Your frontline not working?

[Travelover]

If you look up Frontline on amazon.com and read the one star reviews, you'll see a lot of people that claim that it quit working. Some seemed to think that the online purchase was counterfeit, others are as puzzled as you. My guess is that fleas develop a resistant strain, just like weeds that can take Roundup, or antibiotic resistant bacteria.

 

[schmism]

Some seemed to think that the online purchase was counterfeit, others are as puzzled as you.

there is a counterfeit issue. we checked our boxes and ours had none of the counterfeit signs.

Counterfeit Pesticide Products for Dogs and Cats | Pesticides | US EPA

 

[Freds]

Interesting. I've not heard this, but then I sell Frontline Plus, which works on ticks, too and 90 days for fleas. I still would have heard through the grapevine though if the regular Frontline product was having a problem.
And there really isn't a "counterfeit" product when it comes to flea control. There are products that were not meant to be sold in the USA and are usually much cheaper. They do not have the EPA approval our country so loves. And I'm pretty sure are not childproof. They work on other countries' fleas, but vets will tell you not to buy them (of course). I buy the USA stuff just to be legal.
It is possible though that the product you purchased was stored incorrectly and has become ineffective. There is no exp date, at least on the Plus. It's also possible that you have an unusually high infestation and you are seeing the live fleas before they have succumbed to the pesticide. If you are seeing dead ones you will know it is working.
And FWIW, you should not be able to see much of a "grease spot", if any, if applied correctly. At least with a typical Lab-like coat. If it's on the hair, it's wasted product. It needs to get into the oil glands of the skin to distribute itself, which is why you don't put it on right before or after a bath, because you need the natural oil on the dog's skin to help it distribute.
And if the flea problem is as bad as you say you're going to need to treat more than the dog. I like Ultracide for in the home.

 

[Car Doc]

We use revolution, frontline didn't work for us either my shop cat has (had) chronic ear mites and for the life of us we couldn't get rid of them permanently.

We did every oil and cleaning treatment known to the vets around here and nothing kept them away.

Now he is fine no problems at all using revolution the last several years. That stuff is expensive especially when you treat 5-6 animals every month but worth it to us and them anyway.

 

[sailorman]

Had the same problem a while back. Switcheed to Comfortis which is an eatible pill. Problem gone.

 

[dmccarty]

We have used Frontline for years. This spring/summer it failed. The dog was infested with fleas which has never happened before. We had to switch to a different brand of flea/tick control.

There have been some threads on TBN about this over the last couple of years. Hard to tell if the fleas have developed immunity, or if there is a problem with counterfiting or quality control.

In any case we switched brands and the fleas went away.

Our supplier of dog food has had other people who had Frontline stop working as well for them.

Later,
Dan

 

[rekees4300]

Capstar is very effective for fleas.

 

[Gary51]

Capstar is very effective "knock down" drug for fleas infestations, but I believe it only last 1 day.

 

[Sackett2]

Thanks for the update, we too were baffled as to why the "fleas are back!" we will now look at other options....

 

[clemsonfor]

My wife has worked at a vet as an assiatant for the last 3 years. They have not sold frontline for this very reason. Product is old and like said fleas are becomine imune to it. If you vet has just heard this he is not a very big or busy vet. You can buy frontline at lowes now so it hardly is a "good" product anymore. Revolution is great and advantix is good as well. Just dont trust the heartworm protection part of revolution if you care cause they have had several heartworm positives tests with religious dosages. Company will pay for treatment, but you have to prove that you tested negative every year and that you have receipts for a tube for each month. The other thing is that an older dog can not be treated cause it probably wont survive and it is really tough on a dog and they feel bad for days, our dog was positive and we did not even know it, and she was treated.

Frontline is still being sold and pushed cause of market share and the commercials, advantix with the lab puppy is becoming popular now and is a better product as it dose something more than advantage (ticks i think?). Like i said her office does not even sell it, it costs as much or more than better longer lasting products (they have the larges practice in the big town we live near there are 5 vets in this town). Also if you dog gets wet often none will work they all wear off, wet often means several times a week, in the case of a water dog or a dog that gets in a pond or creek or likes to stand out in the rain.