Frontline Plus Reaction

[Guest Fasave]

For the second month in a row, one of my boys has gone a little nutty (running around, rolling and rubbing against things) after me applying Frontline Plus. I can't tell if he's just being dramatic or if I should be worried. I've seen similar reactions from him after washing his face or trying to trim his nails. He's a quirky greyhound who doesn't always like to touched and patted. I've applied the Frontline from the same box to my other grey and he has no reaction. The skin doesn't appear to be irritated. I've had Thunder for four years and always used Frontline Plus and he's never acted this way before. Unfortunately I live in an area with a lot of ticks and he was treated last year for Lyme (likely when I missed a month of Frontline) so it's important I do some type of tick control.

 

Thoughts?

[Batmom]

Tickly feeling. Mine often try to scratch themselves after I put the Frontline on. I usually do it in a line down their back instead of in one spot on the shoulder blades, and then use the tip of the applicator to kinda stroke along the line of application. That seems to help keep them from scratching, rolling, etc. The "one spot on shoulder blades" method often leads to greasy back foot here .

[MaryJane]

He may be having an allergic reaction - how long does he do it for? Is it a much longer time than when you wash his face or do the nails?

 

As to the Frontline preventing Lyme -- it still lets the ticks attach and draw blood for 24 hours (not sure of the time - check to see what they advertise for kill time) and that is plenty of time to get Lyme. That's why I started doing the Lyme vaccine as much as I hate vaccines, I hate Lyme more.

[krissy]

Most of the topical products have an alcohol base that can cause a weird skin tingle. I notice it with some products but not others. Summit doesn't seem to notice with Advantage Multi but does if I use Advantix. Kili doesn't notice the Advantix.

[WalterWallerson]

Walter does the same thing. I try to time it by putting it on right before we go for a LONG walk or the dog park so he can get all of his "eeby-jeebies" out

[NeylasMom]

Tickly feeling. Mine often try to scratch themselves after I put the Frontline on. I usually do it in a line down their back instead of in one spot on the shoulder blades, and then use the tip of the applicator to kinda stroke along the line of application. That seems to help keep them from scratching, rolling, etc. The "one spot on shoulder blades" method often leads to greasy back foot here .

That was my thought as well if you're not seeing a skin reaction.

 

He may be having an allergic reaction - how long does he do it for? Is it a much longer time than when you wash his face or do the nails?

 

As to the Frontline preventing Lyme -- it still lets the ticks attach and draw blood for 24 hours (not sure of the time - check to see what they advertise for kill time) and that is plenty of time to get Lyme. That's why I started doing the Lyme vaccine as much as I hate vaccines, I hate Lyme more.

Well...not exactly. If you have information to the contrary I would love to see it, but from what I've read Frontline Plus will kill ticks within 24-48 hrs and the timeframe for transmission of the disease is the same (although I've commonly heard it takes 36+ hrs) so in theory, if the tick is still alive on day 2 it could transmit the disease. However, we hike a LOT and I pull ticks off of the dogs a lot, but I can't get them all and often find dead ones later and my experience at least has been that the ticks don't survive that long.

 

I've heard fleas are becoming resistance to Frontline, haven't heard the same about ticks, so I think your best bet is to use caution and always check thoroughly for ticks after being out in grassy areas and pull them off manually, but I don't worry *too* much.

[MaryJane]

That was my thought as well if you're not seeing a skin reaction.

 

Well...not exactly. If you have information to the contrary I would love to see it, but from what I've read Frontline Plus will kill ticks within 24-48 hrs and the timeframe for transmission of the disease is the same (although I've commonly heard it takes 36+ hrs) so in theory, if the tick is still alive on day 2 it could transmit the disease. However, we hike a LOT and I pull ticks off of the dogs a lot, but I can't get them all and often find dead ones later and my experience at least has been that the ticks don't survive that long.

 

I've heard fleas are becoming resistance to Frontline, haven't heard the same about ticks, so I think your best bet is to use caution and always check thoroughly for ticks after being out in grassy areas and pull them off manually, but I don't worry *too* much.

 

 

Check this page out (government source) --

 

 

http://www.ct.gov/caes/cwp/view.asp?a=2815&q=376732

 

 

Note the 3rd paragraph says "able to transmit" after several hours and the next paragraph says effective transmission at 24 hours and maximum transmission at 48 to 72 hours.

 

The disparity in time appears (IMHO) to be when it is able to draw blood. Once it can draw blood, it can transmit the bacterium.

Edited August 3, 2013 by MaryJane

[Guest yat420]

Frontline has a new product out that contains cyphenothrin. Is this the one you used? This has been known to cause a "tingling" sensation in some susceptible people and dogs, thought to be due to local nerve irritation at the site. Supposedly vitamin E rubbed directly on the site helps, otherwise it goes away in 48 hours.

[Guest Fasave]

Thanks for the info. I don't think it's the product. The purple box of frontline plus. Did they change the ingredients or is this a new product.

[Wendie]

 

 

Check this page out (government source) --

 

 

http://www.ct.gov/caes/cwp/view.asp?a=2815&q=376732

 

 

Note the 3rd paragraph says "able to transmit" after several hours and the next paragraph says effective transmission at 24 hours and maximum transmission at 48 to 72 hours.

 

The disparity in time appears (IMHO) to be when it is able to draw blood. Once it can draw blood, it can transmit the bacterium.

 

It's not nearly as likely for the tick to be able to transmit Lyme disease because of the time frames, but there is another tick disease out there that has very similar symptoms and long term effects called Anaplasmomis that can be transmitted in about 12 hours. At the clinic I work at, we see a LOT of Lyme disease on dogs on zero prevention and a lot of Anaplasmosis on dogs on Frontline.