Comments on: More warnings required on flea, tick products

By: Kimberly Savino

Kimberly Savino — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 05:38:18 +0000

Unless I’m missing something here, the problem doesn’t seem to be the Frontline – It sounds like owners aren’t using it properly. Flea/tick prevention is SO important. Fleas cause dermatitis and tapeworm in both pets and people, and can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars to erradicate from the home. Ticks spread diseases (most serious, lyme disease) to both pets and people. This can be dangerous to both people and pets, and costly to treat. I’ve had hundreds of dogs in my care since using these meds for years, and have never made a “mistake” with them, nor have we had any rxn more severe than a skin irritation, only if left on too long on a sensitive-skin dog. (Please note: I’ve used Frontline and Advantix only – “cheap” brands like Hartz and Biospot are known for causing reactions. Natural remedies like garlic lack the same level of effectiveness, and can be toxic to your pet – see ASPCA Poison Control Center.) You should ALWAYS know your pet’s exact weight, so just purchase the box that corresponds. Then, apply to the skin, not fur (it has to be absorbed, so leaving it on the fur wouldn’t make sense anyway) in areas not prone to licking, wash hands after handling pet, and keep pets separated for at least 24 hrs. Wash dog and his bedding after 24 hours (I don’t wait more than 48) and you should be good to go. Was there some other problem involving these meds that I haven’t heard about yet? If so, feel free to share a link!

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:07:55 +0000

Sorry, meant to post link to the article I read which is very relevant to this post.

http://hubpages.com/hub/brokenheartanddeaddogs

By: Sara@harnesses for dogs

Sara@harnesses for dogs — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:04:41 +0000

This is interesting, I read an article today about homeopathic alternatives to these ‘over-the-counter’ chemical based products which bears out what is said here. Apparently garlic capsules (which dogs will lap up like treats) give the same protection without the risk or expense.

By: Joanne

Joanne — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 12:19:16 +0000

Frontline is a bestselling product so I’m a bit shocked to read this – won’t treat my dog again myself – not worth the risk, especially as my cat licks the dog.

By: Juliette Morgan

Juliette Morgan — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:07:11 +0000

This is horrendous I never knew this. I used to have our vet do the flea treatment but recently have bought Frontline products and done it myself – my little westie has been fine so far but I’m glad I have read this, thanks.

By: Anne'n'Spencer

Anne'n'Spencer — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:51:01 +0000

Goodness, I had no idea. We’ve never had a mishap because the vet gives us the proper dosage per weight, and we only have one dog–so no danger of one pet licking the medicine off another pet. I had been thinking it was an improvement over the over-the-counter collars and flea powders.

By: laura

laura — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:33:16 +0000

It is too easy to make a mistake with these spot-on treatments. You have to get the dosage correct, you have to place it exactly between the shoulder blades, you have to make sure it doesn’t pool on the fur, and you have to keep all your pets separated to make sure the treatment doesn’t get licked by another pet.

Make one mistake and your pet will suffer illness or death. That’s not how products should work. Manufacturers need to allow for some user error, some factor of safety when they release a product for public use.