Is Frontline Plus for Dogs Safe for Cats?

No Frontline product made for dogs, including Frontline Plus, is safe to use on cats. In fact, any Frontline topical product made for dogs can potentially kill a cat. Frontline Plus' active ingredients are fipronil and methoprene, which is absorbed through the skin in gel liquid that is 9.8 percent fipronil and 8.8 percent methoprene. If a cat gets too much, then it can be poisoned.

  1. Function

    • Frontline Plus works by a method called translocation, which basically is absorption by the skin. After 24 hours, the dog or cat's body oils now contain a minute amount of fipronil. Each dosage is based on the body weight of the pet so that there will be enough to effectively kill fleas and ticks without harming the pet. The doses for dogs are much larger than for cats.

    Speculation

    • Frontline Plus for cats contains the same percentage of fipronil as does Frontline Plus for dogs. The dosage for cats is 0.52 ml, while the smallest dog dose is 0.69 ml. Theoretically, it is possible to place only 0.52 millimeters of a dog dose onto a cat, but determining the correct amount is difficult at best.

    Overdose

    • It is also possible to give a toxic overdose to a cat not only by using a dog-sized dose of Frontline Plus, but by using other flea and drug topical products in combination with Frontline Plus. Also, according to the Makers of Frontline Plus, an overdose can happen if a cat is given two correct doses less than 30 days apart.

    Negative Side Effects

    • According to Dr. Dawn Ruben, the most usual side effect on a cat for the fipronil and methoprene combination is the application area to become itchy. If this itchiness doesn't go away, then the cat needs to be bathed and the vet must be called. But if a cat suddenly begins any alarming symptom like vomiting many times, has trouble breathing or breaks out into hives, contact the vet. This could be signs of an allergy to one or all of the ingredients.

    Misconception

    • In 2007, the BBC reported on cats that died from being given topical flea medications. Frontline Plus was not listed as one of the products causing death. The topical medications for dogs that did kill cats contained the insecticide permethrin. Symptoms of permethrin poisoning include seizures and loss of coordination.