Dog Owners Bark About Bug Bites

LENEXA, Kan., April 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- No one wants to get bitten by ticks, fleas and mosquitoes. Pet owners also want the same protection for their beloved dogs, according to a recent survey of more than 2,700 dog owners. And, fortunately, dog owners can find prevention and protection from bug bites for their furry friends.

By a nearly 9-1 margin, dog owners overwhelmingly prefer topical medications squeezed from a tube and placed on the back of their dog that help reduce the chances of their pet being fed on by dangerous fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. Only topical medications can kill through contact and help reduce the chances of biting and feeding from dangerous parasites. When asked about such protection, 84.3% of dog owners say they prefer such topical applications compared to only 16% (15.7%) who prefer beef-flavored oral treats that only kill fleas and ticks after these pests bite and feed on the blood of their dogs.

The online survey was sent to newsletter subscribers of dogchannel.com in late April. It's part of a campaign, "Why Wait for the Bite?" to educate pet owners about the importance of helping protect their dogs from dangerous parasite bites and to realize the major differences between topical and oral medications.

While oral medications are effective and often considered convenient, unfortunately these flavor treats work systemically or from the inside-out. In other words, oral medications require that the dangerous parasite first bite the pet and take a blood meal for the oral preventive to kill parasites such as ticks and fleas. There also are currently no oral products on the market that kill mosquitoes.

But that doesn't need to be the case with topical parasiticides such as Vectra 3D^®. Easily applied, Vectra 3D^® safely and effectively combines the best of both worlds by killing dangerous parasites on contact and helps prevent them from feeding on pets. 

Dog owners overwhelmingly agree on "Why Wait for the Bite:"

• Seven out of 10 (70.5%) dog owners weigh bite prevention and killing the insects as equally important, an advantage only available through topical medications. Only two out of 100 (2.4%) believe it's more important to just kill the pesky parasites, which oral treats do but only after a dog gets bitten by the bug.
• More than nine out of 10 (91%) dog owners wouldn't buy a flea and tick control product that only works after their dog gets bitten.
• Flipping that around, nearly all dog owners (95.7%) would not use a human tick and mosquito protection product that required they first be bitten for it to be effective.
• Nearly all (93.3%) pet owners say they are "very concerned" about preventing bites that result in pain or discomfort to their dogs.
• And nearly all (96.9%) dog owners say they are very concerned about the potential for disease transmission from bites by fleas, ticks or mosquitoes.

The survey demonstrates the connection between people and their dogs, says Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins, D.V.M., Esq., Director of Veterinary services for Ceva Animal Health. That's why it's imperative for dog owners to discuss prevention and protection with a veterinarian, Dr. Hodgkins says. Veterinarians can address the best way to protect dogs based on their knowledge of parasites in any particular area of the country.

Just a single bite can lead to disease transmission, Dr. Hodgkins says. Those bites also may cause allergic reactions, and dogs often scratch itches from bug bites that lead to lesions, even infections.

"By and large, veterinarians understand the repellency benefits of topical medications," Dr. Hodgkins says. "Veterinarians consider it the leading parasite protection since those mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, even lice never have the opportunity to bite the dog. With oral medication, those mosquitoes, ticks, fleas need to feed to even activate the systemic advantage of an oral medication."

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140430/82292

SOURCE Ceva Animal Health