Merial Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Control for 45 to 88-Pound Dogs, 6 Applicators
CUSTOMER REVIEW
Allow me to caveat this review by saying out of 500 plus reviews this is the most difficult to write as I despise having to use pesticides on our dogs. That said, we live in Tick and Flea central, surrounded by deep woods and our bull dogs are in every sense of the word family. That said if you're reading these reviews your dog or dogs are your heart and using these products is a difficult choice to make, but for most of us it's one we have to make.
On that note, it's nice to be among my own kind of folks and it's my hope the following information has some value for you.
Frontline was first put into clinical trials in 1985 shortly after the discovery of it's active ingredient Fipronil. It has maintained the safest albeit not the most effective treatment for fleas and ticks. However, the more effective products pose a significantly greater risk to your dog.
It's a slippery slope, but in evaluating what's best for your dog and offers the most protection at the least risk Frontline and FrontLine Plus are hands down, without question your best bet.
Most tick and flea products contain Premethrin (or related compounds) as the active ingredient. Premethrin is a lethal neurotoxin that flows through the dogs circulatory system and flushes into every major organ - including the brain where it can do dire damage. Although thousands of dogs die every year from Premethrin and the FDA has mandated a minimal use of it not to exceed 750PPM companies continue to use it because it's cheap and effective.
What makes Premethrin so dangerous is that it can't distinguish between insects and mammals including human beings. It's been known to be lethal to cats since the 1970's. Even a slight transfer from dog to cat can result in seizures, brain damage and death.
Premethrin is volatile as well - meaning it's airborne properties pose a continued threat to all who breath it in - dogs and humans included.
Frontline on the other hand uses Fipronil. Fipronil is an insecticide. Like any compound of this nature it can be lethal at too high of a dose. However studies including those from the Department of Environmental Conservation have determined time and time again that as long as the amount of Fipronil is at the correct dose for the weight and size of your dog toxicity is far easier to avoid and the product much safer for your dog.
Unlike Premethrin, Fipronil is absorbed into the hair follicles and oil glands only.
It is not absorbed into the dogs system nor is it volatile so you and your beloved pets and children can breath easy. The second active ingredient in FrontLine Plus is Methoprene which is a long existing and time proven IGR (insect growth regulator) it's distributed exactly like Fipronil but only acts on flea and tick eggs and Larvae - this is important because it kills these vermin at the start of a new life cycle. What is more, the diseases that ticks carry now are infinitely more serious than the dreaded Lime disease - which for decades was the only concern.
Competitors to Frontline (and some Vets selling other products) claim that fleas and ticks have become resistant to Frontline - hog wash. These pests have become resistant to most all pesticides and no independent research exists to confirm this claim. I can assure you I've researched this in the greatest depth.
The bottom line is this - all of these products pose a risk.
The wise choice is to minimize that risk in your effort to protect your pet from the diseases these vermin carry. Again, these diseases can be infinitely more lethal than the ingredients of the protection. To that end your safest and most effective choice is Frontline or Frontline Plus.
In the event your pet has a bad reaction to Frontline products these are the symptoms you would see:
* Restlessness
* Itching
* Vomiting
* Difficulty Breathing
* Lethargy
Should these symptoms occur, of course take your pet to your Veterinarian or emergency clinic immediately. It should be a comfort to know that unlike the toxic ingredients in most other flea and tick control products severe reactions to both Fipronil and Methoprene are rare. What is more they can be neutralized quickly.