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Archived Message

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by Karen

I've been reading about the flea product frontline I really need to use something on my poor baby but the vets around here do not carry the product and some of them refused to carry it. I was told by many vets offices in the area that it is toxic to cats anyways My choice is to use dips or try advantage but I heard that the advantage washes out if she gets wet I wash my dog every 10 days or so depending on how dirty she gets ( still training her not to go in her crate or in the house and then rolls in it ) otherwise I would not bathe her so often I really don't want to use dips either I don't think they work that well longterm and I don't want to make my dog sick . Any ideas ??

DISCUSSION:

Karen--where do you live? My vet speaks very highly of Frontline, and I can't imagine what the problem is that your vet is concerned about. Also my mom's vet in Georgia suggested it to her because there are lots of fleas where she lives and both her daschund's are allergic to them. I don't know anything about the Frontline that comes in a spray bottle, only the topical treatment that comes in individual doses. If you can't get a vet prescription, I don't know how you could get it. I don't know if anyone has had any success with the pills that your give for fleas but maybe you could try them. Ty tendancy is always to avoid anything that has to be ingested for fear it will affect other physiology, but maybe it is worth a shot. My old vet always stayed away from flea dips on little dogs for fear of toxcity, so I don't know if I would do that either. I have a book somewhere that has herbal solutions to the flea problem and if I can remember where I put it will check there for you and post here. In the meantime, maybe someone will have a good solution for you.
-cathy brown

I would be curious to know why your vet refuses to carry Frontline. Frontline is made for cats and dogs. I have a maltese and a cat and I have used the Frontline with excellent results. It is used topically by squeezing the contents at the back of the neck between the shoulder blades where the animal cannot reach it. Dipping, in my opinion, is not the best option because you are literally immersing the animal in an insecticide.
-April B.

My vets also do not carry Frontline and will not prescribe it. They highly recommend Advantage and prescribe it for cats and for dogs and puppies over 6 weeks of age. The only explanation I could get is that because Advantage does wash off, it is strictly external, whereas they don't feel that Frontline is as safe because you can't even wash it off and that it probably goes into the animal's system - one of the receptionists said that if you have to wear rubber gloves to keep it off your skin, why would you want to leave it on your animal? I may call another vet in the area to see what they have to say about Frontline - it would be nice to be able to completely bathe Gizmo more often instead of spot-cleaning him like a necktie!
-Tricia

Karen and others, I don't know if you read the previous question posted about Frontline, but I recommend it to my clients and their pets. I am a veterinarian in Milwaukee, WI and I suppose each veterinarian is going to have their own opinion as to what products they think are effective and what products they chose to carry. I work in a three-doctor practice and we looked at all the flea products available, talked with the drug reps, and decided we liked all the properties of Frontline the best. This product is not toxic to cats and can be safely used in this species. I think that any drug can potentially have a bad effect in an animal or a human. Look at all the people who are allergic to penicllin, a relatively harmless antibiotic. I know that a previous responce listed a phone number for the company, so if you have any questions I would certainly give them a call. I'm also sure that they can give you the name of a veterinary clinic in your area that carries their product. I can say that I have seen no adverse effects from this product in any animal we have sold it to. Frontline is sold strictly through veterinarians and no, I do not work for that company or own stock in that company just in case you were wondering why I have been recommending it. I simply believe it is one of the best flea and tick preventatives available. Program is the name of the oral flea product, and while it works completely differently, I also think it is an excellent flea preventative. If you are interested in more information about Program, just say so.
-Anna

I have been using advantage and bathe Spike once a week. the pamphlet i got re: advantage said you can wash them and it will stil be effective. This product attaches to all the hair folicles within 24 hours of application and kills all flees and keeps them off for one month. As long as you use a gentle shampoo there should be no problem. As least I have had no problem.(Anna I am from Milw. too!)
-mtm

Anna- Thanks for clearing things up for us. There are several good flea products out there. One thing I have noticed is that no one product always works well for everyone. I think climate, the amount of time an animal spends outdoors or in, possible allergic reactions, and other factors all play a role. I had to experiment with a couple of products before I found the one that worked the best for my pets. For me, it was the Frontline. Some folks have used some of the other products with good results as well.
-April B.

Thanks to all of you for your info. To answer a few questions I live in massachusetts I had called about 12 vets offices in the surrounding area none of them were willing to carry frontline and told me to either try Program or the Advantage system I did call frontline and asked if they could locate someone in the area they at first told me to try to find one myself I then explained that I tried the woman told me it would take up to three weeks for her to send the info but that she would. I also was told by some of the offices I called that the Advantage system has been improved so that you can use a mild shampoo on the dog and it won't wash off. If anyone has any information on this product (Advantage) I would be most grateful. Thanks : )
-Karen

Karen--Sounds to me like some sales rep cornered the market in your neck of the woods :-( That said, I would say go ahead and try the Advantage as it does work. Watch for fleas and see how it goes. In terms of cost the two are about the same. Even though the Frontline says application once every 3 mo is sufficient for fleas, you need it monthly for ticks So I do it monthly in summer and every 3 mo in winter. One thing you might check into is whether the Advantage is good against ticks (if you have a problem with them in MA); if not, be sure to use some protection since they can be dangerous to your dog's health besides being ugly little suckers that are difficult to remove.
-cathy brown

Hi, I just wanted to say that I use frontline on my Maltese "Emma".She has had quite a time with the fleas here in N.H. I have been pleased with the results and would recommend it for both cats and dogs.
-Sue