About Frontline For Cats
Fipronil is the primary active ingredient in all Frontline products for both dogs and cats. As per its indication, it kills fleas, kills ticks, and targets chewing lice. It can also kill mosquitoes. While not labeled for it, it has also been successful in treating for chiggers and the sarcoptic mange mite that causes scabies.
Frontline spot-on products are applied to the surface of a small target area or spot of the skin, usually at the back of the head or neck.
Fipronil collects in the oils of the skin and hair, allowing for continual release, lending to its 30 day period of efficacy. Per the product label, it takes about 24 hours to spread throughout surface oils on skin and hair to provide complete protection.
It is important to note that while these pesky pests are affected by Frontline by coming in contact with the skin and dont have to actually bite a kitty to die, Frontline products do not provide true repellency that would prevent fleas or ticks from coming in contact with a pet.
Will Advantage Hurt My Cat
The short answer is, not if you use one of the cat-only products and apply it properly. While a hypersensitivity or allergic response to one of the ingredients is possible, this is very rare and most cats tolerate the feline Advantage products quite well.
Not all, but most cases of topical flea/tick product reactions or adverse effects in cats come from either an improper product being used, or the proper product not being applied correctly.
Topical products like Advantage II and Advantage Multi are not meant to be ingested, and should be applied in front of the shoulders on the back of the neck where a kitty is least able to reach to lick. Application elsewhere on the body can provide an opportunity for a fastidiously grooming kitty to lick off and ingest the product.
In multiple pet households where housemate cats or dogs may lick or groom each other, it may be advisable to keep them separate from each other for 24 hours after application of a topical product to allow the product to fully disperse and dry. This is especially true if a product containing permethrin is applied to a dog in a household also containing cats.
Although changes in product labeling requirements have made things better, there can sometimes be confusion among pet parents when choosing products to apply, especially in homes with both dogs and cats.
Why Are Flea Treatments For Cats Important
To understand why flea treatment for kittens and cats is important, you need to understand the effect of flea infestation on a cat. First, a female flea can eat about 15 times its body weight daily and thats your pets blood we are talking about. Multiply this by any number of females you like and you get a troubling result.
Lets not even talk about the serious discomfort your pet can suffer from the many bites which leave your cat acting irritably, biting and scratching herself and more. Lets focus on the more serious side effects of flea infestation.
A serious flea infestation can lead to a number of health conditions not only for your cat but also for you, the pet owner. Flea infestations can lead to feline infectious anemia and flea allergy dermatitis. Feline infectious anemia is a bacterial infection that can be fatal. It targets the red blood cells, gradually decimating them leaving the host weak and lethargic among other things. Flea allergy dermatitis, on the other hand, is an allergic reaction to flea bites that can result in a loss of fur, open sores or hot spots.
An infected cat can also infect its owner with cat scratch fever. This can be transmitted from cat to cat by fleas and from cat to humans via a cat scratch or bite.
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Otc Topical Flea Prevention
Cheristin has been specifically formulated to kill fleas on cats using the active ingredient spinetoram. It is safe for kittens over the age of 8 weeks and as small as 1.8 pounds. Cheristin provides protection from fleas for a full month.
Advantage II kills fleas, flea eggs and flea larvae with the active ingredients imidacloprid and pyripoxyfen and can be used in cats over 8 weeks of age. Monthly formulations are available for kittens and cats weighing between 2 and 5 pounds, between 5 and 9 pounds, and over 9 pounds.
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How Does My Dog Get A Tick
Ticks latch on to your pets by burrowing their head beneath its skin and lodging in place. From there it begins to drain the dogs blood until eventually falling off.
Even though ticks will eventually fall off, they are still dangerous to your dog, and you.
Ticks spread debilitating diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and tick paralysis.
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Advantage And Frontline Pricing Comparison
Advantage is offered in four sizes based on the pets weight and is sold in packs of either four or six treatments. The price remains the same no matter the weight range, though the six-dose box is more expensive than the four-dose box. Per treatment, the pack of six doses is more economical even though it is more costly upfront.
- Frontline 89-132 lbs. $45.99 or $80.99
Of these two products, Advantage is more economical. The four-dose pack of Advantage is less expensive than the three-dose box of Frontline, and the six-dose box of Advantage is less costly than the same quantity of Frontline. Per treatment, Advantage is approximately four dollars less than Frontline, making it a more cost-effective option.
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Vet Describes Flea And Tick Treatments
There are a number of flea and tick treatments available. Some work by killing ticks and fleas already living on your pet, and a few kill their eggs through use of an insect growth regulator. Our vet can help you decide which is right for your animal companion.
