Flea and Tick Products WARNING

Many people have called me regarding the flea and tick products announcements
that have been appearing on TV. My advice is this: Frontline has been on the
market for a long long time, and is "Generally Regarded As Safe". I have not
personally seen adverse reactions to the product when it is used SENSIBLY. It works. 

Personally, my feeling is that the (S)-methoprene in Frontline Plus should be avoided
 in small dogs (4 pounds or less, but why court disaster in those under say, 10 pounds)
It is definitely contraindicated in cats and bunnies. The Frontline website says it is 
OK,  but I am ultra conservative, and the regular Frontline works when used correctly. 

How to use correctly? Since it spreads via the oils on the dog's skin, it stands to 
reason  that you should wait about 3 days after a bath for those oils to "replenish"
 before  application. The website says the dog can be bathed or go swimming 24
 hours _after_ application.
 
Since the smallest application is for dogs up to 22 pounds, be sensible. Use it 
according to the size of the dog. If a little is good, a lot is NOT better. For a 5
 pound dog, 1/3 of the dose AT MOST is sufficient. Reseal the applicator with 
tape and store upright for use in a month. Don't waste it, just don't overdose, and 
no matter the fact that they say it is "safe" for dogs from 2 to 22 pounds, it can
 still cause at least a topical reaction if too much is used. With my own dogs, since
 they like to snuggle with each other anyway, I don't treat everyone. I use it
 selectively, and I don't have fleas. That is as much due to the fact that most
 of my grooming clients use Frontline, so I get no more than one "fleabag" in
 per year, and those thatmight cross the threshold are taken care of by 
selective use on my own dogs.
 
In an area with a known tick problem, Frontline is the best defense against tick 
borne disease. There are a lot more tick borne diseases out there than Lyme 
disease. My feeling on that is, use Frontline size appropriately once a month and
 that will be far more effective against tick borne disease and you will not need to
 risk the many side effects of the Lyme vaccine. I recommend against the Lyme
 vaccine to all of my own puppies. It has problems and isn't all that effective anyway. 

Now, where to buy it? From your Veterinarian! Especially now, with all of the 
warnings, there could possibly be a shortage, which could lead to counterfeit 
Frontline from online sources. It's worth the extra price to be sure it works and 
is the "real thing".