FAQs ANSWERED

It often takes 3 months or more to get rid of a flea infestation in the home, because it can take this long for all immature fleas in their protective cocoons to develop and emerge as new fleas before they can be killed. Find out more about how to get rid of fleas in your home.

Yes. Milder winters mean fleas can survive outdoors for much longer. Flea life stages can also continue to develop indoors thanks to our warm homes. Therefore, it’s important to keep protecting our pets throughout the year. Find out more about preventing fleas. 

FRONTLINE PLUS^®, FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® and FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON kill fleas by affecting their nervous system, making them hyperactive before dying. These dying fleas often rise to the top of the pet’s coat and bounce, so if you see fleas after treatment, it’s often a sign the product has got to work. Find out more about why you may still see fleas after treating your pet.

If you have any concerns, please contact our technical services team at petsuk@boehringer-ingelheim.com or your veterinary surgeon.

Flea infestations are unpleasant for you and your pets, and can take 3 months or more to resolve, so be patient. Follow our 5 steps to help resolve the problem:

1. Make sure all cats, dogs and flea-bearing pets in your home are continually treated with an appropriate product at the recommended intervals for at least 3 consecutive months
2. Vacuum more often than usual – ideally daily – and include places your pet regularly visits, for example the car. The vibration caused by vacuuming helps to encourage pupae to hatch
3. Regularly wash your pet’s bedding at a minimum of 60°C
4. Let your pets have access to all the same parts of the home that they usually do. Fleas present in those areas will be killed when they jump onto your treated pet
5. Treat your home with a household flea spray containing an insect growth regulator (IGR), such as FRONTLINE HOMEGARD®. Always read the instructions on the can before use

For a more visual summary and some extra handy tips, watch our short video. 

Yes. Even indoor-only pets can become exposed to fleas if an untreated pet visits your home or if you or a friend brings in flea eggs or cocoons on shoes or clothing. Learn more about hitchhiker fleas.

Even if you have treated your pet for fleas, some fleas may still have time to lay eggs before dying. These eggs can develop into new fleas in as little as 14 days, therefore it’s important to tackle flea eggs too. Some flea products only kill fleas on your pet. FRONTLINE PLUS^® not only kills fleas and ticks on your pet, but also prevents flea eggs from hatching and infesting the home. FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® kills fleas in 6 hours, before they have time to lay eggs and so resolves the flea egg problem altogether.

No, in fact no product stops fleas from jumping onto pets. However, fleas are killed after contact with your treated pet: within 24 hours for FRONTLINE PLUS^® and FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON, or within 6 hours for FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^®.

Most tick treatments, including FRONTLINE PLUS^® and FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON, are not tick repellents – that means individual ticks may still attach to your pet. After treatment with FRONTLINE PLUS^® or FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON, ticks will be killed within 48 hours after they’re exposed to the treatment – before they are fully fed – and this helps reduce the risk of disease transmission. FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® is a tick repellent which means ticks will climb onto your dog and then quickly climb off due to the exposure to the product. You may see some ticks on your treated dog during this time, or during the 6 hours it takes for the product to kill ticks. If you have any concerns, please contact our technical services team at petsuk@boehringer-ingelheim.com or your veterinary surgeon.

If you can still see fleas on your pet after treating them, it would be natural to think that the treatment isn’t working. However, no product can repel fleas from jumping onto your pet, so it’s normal to continue to see fleas after treatment as your pet can pick up new fleas from the environment at any time.
If you’re fighting a home infestation, it’s highly likely that you’ll see fleas on your pet for 3 months or more as it can take this long to get rid of the infestation. Don't worry if you see fleas for several days in a row, today’s flea is not the one you saw yesterday. Any fleas jumping onto a treated pet will be killed within 24 hours if they’re treated with FRONTLINE PLUS^® or FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON, or within 6 hours if they’re treated with FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^®. If you have any concerns, please contact our technical services team at petsuk@boehringer-ingelheim.com or your veterinary surgeon.
Find out more about why you may still see fleas after treating your pet.

