Frontline Flea and Tick Control on Dogs and Cats
Frontline Plus - Tick and Flea Treatment, Prevention and Protection
Mar 13, 2009
Frontline is a product provided by Merial. Frontline is provided in three formulations:
- Frontline Spray quickly and effectively kills adult fleas and ticks. It is frequently used in your veterinarian's office to provide quick relief for your pet when fleas or ticks are found to be present on your pet. It contains an ingredient called fipronil.
- Frontline Top Spot is very similar to Frontline Spray but is formulated into a topical medication which is applied to the skin of your dog or cat on a monthly basis. Like Frontline Spray, it quickly and effectively kills adult fleas and ticks.
- Frontline Plus not only kills adult fleas and ticks but also kills the flea eggs and larvae, which works to break the life cycle of the flea and prevents fleas from reinfecting your dog or cat. Frontline Plus is capable of doing this because it contains not only fipronil but also an additional ingredient called S-methoprene, which is responsible for killing the flea eggs and larvae.
How Does Frontline Work?
Fipronil, the active ingredient in Frontline is stored in the oil glands which are present in the skin of the dog or cat. Fipronil is continually supplied from the oil glands to the skin and hair coat of a treated dog or cat. It is this continual reapplication which allows Frontline to be effective for an entire month and according to Merial, the manufacturer of Frontline products, this continual release also allows Frontline to be waterproof.
Which Frontline Product Works Best?
All of the Frontline products are effective for killing adult fleas and ticks on both dogs and cats. However, only Frontline Plus will also kill the flea eggs and larvae. For this reason, Frontline Plus is the most commonly used Frontline product and is also the Frontline product most often recommended by veterinarians.
Breaking the flea life cycle is extremely important in controlling flea infestations because the adult fleas which you may be seeing on your dog or cat are only a small percentage of the number of fleas which are actually feeding or will be feeding on your dog or cat. One adult flea can produce as many as 40-50 flea eggs in one day. These eggs can take as long as three to eight months to hatch and develop into mature adults. If the flea eggs and larvae are not killed, your dog or cat will again be infected with fleas in a few months even though the adult flea (or fleas) which you saw months ago is long dead.
How is Frontline Plus Used?
Frontline Plus can be used on kittens or puppies over the age of 8 weeks regardless of their weight. It can also be used to control fleas and ticks on pregnant dogs and cats as well as on dogs and cats which are nursing puppies or kittens.
Frontline Plus is applied topically to the skin between the shoulder blades of the dog or cat once monthly. It is important to part the hair before applying Frontline Plus and make sure the medication is placed directly on the skin itself. It will not be effective if applied to the top of the haircoat and not to the skin.
It is preferable to use Frontline Plus as a flea and tick preventive medication by applying it once monthly year round. While it is possible to use Frontline Plus to treat an existing flea infestation and it quite effective in doing so, it will take several months to effectively kill the entire existing flea population.
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