Topical products like Frontline Tritak, Frontline Plus, Advantage/k9 Advantix, and Revolution are applied to a small area of your pets back. These spot on chemicals spread over your dog or cats body and settle into the oil glands, which release the active ingredients over several weeks. Frontline , protects against fleas and ticks k9 Advantix protects against fleas, mosquitoes and ticks. Advantage protects against fleas Advantage Multi and Revolution are both topical options for dogs and cats that prevent fleas, heartworms, and intestinal parasites.
Oral medications are some of the most effective flea medications currently available. Nexgard kills fleas and ticks, while Trifexis prevents fleas, heartworms, roundworms, hookworms and whipworms. Bravecto also prevents fleas and ticks, and is given only once every 3 months. For cats the only oral option currently available is Comfortis, which is a flea-only preventative.
Flea and tick shampoos only get rid of adult pests already living on your pet they do not prevent fleas and ticks from returning, but can be useful to help knock down an existing flea problem.
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Advantage Ii Vs Frontline Plus For Cats
Just like all animals, our cats are prone to get sick and invested by other smaller animals like fleas. Even when they are only living indoors, there is still a risk of the issue which is why it is necessary for owners to always have a solution like Advantage II Vs Frontline Plus for Cats at home. These solutions are very similar and effective but also different and if you currently need one, lets see which may work better here.
In this comparison, we are going to talk about:
- How to Keep You Cats Away from Fleas
- What are Advantage II and Frontline Plus for Cats
- How are the Package of Advantage II and Frontline Plus for Cats
- What are the Ingredients of Advantage II and Frontline Plus for Cats
- How Advantage II and Frontline Plus for Cats Work
- How are the Performance of Advantage II and Frontline Plus for Cats
- Advantage II Vs Frontline Plus for Cats
Which Do We Recommend
The social nature of dogs makes them flea and tick magnets, which means they need all of the protection they can get.
Its true, an indoor cat may not necessarily need treatment to prevent ticks, but we dont see sense in not ensuring extra protection when it is readily available.
Advantage is the more affordable option when compared to Frontline, but does not provide any sort of protection from ticks.
Frontline provides extended protection from fleas and ticks which is why we recommend it over Advantage.
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I See They Are Plus And Version Ii Are There Standard Versions
There is a standard Frontline, as well as a Bayer Advantage and a K9 Advantix, the difference being that the Plus and mark II versions are newer and more effective
The main difference between Advantix and Advantix II is the addition of IGR, Insect Growth Regulator, that not only attacks live adult parasites, but also their eggs and larvae.
To be honest, I dont see the point in further discussing the older versions in this article
If you have the very real problem of parasites on your dog and perhaps in your home, why would you opt for an inferior, older product that have more powerful, up to date and more highly effective versions available?
So Ill leave that discussion here.
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Some Dogs May React Badly To Any Flea Treatment
With any and all flea treatments, as well as any medicine, there are some dogs who will have a bad reaction.
Its the same as with us humans. Have you ever read the warnings and side-effects that can occur with Aspirin or paracetamol?
Anyway, before applying any flea treatment, read the possible side-effects so you know what symptoms to look out for just in case your dog reacts badly.
If you spot any symptoms and side-effects, follow the instructions which will usually mean just keeping an eye while they recover on their own, but may mean a visit to the vet.
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Any Effect On Other Parasites
Advantage II can control lice.
Frontline Plus can control lice and is also reported to help with mange.
Advantix II has the edge in this category by repelling lice and a good number of other biting flies as well.
Therefore, Advantix II is the more potent and complete treatment, fighting against the highest number of parasites.
How We Picked And Tested
To find the best flea and tick treatments, we spoke with six pet and pesticide experts about medications, side effects, active ingredients, and regulatory concerns. Our two veterinarians shared their personal product recommendations and shopping advice, which guided us in this review. They agreed that flea and tick treatments should both kill and protect against these bugs and work for at least 30 days. They also shared the favorite treatments they recommend to their own clients. We cross-referenced their advice with dozens of treatments sold across retailers like 1-800-PetMeds, Amazon, Chewy, Petco, and PetSmart, among others.
We categorized our search by orals/chews, topicals, collars, sprays, and shampoos. We dismissed sprays and shampoos because they offer protection for only days or a week at a time, and pet owners are more likely to misuse them compared with other products. That left us with eight brands of chews, topicals, and collars for cats or dogs. We selected the four brands that were highly recommended by our experts, that kill and protect against a wide range of pests, and that are sold across retailers at a variety of budgets.
