A scary first experience with Frontline Plus

The bad news is, my first post is somewhat negative. The good news is, I've always thought about checking out a "cat lovers" type forum, and wanting to discuss this experience has motivated me to do so.

Before I get started I should say that yes, I do bear Merial Corporation some ill will, but I'm not a company "plant". I gather that many of the larger corporations unfortunately employ "guerrilla marketers" as they are called, who among other things post negative topics about competitors (and likewise, positive comments about their employer's products) in forums like this. Sad times we live in, but I assure you I'm not one of these folks. Anyone can PM me for my case number with Merial if they are interested.

My indoor-only, spayed female domestic tabby has been 100% flea-free since I took her home from the shelter. Recently we moved to a new home, and shortly thereafter she started scratching. Either the place came with fleas, or she picked them up during transport. I remembered the unpleasant and extensive flea-purging rituals of my youth and decided to try one of the "new" (to me) skin-based products like Frontline Plus. I did a bit of research and chose Frontline Plus for Cats, thinking it would be superior to vastly less-expensive products I saw at the supermarket.

Thank God for my mom, who bought me a cat health book when I brought her home. I read that book cover to cover, so when the bad reaction began I knew what I was seeing. Since this happened I've seen tons of posts around the 'nets saying that drooling, foaming and hyperactive behavior are all normal when taking this product. Well, according to what I've read those are all potential signs of poisoning. When I began to see these signs shorly after administering Frontline Plus I became very watchful, and once the open-mouthed breathing (panting) began, I was out the door, kitty in my girlfriend's arms. My girlfriend had that eerie calm of a life-or-death situation, which is good because I was on the verge of breakdown. We drove the 20 miles to the closest Veterinarian emergency, where the vet confirmed my diagnosis of a bad reaction to the Frontline Plus. They were able to save her, keeping her overnight.

The emergency vet cost me a bundle, and we are quite poor. She suggested I call Merial, the maker of Frontline. According to her, in cases such as this the company sometimes reimburses a customer for veterinary expenses. I figured it was worth a shot.

Those of you who have tried to get money out of a large corporation probably have some idea of what was involved. Many phone calls, tons of bureaucracy, many forms, copies of vet bills, returning of the product and so forth. It went on for quite a while, but I was encouraged since the Merial rep, "Caroline", confirmed that indeed there are cases where Merial will reimburse.

A few weeks went by, and I heard no more from Merial. When I called the rep back, I had the most surreal experience. When I finally tracked her down, I asked her if they had made a decision on the reimbursement issue. She replied that they would reimburse me for the cost of the product. Ok, great, I said. That $60 will definitely help. How about the $600 vet bill?

Answer: "You will need to contact your veterinarian". Hrrrm. Maybe we are mis-communicating. I rephrased the question. Again: "You will need to contact your veterinarian". I felt I was entering one of those bizarre, scripted time-warps you sometimes get into with customer service reps. I said that I would be happy to contact my vet if they liked, but could she give me a determination on my reimbursement? Again, robot-like, she repeated that same phrase. It was so surreal! At one point I asked her, politely, if she was constrained by company policy from discussing it with me, and STILL she could not give me even a yes or no. "Sir, you will need to contact your veterinarian". But...I've already paid my vet. She isn't the one I'm asking or reimbursement from. Well, you get the idea. This rep was always pleasant, or at least professional, up till this point. And having had some previous experience with customer service, I just assumed that she was indeed bound by some arcane corporate policy that forbade her from doing anything beyond reciting this strange mantra to me. I didn't take it out on her, but I was somewhat irritated and even more baffled. She repeated the same phrase, verbatim, at least a half dozen times. She wouldn't say anything else.

I did end up calling my vet as instructed. All she could do was call Merial herself (awesome vet!), who then gave her my "No" answer. Why couldn't they just tell ME that? I really don't think Merial ever planned to give me a dime toward my vet expenses, and it would have saved me a ton of time and effort if they had just said so from the outset. These Machiavellian corporate maneuvers can be a huge pain the tuckus, to say the least. You might think it'd be worth a few hundred bucks to sooth a customer who went through what I did, but apparently you'd be wrong. The utterly surreal customer service experience at the end didn't help.

Also, they seemed very keen to get the remaining doses back from me. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but it does seem convenient that I no longer have the evidence, so to speak. It wouldn't surprise me to find that in these circumstances, the product refund is heartily endorsed by Merial's legal department, if you catch my drift. Contrast the eagerness of the representative for me to mail in my remaining doses with the eerie responses to my vet reimbursement requests.

In conclusion, I'll just say "Buyer beware". These types of products are toxins, designed to kill living things. Given that, I suppose it's not so surprising that cats get sick and sometimes die from administering them. But that thought never crossed my mind when I bought Frontline Plus for Cats. Had I known there was any chance of illness or death, I wouldn't even consider using it. My cat's life is one of the most precious things in my existence, and there is no way I'm risking it by applying a poison to their skin. Heck of a scary (and expensive) lesson though.

