To those of you who mentioned they weren't seeing results with PROGRAM, the
new flea pill, you won't see any for a while.  The pill does not, I repeat-
Does Not, kill adult fleas.  Its purpose is to sterilize the eggs that the
flea lays, therefore its like a birth control pill for fleas.  When the adult
flea bites an animal on PROGRAM its eggs become sterile and do not hatch.
The adult flea can still live a long time on the animal, as long as 6 months
according to some sources.  I work for a vet, and we advise any PROGRAM user
that while the pill is effective in stopping flea production, they still need
to treat the animal and their home for fleas if they currently have a problem
with fleas.  If not, they should still keep a spray or flea shampoo on hand
that they have gotten from their vet, as most over the counter flea products
in pet stores are uneffective in flea treatment.  So if your ferret is on the
pill, don't think it can or will stop them from getting fleas, they can but
they just won't be able to reproduce.  Remember even you can bring fleas into
your home, via your shoes etc.  PROGRAM is or at least seems to be effective
in stopping flea production but you also need to kill the adults with
something else.   Hope this helps those of you wondering why this "miracle
pill"  doesn't seem to be working.  The results won't be noticable until you
get rid of the adults.  Happy ferreting!
Suzie & Rob Broadhead
Matso & K2, the ferret children
[Posted in FML issue 1285]