No. FRONTLINE PLUS^®, FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® and FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON act topically, which means that fleas and ticks are killed through contact with your pet’s skin and coat – they don’t need to bite to be killed.

No, FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® must only be used on dogs.

You can handle, stroke and cuddle your pet as usual as soon as the application site is dry. In the meantime, treated animals should not be handled and children should not be allowed to play or sleep with them.

FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON needs up to 24 hours of contact to kill each new flea that jumps onto your pet. Like other flea products, FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON won’t stop new fleas from jumping onto your pet. There aren’t any products that stop fleas jumping onto animals, so it’s normal to see some fleas on a treated pet.

Like most tick treatments FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON isn’t a tick repellent, so individual ticks may still attach to your pet. FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON kill ticks within 48 hours of being in contact with them. This means ticks will be killed before they are fully fed, which reduces the risk of disease transmission.

As with all licensed veterinary medicines, FRONTLINE PLUS^®, FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® and FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON have undergone extensive safety evaluation. When used as directed, pets treated with FRONTLINE^® flea and tick treatments do not pose a health risk to children or adults. It is a recommended precaution that children or adults do not pet, play or sleep with treated animals until the application site is dry.

FRONTLINE PLUS^® needs up to 24 hours of contact to kill each new flea that jumps onto your pet. Like other flea products, FRONTLINE PLUS^® won’t stop new fleas from jumping onto your pet. There aren’t any products that stop fleas jumping onto animals, so it’s normal to see some fleas on a treated pet.

Like most tick treatments FRONTLINE PLUS^® isn’t a tick repellent, so individual ticks may still attach to your pet. FRONTLINE PLUS^® kill ticks within 48 hours of being in contact with them. This means ticks will be killed before they are fully fed, which reduces the risk of disease transmission.

Yes, you can use it on your dogs. Follow two simple precautions to keep cats safe after treating dogs with FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^®:

• keep cats and treated dogs away from each other until the application site is dry
• make sure that cats do not groom the site of application on a treated dog

You must only ever use products on pet species that they have been specifically developed and licensed for. FRONTLINE PLUS^® for Cats can only be used on cats and ferrets; FRONTLINE PLUS^® for Dogs can only be used on dogs; FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON for Cats can only be used on cats; FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON for Dogs can only be used on dogs and FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® can only be used on dogs. Do not use any FRONTLINE^® treatment on rabbits.

Both products kill fleas and ticks on your pet, however FRONTLINE^® PLUS has an advanced formula that also stops flea eggs that fall off pets from hatching in your home.

After you’ve applied FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON, it’s stored in the sebaceous glands in your pet's skin and then spreads over their skin and coat along with their natural oils. Fleas and ticks are killed through contact with FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON on your pet's skin and coat, so they don’t need to bite to be killed.

It can be normal to see single ticks on your treated pet because FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON isn’t a tick repellent (most tick products don’t repel ticks). FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON has been proven to kill ticks within 48 hours. Dead ticks will often drop off, but because ticks strongly attach themselves to pets, some may still remain attached even though they’re dead. We recommend you safely remove any dead ticks that are still attached with a tick remover. 

Yes, FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® can be used on any breed of dog, including collies and other herding-breed dogs which can sometimes show a sensitivity to some parasite treatments.

Yes. FRONTLINE PLUS^® for extra-large dogs can be used on dogs over 40 kg – there’s no upper weight limit for this product. To treat dogs over 60 kg with FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^®, use the appropriate combination of two pipette sizes that most closely matches the bodyweight. To treat dogs over 60 kg with FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON, use two large-sized pipettes for dogs from 20 to 40 kg.

The easy-to-use spray can be used throughout your home, on non-washable furniture and home textiles such as carpets, rugs, mats, sofas and armchairs, and in your car if your dog goes in there too. One 1.3-second spray treats 1 m² in your home. Use sparingly on wooden or glossy surfaces to avoid spotting. Leave the area and do not re-enter until at least 60 minutes after treatment or until treated areas are dry, and allow the area to air.

There are no known health risks associated with applying these products to your pet during pregnancy. As a general rule, pregnant women should wear gloves to avoid direct contact with the product.

FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON can take up to 24 hours to kill fleas. The fleas you see on your pet in the days after using FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON aren’t likely to be the ones you see before you used it. Be reassured that any new fleas that jump onto your pet will be killed before they have time to lay many eggs that could infest your home. It's also worth knowing that FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON kills fleas by making them hyperactive, so it’s easier to see them while they’re dying.

After you’ve applied FRONTLINE PLUS^®, it’s stored in the sebaceous glands in your pet's skin and then spreads over their skin and coat along with their natural oils. Fleas and ticks are killed through contact with FRONTLINE PLUS^® on your pet's skin and coat, so they don’t need to bite to be killed.

It can be normal to see single ticks on your treated pet because FRONTLINE PLUS^® isn’t a tick repellent (most tick products don’t repel ticks). FRONTLINE PLUS^® has been proven to kill ticks within 48 hours. Dead ticks will often drop off, but because ticks strongly attach themselves to pets, some may still remain attached even though they’re dead. We recommend you safely remove any dead ticks that are still attached with a tick remover. 

The minimum time to wait between two treatments of FRONTLINE HOMEGARD^® is 6 months. It’s not necessary to use FRONTLINE HOMEGARD^® repeatedly if you’re regularly treating your cat or dog with an effective flea and tick treatment, such as FRONTLINE^® spot-on products. In most cases one treatment of FRONTLINE HOMEGARD^® is enough to see you through until the end of the infestation.

Once FRONTLINE PLUS^®, FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® or FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON has been applied, it’s recommended to keep your pet out of the rain and away from water (including the sea, streams, rivers and ponds) for the next 48 hours. Don’t bathe them either. If they do come into contact with rain within 48 hours after treatment, it’s unlikely that they’ll get so wet that the product is washed away. However, if your pet gets soaked to the skin then the effectiveness of the treatment may be affected and reapplication may be needed. If this is the case, please contact your veterinary surgeon for advice.

FRONTLINE PLUS^® can take up to 24 hours to kill fleas. The fleas you see on your pet in the days after using FRONTLINE PLUS^® aren’t likely to be the ones you see before you used it. Be reassured that any new fleas that jump onto your pet will be killed before they have time to lay many eggs that could infest your home. It's also worth knowing that FRONTLINE PLUS^® kills fleas by making them hyperactive, so it’s easier to see them while they’re dying.

Use FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON every 4 weeks for optimal protection against fleas and ticks.

FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON and FRONTLINE PLUS^® both kill ticks and fleas on your pet in the same way. However, our advanced formula FRONTLINE PLUS^® not only kills fleas and ticks on your pet, but also stops flea eggs from hatching and infesting your home.

Yes, FRONTLINE PLUS^®/FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON can be used on any breed of cat and dog, including collies and other herding-breed dogs which can sometimes show a sensitivity to some parasite treatments.

FRONTLINE PLUS^®, FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® and FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON have an exemplary safety profile and adverse reactions to the treatments are very rare. If you believe your pet has experienced any adverse reactions after use of FRONTLINE PLUS^®, FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® or FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON, please contact our technical services team at petsuk@boehringer-ingelheim.com or your veterinary surgeon.

Once applied, FRONTLINE PLUS^®/ FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^®/FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON is stored in the sebaceous glands in your pet’s skin and spreads over their whole body surface with their natural oils. Fleas and ticks are killed through contact with your pet’s skin and coat – they don’t need to bite to be killed.

FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON can take up to 24 hours to kill fleas. Any new fleas jumping onto your pet will be killed within this period before they have time to lay many eggs that could infest your home.

Use FRONTLINE PLUS^® every 4 weeks to help protect your pet and your home against fleas – and kill ticks too.

Once FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON has been applied, don’t bathe your dog for 48 hours and keep them out of the rain and away from watercourses for 48 hours too. If your dog is rained on within this period, it’s unlikely that they’ll get wet enough for the product to be washed away. However, if your pet gets soaked to the skin, then the treatment may be affected and reapplication may be needed. If your pet does get soaked, please contact your veterinary surgeon for advice.

