Many of these frontline flea and tick medicine counterfeits look very much like the genuine ones with regard to the packaging and it may be difficult to tell the difference if one is not familiar with the product at all. As such many unsuspecting buyers, especially first-time consumers are very likely to be caught unaware.
These products are pesticides, and therefore, are very carefully regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Because they are systemic products, which travel through the blood stream of the treated cat or dog, it is extremely important to read the labels carefully, and to follow the directions completely; i.e., avoid "off-label" use.
One major problem with these counterfeits version of the pesticides is that the labeling may differ enough from the genuine products. The packaging may also omit certain important cautionary material, so that the wrong dosage may actually be used. Many of these bogus frontline flea and tick medication have been repackaged in countries outside the U.S. They are usually just relabeled to appear to be the genuine article, and then illegally imported back into the U.S. for sale to unsuspecting buyers. The main problem lies in the relabelling and often mislabelling and these may include one or more of the following:
- The proper usage and warnings statements may not be stated on the label
- The proper dosage and weight requirements of the pet may not be reflected on the label.
- The label may have confusing instructions regarding the dosage and weight of the pet because it uses the metric system rather than conventional US measurements.
- The label may not include the manufacturer i.e. Merial's special toll-free number for customers to call with questions about FRONTLINE products and to seek help in occurrence of side effects
All this may end up putting pets treated at high risk of under dose or overdose and the resulting side effects can be fatal. However, having said that, a monthly treatment using this product to get rid of fleas and ticks effectively can be a financial strain on pet owners and the urge to buy from cheap sources of supply will always remain attractive. As such, it’s important that you learn to recognize and differentiate the genuine ones from the counterfeits. You can find out more details on "Frontline Flea And Tick Products – How to Avoid Counterfeits” in my website.