Advantage vs Frontline Plus: Better Flea Control?
Two of the most popular flea control products available are Advantage and Frontline Plus. Both come recommended by veterinarians and offer effective flea treatments for household pets. But which is the best product for you?
Features
Both Advantage and Frontline get to work quickly to kill fleas and break the cycle of infestation. One dosage of each product will kill up to 100% of fleas within 24 hours, and will continue to protect your pet for up to a month.
Advantage is listed as safe to use on puppies as young as 7 weeks and kittens at 8 weeks, where Frontline is listed safe to use on puppies and kittens starting at 8 weeks. These products are not absorbed systematically, which means they are safe on vulnerable animals such as younger, older, pregnant or convalescing pets. Humans can also handle both of these products safely, and they can be washed off skin with soap and water.
Effectiveness
Customer feedback has shown that both Advantage and Frontline go to work fast. Once applied to infested pets, customers report the adult fleas completely die and fall off within 10-15 hours. While equally fast acting, a few reviewers did note that Frontline seemed to perform somewhat better under wet conditions and that no further applications were needed in the same month.
Costs
Neither of these products need a prescription from your veterinarian, and both Advantage and Frontline are available in a variety of different sized packages. It is generally more cost effective to buy a six month supply, instead of purchasing individual dosages. They are comparable in price, costing between $10 – $15 per dose. Generally, you can find good deals here on this site for these products.
Conclusion
If you live in an area where ticks are a concern, you select Frontline because Advantage is solely intended for fleas. However, if ticks are not an issue we say go with the better deal at the time. Advantage may be somewhat safer for young puppies, where Frontline may last longer under wet conditions. Other than that, they are quite equal when it comes to flea control.
Find deals on Advantage | Find deals on Frontline Plus
When I tried Advantage, I got no results. Frontline, however, did the job for me for years. But lately, the fleas seem to be getting resistant to Frontline. So now I find myself looking for alternatives, like natural products, or “going back” to collars.
My main complaint about both products, though, is their pricing scheme. The only difference between the small breed products and the giant breed products is the amount applied. The mix is identical. Yet the prices are nearly the same. At one local store, 3 doses are $47 for small breed size, $49 for giant breed size.
Since the small dog ampule is 1/4 the size of the giant dog ampule, the small dog products should cost about 1/4 as much. It’s quite obvious that the manufacturers are price-gouging small dog owners.