Flea treatments that are safe and effective

Q: Do you have a recommendation for a natural anti-flea medication?

A: Like vampires, fleas live to drink blood and have sex. Turns out they are very good at doing both. However, fleas are more than an annoyance that keeps your pet up at night scratching: Fleas can cause severe anemia and even death to the young or severely infested.

Many people often ask about natural alternatives to conventional flea treatments. Keep in mind, any product that can kill a flea - natural or synthetic - has the potential to be toxic to the animal you're trying to protect. As a veterinarian, it is my duty to understand the difference between treatments that are proved to be effective and safe and those that are backed only by testimonials and wishful thinking.

Natural products - such as pennyroyal, neem oil, tea tree oil and garlic - are often found in natural flea treatments. I searched two major medical databases for studies on the efficacy of these natural compounds for treating fleas, and didn't find anything to support that these products effectively treat fleas on dogs and cats.

That leaves us with several conventional choices, such as the new monthly oral and topical products. We know these to be both safe and highly effective to prevent and treat fleas on your pet.

Jennifer Scarlett, D.V.M., is San Francisco SPCA interim co-president.

Do you have a medical or behavioral question about your pet? Send your question to Ask the Vet at home@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page E - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle