the skin surface occurs. Blagburn: In my opinion, compliance is among the greater threats that we face in the veterinarypatient relationship. Data from the AAHA compliance study and other industry surveys indicate that pet owners either do not administer products correctly or perform recommended care procedures regularly or as prescribed by their veterinarian.7 Recommended topical therapies for dermal disease, such as shampoos and rinses or other adjunct therapies (e.g., antibiotics and anti-inflammatory agents, such as cyclosporine), place an immense burden of compliance on the pet owner, particularly when multiple therapies are required or multiple pets in the household require treatment. Certain product formulations or procedures may be difficult for compromised or elderly clients to administer or perform. Certainly, a preventive ap- proach to management of potential skin diseases caused by fleas and other ectoparasites remains much easier than the often complex mix of therapies necessary to treat established skin disease. We now have both the products and the knowledge to prevent skin disease associated with fleas and other parasites. Griffin: Generally, topical products seem to be easy to administer, though some clients do have concerns about getting the medication to the skin in thick-coated dogs. Often owners do not like the focal area where the hair remains matted or treatment spots remain visible. The most concerned comment from clients is about their children being exposed to a topical product that is permeated throughout the dog’s hair. Interestingly, I only occasionally meet owners who mention the same concern for their own exposure. DeManuelle: Multiple issues exist for owners in order for them to adequately comply with prescribed shampoo therapy. I have many elderly clients with back and knee disorders that make bathing a medium- to large-breed dog problematic. Other owners have small children, are single parents, travel frequently, or are dual-career couples and simply do not have the time to bathe their pet as frequently as recommended. The weather in the Pacific Northwest is not conducive six months of the year for outdoor bathing. 10 What are the advantages and disadvantages of topical vs. systemic flea 12

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - November 2007

Veterinary Medicine - November 2007 Contents Leading Off The Veterinary Medicine Interview: Dr. Lila Miller Clinical Exposures Idea Exchange A Challenging Case: Uveitis and Secondary Glaucoma in a Cat Is it Immune-Mediated Neutropenia? Pimobendan Treatment in Dogs with Congestive Heart Failure CE Form Product Preview Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller Special Supplement by Lilly: Flea Bite Facts Q&A

Veterinary Medicine - November 2007

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