Welcome to TCS! I'm sorry that you and your kitty had to go through this. Is she doing okay now?

Welcome to TCS. I am sorry you and your cat went through this bad experience. Some cats are allergic to certain products, others have no problems. I have a cat who is allergic to Advantage flea treatment - the only time I used it on him he began itching till his whole body was twitching, then drooling till I put him in a bath and washed it all off. My others tolerate it well. He is OK with Frontline. So you do have to find what is best for your cat.

I ho0pe you stick around here - there is so much information and fun to share.

Originally Posted by jennyranson

Some cats are allergic to certain products, others have no problems.

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Allergy = immune response to proteins. Pesticides = chemicals containing no proteins.

People seem really confused as to the difference between chemical sensitivities and allergies. They are not one in the same and if anyone says "allergy" to you they have no dang idea what they're talking about.

That said, all of the flea product manufacturers have cases pending against them. If you wish to pursue it you'll need a lawyer.
I'm sorry that your cat was sensitive to this. How old is your cat and has she ever had blood work done to check her liver and kidneys? There's some chance that she could have had some underlying liver issues, thus she wasn't able to clear the pesticides out like many cats do. You will want to check her liver and kidneys in the future to see what affect this had on them and always be mindful that she could react to other things.

I hope your kitty is ok and so sorry she had a bad reaction to this med. I just wanted to say I am very familiar with your statement of they seemed to really want the frontline back, absence of evidence, etc... I've had that sort of thing happen to me so many times that I know now to keep what I have until I am reimbursed or something else satisfying happens.

Off topic slightly: Like when a co-worker and I bought a hamburger at a fast food chain, when she bit into hers it had broken glass all in it and a full glass bottom of a bottle. Against everyone's decision she took the hamburger back, where it was promptly thrown in the trash and given a new hamburger free of charge. Her husband was furious with her because of what could have been done over that. *shrugs*

The most important thing is your kitty is ok, and I agree, get blood tests done to make sure there are no underlying issues.

Hello and welcome to TCS. Even though your kitty ended up having a sensitivity to the Frontline plus (I have one kitty who has, also) you were still better off than if you had used some OTC products from hartz, sergeant or some of the others.

Jennie had a bad time with frontline plus, so I'm using revolution on her, for the duration of flea treating, which I am almost done with thank goodness.

Like you I'd never had flea trouble, but then I brought in a flea infested kitten so before I even brought her home I treated the other cats to protect them.

One more month of treatment and I think we're done.

Keep us posted on your girlie.

Sorry for misusing the word 'allergy'. I was using it in the sense that everyone (OK,idiots like me!) does when I mean sensitivity. My Bonaparte is sensitive to a number of things, including metal, that bring him out in rashes, and even the vet uses the term 'allergy'.

Hello all and thank you for your kind words and edification. Particularly interesting was the bit about having her liver and kidneys checked. Sounds worthwhile, just to be sure. We are tight on money to say the least, but she's worth it. She is approximately 9 years old, no way to be sure since she's an adopted shelter kittty.

She seems ok now. She was still having muscle tremors and hyperventilation when I picked her up the morning after the incident, but according to the vet they were not severe enough to be dangerous at that point. I was sent home with some muscle relaxers just in case the tremors increased, but didn't need to use them. All the bodily symptoms subsided about 24 hours after getting her home, and after that it was just emotional adjustment to the trauma. Now back to her normal self as far as I can tell.

Sorry for double post...since my last reply, I've been poking around the site, and I notice folks recommend only getting flea treatments from a vet. That made me recall that every time I called Merial Corp, the first thing they asked was "Did you purchase Frontline Plus for Cats from your Veterinarian?". So now I'm curious about A.) why knowledgeable members recommend doing so, and B.) why does Merial find this so significant? I bought mine at the local Petco (and it cost an arm and a leg, I might add).

Originally Posted by Hal900x

Sorry for double post...since my last reply, I've been poking around the site, and I notice folks recommend only getting flea treatments from a vet. That made me recall that every time I called Merial Corp, the first thing they asked was "Did you purchase Frontline Plus for Cats from your Veterinarian?". So now I'm curious about A.) why knowledgeable members recommend doing so, and B.) why does Merial find this so significant? I bought mine at the local Petco (and it cost an arm and a leg, I might add).

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This is because up until April 2010 Merial flea products were sold ONLY to veterinarians.

Bought anywhere else but a from a veternarian, there was no guarantee you were buying the correct product. The product could be bootleg or counterfeit, not made by Merial at all.

Now Frontline products and Advantage products (made by Bayer) ARE available OTC, but this is only in the past 6 months, so there is likely still a very large percentage of counterfeit and bootleg product floating around the market.

