Frontline for about $2 per application

rina_marie · Dec 5, 2006

I tried to post this under "best flea preventative for cats" but for some reason it never went through, so I figured I'd re-post it here in case anyone else was interested.

My husband and I have run a dog rescue for the past three years (off and on) and have learned quite a few money-saving tricks as we go. One of the best things we've learned is how to save a LOT of money on Frontline (which you can get off the internet, usually for less than what you pay at the vets office.) We order the frontline for XL dogs, and portion it out for the smaller dogs. It is much less expensive that way. So when we got our first cat, we called the Frontline company to find out whether the cat formula was the same as the dog formula. They let us know that it is the same (only packaged differently), and also told us how much of it to use on a cat. As it turns out, one XL frontline application will treat a cat NINE times.

We buy our frontline from "digitpet" (www.digitpet.com) for about $15 per tube ($40 for a 3-pack) which comes to about $1.50 per application for a cat!!!

That is obviously a huge savings over regular cat-frontline (at about $10 per application.) I've listed the amounts to give below (and included the amounts for dogs, in case any of you also have a dog and want to buy a single dose of frontline to treat everyone.) You can use a regular syringe (you can buy them at any feed and grain store) and just draw up the amount you need.

Hope this helps!

Cat:
0.5cc (I use a little more than this on our Maine Coons)

Dog:
0-22lbs - 1cc
23-44lbs - 1.5cc
45-87lbs - 2.7cc
88-130lbs - 4.5cc

AbbysMom · Dec 5, 2006

I would suggest anyone considering this check with their vets before trying it as Frontline may not be the best choice for particular cat, and the vet may suggest different dosages depending on health.

sharky · Dec 5, 2006

Originally Posted by AbbysMom

I would suggest anyone considering this check with their vets before trying it as Frontline may not be the best choice for particular cat, and the vet may suggest different dosages depending on health.

DITTO

And MY VET WOULDNT sell ME the LARGE DOG for my three small animals ... She said too risky if I messed up the dose

rina_marie · Dec 5, 2006

<<I would suggest anyone considering this check with their vets before trying it as Frontline may not be the best choice for particular cat, and the vet may suggest different dosages depending on health.>>

Yes, that's true! As with anything, please check with your vet before doing this!!! Our vets know we do rescue, and so they help us to "cut corners" in this way, but they also know our animals!!!

<<And MY VET WOULDNT sell ME the LARGE DOG for my three small animals ... She said too risky if I messed up the dose>>

I agree... measuring out the cc's in a syringe isn't very difficult, if you're measuring for dogs, but it can get a little tricky with cats because of the small amount needed. You really have to get the right kind of syringe (the smaller, the better.)

The amounts I listed are straight from the company, so as long as you're sure to draw up the right amount AND your vet has okayed your cat for frontline, you should be safe.

salemwitchchild · Dec 5, 2006

I started the other thread. I've asked my vet about this before. She says it's too risky. Thanks for posting but I'd rather spend the extra money to have peace of mind that I am not overdosing my pet.

lakeriedog · Dec 6, 2006

I've been doing this for my cats for several years now and have never made a mistake. I use a .5 syringe with the needle end removed (hubby is type one diabetic so we always have plenty), and I just shake it up real well before drawing up the Frontline, i have a glass bottle with a cap on it that I use to store the remains.

rina_marie · Dec 6, 2006

<<Thanks for posting but I'd rather spend the extra money to have peace of mind that I am not overdosing my pet.
>>

I understand that. We have four cats and a dog of our own, not including the rescue animals. We could easily spend over $100 every month on flea preventative alone. Perhaps I shouldn't have posted this, since it seems the general consensus on this forum is that it's "too risky," but I don't want people to think that we're "cutting corners" and putting our animals at risk because we want to save money! My husband is a nurse... perhaps that's why I feel comfortable doing this. He's pretty familiar with syringes!

With all due respect, however, I do want to say that measuring out 0.5cc's in a syringe (as long as the syringe is small) is not rocket-science. You can't overdose your animal as long as you draw up the correct amount. If we did not feel 100% safe about doing this, we wouldn't do it! But I would never want to advise someone to do something that they felt was too dangerous... I just know I have friends who have multiple cats and forego flea/tick treatment because it's so expensive. I'd never want a cat to suffer from fleas when there is a cost-effective way to treat them.

I'm sorry if I've stepped on any toes!

siameseohio · Dec 6, 2006

Originally Posted by Rina_Marie

<<Thanks for posting but I'd rather spend the extra money to have peace of mind that I am not overdosing my pet.
>>

I understand that. We have four cats and a dog of our own, not including the rescue animals. We could easily spend over $100 every month on flea preventative alone. Perhaps I shouldn't have posted this, since it seems the general consensus on this forum is that it's "too risky," but I don't want people to think that we're "cutting corners" and putting our animals at risk because we want to save money! My husband is a nurse... perhaps that's why I feel comfortable doing this. He's pretty familiar with syringes!

