Frontline is a famous brand of flea treatment products for dogs and cats. Amongst many products the company has produced, Frontline Plus for Dogs is one of the most common names on the market. However, many cat owners wonder “Can I use Frontline Plus for Dogs on cats?”. So, in this post, we will help you answer this question. Let’s get started!
What Is Frontline?
Frontline is one of the most famous flea treatment brands intended for dogs and cats. The company’s main product lines are Frontline Original and Frontline Plus.
While Frontline Original can only kill adult fleas and its protection will last for around a month, Frontline Plus is much better because it has one more ingredient called “Methoprene” that kills not only adult fleas but also flea eggs and larvae. In other words, Frontline Plus destroys the whole flea lifecycle. This product directly effects on fleas without entering your pets’ blood, after 24 to 48 hours.
Differences Between Frontline Plus for Dogs and Frontline Plus for Cats
There are two versions of Frontline Plus: Frontline Plus for Dogs and Frontline Plus for Cats. If you are wondering about the difference between those two products, remember that they contain the same ingredients.
While the ingredients are the same for the two versions, the ratio is different:
- Frontline Plus for Dogs contains 9.8 percent of Fipronil and 8.8 percent of (S) Methoprene.
- Frontline Plus for Cats contains 9.8 percent of Fipronil, 11.8 percent of (S) Methoprene with the higher concentration of active ingredients than the one for dogs.
Can I Use Frontline Plus for Dogs on Cats?
The answer is NO, or else, you are going to risk your cat’s life.
If you searched on the Internet for the information about Frontline Plus, you would read something like “It is safe and cats and dogs share many similar features”. But in fact, it’s not safe if you use the wrong product on the wrong animal as mentioned above. Your cats can get sick or even die!
Therefore, it is important to choose the right product for your pet. Every species has different needs and different body reactions to chemicals. That’s why companies always specify their products for certain animals. If you buy a product “for cats”, be careful or do not use it for dogs, and vice versa. It would be worse if you apply the product to old cats or kittens.
Similarly, do not use Frontline Plus on other animals like rabbits or chickens without asking animal experts or veterinarians because it can be really harmful to them. According to pet experts’ warning, our pets might have skin irritation and other side effects if they’re applied wrong flea treatment product.
Moreover, to make sure the product works effectively and does not cause an overdose for your pet, you need to know your pet’s body weight and buy products for that weight. It is quite easy to give your pet the best protection by choosing the right product for the right animal and for the right size of the pet’s body weight.
Also, you should know cats are much more sensitive than dogs. That’s why products for dogs are normally stronger than the ones for cats. In this case, the only difference between Frontline Plus for Dogs and Frontline Plus for Cats is the dosage. Some pet owners put more water in Frontline Plus for Dogs and they said ‘it was fine’, but in fact, this is useless because the ingredients and their dosages before and after are still the same.
Cat’s Reactions after Using Frontline Plus for Dogs
Many cat owners who used Frontline Plus for Dogs on cats said that it’s really dangerous to do that. One even reported that after only a few minutes of being used Frontline for dogs, his cat couldn’t sit up and keep balance. It also had violent seizures with the whole body shaking. Another pet keeper claimed “NEVER give your cat any flea medication intended for dogs”. She said she used it on her cat, and it almost killed him.
The common reaction of cat body after being used flea treatment product for dogs is shaking. In many situations, even if they brought their cats to the vet for suitable treatments, they couldn’t be the same cats like before. In particular, they stopped playing around and being active like a normal cat always does.
What If You Have Already Used Frontline Plus for Dogs on Your Cat?
In case you have already used it on your cat, bathe your cat as soon as possible even if you have not seen anything wrong with them yet. Try to bathe your cat carefully without letting any drop of flea treatment product on its skin flow into the mouth. After bathing, make sure you call the vet to tell him/her about your cat’s situation so that he/she can give you advice and a timely treatment if needed.
For better result, you can use a flea comb for cats to spot out and remove fleas from their body. This is a physical treatment, and it’s total good if being applied for dogs.
Final Verdicts
Even if you use Frontline Plus for Dogs on dogs, or Frontline Plus for Cats on cats, you should be careful. It is an effective formula, but using it too frequently is not good for your pets.
Also, remember to keep your house, garden, backyard especially you cat bed clean to prevent fleas. Bathe your pets frequently and be careful when you let them interact with other pets from other households. If you already used another flea medication for your cats such as Cheristin Flea Treatment for Cats, you need to consult the vet for the right use of Frontline Plus.
So, “Can I use Frontline Plus for Dogs on cats?” now you know the answer. Leave your comment below if you have anything to ask us. Thank you for reading!
this is ridiculous. Why would you provide false info. It is perfectly safe to use frontline plus for dogs, on cats, because the cat would only be getting a lower does of the methoprene. It is not safe to use cat frontline on dogs, because dogs would then get a higher dose of the methoprene than is advised. Your antecdotal stories about how one cat had seizures….how could giving a cat “less” of a product cause a seizure?? come on.
This post is BS. Frontline Plus has the same % Fipronil for dogs AND cats, but LESS Methoprene for cats than dogs, so how is LESS going to hurt cats. The manufacturer doesn’t want the consumer to buy the larger-quantity dog version and then use it on cats, dosifying correctly, to save money.
Follow your own judgement. We’ve used an adjusted dose of FL Plus for Dogs on our cats for years without a problem. I always check that the formulation has not changed. As Norman says, the only difference is slightly less Methoprene in the dog version and if you think about it, the cat product is for 1.5 lbs and up, the same dose for a little puff ball as for our 15 lb bruiser. That’s a 10x range in body weight so the slight difference in Methoprene would not be significant.
This is complete bs .
I don’t know why people speak about that which they are not versed in .
“Your cats can get sick or even die!”
Pure scare tactic . This can happen with cat formula too . It’s rare and not because of dog formula use .
Humans sometimes die from vaccines too .
I’ve applied HUNDREDS of 1/8 size large dog doses to cats with zero problems .
And had contacted rescuer orgs first to check about safety , who’d been doing the same for years problem free .
So pure bs .