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February 5, 2019
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Preferences of Pet Owners in Regard to the Use of Insecticides for Flea Control.

Publicated to:Journal Of Medical Entomology. 55 (5): 1254-1263 - 2018-09-01 55(5), DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjy088

Authors: Angel Peribanez, Miguel; Calvete, Carlos; Jesus Gracia, Maria

Affiliations

Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, C/Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain. - Author
Unidad de Sanidad Animal, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria, CITA, IUI Mixto Agroalimentario de Aragón (IA2) (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Avda. Montañana, Zaragoza, Spain. - Author
Univ Zaragoza, Fac Vet, Dept Patol Anim, C Miguel Servet 177, E-50013 Zaragoza, Spain - Author
Univ Zaragoza, IUI Mixto Agroalimentario Aragon IA2 CITA, Ctr Invest & Tecnol Agroalimentaria, Unidad Sanidad Anim, Avda Montanana 930, Zaragoza 50059, Spain - Author

Abstract

A survey conducted from 2002 to 2012 of 759 customers from 84 veterinary practices allows us to examine the habits of dog and cat owners regarding the use of insecticides for flea control. The results indicate that the percentage of animals treated during the 12 mo prior to the survey was not very high (71% in dogs and 50% in cats), considering that 100% of animals included in the study were flea-infested. Statistical analysis shows that animals older than 4 mo are treated more frequently and that dogs are more likely to be treated than cats. Among cats, those living in houses with gardens or farms are treated at a higher rate than those that live in houses without gardens or in flats. The main variable associated with the degree of satisfaction and product loyalty is the active ingredient, and the choice of a commercial product is generally associated with high-efficacy products. The mode of application of a flea treatment does not seem to have a strong influence on pet owner satisfaction or loyalty. Likewise, we do not find a clear correlation between owners' satisfaction and loyalty, so pet owners may find the results of the selected product more or less satisfactory for reasons other than simple effectiveness. Finally, because of the complexity of the life cycle of these ectoparasites, the importance of the advice of a veterinarian when planning flea control is emphasized.

Keywords

AnimalsCatsConsumer behaviorDogsFlea infestationsHumansInsect controlInsecticidesSiphonapteraSurveys and questionnaires

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Journal Of Medical Entomology due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2018, it was in position 26/141, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Veterinary Sciences.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from the Field Citation Ratio (FCR) of the Dimensions source, it yields a value of: 1.92, which indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: Dimensions Sep 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-09-19, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 4
  • Scopus: 5
  • Europe PMC: 3

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-09-19:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 19.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 18 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 2.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 4 (Altmetric).