And, personally I would continue to purchase flea protection products only from my veterinarian. It's cheaper at my vet too. My vet clinic undersells the online stores, because they want their clients to purchase safe genuine product.

PS I'm glad your girl is home now, and feeling better.

Originally Posted by otto

This is because up until April 2010 Merial flea products were sold ONLY to veterinarians.

Bought anywhere else but a from a veternarian, there was no guarantee you were buying the correct product. The product could be bootleg or counterfeit, not made by Merial at all.

Now Frontline products and Advantage products (made by Bayer) ARE available OTC, but this is only in the past 6 months, so there is likely still a very large percentage of counterfeit and bootleg product floating around the market.

And, personally I would continue to purchase flea protection products only from my veterinarian. It's cheaper at my vet too. My vet clinic undersells the online stores, because they want their clients to purchase safe genuine product.

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Not Questioning you Otto but Petco ,Petsmart and feed and small pet have both SOLD all but Revolution( which I believe is still vet only) for at least the last 4 ish yrs ( I know as I worked in many of these stores and my own vet discontinued carrying them due to this ... I know at least 75% of the vets around here have not carried them in office in at least 3 yrs ... Of Course this could be like salon shampoo at the local discount and drug store ... They can get it but are not legally or legit selling it ..

Originally Posted by sharky

Not Questioning you Otto but Petco ,Petsmart and feed and small pet have both SOLD all but Revolution( which I believe is still vet only) for at least the last 4 ish yrs ( I know as I worked in many of these stores and my own vet discontinued carrying them due to this ... I know at least 75% of the vets around here have not carried them in office in at least 3 yrs ... Of Course this could be like salon shampoo at the local discount and drug store ... They can get it but are not legally or legit selling it ..

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Yes, Sharky, many places have been selling these products for years, but unless they have a practicing vet on staff, they acquired it illegally.

One way these places would acquire the product is from unscrupulous veterinarians who would buy large lots, and then sell it to these other stores. But you were just as likely to get something that looked like frontline but contained nothing but water and alcohol, or worse something that looked like frontline but contained something more toxic. This was big business, the vials would be packaged in other countries with who knows what, then sold in the USA and other countries where the product is used.

Not any more, of course, because both Merial and Bayer have gone OTC, probably (in my opinion) as an attempt to stop the counterfeit and bootleg business.

Originally Posted by otto

Yes, Sharky, many places have been selling these products for years, but unless they have a practicing vet on staff, they acquired it illegally.

One way these places would acquire the product is from unscrupulous veterinarians who would buy large lots, and then sell it to these other stores. But you were just as likely to get something that looked like frontline but contained nothing but water and alcohol, or worse something that looked like frontline but contained something more toxic. This was big business, the vials would be packaged in other countries with who knows what, then sold in the USA and other countries where the product is used.

Not any more, of course, because both Merial and Bayer have gone OTC, probably (in my opinion) as an attempt to stop the counterfeit and bootleg business.

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Sorry otto, but I find this very hard to believe. I happen to deal with large chain store buyers such as the mentioned above, and at least in my industry they have pretty strong legal departments that will make sure this doesn't happen.
Petco, PetSmart, are very large chains, and the FDA would close onto them FAST (yes, I deal with the FDA approved products too). So... This would be more likely to happen is a mom and pap store or in an online store without an address, but in a chain like those mentioned above with thousands of stores national-wide? I seriously doubt it.

So how did they acquire these medications then? Up until this spring Merial and Bayer sold only to veterinarians. There are many ways around laws, Carolina, and big corporations are more likely than the neighborhood mom and pop store to know those ways. You said it yourself, they have "strong legal departments" and know how to bend the rules to suit themselves.

Prior to going OTC Merial, for instance, would not honor or investigate a complaint from a consumer about the frontline product, if the product was not bought from a veterinarian. Why not? Because they sold only to veterinarians, so if the consumer purchased it somewhere else, Merial could not be held liable for the failings of the product.

Bootleg and counterfeit flea product is, or was, big business. Hopefully going OTC will cut way down on the problem.

But anyway, that's why, in cases like with the OP here in this thread, they were questioned as to where they purchased the product.

Originally Posted by otto

So how did they acquire these medications then? Up until this spring Merial and Bayer sold only to veterinarians. There are many ways around laws, Carolina, and big corporations are more likely than the neighborhood mom and pop store to know those ways. You said it yourself, they have "strong legal departments" and know how to bend the rules to suit themselves. Wait a minute - I never said they have big legal departments to bend the rules here - do not twist my words, please. Their legal departments exist to make sure all the legalities are in check, as in case of a lawsuit, they are 1st in line to be sued, the manufacturer second. That's why we, as manufacturers, sign insurance policies of millions of $$$ per incident insuring them in our policies.