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Can A Flea Collar Harm Your Cat
The safety of flea and tick collars has been in the news lately, specifically the bestselling Seresto flea and tick collar, which was developed by Bayer and is now sold by Elanco Animal Health. On March 2, 2021, USA Today and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting published a report maintaining that the Seresto collar has been linked to thousands of adverse incidents, including pet deaths and incidents of harm to humans.
The Center for Biological Diversity filed a legal petition in April urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to cancel the registration of the Seresto flea and tick collar. A week later, the American Veterinary Medical Association published an article addressing the controversy surrounding the Seresto collar. According to the AVMA, Serestos manufacturer has defended the collars as safe and effective, and veterinary experts say they have seen no cause for alarm.
Additionally, Elanco published a statement on its website calling the media coverage misleading and stating that the company stands by the product. All data and scientific evaluation used during the product registration process and through Elancos robust pharmacovigilance review supports the products safety profile and efficacy, the statement reads.
How Are Advantage And Advantage 2 Different For Cats
Within 12 hours of administration, the original Advantage proved successful at killing adult fleas. Advantage II disrupts the flea lifecycle by preventing the development of larval fleas. This means that your cat or dog is protected against fleas throughout the month, at all stages of the flea lifecycle.
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How Long Treatment Lasts
Fleas are very difficult to get rid of once they have settled in. There are many reasons for this which include the number of eggs one female can lay in a day , and the different life stages a flea goes through before maturity. In a flea infestation, the adult flea accounts for just about 5% of the population. The remaining 95% consists of eggs, larvae, and pupae.
Remember!
If you apply a treatment that kills all the adults today, you are likely to have new adults emerging from the pupae stage by tomorrow. This is why the length of time the treatment remains active is very important.
A lot of treatments, especially topical ones, stay active for up to 30 days. Within this time, every emerging adult flea is killed. At the end of the 30 days, you re-apply the treatment and the killing continues. If it is effective for just a few days then you may find yourself having to apply a new treatment every few days which will be very stressful for both you and your pet.
Read the instructions on the product label to find out how often to reapply flea treatment on your cat. This is important, as applying treatment too often can be unhealthy for your kitty, while using it too infrequently will reduce its effectiveness. Many products are safe to reapply after a week or two.
Which Lasts Longer
Your dog will be protected for one month by both treatments. However, weve found that sometimes Advantage II wears off a few days early, so youll need to monitor your dog to find out when to reapply it. Frontline, on the other hand, often remains effective for several days after its nominal expiration date.
Both should be waterproof as well, so feel free to let your dog take a dip in the pool or frolic in the rain once the oil has dried .
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What The Users Say
So far, weve looked at these two treatments based on the clinical literature and our own experiences, but we find its often helpful to see how other users have fared with the products. After all, its hard to replicate every single variable, so it becomes essential to see what issues other users have encountered.
There are pitfalls with this approach, however. If you look up either product online, youll see many users complaining about how they do nothing to repel fleas or ticks. This is true because they werent designed to. While this is a limitation, we feel that its one you should be aware of when making your purchase, so we dont ding the products on that basis.
Since neither contains any repellent, they might not be suitable for dogs who spend a great deal of time traipsing through the woods in rural areas. If that describes your dog, you might be better off finding a different treatment altogether that being said, if you had to choose one of these, Frontline would be better, as Advantage II doesnt kill ticks at all.
Reviews were largely split in terms of ease of application many people appreciate that you only have to target one spot with Frontline, but they feel its generally messier and greasier as well.
Dogs with sensitive skin seem to have fewer reactions with Advantage II, so thats something to consider when making your purchase.
How Does My Dog Get Fleas
Unfortunately, its very easy for your dog to contract fleas. Fleas transfer hosts by jumping from one mammal carrier to another, including common rodents like mice, rats, and squirrels.
Simple exposure to an infected animal is enough for your dog to contract fleas. Your dog can also contract fleas by coming in contact with flea-infested furniture, bedding, and even clothing.
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About Advantage Ii And Frontline Plus For Cats
Fleas solutions are available from so many different brands and many of them are using the same or similar ingredients to kill or remove the fleas from your pets including the Advantage II and Frontline Plus for Cats. These solutions are very popular for how effective they are and as it has been mentioned above, do not use the dog variant on cats since they have different formulations and can be harmful for the feline friends. It is also necessary to keep the cat away from your dog when they are using the solution.
The Advantage II is very similar to the original formulation but it is also improved to be better. The original variant is meant to kill adult fleas while the Advantage II is going to break the lifecycle to stop their development. The Frontline Plus is also a very popular solution for pets both cats and dogs but it seems to be more well-known for the canine friend. It is one of the most reliable in efficacy because this solution also covers ticks elimination which is often a concern for dog owners.