Controlling Those Pesky Fleas - Advantage Vs Frontline Plus for Cats

I used Frontline on my dog for years without any problems. So, when I wanted to buy something like that for my cat, I thought I'd also use Frontline on her. One day when I was at the veterinarian's office (not my usual veterinarian, but they sell Advantage and Frontline cheaper than other places) to buy more Frontline for my dog, I asked her which did she recommend for my cat. Her expression grew very serious and she told me only to use Advantage for my cat.

I admitted to her that since I had been using Frontline on the dog, that I wasn't very comfortable with using a different brand on my cat. Not to mention, Frontline was for fleas and ticks, and Advantage was only for fleas. She told me that there was no doubt in her mind that Advantage was the more superior product because Advantage goes by weight and Frontline does not. She felt that with my cat only being six pounds that it was best to use a product that went by weight. I took her advice, and I used Advantage on my cat for a few years without any problems.

But then one day, my mom went by the same veterinarian's office to buy some more Advantage. I had even called them before she went to make sure that they had it in. But somehow, they messed up and gave her the Frontline Plus for cats. I figured since it was made for cats, what was the harm? I didn't want to drive all the way back to return it. So, I used it. Immediately after it was applied, my cat closed her eyes. It was like the stuff was burning her eyes, even though it was applied between the shoulders where it is supposed to be. She became very angry and ran off.

I do not know when my cat became ill. But judging by her almost two pound weight loss and the amount of diarrhea that we found outside, I'd say that she had been sick for about three weeks before we knew about it. That would mean that she became ill right after the Frontline Plus was put on her.

I took her to the closest veterinarian, a guy that I used to use in the past before he raised his rates and became the highest veterinarian in the area. He told me that the cat had the symptoms of being poisoned. It was his opinion that the Frontline didn't do it. She had to be put on special canned food, given two kinds of medicine, and kept in the house for observation.

Instead of going to the same veterinarian for a follow-up visit, I took her to her usual veterinarian. He's a bit far of a drive, but he's an excellent veterinarian and my cat likes him. He agreed that her symptoms pointed to some kind of poisoning. He also was cautious and didn't want to blame the Frontline. While I was there, I bought some more of the special food from him. She was on that food and the medicine for two weeks.

I'll never know for sure if Frontline Plus was what almost killed my cat. The only other potential culprit was that I had also sprayed the yard with yard & kennel spray for fleas and ticks on the same day that I used the Frontline on her. But I'd been using that spray for many years without problems.

I really do feel that she's too small to use the Frontline Plus like the first veterinarian had said. The directions do not say that the cat has to be of a certain weight. But the company needs to do more testing. As for me, I'll never use Frontline on another cat again. I also haven't used the yard & kennel spray again just in case that was somehow the problem. Who knows, maybe the formula had been changed? All I can say for Frontline is, if I ever have another dog, I'd feel completely comfortable using the Frontline considering I used it on my last dog for years without any problems. But, I'd be wary of using it on tiny breeds that are similar in size to cats. Always ask your veterinarian before using a new product on your pet. It's in their best interests.