Veterinary Medicine - November 2007 - (Page L7)

FLEA BITE FACTS Q&A and the types and frequency of flea control products used. Dryden: I agree. The severity of clinical flea allergy dermatitis is due to a variety of factors, such as numbers of fleas, prior exposure, individual hypersensitivity, and other accompanying pruritic skin disease. So yes, flea numbers and speed of flea kill should have a major impact on flea allergy dermatitis. Because flea allergy dermatitis is the result of injection of salivary proteins by feeding fleas into hypersensitive animals, it is my opinion that a few fleas feeding for prolonged periods or many fleas feeding for shorter periods of time are potentially equally important. DeManuelle: The number of fleas seems to increase the severity of flea allergy dermatitis in most patients. However, I may only find one flea on patients that exhibit severe flea allergy dermatitis after a thorough physical examination. The flea control medication dispensed also seems to affect the severity, especially with products that possess a longer lag phase to kill the flea. Griffin: Not all dogs visibly react to flea bites, nor is the degree or duration of a reaction the same from dog to dog. This is further complicated when microscopic changes are considered. Multiple allergic mechanisms have been described in flea allergic animals, including cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity reactions, IgE mediated type I hypersensitivity reactions, late phase allergic reactions, and delayed hypersensitivity reactions. Combinations of mechanisms are usually involved. In allergic dogs, it appears clinically that the more allergens they are exposed to, the more severe the disease becomes. The number of bites likely correlates to the severity as each bite is a site for a reaction. The clinically relevant translation is that the more fleas there are and the longer time fleas remain on the host and are biting, the more damage will be done. Therefore, products that kill fleas faster are more beneficial than those that are slow and allow fleas more time to feed before dying. What characteristics would be ideal in choosing a flea control product for pets with flea allergy dermatitis? 5 Flea Trax I The severity of flea allergy dermatitis is affected by: • The number and frequency of fleas feeding • Prior flea exposure • Individual pet responses to flea allergy • Concurrent allergic responses or skin disease • Types and frequency of flea control products used. I A combination of multiple allergic mechanisms can affect flea allergic animals, including: • Cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity reactions • IgE mediated type I hypersensitivity reactions • Late phase allergic reactions • Delayed hypersensitivity reactions. DeManuelle: My dream flea control product has not changed over the past decade. It must be extremely quick to kill and repel fleas, unaffected by adjunctive topical therapy, nontoxic, environmentally safe, and economical. Blagburn: Allergic responses to flea allergens can be reduced by using products that control fleas, especially products that quickly interfere with flea feeding and the pet’s exposure to flea salivary antigens. The ideal flea control product would interrupt feeding before introduction of demonstrable amounts of flea allergen; break the flea life cycle by eliminating adult fleas from the host; and aid in the reduction of viable eggs, larvae, and pupae in the environment. Flea control products that are less affected by exposure to water and shampoos would further enhance their potential to reduce the severity of flea allergy dermatitis. Griffin: The ideal flea product for flea allergic dogs would be a repellent that is 100% efficacious in 7

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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