Hello,

We are having a flea problem on our cats in our house.

I noticed fleas about a month ago and bought Frontline. I put it on and it did nothing. I had this problem last season and I remember the vet telling me that it is safe to use it again right away.

I believe I waited a week before using it again and I only used it on the 20 lb. cat. It also did nothing and the fleas seemed to get worse.

I bought a Zodiac flea spray 2 days ago and sprayed it on the cats. It seemed to work slightly as now I see some dead fleas but still the cats are itching like crazy and the flea "poop" is all over the place.

It makes me mad that I paid like $35 for Frontline and it didn't work at all. If I had remembered it was like this last year I would have tried something else.

Now I still have a flea problem.

I read that adding garlic to the cat food will get in their system and since fleas don't like it they won't stay around.

Any ideas?

Wendy

Frontline only kills fleas that bite the animal. it WILL kill them. What you obviously have is a flea infestation in the HOUSE and need to get rid of the fleas in your house, frontline won't do anything for this.

Do you have carpet and is the cat allowed outside?

We have hard wood floors for the most part but there are rugs throughout the house.

These are 2 indoor cats but they do go outside on a leash.

Do you know why I only noticed the fleas about a month ago and not any other time during the year except last summer?

fleas don't do well in cold summer they are at their worst and most prolific so it's then most people notice a flea problem. You are going to have and find a flea remedy that kill eggs and fleas on the carpet.

I have a few suggestions that may or may not help.

Frontline is a preventitive only. In order to kill the pre-existing fleas, you need to use a product called capstar that your vet should carry. Give capstar every other day for a few days to your pets in conjunction witha flea preventative and that should help.

Also, try using something other than Frontline since the fleas in your area have an obvious immunity to it. I like Revolution. Advantage is another option. If your vet doesn't carry it, call around until you find one that does.

ALSO, if you vacuum...buy a flea collar and throw it in the vacuum bag. It should help kill any fleas living in the rugs/floors.

I am a Veterinary Technician. the Frontline company recently let my clinic know that frontline for cats only covers cats up to 15 pounds. we have had issues just like yours in the past. what the frontline company advised us to do is use the dog dose from 0-25 pounds. this will not be harmful to your pet as it is the exact same medication in both the cat package and dog package. the only difference is the dosing.

also, what my clinic has recommended is that you put a drop on your cats head as well as its back end to allow for a wider coverage.

another thing is adding a fish oil suppliment to your cats food because frontline has a hard time despensing on animals with dry skin.

quote:

Originally posted by scurvy_cur:
I have a few suggestions that may or may not help.

Frontline is a preventitive only. In order to kill the pre-existing fleas, you need to use a product called capstar that your vet should carry. Give capstar every other day for a few days to your pets in conjunction witha flea preventative and that should help.

Also, try using something other than Frontline since the fleas in your area have an obvious immunity to it. I like Revolution. Advantage is another option. If your vet doesn't carry it, call around until you find one that does.

ALSO, if you vacuum...buy a flea collar and throw it in the vacuum bag. It should help kill any fleas living in the rugs/floors.

there are so many things wrong with this statement. frontline is not only a preventive it DOES kill fleas on contact in any and all situations UNLESS the product was improperly used.

secondly, fleas have not yet ever had an immunity to frontline, it always has and certainly for a long time will.

although possible, it is never a good idea to combine multiple products as you cannot be sure how they all will react.

quote:

Originally posted by sullybaby27:
...the Frontline company recently let my clinic know that frontline for cats only covers cats up to 15 pounds. also, what my clinic has recommended is that you put a drop on your cats head as well as its back end to allow for a wider coverage.

Wouldn't using 2 Frontline tubes be the same thing as getting the dog dosage? I used 2 within 2 weeks and it did nothing. Oh, and one of the cats only weighs 7 lbs so that theory is kind of out.

The first time we used Frontline, about 2 or 3 years ago I noticed the fleas immediately dying and falling off. Now they don't do that at all. That is why I feel the cats/fleas are immune to it. Oh, and I have tried Advantage with the same results - nothing.

quote:

...another thing is adding a fish oil suppliment to your cats food because frontline has a hard time despensing on animals with dry skin.

Good idea. What about the idea of adding garlic to their diet because fleas don't like garlic and once it is in the cat's bloodstream it will fend the critters off?

If garlic is a good, what kind and where to buy it? I tried garlic juice from the fresh, crushed garlic we keep in the refrigerator. Here's a tip! Don't try it the cats sniffed the food and gave me a weird look and ran off.

I appreciate all of the advice given even if it may be conflicting. I am sure everyone is trying to help or is just going by their own experience. No SHOUTING is needed

Wendy

quote:

Originally posted by sullybaby27:

quote:

Originally posted by scurvy_cur:
I have a few suggestions that may or may not help.

Frontline is a preventitive only. In order to kill the pre-existing fleas, you need to use a product called capstar that your vet should carry. Give capstar every other day for a few days to your pets in conjunction witha flea preventative and that should help.

Also, try using something other than Frontline since the fleas in your area have an obvious immunity to it. I like Revolution. Advantage is another option. If your vet doesn't carry it, call around until you find one that does.

ALSO, if you vacuum...buy a flea collar and throw it in the vacuum bag. It should help kill any fleas living in the rugs/floors.

there are so many things wrong with this statement. frontline is not only a preventive it DOES kill fleas on contact in any and all situations UNLESS the product was improperly used.

secondly, fleas have not yet ever had an immunity to frontline, it always has and certainly for a long time will.

although possible, it is never a good idea to combine multiple products as you cannot be sure how they all will react.

She's one semester away from being a vet. I'd take her word for it. She's a smart girl, and fleas and ticks in my area are developing immunity to Frontline. They reproduce so quickly it's naive to think that they wouldn't. It's the exact reason that bugs were the first, and will be the last living creature on this planet.

quote:

Originally posted by sullybaby27:

quote:

Originally posted by scurvy_cur:
I have a few suggestions that may or may not help.

Frontline is a preventitive only. In order to kill the pre-existing fleas, you need to use a product called capstar that your vet should carry. Give capstar every other day for a few days to your pets in conjunction witha flea preventative and that should help.

Also, try using something other than Frontline since the fleas in your area have an obvious immunity to it. I like Revolution. Advantage is another option. If your vet doesn't carry it, call around until you find one that does.

ALSO, if you vacuum...buy a flea collar and throw it in the vacuum bag. It should help kill any fleas living in the rugs/floors.

there are so many things wrong with this statement. frontline is not only a preventive it DOES kill fleas on contact in any and all situations UNLESS the product was improperly used.

secondly, fleas have not yet ever had an immunity to frontline, it always has and certainly for a long time will.

although possible, it is never a good idea to combine multiple products as you cannot be sure how they all will react.

As Angie said, I'm a semester away from being a vet tech. I've had classes on this, and I also worked in a vet clinic all summer. The information I gave on fleas developing an immunity to Frontline is true. It was information provided to me by a DVM in lecture. In the south, Frontline is what has been used for years while in the north, Advantage has been the flea medication of choice. Now the South is seeing a flea resistance to Frontline while the north is seeing the same with Advantage.

As for Frontline being a preventative...it is. google it. It is safe to admminister frontlien in conjuntion with capstar. if not I guess the vet I worked with all summer was wrong and was killing patients. Gee, I guess you know more than a licensed vet sullybaby?