Frontline Plus for Dogs – in this review is everything you need to know about Frontline Plus, from safety and effectiveness to how it works and where you can buy it for the best price.
If you’ve reached this site the chances are that your dog has fleas and/or ticks and you are trying to find out if Merial’s Frontline Plus for dogs is the best solution for your canine friend. Well don’t worry because you’ve come to the right place! I have three dogs (a dachshund called Topsy, a mongrel called Jumble and a husky Alsatian cross called Finn), and particularly as we live in the countryside, they have had many problems with fleas and ticks in the past.
URGENT NOTICE! I’ve recently discovered that Frontline Plus, Advantix, Bio Spot and many other flea treatment products are UNSAFE! Read this article to learn more – Is Frontline Plus for Dogs Safe?
Are fleas and ticks dangerous for dogs?
Fleas are not only uncomfortable for your pet, but can cause or lead to conditions and diseases such as Flea Allergy Dermatitis, anaemia, tapeworm infestation and rickettsiosis. Furthermore, tick bites can result in lymes disease which if left untreated can be fatal, as well as other nasty diseases so there is a good reason to treat your dog/s as soon as possible!
Which flea and tick product do you recommend?
IMPORTANT! Although I have used Merial’s Frontline Plus for Dogs on my pets, after extensive research I have found out that many dogs are suffering seizures and in rare cases death after using flea treatments that contain organophosphates (in particular frontline and frontline plus and advantix, but many other flea treatments as well.)
These dangerous pesticides and poisons are not only potentially harmful to your dogs but also to yourselves and particularly children and pregnant women. Read about the safety issues with many flea treatments for dogs. More information is coming shortly that will offer suitable alternatives for de-fleaing your dogs.
I’ve tried several flea and tick products and found that Merial Frontline for Dogs is not only the most effective, but also the safest choice for you and your pets and I highly recommend it. I also really love the fact that it is waterproof as Finn in particular loves a swim when we are out on walks!
It’s taken me a long time to find out everything I need to know about flea and tick control and prevention but you can benefit from my knowledge! I’ll share with you my findings on flea and tick control and also answer the most common questions that dog owners have,
- such as comparing the effectiveness and safety of various treatments, eg:
- Frontline vs Frontline Plus,
- K9 Advantix and Advantage
- Pet Armour
- How Frontline plus for dogs works,
- How long it takes to kill the fleas and ticks,
- How to apply Frontline Plus,
- How often it can be used,
- What is the active ingredient
- Where to buy cheap Frontline Plus
How does Frontline Plus for Dogs work?
Frontline plus uses a combined action to kill the fleas and ticks living on your dog and also kills the eggs and larvae of fleas. This is achieved by the use of two chemicals – S-Methoprene and Fipronil (see below for safety details).
This dual action is very important in successfully ridding your dog of fleas, since the adult fleas visible are only about 5% of the total population. This is because there will probably be eggs on your dog which last for about 10 days, and will most likely also be larvae and pupae. Not many people know that the flea remains hidden on their dogs in the pupae stage for about 4-5 months – so your dog may have had these critters way before you noticed an adult flea! The S-Methoprene stops pupae from growing into adults, while the Friponil is a slow acting poison which will kill the entire colony of adult fleas.
How long does it take to kill fleas and ticks using Frontline Plus?
The great news is that this product works quickly and effectively. Frontline state that 100% of all fleas are killed within 12 hours of application. I have found that to be the case, but sometimes if the fleas have really taken a hold your dogs may keep itching for longer (about 2 days) because they are experiencing an allergic reaction to the flea saliva.
However, just treating your dog is not enough to deal with fleas, so you need to make sure that you have vacuumed and cleaned your whole house, because if flea eggs are living in the carpet (gross but it happens!) then the process will of course begin again. This is VERY IMPORTANT and often people that say Frontline Plus hasn’t worked have not managed to get all the fleas out from their carpet and soft furnishings.
Additionally you must make sure that all pets have been treated, Merial also do a product for cats which I haven’t personally used, not having any cats at the moment!
Is Frontline Plus Safe for Dogs?
No! and it’s not safe for humans either. Read more about the dangers of Frontline Plus and other flea treatments.
