Frontline... ugh!

[celstu1]

Haven't started Frontline for the summer yet on my boys because I hate putting that on them. DH had 3 ticks walking on him this weekend from working outside, so I went to the vets and got some Frontline. I take 1 dose and split between the 2 of them.

Fletch has always seemed ok after getting it but Dexter has always been sensitive to it. He is lethargic and throws up usually the first day, then hes fine. Last night though, this was worse than Ive ever seen him. He was gagging like he was going to throw up, but he never did throw up. He ate dinner and drank water. Then he brought me a toy at 930pm to play with him. He played fetch at least 20 mins. That is a long time for him and it was late for him. He would not lay down, He was licking everything, the couch, the floor, my jean clad leg, DH's flip flops, then the bed comforter. I read that was a sign of digestive discomfort. He went under the covers, back out, under, back out. Lay, get up walk, lay, get up walk. He could not seem to relax for anything. Finally around 11pm I gave him 2 mls of Benedryl since I thought he was having a reaction to the Frontline. His reaction to that was odd also. He laid down on me and was like limp spaghetti, about 1 min after I gave it to him. I doubt he had relief that fast, do you think?

I woke up at least 5x all night and made sure both my boys were good, this morning Dex seemed ok, but still not himself. He is not lethargic at all, but seems tired. He usually stays with me until I leave for work, but this morning he went to his basket bed and even when I said bye, he just looked at me. DH is home today, so he'll keep an eye on them for me.

I can't explain how much I hate putting these chemicals on my boys. I HATE IT! I was almost crying last night bc I felt so bad I had to poison my baby and it made him so restless and uncomfortable.

Is there any planet benefit to ticks? I wish we could get rid of them all! They are gross and useless!

[rubymoon2072]

are you putting it on with an empty stomach? I agree I split mine also because I hate putting it on them. I feel like a horrible mother knowing I am applying toxins to my kidz. I found that if I make sure Cedric has eaten and give it to him in the morning after breakfast he does much better. Just in case that may help. hoping he is back to himself asap.

[celstu1]

We thought that at first but checked and they had eaten their breakfast a couple hours earlier so no, they were not empty. Dexter has always had an adverse reaction to it. But this time it seemed worse and Fletch seemed affected also. He was more restless than usual (not as bad as Dex though).

[My lil friend]

I did Frontline last week on the three girls. Kenzie got a whole tube,probably wont put the entire thing on her again, she weighs 8 1/2 lbs. She was pretty normal all day but in the evening she was really tired and just wanted to cuddle in dad's lap. Mina and Tilly shared a tube,they are 7 1/2 and 3 1/2 lbs. This was Tilly's first dose,she wasn't allowed out of someones site all day. I always do it on a Monday or Tuesday,in the morning incase there is a reaction by one of them.
We are very lucky here,I only put this stuff on the girls if we are leaving town. Our yard ,,so far,, seems to stay critter free. I really don't like using it either. I do wish that there were other options,I don't consider the pills an option.

[rubymoon2072]

I actually had to switch to revolution as cedric reacts that way with frontline frontline plus Advantix II ......so far revolution is the only one he doesnt throw up and get lethargic with.

[celstu1]

Revolution is for ticks? That is what Im worried about. I have a camp up North, so the threat is not even necessarily my own yard, it's where ever else I take the boys.

One year I gave my boys these garlic bagel treats, every couple weeks I would sprinkle a small amount of granulated garlic powder on their food and they would get a treat made from garlic. That year I did not use Frontline at all and they had no ticks ever. I might just go back to doing that, garlic in small amounts every few weeks. It is not poison, and they did not have adverse reactions to it and it seemed to have worked!

[richards6402]

Somewhere in the food chain ticks are a meal to something but that is about the only thing they are good for.


I learned the hard way to always give any type of medication or to get any type of shot the first thing in the morning on a weekday because my two would always get a reaction when vet's office is closed.


I have used Advantax II for over a year without any reaction. I started their flea/tick treatment last week and both of my girls were an itchy mess for 2 days. Hope your baby feels better today.

[rubymoon2072]

yes but the only disadvantage is the flea or tick has to bite in order to be killed with revolution. I have never had a tick attach to them and we do get tested for lyme and heart worm with negative results thus far.

if that works and it is not toxic then yeah I would go that route. we have flea issues here so I have to be careful if we did get fleas my dh would freak. ...lol he does not like the fleas.

[celstu1]

Ive never had fleas, never even seen one. **Knocks on wood**

Something at the lake bit my Fletch the other day though. We were up there with the dogs and took them on a walk around the camp ground. Fletch had 3 bites on his belly where they had a clear dot in the middle of a red circle. Dex had nothing. I took a shot that it was nothing serious and he was having a reaction to it. We stopped and got benedryl on the ride home just in case and to have it at home since I ran out a couple weeks ago, but the marks faded and went away in 2 days. No fleas though that I can see on either boy. Just the ticks are a problem for us. UGH! gross, useless bugs!

[rubymoon2072]

black flies...mine got bit by them last week also.

[pstinard]

Originally Posted by celstu1

Revolution is for ticks? That is what Im worried about. I have a camp up North, so the threat is not even necessarily my own yard, it's where ever else I take the boys.

One year I gave my boys these garlic bagel treats, every couple weeks I would sprinkle a small amount of granulated garlic powder on their food and they would get a treat made from garlic. That year I did not use Frontline at all and they had no ticks ever. I might just go back to doing that, garlic in small amounts every few weeks. It is not poison, and they did not have adverse reactions to it and it seemed to have worked!

Revolution works for dog ticks, but not deer ticks (the carriers of Lyme's disease). We use Revolution on Bella, and there are no side effects, other than her being itchy for about 10 minutes after we first apply it. We hold her still and allow it to dry on her skin, and that seems to help.

[celstu1]

awww your poor babies too!! Dex must have gotten bit, but he didn't have any marks on him, where Fletch had 3 large-ish bruise type circles on his belly. They didn't seem to bother him at all, but they alarmed me for a minute, before I thought it through... realized it had to be something like that.

[celstu1]

Originally Posted by pstinard

Revolution works for dog ticks, but not deer ticks (the carriers of Lyme's disease). We use Revolution on Bella, and there are no side effects, other than her being itchy for about 10 minutes after we first apply it. We hold her still and allow it to dry on her skin, and that seems to help.

Oh boy... since Dex has had Lyme Disease once already I really need something for deer ticks. Thank you though!

[107barney]

Revolution does not work for ticks in New England. We've used frontline forever but w/o any problems. There is also Nexguard which is a chewable. It is currently labeled only for the dog tick, but I have heard that they are seeking FDA labeling for the other ticks. You might want to check it out and talk to your vet about this one.

[EarthAngel]

Originally Posted by rubymoon2072

black flies...mine got bit by them last week also.

Avon Skin So Soft works well at keeping flying bugs away...I used to be eaten alive by mosquitoes and just a little rubbed on your hands and then put on you or the dogs will keep the black flies away.