Table 1.

Design of a study aimed at determining the effectiveness of imidacloprid/flumethrin collars in preventingDipylidium caninuminfection in cats repeatedly infested with infected fleas

Study day	Activity
-7 to - 1	Acclimatization to cage environment
- 6	Infestation with non-infected fleas
- 5	Flea counts, 4 cats with lowest counts excluded from remainder of study
- 2	Ranking and allocation to 2 groups of 8 cats each
0	Imidacloprid/flumethrin collars fitted to treated group
7	Infestation with 200, infected* fleas**
8	Flea counts and re-infestation with the fleas that had been counted
14	Infestation with 200, infected* fleas**
15	Flea counts and re-infestation with the fleas that had been counted
21	Infestation with 200, infected* fleas**; daily examination of faeces for expelled proglottids commences
22	Flea counts and re-infestation with the fleas that had been counted
28	Infestation with 200, infected* fleas**
29	Flea counts and re-infestation with the fleas that had been counted
60	Daily examination of faeces for expelled proglottids ceases
61	Necropsy and collection and counting of scoleces

* The larval stages of these fleas were exposed to proglottids and eggs of D. caninum.

** Fleas approximately 10–14 days after pupation were used for infestation.