Frontline, Advantage and Revolution are the most popular sources for flea control.?

Question

However, I have three dogs and a cat. I can't afford those top brands. Yet, flea control I've bought from Hartz and Sargents haven't worked at all. Are there any other flea control products out there that work just as well as the popular brands without the elevated price tag?

Answer 1

Short of paying for the name brands, I really dont know of a tried and true good one personally. There is a lady I work with that has 14.. count them FOURTEEN dogs and she swares that feeding them garlic will control flea/tick issues. I have never tried it my self. She also prepares fresh vegies, rice, and boils meat for all the dogs. This is not something I am willing to do myself.

Maybe give it a search and see if that helps.

There are places to buy the name brand tick and flea products online that may save you some money. The only one that has worked well for me has been Advantage.

Good luck!

Answer 2

You get what you pay for. Personally I would think you would save money by using the "popular brands" with the "elevated" price tag. If you're using a flea control product that works, you don't have to pay extra to treat the environment after you have a flea infestation, you don't have to deworm them because they've ingested fleas while grooming and now have tapeworms, and you don't have to worry about associated health issues like anemia, tick borne diseases, and flea bite dermatitis. The cheaper flea control products just don't work. Hartz products are not only ineffective, but they are known to KILL pets (do a search, it'll really open your eyes). The company is well aware of these "adverse reactions" and yet has done nothing to remove the potentially lethal toxins from the shelves or reformulate the product to be safer. And flea shampoos are generally a bad idea too. Most of them use a product that not only affects fleas but can be toxic to your pets (especially cats) too. Even if you don't mind washing your pets with toxins, flea shampoos only kill the fleas that are on your pet and do nothing for the fleas in your home...so the animals become re-infested almost immediately.

Bottom line, I really can't recommend the "popular" brands enough. Bite the bullet and spend the money, you'll actually save more money in the long run because you won't be purchasing and applying the flea control as frequently as the OTC products and you won't be spending money at the vet to treat flea-related diseases. If your cat is an indoor cat you can get away with treating it for only 3 months to kill off all of the fleas in your home and then only treating the dogs who are going outside. If you live in a climate with cold winters, you can discontinue the flea control after a good hard frost and just start up again in the spring. Do an online search and see what kind of deals you can find (my vet doesn't mark up flea control that much...by the time you factor in shipping it's generally cheaper to buy it from them than online but some vets do mark it up more and it may be cheaper elsewhere).

Answer 3

You've just discovered the very reason why manufacturers can justify putting a higher price tag on these products - they're the only ones that WORK! Advocate is the other one that works - these are basically the Big 4, the only spot-ons that work.

Hartz and Sergeants and many others, anything from a pet store, does not work. Much of it is also dangerous - check out www.hartzvictims.org for example - and they chemicals they use are very dated and cheap to get hold of, which is why they can't justify a high price. And of course, money is what matters to people most - that's why people fall for the cheap stuff!

You're going to have to stick with the veterinary stuff if you want to actually treat fleas. Buying cheap stuff that doesn't work would be a bigger waste of money I feel. You'd also be risking your animal's health, and toxicity bills are very expensive!

You could get Frontline etc online, it's cheaper there - but be careful because you often end up with bogus products that look convincing but don't work, or are dangerous.

Chalice

Answer 4

It's true that you get what you pay for. I use Frontline and it's very effective on my cats. If you let your cat out, stop because she will have more of a chance to contract fleas outside than inside. I suggest using a high quality dog shampoo to protect them from fleas. Flea shampoo is a LOT cheaper and lasts a LOT longer. Frontline flea shampoo is the best and doesn't cost much. Don't get the cheapest brand - they never work and usually irritate your pets skin.

Good luck :)
You may want to consider saving a bit of money each pay day for pet expenses. Not much, maybe $15 just for when you need to get their shots done, vet checked, flead, wormed etc.

Answer 5

Well, you should have thought about that if you can't afford the best for your pets. I use Frontline and it's really effective. You won't find any ticks or fleas on my pets.
But fret not. Are you talking about preventing flea problems or treating the problem? Because if your pets have some serious flea problem then I really suggest you to invest in Frontline and get rid of them.
But if you are talking about preventive measures, you can use Machiko flea shampoo. I'm not sure whether the brand is available in your country. I'm from Malaysia. Anyway, my point is, make sure you bath your pets with anti-flea shampoo. Neem, a herb is also found to be effective against pest and skin problems. It's like a natural repellent. I use a Neem shampoo too for my pets now.
However, I don't let my pets out so they're really safe from fleas. The problem occurs when dogs and cats mingle with others and they pass the fleas to each other. They can also pick up fleas because fleas and ticks lie in wait in blades of grass. (If you let your pets loose of course).
So what you can do now is, use a flea shampoo and keep your pets in since you don't want to use top brands. But still you have to check with your local vet and seek counsel. Some districts and countries are very strict with flea control. Good luck.

Answer 6

I believe it is a case of getting what you pay for. Those cheaper brands are just less likely to work, I'm yet to find a product as effective as advantage, therefore i'm sticking with that.

If you can not afford it all year round, maybe buying it through the summer months when they are more likely to have fleas is the way to go and use those cheaper brands during the colder months.

Ultimately i believe advantage is the way to go though.

Answer 7

There is a reason they are more expensive, is because they work. The "cheap" ones as you found out don't work and are dangerous. They might be more expensive up front but, in the long run it will cheaper. Most vets will sell you a single frontline or revolution, so you don't have to buy the whole package. Good luck

Answer 8

frontline Plus is what I like the best, but Bio Spot does work too. Just be sure to follow the directions carefully. Dog Bio Spot is very toxic to cats. Never buy the stuff from stores. It's worthless and can be harmful to your pets! Good Luck!

Answer 9

You bought Hartz and Sargeants??? THose should be banned from the shelves of stores. They are very toxic to your pets and don't work. Do not ever use over the counter stuff for your pets.

Call the vet and see what they suggest.

Answer 10

biospot

also,, buy the ones you mentioned from 1800petmeds and they only cost about 10 dollars a month