My vet would`nt not be on the "up & up" would he?(Sorry...long!)

stampit3d · Nov 19, 2005

When we first got Toby as a tiny kitten...we took him to the vet for a check up. He had worms and ear mites. The worm treatment had to be repeated twice...and he sold me a tiny vial if stuff to put on the back of his neck to get rid of the ear mites....well, it did`nt get rid of the ear mites. When I called back I got a gal that works in the office and she told me that the stuff I was sold is more of a preventitive, but that it would`nt actually get rid of them if he had them....said I should come in and buy some drops to put in his ears, which I did, and it eventually got rid of them. At the time I thought "Why is the world would a vet sell me something in the first place that would`nt work?"....but I let it go, cause he seemed to treat Toby fine in the office.
Now this Frontline that they sold me to treat fleas in both cats, at $14 each (a week and 1/2 ago)....is`nt working. They still have fleas.
I`m hearing that some people are not happy with Frontline but more so with Advantage.
I called the vet and talked to someone in the office and she said that the fleas should have been dead within a few days....and she wondered if my cats were getting into a basement or crawlspace that had not been treated, or if they went outside at all. They are indoor-only cats...and we don`t have a crawl space. They can`t get into the basement cause you have to go into it from the garage ...and they are NOT allowed in the garage, so no, they are not getting anywhere that has not been treated.
We even treated the closet the night before (in the garage) that we were going to put the cats in when we treated the house the next day. (We did this a few days after treating the cats themselves)
So does this Frontline really usually work...or am I being sold something that does`nt so that i`ll have to come back and buy something else???
I hate to think this about my vet...but since this is the second time i`ve wondered about it...well, what do you all think???
Linda

touro1979 · Nov 19, 2005

Originally Posted by stampit3d

When we first got Toby as a tiny kitten...we took him to the vet for a check up. He had worms and ear mites. The worm treatment had to be repeated twice...and he sold me a tiny vial if stuff to put on the back of his neck to get rid of the ear mites....well, it did`nt get rid of the ear mites. When I called back I got a gal that works in the office and she told me that the stuff I was sold is more of a preventitive, but that it would`nt actually get rid of them if he had them....said I should come in and buy some drops to put in his ears, which I did, and it eventually got rid of them. At the time I thought "Why is the world would a vet sell me something in the first place that would`nt work?"....but I let it go, cause he seemed to treat Toby fine in the office.
Now this Frontline that they sold me to treat fleas in both cats, at $14 each (a week and 1/2 ago)....is`nt working. They still have fleas.
I`m hearing that some people are not happy with Frontline but more so with Advantage.
I called the vet and talked to someone in the office and she said that the fleas should have been dead within a few days....and she wondered if my cats were getting into a basement or crawlspace that had not been treated, or if they went outside at all. They are indoor-only cats...and we don`t have a crawl space. They can`t get into the basement cause you have to go into it from the garage ...and they are NOT allowed in the garage, so no, they are not getting anywhere that has not been treated.
We even treated the closet the night before (in the garage) that we were going to put the cats in when we treated the house the next day. (We did this a few days after treating the cats themselves)
So does this Frontline really usually work...or am I being sold something that does`nt so that i`ll have to come back and buy something else???
I hate to think this about my vet...but since this is the second time i`ve wondered about it...well, what do you all think???
Linda

I have neve used frontline but I use advantage which works really good/never had a flea in the house and I only put it on 3 or 4 times a year starting in the spring and ending with a final dose in mid fall.

jennyr · Nov 19, 2005

I have used Frontline successfully for 2 years on mine. When you put it on you must get it on the skin, not the fur. Then it kills all fleas who jump on hte cat. I do mine every two months and that seems sufficient for here - other places may need more or less.

xocats · Nov 19, 2005

About my indoor only kitties.
A little over 5 years ago, when I adopted Dexter & Sadie, they were covered with fleas. I took them to their vet where they were bathed & given their 1st dose of Frontline.
One month later they had another dose.
All fleas died.
Any fleas the had gotten loose in my house died. No eggs hatched.
We have not had another flea in five years and have not had to use another dose.
Frontline worked for us.

forthefurballs · Nov 19, 2005

Frontline has worked great for my cats. And it seems to be good at keeping ear mites from spreading from one cat to another even when it doesn't actually kill the ear mites. As the other person mentioned, it does need to be applied to the skin, not just the fur. And 2 or treatments for worms are often needed, as the worms are in different stages of developement and don't get killed all at once

maverick_kitten · Nov 19, 2005

if your even remotleyy unhappy with your vet i'd suggest you change to another at least for peace of mind.

contact rescue groups in your area and find out what vet they use, these tend to be the most animal friendly.

yosemite · Nov 19, 2005

Have you really cleaned your house well, as in vacuuming every day and emptying the bag outside. Fleas can live in capets and upholstery for up to a year. It may be that you have a larger infestation than you think and there are lots more fleas in the living areas of your house and after some die more just keep jumping on your cat.

To my knowledge Advantage and Frontline are excellent products and should have been effective.

krazy kat2 · Nov 19, 2005

I have always had the best luck with Advantage. A vet told me that cats with dryer coats and skin (like mine) do better with it than with Frontline. He explained why to me, but I don't remember it well enough to explain it. It made a lot of sense to me at the time.

plebayo · Nov 20, 2005

It takes at least 3 months of treatment to kill all of the fleas. Everything has to cycle through, you are forgetting that fleas lay eggs, those eggs turn into larvae, and so forth. It takes at least 3 doses to kill off everything.

My vet would`nt not be on the "up & up" would he?(Sorry...long!)

stampit3d

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touro1979

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jennyr

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xocats

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forthefurballs

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maverick_kitten

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yosemite

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plebayo

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