Prior to going OTC Merial, for instance, would not honor or investigate a complaint from a consumer about the frontline product, if the product was not bought from a veterinarian. Why not? Because they sold only to veterinarians, so if the consumer purchased it somewhere else, Merial could not be held liable for the failings of the product. Maybe not Merial, but the EPA certainly did - not only that, but they issued a class action on counterfeit OTC products on Frontline and Advantage on 2004 sold over the counter. The fines were up to $27,500 per sale, one year imprisonment or both.
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsh...ilerfactsh.pdf and http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsh...tm#counterfeit
and for more details, which means it was already being retailed then, by the way.

Bootleg and counterfeit flea product is, or was, big business. Hopefully going OTC will cut way down on the problem.

But anyway, that's why, in cases like with the OP here in this thread, they were questioned as to where they purchased the product.

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Welcome to TCS! I'm sorry your kitty had such a severe reaction to the flea preventative, and I hope she's doing well now & flea free.

I've unfortunately seen many cats have reactions to a variety of vet sold flea/tick preventatives on the market - Frontline Plus, Revolution, as well as Advantage. It depends on the individual cat, some have more severe reactions, some less noticeable. Most I've seen are the less severe, more simply/less scary hairloss....I can't imagine how freaked out you were. What it boils down to is that it is a pesticide that is being applied topically....and while not a 'drug' I will use that term in this next statement - all drugs carry risks. In the future if you have a flea problem, I'd opt for something less....well "harsh" for lack of a better word....than Frontline, whether it be a mote natural remedy or alternative flea preventative. (Please note I have nothing against Frontline & do not advise against using it. IMO it is one of the best flea preventatives for heavy flea infestations, from what I've seen.) For kitties who've reacted to Frontline at the shelter, we use Revolution on them after that, as there seems to be fewer reactions to it.

I used front line a week ago on my cats and I didn't even know that there was a risk involved. Thanks for the heads up. I will be sticking with the annual flea bath.... and even then after much research.

Sorry about what you and your kitty had to go threw. That's absolutely awful. I can't believe that they dismissed you that way as well.... sad day.

Im glad your little one made it.

How about we just agree to disagree on this topic Carolina.

My answer to the OP about why they are continually being asked where they purchased the frontline plus product remains: up until 6 months ago Merial sold only to veterinarians, and if they had purchased the product from any place but a vet there was a chance that what they purchased was counterfeit or bootleg or contaminated, (and there is still a possibility that some of these other products remain on the market), and that is why they are being asked where they purchased it.

Originally Posted by Noisette

I used front line a week ago on my cats and I didn't even know that there was a risk involved. Thanks for the heads up. I will be sticking with the annual flea bath.... and even then after much research.

Sorry about what you and your kitty had to go threw. That's absolutely awful. I can't believe that they dismissed you that way as well.... sad day.

Im glad your little one made it.

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If you purchased it from your vet, and none of your cats had a reaction, then they are fine.

Every cat is different and not all cats can tolerate all medications. I treated all four of my cats last night. Three with frontline plus and one with Revolution. Jennie showed a sensitivity to the frontline plus when I used it on her before, so I purchased the Revloution to use on her.

She seems slightly sensitive even to the Revolution, but I think it's more the smell of it than any real distress. She stares at me reproachfully for hours after I apply it, until the smell wears off.

I never have had a flea problem, but I rescued a flea ridden kitten in August, so to be safe, I treated all adult cats before I even brought her in the house and will continue to treat for a full six months, and that will be all.

I purchase my flea treatment products from my vet, where I know they are the genuine product, and they are less expensive than anywhere else including on-line stores.

Every medication carries risks and side affects. Only a small percentage of cats will show problems to any given medicine, and often the risk is seen as worth it, give the consequences if no treatment at all is done.

What we as consumers can do is to make sure we read all accompanying literature, and know what to do if the pet has a bad reaction.

Actually, according to this Frontline is not OTC. Has anyone called and asked them? If this is the case, the OP needs to take it up with the store that sold the product. ..Better have the receipt.

Bayer allowed Advantage to go OTC in last spring - longer than 6 months ago.


Hal900x - I'm very curious. You said your cat is 9 years old, correct? Was she getting annual, or even biannual, check ups with full blood work? She really should have been having this done since she's a senior cat and it could have possibly showed that she had something underlying. Now you really must do this at least yearly, starting a couple weeks from now to see if this incident left much damage. I'm really hoping that it didn't, but doing regular blood work will give you a big heads up for health problems.

If you need a safe option for treating fleas in the future get some human food grade diatomaceous earth. There's also a product that another member using on here called De Flea - I'm not sure how safe it is (though she's smart and wouldn't fool around with anything dangerous) so someone that's used it will have to weigh in.