If used as directed in the usage instructions, FRONTLINE HOMEGARD^® does not pose a health risk to children or adults. It is a recommended precaution that you treat one room at a time and avoid the area for at least 60 minutes or until the area is dry, and then allow the area to air.

The expiry date can be found in three places – on the side of the outer packaging, at the bottom of the pipette foil and on the pipette itself. FRONTLINE PLUS^®, FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® and FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON last for three years after manufacture, but how long is left of that window depends on how long it’s been on the shelf. Please do not use any product beyond its expiry date. The expiry date refers to the end of the indicated month.

FRONTLINE PLUS^® can take up to 24 hours to kill fleas. Any new fleas jumping onto your pet will be killed within this period before they have time to lay many eggs that could infest your home. And FRONTLINE PLUS^® not only kills fleas, but also stops flea eggs from hatching and infesting your home.

Use FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON every 4 weeks for optimal protection against fleas and ticks.

Once FRONTLINE PLUS^® has been applied, don’t bathe your dog for 48 hours and keep them out of the rain and away from watercourses for 48 hours too. If your dog is rained on within this period, it’s unlikely that they’ll get wet enough for the product to be washed away. However, if your pet gets soaked to the skin, then the treatment may be affected and reapplication may be needed. If your pet does get soaked, please contact your veterinary surgeon for advice.

FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON is licensed for use in pregnant and lactating cats and dogs. FRONTLINE PLUS^® is licensed for use in pregnant cats and dogs, and lactating dogs. FRONTLINE TRI-ACT^® is not licensed for use during pregnancy or lactation.

FRONTLINE^® SPOT ON and FRONTLINE PLUS^® both kill fleas and ticks on your pet. However, advanced-formula FRONTLINE PLUS^® not only kills fleas and ticks on your pet, but also stops flea eggs from hatching and infesting your home.

Use FRONTLINE PLUS^® every 4 weeks to help protect your pet and the home against fleas – and kill ticks too.* ^{*Efficacy against ticks for up to 4 weeks in dogs and 2 weeks in cats. Minimum treatment interval: 4 weeks.}

We shouldn’t wait until we start seeing signs of worms as infections have to be quite severe before signs let us know there’s a problem. Signs of worms can include weight loss, bloated tummy, diarrhoea, vomiting and dogs scooting their bottoms along the ground, but these signs are not specific to worm infections – they can indicate other issues. Worm eggs are microscopic, but you might see worms (looking like spaghetti) or worm segments (looking like grains of rice) in your dog’s stool or around their bottom. Find out more about symptoms of worms in dogs.

Yes. People can get infected by some worm eggs present on their dog’s fur or in the environment, which can cause serious diseases. Roundworm larvae can travel through the body and cause blindness in severe cases, especially in children. That’s why it’s important to worm your dog regularly, even if you can’t see any worms or your dog looks healthy. Regular worming of your dog can help reduce the chance of this happening and help you protect your whole family.

No, dogs can pick up worms at any time throughout the year. Worm eggs can survive in the environment for several years and infect your dog anywhere they explore.

FRONTLINE® Wormer kills all common intestinal worms found in the UK: roundworms, tapeworms, hookworms and whipworms. 

It’s important that we don’t wait to see signs of worms or ill health before worming our dogs. Regular worming is part of responsible dog ownership to protect our pets, ourselves and others. How often a dog should be wormed depends on a number of different factors. Experts recommend treating dogs for intestinal worms at least four times a year. However, more frequent treatment may be needed in certain cases, for example if you have children, if there are pregnant women, elderly or immunosuppressed individuals in the home, or if your dog has had fleas. Always follow the advice of your pet healthcare professional who can recommend the frequency that works for your dog’s circumstances.

There are 4 common ways your dog can pick up intestinal worms:

1. By swallowing infected fleas while grooming
2. By ingesting worm eggs from a contaminated environment (toys, grass, soil, etc.)
3. By eating or scavenging carcasses of other infected animals (mice, rabbits, birds, etc.)
4. From the mother to her puppies, either across the placenta before they are born, or via her milk when nursing