With all due respect, however, I do want to say that measuring out 0.5cc's in a syringe (as long as the syringe is small) is not rocket-science. You can't overdose your animal as long as you draw up the correct amount. If we did not feel 100% safe about doing this, we wouldn't do it! But I would never want to advise someone to do something that they felt was too dangerous... I just know I have friends who have multiple cats and forego flea/tick treatment because it's so expensive. I'd never want a cat to suffer from fleas when there is a cost-effective way to treat them.

I'm sorry if I've stepped on any toes!

Rina_Marie, I don't think you need to apologize. It just might not be for everyone. I think it is a good option for people who have multiple animals, want them to have the benefit of flea/tick treatment, feel confident in administering the dosage, and are looking or needing to find an economical way of doing it.

Thank you for sharing the resource.

phenomsmom · Dec 6, 2006

I don't think you have offended anyone. Most of us here aren't trained in medicine. We know how to measure but I think we would all rather pay the extra money for the premeasured stuff and not have to think about how much each of our babies should be getting!

But for those of us who are medically trained this is a great tip, as long as our vet says its ok to do!

siameseohio · Dec 6, 2006

Hi Phenomsmom,

I'm sorry to hyjack this thread, but I've been meaning to tell you that Skye is such an adorable baby!

tru · Dec 7, 2006

Rina_Marie,

As someone else said, no need to apologize or feel bad. I've been getting the large dog doses and breaking them down for a long time now. I believe that many of us that do rescue and have large fur families do. Yes, the vet has sold me the large dog doses in Frontline and Advantage.

I also bought the Revolution and broke it down in the past, but that is really against vet and company advice since the large dog portions are double the strength and everyone should be aware of that.

My problem, the vet prefers me to use the Revolution for the added protection against ear mites, heart worm roundworm and hookworm. As I've been typing this up, it came to me what the doses should be for the cats with the Revolution so I'm glad you posted to get my ol' grey matter working for a minute.

rina_marie · Dec 8, 2006

<<I don't think you need to apologize. It just might not be for everyone. I think it is a good option for people who have multiple animals, want them to have the benefit of flea/tick treatment, feel confident in administering the dosage, and are looking or needing to find an economical way of doing it.
Thank you for sharing the resource.

>>

Thanks for understandingâ€¦ Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m not trying to hurt anyoneâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s kitties!

big-cat-fan · Dec 8, 2006

Originally Posted by siameseohio

Rina_Marie, I don't think you need to apologize. It just might not be for everyone. I think it is a good option for people who have multiple animals, want them to have the benefit of flea/tick treatment, feel confident in administering the dosage, and are looking or needing to find an economical way of doing it.

Thank you for sharing the resource.

I totally agree.
I also think some vets might say it is too risky because... duh.... they will be losing money!! I thank you.

jen · Dec 8, 2006

I do this quite often. I agree it saves a lot of money. Although I have been getting it from the vet rather then online, maybe I should look into that! Last time I bought a kitten dose and split it up between a litter of young kittens. I syringed it and put just the tiniest little dot on each of their necks. They are now flea free. But I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you know what you are doing! The vet/nurse was even a little hesitant on selling it to me for that purpose but I assured him I have done it many times and I know what I am doing.

les0304 · Dec 12, 2006

Originally Posted by Jen

The vet/nurse was even a little hesitant on selling it to me for that purpose but I assured him I have done it many times and I know what I am doing.

As an RVT, I would also be a little hesitant to sell it for that purpose. Mainly because of the fact that IF the cat ended up having a reaction, we could be liable as well as the manufacturer. Now, if I knew ya well and you were a "frequent flyer" that was very knowledgable then, I wouldn't feel as uncomfortable. I can also understand how much it would help for people in a multiple-cat household.

On a lighter note, our flea preventatives cost quite a bit less then the internet pharmacies, and our clients usually get enough for the free doses.

Luckily, we are a feline only practice and we don't carry any K9 doses.

catsallover · Dec 12, 2006

Thanks for the tip!

I just might try it- I'm gonna print out the doses. I don't have formal medical training, but since I have been doing my own IV antibiotics at home for about 15 years, I don't think the measuring will be a problem

.

katkisses · Dec 22, 2006

Thank you SO much for this info! As an owner of many cats, feral and nonferal, this will REALLY help us! If you have anymore tips, please feel free to post them!!!

catlady4 · Dec 23, 2006

I too buy the larger size of Frontline and measure the amount needed for an application. Last year I fostered 97 cats and kittens, all were treated, and the economy of protection was a huge saving for me. It is not difficult to measure the amount correctly. In case you are wondering every one of those cats and kittens received their sterilization surgery, were wormed, had needed shots, were tested for feline leukemia and were successfully adopted into loving homes!

jaycee · Apr 10, 2007

Thank you soooooo much for posting this info!!!!!!!!!!!!

kittiesx2 · Apr 10, 2007

I've been splitting doses of Advantage(dosage is different though) from the time that I brought my kittens home. The first one lasted 5 months but my cats were alot smaller then

My Vet sells me the XL Dog size ($15)and even gave me a syringe and stoppered tube to put the extra in

I would definately check with your Vet before home dosing but for me it has worked out to be the perfect solution to an expensive neccesity

Frontline for about $2 per application

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