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Frontline Top Spot For Flea & Tick Control
- My first choice in flea and tick control -
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Summary: Frontline Top Spot is a flea and tick control medication for dogs and cats. The active ingredient is fipronil. Frontline can be used monthly but re-treatment this often probably is not necessary for most situations.
Jack DeAngelis, PhD
OSU Ext. Entomologist (ret.)
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What is Frontline Top Spot?
 Frontline Top Spot is my first choice for spot-on flea and tick control on both dogs and cats. The main advantages of Frontline are: it can be safely used on both cats and dogs, effectively controls fleas for 90 days and ticks for 30 days, is waterproof, and does not contain permethrin, which is toxic to cats.
Frontline comes in small, measured-dose packets where the amount of liquid is matched to the weight of the animal. Four dosage levels are available for dogs, one level for cats and kittens. Once applied the insecticide quickly spreads over the entire skin providing protection against flea and tick bites for at least a month. Be careful to apply the liquid to the pet's skin not to the coat.
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| Adult cat flea (1/5"-1/10") moves between the host animal and "nest" (pet bedding, etc.). |
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| Fipronil, the active ingredient in all Frontline products, is not readily absorbed so there is less chance of side effects compared to systemic medications. Package instructions say that monthly applications are allowed; however, unless fleas are frequently re-introduced into the pet's environment, or continuous tick protection is needed, monthly applications probably are not needed. Re-apply when fleas, "flea-dirt" or ticks are found.
If you live in a region where heartworm has been reported your pets should be protected from this serious, often fatal, parasitic infection. Even though heartworm is transmitted by mosquito bites we believe that systemic heartworm medications are better protection than topically applied mosquito repellents such as K9 Advantix. See the heartworm page for additional information.
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A closely related product, Frontline Plus, adds the insect growth regulator methoprene to the basic ingredient in Frontline. Methoprene stops immature fleas from developing into adult, biting fleas thus disrupting the flea's life cycle. Methoprene, however, works better when applied to the pet's bedding rather than to the pet itself. For this reason I prefer to separate these two treatments. See the methoprene IGR page for details.
Where to purchase Frontline Top Spot
Frontline products are available without a prescription from your local veterinarian clinic and online. Our online sources are generally much less expensive than clinics. Frontline is sold in 3 and 6 dose packages, in 4 different dosage levels for dogs and puppies, and 3, 6 and 12 dose packages at 1 dosage level for cats and kittens.
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Frontline Top Spot @ Amazon
We use Amazon as our online retailer. Amazon continuously screens their 3rd party suppliers and only uses those that offer competitive prices and excellent delivery history. Use the links below to find the Frontline product you need. Be sure to check the "More Buying Choices" box on the right side of the Amazon screen for additional, and sometimes cheaper, sources. Links open in a new window.
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Frontline Top Spot for Dogs & Puppies
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3-Dose Packs
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6-Dose Packs
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Frontline Top Spot for Cats & Kittens (one dosage for all weights)
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