Frontline plus, like most anti flea and tick treatments, contains pesticides, which are strong chemicals that kill unwanted things. Pesticides like S-Methoprene (one of the active ingredients in frontline plus) are used in modern farming. That being said, pesticides are not the nicest thing to be putting on our skins or that of our pets. However, fleas bring dangers of their own (see the 2nd paragraph for diseases transmitted by fleas) and so we need to weigh up the pros and cons of using these chemicals, and I have not personally had any problems using Frontline. If you can control your pet’s flea infestation using methods such as bathing the dog and vacuuming then do so, but for many of us this is unfortunately not an option
I endorse Frontline Plus above other treatments such as Advantix (made by Advantage) as this contains Permethrin which is fully recognized as toxic to cats. Even if you don’t have cats yourself it seems irresponsible to put this chemical on your dogs if there is a chance they may come into contact with cats.
Is Frontline Plus effective and how does this compare to Advantix and other flea and tick treatments?
Before I knew about the toxicity of Advantix’s ingredients, I did try K9 advantix and found it less effective than Frontline Plus as the protection seemed to wear off very quickly, unlike Merial’s product which keeps my dogs flea and tick free for a month at a time. Many other pet owners that I have spoken with agreed with this and I have since found scientific research backing this up – here is the technical article for anyone interested http://www.jarvm.com/articles/Vol2Iss1/MCCALL.htm
How to Apply Frontline Plus for Dogs
It’s easy to apply this to your pet, just follow the simple instructions below:
1. Firstly make sure you have the appropriate product for your dog’s weight. Frontline Plus has four different products that actually contain the same thing but come in the right quantity for your pet.
- Orange for Dogs up to 22lbs (10kg)
- Blue for Dogs 23 – 44lbs (10 – 20kg)
- Purple for Dogs 45 – 88lbs (20kg-40kg)
- Red for Dogs 89 – 132 lbs (40-60kg)
2. Remove an applicator from the package (you will need to cut or lift the plastic tab to get at the foil. Then peel down.
3. Make sure to hold the applicator upright and snap the tip away from your face and body
4. Insert the applicator tip through the dog’s hair to the skin between the shoulder blades (this is important, you must get the lotion on the skin otherwise it won’t work). Squeeze the applicator and apply the entire contents in a single spot.
Done! As long as you have vacuumed and washed all the soft furnishings in your house that your pet comes into contact with, and treated all cats and dogs that you have, your doggie should hopefully be flea and tick free in 12 hours. Although Frontline Plus is waterproof, do allow 24hrs before bathing your dog or allowing him or her to have a swim.
How often should you apply Frontline Plus for dogs?
Apply it once a month – any more often and it could be harmful, less often and you may find ticks and fleas reappearing.
Where to buy Cheap Frontline Plus
Please think carefully before buying this product, cheap or otherwise.
The only downside to this product is that it is not cheap and so you may be asking yourself where can I buy cheap Frontline Plus? A better question to ask is where can I get the lowest price on Frontline plus, because some people have tried cheap generics that appear to have the same ingredients as Frontline, but my vet and other veterinarians have recommended against it because if the quantities or other ingredients vary then it could affect not only the effectiveness but also more importantly, the safety of the product.
The place that I always get my Frontline Plus from is Amazon which is much cheaper than pet shops and other places I have found online, and I know that the seller is reputable. Be wary of unusally cheap frontline prices online if you don’t know whether you can trust the website or vendor. If you have the money up front it is good value to buy the larger packs (3, 6 and 12 packs), and this will also save you the hassle of reordering so soon.
Frontline Plus for Dogs Review Summary
Frontline Plus for Dogs is not safe and the same goes for any other flea treatments, collars, shampoos, sprays and spot on products that contain dangerous pesticides.
All in all after years of experience in owning dogs and trying different flea and tick control products, I can highly recommend Merial’s frontline and frontline plus for dogs. As fleas and ticks can cause dangerous diseases in dogs is crucial that you stop infestations and repel ticks as quickly as possible and Frontline Plus is the best product I have found for doing this.
Furthermore if you buy Frontline Plus for dogs (3 pack or 6 pack) and for any reason are not happy with it, Merial actually offer a money back guarantee – I’ve never had to use this so can’t comment on it, but it’s good to know it’s there.
Buy cheap Frontline Plus for Dogs from a reputable seller.
Find out more about the safety of Frontline Plus, K9 Advantix, Bio Spot and other Flea treatments
Or read about the best natural flea treatments for dogs that I’ve found since discovering the dangers of Frontline Plus.