Controlling Fleas and Ticks with Frontline Plus

     You keep a clean home and well-maintained yard, but even the most devoted housekeeper cannot keep fleas and ticks from eventually coming in. Hitching rides on the skin of companion animals, these pests cause immense discomfort to the pets and present a few hygiene problems for you. Frontline Plus is the type of pet medication that makes it possible to control flea and tick populations in your home and on your pet ?even if you are experiencing the type of summer that makes it virtually impossible to eradicate these pests outside. This pet med also keeps at bay other infestations, such as chewing lice and the insects that cause sarcoptic mange, which is a somewhat common skin condition.

How Frontline Plus Works

It is a common misconception that fleas have to actually draw blood for the active ingredients in Frontline Plus to do their work. In fact, it is enough for the pests to merely come in contact with the coat of your dog or cat, once the pet has been treated with Frontline Plus, for the medication to do its work. Generally speaking, fleas die within 12 hours of contact, while ticks may take up to 48 hours to expire. Of course, for Frontline Plus to be fully effective, at least 24 hours have to elapse since its application.

Help! There are More Fleas!

Do not be surprised if you seem to experience a sudden influx of fleas after treating your companion animal. As the pests come into contact with the active ingredients of the treatment, they leave the hidden spots -- where they were most likely tormenting your pet for quite a while already ?for the surface of the coat. This is a normal process that can nevertheless be a bit disconcerting to the pet lover, especially if you were certain that your cat or dog was virtually flea-free.

Remember also that there are most likely multiple generations of fleas already present; some may come to maturity post application, which makes them more likely to be seen. The good news is that the mechanism employed by the Frontline makers prevents new adult fleas from laying more eggs on the animal抯 skin. This setup effectively breaks the life cycle of the flea population and also discourages its establishment for new specimens picked up from outside or from untreated pets sharing the home.

Safety of Use and Ease of Application

Did you know that you can bathe your companion animal within 24 hours of applying a dose of the anti-flea medicine to your pet抯 skin? As long as the skin is dry at application ?and has dried completely since you placed the topical drops on the pet抯 back ?bathing does not diminish the effectiveness of the active ingredients. Do not hesitate to treat animals that are currently on medication for systemic condition; since Frontline is truly only a skin-deep application, it does not interfere with the effectiveness of veterinary-prescribed drugs.

Always follow the manufacturer recommendation with respect to dosing; canine small size doses treat dogs up to 22 pounds. Graduated dosage changes ensure maximum effectiveness in mid-sized and large dogs as well. A special formulation protects cats from ticks and fleas without irritating a feline抯 highly sensitive skin. If your companion dog or cat is at least eight weeks of age, it is a good candidate for an application of Frontline.