EasySpot for Cats vs. Frontline Plus Comparison

EasySpot for Cats

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Frontline Plus

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Parastar Plus for Dogs

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Kills Fleas

Repels Fleas

Kills Flea eggs and Larvae

Prevents Development

Kills Ticks

Repels Ticks

Kills and/or Repels Mosquitoes

Prevents Heartworm

Other Parasites Information

Chewing lice for up to 30 days.

Eliminates infestations with chewing lice, aids in the control of sarcoptic mange infestation

Waterproof (shampooing once a week can reduce effectiveness)

Safe for pregnant or nursing Pets

How long does it take to work

Starts working in 1 hour

Kills Fleas within 12 hours and Ticks within 48 hours

Starts working in 1 hour

Taste

Applied to skin

Applied to Skin

Applied to skin

Active Ingredient(s)

Fipronil

Fipronil/(S)-Methoprene

Fipronil and Cyphenothrin

RX Required

Dosage

Monthly

Usage

Video

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Vet Review

This reliable and more economical alternative to Frontline comes from a very reliable company, Elanco. Its main ingredient, fipronil, probably has the most clinical record of experience of efficacy over many years, in killing both adult fleas before they lay eggs, as well as various species of ticks. Its safety is touted by supposedly targeting only the nervous system of the pests. With cats, we always must be careful when evaluating the newer generation of emerging pesticides for fleas and ticks that are coming out, as kitties' detoxification pathways are typically more sensitive than dogs'. Most kitties tolerate this single spot application quite well. In addition to being waterproof, so important for outdoor kitties, this product is easier to apply than most competitors, as well as leaving no pungent or chemical smell like many over the counter competitor products. Most of my clients have found it as effective as Frontline, but not as quick as Advantage. Some clients have complained that it does not seem to repel the ticks, who can occasionally be found attached to the skin before they die. Not only it is important in using products like Easy Spot to prevent flea bite anemia in cats, and unsightly tapeworms, but in recent years, fleas have been shown to carry an increasing number of serious diseases and infections, including Bartonella species, amongst others. Another benefit of this product is that it is labeled as safe to use in pregnant or nursing cats. Side effects, although rare, may include topical irritation at the site of application, lethargy, as well as rare twitching reactions, agitation, and/or restlessness. These are typically short-lived, and fortunately, are very uncommon across pet populations that the product has been used. Some veterinarians and experts have wondered about the recent resistance of fleas to some of the fipronil-based products, but that has not been my experience. I give this product an overall rating of a 4, with an ease of application and efficacy of 4, as well.

I find that the effective combination of an ingredient like fipronil, along with the insect growth regulator methoprene, provides the best spectrum of activity and protection against all stages of the flea life cycle from egg through larval stage on to adult. Because of these two main ingredients and their method of action, I find that clients don't have to treat the environment as much. I find that this product tends to be safer in smaller breed animals when compared to its competition. I find its tick efficacy quite good. The fact that it is waterproof also allows clients, whose pets swim frequently, to confidently use this product during the swimming months. I also find that this product works the longest for fleas, while some of the competitive products have to be reapplied before the end of the month. The lack of label efficacy against mosquitoes and flies, as well as the fact that this product does not repel fleas or ticks are the two main disadvantages. As with any insecticidal products, I find that every pet is an individual, in terms of which of the products works best on them. When I am dealing with more of a flea issue in a patient, this is the product I will likely reach for first.

Parastar Plus combines the proven performing main ingredient of fipronil with cyphenothrin, which allows for more rapid killing and treatment of fleas, ticks, certain mites, and lice. This combination allows for this topically applied product to begin killing within an hour. In my experience, most of my clients have reported higher efficacy and better satisfaction for tick control over fleas. It seems to be easier to dispense out of the applicator over competitor products, and especially with lighter colored dogs the product does not seem to stain. However on occasion, I have seen a sensitive darker coated dog have some mild bleaching at the site of application. With some longer haired dogs, I have seen it leave an occasional slightly sticky spot at the site of application as well. Like many of the competitor products, it is touted as waterproof, however, I try and recommend that clients do not bathe dogs for 2 or 3 days before or after application, as some feel that this may affect the efficacy of the product. In my experience, I have found that this product is better at preventing problems rather than controlling already heavy flea infestations, in which case I usually will go to one of the newer oral tablets for flea/tick control that usually kill rapidly within 30 minutes. Another limitation of the product is that you can't use Parastar Plus on less than 4-pound dogs, which is an added benefit of topical prescription products like Revolution. As with any product of this type, occasional itchiness, and/or irritation/agitation from applying the product may be seen, but I find this side effect less common than with competitor products. It is also important for clients to understand that it is critical, especially with heavy flea infestations, to also focus on treating the environment as well. Overall this product has performed better for tick control and prevention than for fleas. I give it an overall rating of a 3, with an ease-of-application rating of 4.5 out of 5.

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