Anyone having problems with Frontline flea treatment not working?

1. 90

   Judi Beeposted 12 years ago

   Anyone having problems with Frontline flea treatment not working?
   
   My sister-in-law has used it for her cats for years, but she says that during the last two summers it's been ineffective and her neighbours are finding the same problem.  A few colleagues with cats have said much the same and I've found a few threads on the Internet about it.
   
   My sister-in-law is now hoovering her home three times a day, has used foggers, sprays and natural treatments, all to no effect (because of course the cats keep bringing in fleas from outdoors).
   
   Have you had experience of this happening.  If yes, are you using a different treatment, if so what?

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2. 81

   tillsontitanposted 12 years ago

   My vet has my dog on Revolution so I don't have to give him a separate heartworm pill.  So far its been working great (two years now).  I've never used Frontline.

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      Judi Beeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Our dog is fine with our flea treatment at the moment (Stronghold) but there seems to be a growing buzz about Frontline not working.

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      Team Wisemanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, Frontline is certainly not working. Once applied it kicks right in seemingly stunning the adult fleas. The first application was the best. I've applied it 3 times in 3 months. My dog has fleas! Frontline is failing.

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3. 71

   BLACKANDGOLDJACKposted 12 years ago

   Is she using Frontline or Frontline Plus? The former kills only the adult fleas and the latter also kills the larvae and eggs. Fleas can become immune to this type of chemical. This is the worst summer ever for fleas with all the heat and humidity. I'm more into natural remedies. I did a hub "How to Debug Your Kitty" and I've solved the flea problem without a bunch of chemicals that might harm the animal or even humans. The cat still hates getting a bath mostly every day. He'll run and hide when he hears the water running in the sink.

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      Judi Beeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Frontline Plus.  It's the immunity angle I'm interested in hearing about, I'd like to see how widespread it is.  She is using natural treatments at the moment, but whilst I think they can deter fleas, they don't seem to be getting rid of them.

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4. 95

   SmartAndFunposted 12 years ago

   I don't have cats and I have never used Frontline, lol, so I am not really in a position to answer your question. I would like to offer an alternative for you (or your SIL) to consider. I have dogs. I have never used Frontline or any of those topicals because I hate the thought of putting bug poison on my dog's skin. For years I have used Program and have gotten great results from it, as in no more fleas, ever. You can buy it over the counter from amazon or pet supply companies. Cats can use it too. It is in the form of a pill that the animal takes once a month. It works great but takes a couple of weeks at the very beginning for the adult fleas to die off. I wrote a hub about it that goes into more detail. Search "Program Flea Control for Dogs: Product Review" on my profile page if you want more specifics. Your SIL will never have to worry about Hoovering 3x a day again, or spraying dangerous insecticide into the air of her home, or putting it onto her pet's skin.
   
   I prefer Program to topicals because while it stops baby fleas from growing into adults, according to wikipedia it "is safe because Lufenuron is biochemically inert to mammals." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lufenuron
   
   It is still a chemical, so she may not be interested if she is trying to be chemical free. It does not kill ticks or prevent heartworm disease. It does, however, prevent ringworm in many cases, but not 100%. I am always trying to spread the word on Program because it works so well, but it seems like no one has ever heard of it -- I think because vets push the other stuff. (I wonder if they must be getting incentives to sell the topicals.) My vet even stopped selling it at all, with no explanation other than the topicals were "considered more modern." Not that it isn't effective. There have been no reported problems with it, other than occasional upset stomach. Go figure.  IMHO Program is a safer and more effective and product.

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      BLACKANDGOLDJACKposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yeah, no doubt the vets have incentives for peddling the topicals.
      
      I got some free samples of Advantage the last time I was at the vets. Never used it.
      
      I was wondering, how does that stuff you put on back of the neck kill fleas on its underside?

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      SmartAndFunposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      @ B&GJ, I'm not positive, but I believe it is absorbed into the bloodstream through the skin.

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      Judi Beeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I know that Frontline goes into the layer of skin under the fur and is dispersed by the animal's natural oils.

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5. 79

   zsobigposted 12 years ago

   Yes, we had the same problem lately.
   We had spot-ons and the special spray of Frontline, but none of them was working.
   I guess they might have changed the chemicals that Frontline contains, or bugs just got used to it somehow, I'm not sure.
   Last time we bought several things together to get rid of these little instects and instead of Frontline I've chosen the Bob Martin one. This seemed to be much better as the fleas were shortly gone and the cats didn't want to lick the liquid off their backs - it had a less annoying smell that Frontline does.
   All in all, I have just published a hub today about my experiences on this topic, I hope it could help you:
   http://zsobig.hubpages.com/hub/Help-Fle … ur-animals

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      Judi Beeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, I'll take a look

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6. 96

   agilitymachposted 12 years ago

   Unfortunately, Frontline has ceased being effective across the US.  I believe there are still "pockets" in the US where it is working, but the fleas in general have become immune to it's affects.  As a professional dog agility instructor, I'm in contact with other dog trainers across the country (and world), and this is pretty much a national occurrence.
   
