Oh, Nora, do I remember the flea dip days with my Persian (all rescues!) cats living in Miami! Thank heavens there are other (safer) remedies these days. I appreciate your point that flea control products can stop working; good reminder for all of us who get lulled by their current effectiveness. One area I would like more information about is the difference between flea products for cats and flea products for dogs. And of course age and body weight play a role in safety too. It is hard to find effective safe products for kittens and puppies. Thanks for a timely column.

Hi Lynda, I asked our (SPCA Tampa Bay) veterinarian to answer your question. Here are his comments... Products for control of fleas in dogs and cats have exploded onto the market in the last 10 years. Many products achieve flea control by not only killing the adults, but also eliminating the larval and egg stages. Importantly, some flea and tick products are made exclusively for dogs, and cannot be used on cats as they can have a serious reaction to them. Although products that focus strictly on fleas still exist, many now contain more than one product to handle other concerns—such as internal parasites (i.e. hookworms and roundworms), heartworm (and yes, heartworm is a very real concern for cats), ear mites, and even scabies. Some products come in the form of a monthly pill, and some are applied topically once a month. Age and weight limitations vary tremendously by the product, but there are safe and effective products that can be used on puppies and kittens.

The best possible advice to help guide you in picking a product would be to speak to your veterinarian. They can help decide if an advanced product, such as one containing heartworm prevention, or just a basic product is best. They can also recommend other tools to control fleas, such as yard and house treatments.

Thanks, Nora, especially for the advice to check with a veterinarian about the right product. I know people who have really gotten into trouble using over the counter products made for dogs on their cats or using products on too young an animal so I hope lots of people read your column today.

I have 2 small, short hair dogs and a flea problem. I have been researching different ways to control this problem as I cannot afford to buy treatments for them. I use a flea comb daily, vacuum my carpets and have been putting lime or lemon juice on their collars. Seems to help but diligence is essential.

Hi Nora: I found a garlic-based liquid flea control product sold by a dog groomer. We add a capful to our dogs' water and it is supposed to affect an enzyme in the flea and its ability to lay eggs. We still use products supplied by our vet, but this seems to add another layer of protection.

I have found success!! I was using comfortis and it worked after trying all sorts of things, but would wear off around 3 weeks. I switched from Blue dog food for my 2 dogs to Earthborn, Coastal Catch, with herring and salmon, and no more fleas! I still use Comfortis, but only half the dosage and at 6 to 8 weeks instead of 4. I have not seen but 1 flea since I made that change. The food has a lot of omegas,is holistic, has no corn, no by products and their coats are great. It is a little costly, but saves on all the other flea products and work, satisfies the dogs more, so they eat less. The food has a slight fishy oder, but I think that is what repels the fleas. I buy it at Animal House...they have a small bag for 2.99 and 2.99 coupon on it to try it. sometimes I mix it with the chicken variety. Comfortis is bought at a vet, at this time. Good luck!

I will have to look for Earthborn, Coastal Catch, because I have had the same experience with Comfortis. The garlic-based liquid I add to the dogs' water is called Flea Free and the Florida company that makes it is called Natural Pet Products. They are in Homosassa. I got it at a dog grooming salon in Bradenton.

I use pet armor for my animals and I have never had any issues.

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I asked Dr. Rizal Lopez, SPCA Tampa Bay veterinarian about garlic. He was able to contact Sharon Gwaltney-Brant DVM, PhD, who tells us: “…I definitely do not recommend giving garlic tablets to cats or dogs because IF they have garlic in them, they will induce chronic anemia. That being said, most of the garlic tablets on the market that are labeled as "odor free" have had most/all of the organosulfoxides removed in the 'deodorizing' process, so would be less toxic. From a toxicity standpoint, I would say that the currently available flea control products when applied per label to the appropriate species are far safer than using garlic (which doesn't work anyway) to control fleas or ticks.”

More from Dr. Lopez/SPCA Tampa Bay: After 12 years in private practice I saw case after case of clients proudly saying they were using garlic on their pets for flea control, and I would promptly then show them the live fleas and flea dirt on their animals. It does also appear that cats are more likely to have side effects from the garlic as their liver metabolism is markedly different than in dogs or humans.

Thanks for the additional information about evaluating alternative flea control methods, especially garlic-based ones. Of course all of us have also heard the bad reactions some pets have had to commercial flea control products. So how do we loving pet caregivers decide what is best to use? Your advice to check with a good vet is priceless!! Lots of information to consider to keep our pet families safe and healthy. Thanks, Nora, for helping us understand what we need to know.

Thanks, Nora. This is definitely very helpful. Your post certainly showed that people are "itching" to find the perfect cure for fleas on their pets.