Has anyone had a problem with Frontline Plus?

[Ginny Nightingale]

Hi all! I have been using Frontline Plus for flea control forever and have not seen a flea for years. BUT, now both of my dogs have two or three fleas on their tummies every time I look!! I have been able to remove them by hand, but the next day there are a few on them again. I know my vet mentioned that, with Frontline, the fleas don't die until they bite the dog , but, since i never had any fleas around, I thought it would be fine. Now, i think I will switch to Advantix, but I just put the Frontline on last week. I am guessing i will have to wait three more weeks to apply Advantix. I am going to see my vet about this Monday, but i thought I'd see if anyone else has been dissatisfied with this product. I hate to see fleas on my babies!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

When the fleas bite, they die. And they can't reporduce, which is the big problem with fleas. One single female flea produces millions of eggs in a very short time, and they fall everywhere! The eggs can live dormant in cracks & crevices for a year, in an empty house.

[Adina P]

I think the diff between regular Frontline and Frontline Plus is that Plus has an ingredient that makes the fleas unable to reproduce (regardless of biting or not). And that is supposed to keep them from developing immunity. Although I suppose it's always possible there's a couple fleas in there that might have been blessed with a genetic mutation that keeps them from being susceptible and spawn a whole army of like fleas. I wonder if that's what people are speculating.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I've been reading on other dog forums that this is a banner season for fleas in many parts of the country. Some years are worse than others. We don't have ticks in my area, but maybe the same weather factors that are causing the flea epidemic are contributing to an abundance of ticks, too?

[Jennifer Tramell]

Well, we Frontlined, gave a flea bath, and "bombed" the house and Webster still has fleas. I just changed to a different flea product recommended by the vet. I think it is called Vectra. I believe it has the same active ingredients as Advantix (spent quite a while examining the options and can't remember everything exactly :-) ). The vet tech reminded us NOT to put any flea drops on after a bath - wait 24 hrs because the dogs skin needs its natural oils to help spread the chemicals. Good thing she mentioned this as we had bathed Webster yesterday morning and I was ready to put it on asap. I wouldn't be surprised if some products work better in certain regions - maybe the fleas in that area build a resistance but not other areas? Whatever - I'm ready for no fleas.....

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jen, once you have fleas in the house, it's very difficult to get rid of them; they have a four-stage life cycle, and the eggs can live dormant in an empty house for a year. The pesticides have no affect on the eggs, you have to vacuum every day and dispose of the vacuum bags outside of your home every time you vacuum. Pay particular attentions to areas where the Wbster sleeps. The vibrations from the vacuuming also will trigger an emergence so the newly hatched fleas can be destroyed. Put some borax in the vacuum bags, too.
If you put white socks on your feet and walk around the house, you'll see the fleas if they're there. At the height of my flea infestation some years ago, I lived in white socks and white scrubs... my flea patrol uniform, lol.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I found 3 fleas on Peri last night - on her tummy, just as you describe Ginny. of course I panicked and just called the vet. Vet says same thing about Frontline - they said 2-3 are not a reason to worry and do not mean infestation. I am just going to keep an eye on it. Vet also said you can give Frontline 3 weeks apart - but I am only 2 1/2 weeks in, which is unacceptable for me. Frontline is pricey!
I am keeping the remaining Frontline for Taquito (never find any on him) and am buying a new pack of advantix for Peri. That hair must attract those things!