WHAT CAN I DO FOR MY PET'S FLEA PROBLEM?

First thing to do is take your pet to your veterinarian, and have them put on a professional flea treatment program. Also treat your home with a liquid treatment which contains an INSECT GROWTH REGULATOR (IGR).

Do you recommend flea collars for pets?

The active ingredient in one collar is organo-phosphate which is a class of insecticides suspected of being carcinogenic. It also said on the box that this flea collar is an "insecticide generator." I don't think I want my cat running around with an "insecticide generator" around her neck.

Fleas can be a major problem in many parts of the country, but you can help your pets avoid them with a few practical steps. These steps are part of a program for battling fleas without toxins. This was compiled by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

• You can add brewer's yeast or nutritional yeast, fresh garlic or flaxseed oil to pet food for skin health and as a flea repellent.
• Use herb-based flea collars that contain combinations of various herbs that repel fleas, such as lavender, mint, rosemary, sweet woodruff and cedar.
• Bathe pets with gentle herbal shampoos. Even soap and water will kill fleas if the soap is left on from five to eight minutes.

I sprayed for fleas last week and now they are back. Why didn't the spray work?

Even sprays that contain insecticides and growth inhibitors have difficulty penetrating the pupae cocoon. Flea larva that have entered a cocoon state will require follow up applications of the insecticides after they hatch. This is usually a 3 or 4 week process.