What's the difference between Frontline & Stronghold?

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Stronghold kills ear mites and dont think Frontline does.

There are also 2 types of frontline now, one over the counter and the other POM, the second does things that the first doesnt.

With Stronghold fleas and eggs are killed on contact witrh the skin or fur and therefore the fleas dont need to bite and good for cats with flea allergies.

Both sets of vets I use now do not stock Stronghold and use Advocate, I only use Stronhold.

[Jiskefet]

Stronghold kills most worms, whereas Frontline doesn't.
On the other hand, Frontline kills ticks, and Stronghold doesn't.

I use them alternately, with Stronghold AT LEAST once every 3 months, and Frontline during the months the ticks are most active.

[Millys Mum]

Program also claims to treat FAD, but they do have to bite for that.... 

Frontline definately kills on contact

Fipronil is a member of the phenylpyrazole family of non-systemic insecticides/acaricides, which acts by blocking the GABA receptor to kill the target parasite on contact.

It does take 24 hrs to kill everything so i assume a flea could still bite.

[Hippykitty]

Samantha has a flea allergy and has awful welts if bitten. The vet supplies frontline, which as Lynn says, is spread along the skin. If you read the smallprint on the packet, it says that frontline doesn't go into the cat's system. I don't know about Stronghold, as I've never used it, but I'm certain about the way Frontline works. Fleas don't need to bite to be killed by frontline. It says in the leaflet which comes with the vials that it kills fleas "on contact".

Sounds to me like Stronghold have a big marketing campaign going on, with lots of reps visiting vets and giving them discounts. 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Yes I am definately sure that the original Frontline only works when the fleas bite cos thats why Kocka had to change to Stronghold. She had a flea allergy and it was the bites that caused her problems.

The Frontline combo did not exist then and that is the one I believe works in the same way as Stronghold but is only obtainable by prescription.

[Desley (booktigger)]

My vets always use Milbemax rather than Drontal - it is pricey though, didn't get much change from £10 for 2 tablets!!

[Millys Mum]

Gill, both can be used for FAD

[swampmaxmum]

Not sure Helen if it's for commercial or safety reasons, but DEFRA's rules on the passports (which will be used when your two monsters next go on their summer hols lol) mean that before coming back into the UK cats are given Milbemax and Frontline.  My vet told me both are safe for the Swamp with his liver, so I think they must be pretty safe. Your vet has probably had a visit from the Stronghold rep!

Are you letting Lucas and Riley out then?

[CurlyCatz]

gill are you sure you have that around the right way ?  The flea does not have to bite to be killed by frontline as the chemicals are stored in the seb glands and oils not the blood which i believe is where the chemical goes to with stronghold     That reason i think is why frontline became so popular.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Stronghold kills the fleas without them having to bite the cat, plus does ear mites and some worms, the basic Frontline works by the fleas having to bite to die so if a cat has a flea allergy, its no good.

I believe that the newer Frontline combo works the same way on fleas as Stronghold but am not 100% sure about that.

I use Stronghold cos Kocka had a flea allergy and also earmites, so stayed with that for my new cats.

[Tiggy's Mum]

Thanks MM 

[Millys Mum]

Stronghold

Following administration of Stronghold, adult fleas on the animal are killed and no viable eggs are produced and larvae (found only in the environment) are also killed. This stops flea reproduction, breaks the flea life cycle and may aid in the control of existing environmental flea infestations in areas to which the animal has access.

Frontline

Fipronil is a member of the phenylpyrazole family of non-systemic insecticides/acaricides, which acts by blocking the GABA receptor to kill the target parasite on contact.

Newly arriving fleas are killed within 24 hours of landing on the animal

Both say can be used to treat flea allergy so i think both kill without them needing to bite, but if it takes 24 hrs for them to die i reckon a flea will bite within that time.

Stronghold for adult cats has more fluid in it than FL!

Systemic is that it effects more than one body part/organ.

[Tiggy's Mum]

They did have Frontline as I saw it in the cupboard when he got the Stronghold out.  You've just reminded me though, I remember when Tiggy had a little 'issue' I went to the vets to get some flea stuff (couldn't wait for vetuk when it comes to fleas!) and they tried to give me something other than Frontline, thinking about it I'm sure that was Stronghold.  I insisted the nurse look it up in the medical book as Tiggy had CRF and she said it did go into the bloodstream which is why I got her frontline instead.  I was just wondering whether the SH worked in a different way ie making the fleas infertile

If they both do the same job (ie kill fleas when they bite rather than making them infertile or something else) then the only reason I can think of is that maybe the amount of liquid in Stronghold is less so easier to apply to kittens with a smaller skin surface area?

[Millys Mum]

I read Stronghold is systemic, whatever that means 

Odd he gave a drontal and then the stronghold, maybe they dont stock it anymore, i know my vets dont sell drontal and i dont remember seeing frontline on their shelves either.

[Christine (Blip)]

This information is probably of no use to you, Helen, but Blip was always a bit subdued after her Frontline application, whereas she shows no adverse reaction at all to Stronghold.  So I've switched to that.  Our vet still prescribes Milbemax quarterly because, I think I'm right in saying, Stronghold kills the other worms but not tapeworms.  It also kills ear mites, I believe.

[CurlyCatz]

helen i cant find any really good info either, even on the noah data sheets i cannot identify the mode of action.

However i believe stronghold would be absorbed into the bloodstream and affect the flea when they have a feed but frontline is not absorbed into the blood stream, it collects in the sebaceous glands and is spread by natural oils so the flea is exposed to the chemical that way.

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

Stronghold does ear mites and some worms.

I gotta be honest i still stick to Frontline and then use a Drontal tablet for worms.

[Tiggy's Mum]

Lucas and Riley had their first vaccinations yesterday and the vet gave them a Stronghold dose too.  I have only ever used Frontline and was wondering what the difference is? 

They are both spot ons, I googled Frontline and it says it kills fleas within 24 hours etc etc.  I can't find a website for Stronghold and was wondering what the difference was. Is stronghold one of those ones that makes fleas infertile or something?  I know it does roundworms aswell but he gave them a Drontal tablet first so he can't have chosen it for it's worm killing powers!