I used Revolution on my Maltese with no reaction but heard the Frontline was better so I started using it on Muffin. I only give her half the dose because she's only 5 pounds. Her reaction to this medication is that after the application, she becomes very quiet and lathargic. She climbs in her bed within 5 minutes of me putting it on her and curls up in a ball almost like she just doesn't want anyone to bother her. She stays this way for a couple of hours.
The first (and ONLY) time I put Frontline on CoCo who is only 3.5 pounds, she had a HORRIBLE reaction! Her eyes starting rolling behind her head and she was foaming at the mouth!! I was scared half to death.
I also had put only a half dose on her but after I saw what was happening to her I immediately put her in the sink and started running water on her to wash the stuff off. I bathed her and she was fine. When I called the vet and told him what CoCo's reaction was, he insisted that she must have licked some of the medicine to have that kind of reaction. I told him that I was holding her the whole time and she never licked anything. Then he chastised me for only giving her half the dose!!! I almost flipped out on him. His solution was for me to bring her in after a couple of days so he could apply another dose to her and see her reaction. I told him I was never putting that poison on her again because I was afraid that she would die the next time.
I talked to CoCo's breeder (Pam Hinkle) and she told me to use the spray Frontline on the kids. She suggested putting on rubber gloves and spraying the medicine on my hands and then rubbing it into the hair on her legs, underbelly and behind her ears rather than putting it INTO her skin. I tried this and she didn't have any reaction. So this is the way she and Muffin will be getting their flea and tick medicine.
Let's face it people, this medicine is strong stuff and we have these little, innocent babies that are having this crap put into their bloodstreams. How can it NOT be hazzardous if on the box it says if you get it on your skin to wash if off immediately??
I think I'm going to look into the garlic thing. It make sense to me.