5 When an adulticide-only treatment was prescribed, clients were thrilled to quickly see fewer fleas on their pet but did not understand that they were only treating 5% of their problem.

5 The rest of the life stages are in the environment and frequently remain unseen. The adult flea seen on the pet represents 5% of the life stages. Although many practitioners experienced the miracle of lufenuron, they abandoned it and relied solely on adulticides. When the first adulticide medications later entered the market, veterinarians were distracted by the new, bright, shiny options. 4 At the time, it was hard to believe, and I was very skeptical until I experienced it firsthand, again and again. When lufenuron was administered to all pets within a household, the flea infestation was eliminated within 60 days. Versions of fipronil and imidacloprid were still a couple of years away. 3 Lufenuron then affects the development of the larva in the egg, thereby preventing and controlling flea populations. When administered systemically, lufenuron concentrates in the pet’s adipose tissue and is picked up by adult fleas during feeding. 1,2 By inhibiting the synthesis of chitin lufenuron stops flea eggs from hatching. It is a benzoylphenylurea, a family of chitin synthesis inhibitors and more broadly known as an insect development inhibitor (IDI). Lufenuron was developed by the agricultural division of Ciba-Geigy. In fact, some 30 years after its advent, no flea control plan should be without lufenuron at its foundation. As other products have come and gone, in my experience, lufenuron continues to work as effectively today as it did when it I first used it. It was a miracle that I have never forgotten and have relied upon it to protect my patients ever since. Introduced in the early 1990s, lufenuron was the first medication that could safely, effectively, and reliably break the flea life cycle, and end flea infestations. It is not surprising that no other product, treatment, or procedure improved my practice like lufenuron. It was a challenging time to practice and an even tougher time to be a pet owner. It seemed that no number of sprays, foggers, powders, baths, dips, or topical organophosphates could stop fleas. That veterinarian I described above was me, and such was an everyday scenario in my clinic- dogs and cats near death because of flea anemia or owners choosing to euthanize pets because of uncontrolled flea infestations in their homes. Instead, it is a flea infestation that is causing her beloved pet to bleed to death. The culprit is not cancer or immune-mediated disease. It is 1989 in central Florida, and a young veterinarian, barely 4 years out of school, is consoling another pet owner faced with the decision to either transfuse or euthanize her dog. This article is sponsored by Merck Animal Health.

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