   Many have switched to Advantix II for their dogs.  It is still quite effective.  However, I do really only know about dogs, and not cats.  Cats are more susceptible to the chemicals in flea treatments, so you do really need to research before switching flea treatments for your cat.  I do know it can be deadly to use a flea treatment made for dogs on your cat.  Always triple check that you have a cat's flea treatment before you apply it.

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      Judi Beeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, that's exactly what I was wondering - so it looks like the fleas in much of the US (and possibly UK) have built up an immunity.  Sad that vets don't seem to be mentioning it.  We will have to look into an alternative for her cat.  Thanks.

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      agilitymachposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      My vet is mentioning it, fortunately.  He stays very up-to-date on that sort of thing.   But it is true that many don't seem to.

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7. 75

   Ann1Az2posted 12 years ago

   I've used it in the past on my cats and it became ineffective. I haven't used anything on them in over a year. Since we moved to another city, we haven't had the flea problems we had before. I do keep granules in the yard so we won't bring them in. My cats stay inside. Brushing seems to help a lot and I use a flea comb every night. About every other night, I get one or two fleas, but not on every cat (I have four). Brushing has completely eliminated the fleas, but they are under control. I have to agree with SmartAndFun - the more I read about these treatments, the less I want to use them on my cats. I noticed when I did use it, they laid around the house for a day or two which didn't set well with me. It wasn't like they had relief from fleas; it was more like they didn't feel very well.
   
   I'm convinced brushing is the answer, at least for indoor pets. Flea combs are a lot cheaper than the treatments, too.

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8. 52

   Giddy Geezerposted 12 years ago

   We were using Frontline on our cats and they were still covered with fleas. Our vet recommended Advantage for cats. I tried it and found it to be a lot more effective than the Frontline. I did not get the same results however with Advantage for dogs. The Frontline seemed to do a better job on him.  We have been spraying his fenced in yard area as well. That seemed to help some but he still gets a few fleas around his back end. I really do believe they could survive a nuclear holocaust!

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      SmartAndFunposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      They do not survive Program. I'm telling you, the stuff really works, and you'll never have to spray anything again. Sorry to keep harping about it, but it's a great, simple product that delivers as promised.

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9. 79

   Diana Leeposted 12 years ago

   I use Frontline Plus, but they do become immune or so I've been told. It's good to alternate another flea control from time to time. There are a number of home remedies. A dusting of powered sage will make the fleas leave the animal, but it won't kill the fleas.

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10. 72

    BeautySavvy22posted 12 years ago

    The best treatment out there, which also prevents and treats all types of worms is called Revolution.  It is very safe, affordable and has great results!

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    Kathleen Cochranposted 12 years ago

    Yes.  My vet said the fleas are becoming resistent to it and changed my dog to a new brand.  They exchanged what I had at not cost.  Good luck!

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    toknowinfoposted 12 years ago

    I prefer Advantage and have found it to be quick working and very effective.

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13. 0

    JThomp42posted 12 years ago

    Yes, I would highly recommend the pills you can get for your pets now. You don't have to worry about frontline's allergic reactions, and they work for at least one month. They are cheep as well. Pets up to 12 pounds around 12 dollars.

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       agilitymachposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I would add a warning about the pills though.  Some breeds are not doing well with Comfortis, and as the pill last an entire month, if a dog begins neurological problems from the pills, then it's an issue.  Talk with your vet first.

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       JThomp42posted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Absolutely.

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       SmartAndFunposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Good advice, agilitymach. For the record, the Program pills I recommend have a different active ingredient than Comfortis; Program has not caused neuro problems. Its safety record is the reason it is available at Amazon.com without a prescription.

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14. 87

    Farmer Rachelposted 12 years ago

    I was using Frontline Plus, but we live on a little farm practically in the woods, so there's lots of potential for fleas and ticks. Frontline Plus basically doesn't work for my bog. I give her a flea bath every month instead, and keep her lyme's vaccine current. I'm happier this way, anyway - Frontline is SO expensive, and I never really was fond of the idea of using a systemic poison on the body of an animal that I care about.

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