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Expert: - 12/16/2009


Question
Hello Dr. Connell, my question is can i just inject frontline plus in between my jack russell dog's shoulder blades instead of applying it on his skin bec his coat is so dense, i could not find the skin no matter how hard i try.

My second question is, in one of the frontline ads i saw on the net, the lady vet specifically said that an application of frontline plus kills fleas for up to 3 months and ticks for 1 month. So, if my concern is only fleas, i could reapply every 2 to 3 months intead of monthly? Many thanks and more power!


Answer
First of all, I am not a Dr. as it states in my profile. Secondly, you do not inject any frontline into any animal. You can find his skin because a jack russells coat is not that dense. All you have to do is point the tip of the vial down into his hair until you can go no further and you are up against his skin! It won't go through him- it isn't a needle.

You have to place it between the shoulder blades on the back- that is the recommended spot or up closer to the neck.

I am not sure Frontline will last two three months in heavily infested flea areas. It doesn't work that well as it is because it doesn't tackle the real flea problem which are the eggs, larvae and cocoons of the adult fleas.

If you want to rid your dog of fleas for good after about four months then get him onto Sentinel tablets or Program tablets. That will kill off the rest of the flea population.

Here is a page about the flea life cycle that explains why you need more than a product that kills only adults:

http://www.ah.novartis.com/cab/en/dog_fleas_lifecycle.shtml

http://www.ah.novartis.com/cab/en/dog_fleas.shtml

Make sure you read both pages to the bottom. While Frontline kills off the adults, this other safe pill will kill off the other stages of the flea and that is how you get rid of them once and for all. This works even on outdoor dogs.

I have 3 acres of land and no fleas on either my dog or cat and I have been using Sentinel for 13 yrs.

Good luck!!

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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