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This post was originally published in 2014. It's been updated with new information to help more pet parents.
If dog owners didn't have enough to worry about, now we have to be concerned that the Frontline we order online is counterfeit. A friend of mine who is a vet tech clued me in on this several years ago. Although I use natural flea and tick repellents, this is important information because I have friends who have struggled with flea infestations and the natural options aren't as effective.
- Avoid Counterfeit Pesticide Products for Dogs and Cats, EPA.Gov
- How to Spot Fake Frontline Plus
- Counterfeit Frontline Plus
- Differentiating between real and fake Frontline Plus | ebay
- More than 1 in 10 pet owners have been conned into purchasing fake pet medicines online
How to Spot Counterfeit Frontline Products
If you're ordering Frontline online (or picking it up at the store, the following tips will help you determine if the product is real or counterfeit. But the easiest way to spot a fake product would be to take it to your veterinarian or call the company for their opinion.
- Compare the lot number on the package to each individual applicator within the package; they should match.
- Look for the instruction pamphlet; fake Frontline Plus may not include the pamphlet inside the package.
- Check to see if the applicators are child-resistant. There should be instructions on how to open the product.
- Compare the packaging and applicators you brought home (or received in the mail) to ones you’ve used in the past to see if they look the same.
- Is the writing in English?
- Is there an EPA registration number?
- A statement warning you to keep the product out of the reach of children?
- Are the measurements on the package in pounds?
- Are there stickers blocking labeling in a foreign language (or a foreign address)?
- You get what you pay for – if the price is significantly lower than the retail price should raise a red flag.
Of course, if none of these steps work, contact your veterinarian or the company that makes Frontline.
Natural Alternatives to Frontline
I stopped using chemical flea and tick repellents a long time ago because I found natural products that work great for my dogs. When I first switched to natural solutions, there wasn't much on the market, but today there are several options including:
Other Counterfeit Products to Watch For
As I was updating this blog post, I began to wonder if there are other fake products that we need to worry about. The only one that came to mind was Nutramax Cosequin DS Plus joint supplements. If you find these on Amazon, they're fake because the company doesn't sell through Amazon, nor do any of their distributors.
This Listing for Nutramax is REAL by Chewy.com.
But that's not all.
Although I could only find two additional products, I did read that the number of counterfeit products in the pet industry, specifically fake prescription medication, is growing. No one is minding the store, which puts it on us as the pet parents to make sure we're not taken and that our pets don't suffer.
Hey, I get it, I try to save money when and where I can so that I can continue to afford raw feeding. Meat prices are climbing. I can understand why someone would take advantage of a discounted price, not realizing that the product might not be fake. Because of this, I won't buy supplements on Amazon unless I know that the listing was made by the brand or their distributor.
If you're curious if an Amazon (or eBay, etc.) listing is legit, start by contacting the company and sending them a link to the listing.
Yup…this is true of many online items. A group of us assist the elderly community members that are caring for “feral” cat colonies near their home. Sadly, most of these folks are lonely and are happy to feed the cats, even if that means they go without medicine or food themselves. We help by delivering food, performing TNR and as many of these “feral cats” are happy to sit in the laps of these men and women, they are not truly feral but mostly “pets they cannot allow into their homes”. We got had not once, BUT TWICE, with Advantage II…we searched for Advantage II for extra large dog (as it is the identical product whether for cat or dog—NOTE: THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO ADVANTAGE MULTI, ONLY ADVANTAGE & ADVANTAGE II-Advantage multi will seriously harm a cat). Anyway, we got a “great price” from a company in Australia…but it shipped from China and it was Advantage, not Advantage II-and really, it likely was not advantage Ii either). But it was a fake. Called Bayer and they confirmed…but be darned…about 6 months later, another guy i our group made THE SAME mistake…urgh!
So annoying.
None of the cats seemed harmed by the applications we applied before realizing the error of our ways, but we did chunk the rest of the tubes after realizing it was junk…and of course, the second purchase as well.
It is a shame that making a buck in an underhanded manner is so common.
Thank you for sharing this. Appreciate the post. It is so helpful for every dog owner. I read each tip so that my dog doesn’t get fake products.
Hi Robert, the best way to find out is to check with your veterinarian.
I bought Frontline plus online the expiration dates are on the box and all the packs. They all match and the lot numbers are all the same. One box says it is made in France the other says South Afica. I bought one on Ebay and the other on Amazon do you think they are fake?
Please excuse my spelling, early in the morning and no coffee yet.
This comment is strictly for information about Frontline Plus in the Philippines: I emailed Merial here in the Philippines about the possibility of the Frontline Plus I bought in the local pet store being fake. The responded very quickly to my inquiry to my surprise. The laws in Philippines requires them to put an exploration date on the box, along with the batch No. This should be located on the box and on each packet of meds in the box and match. There is also a requirement to place an RX label on the front of the box which states it was imported by Merial SAS Philippines. So if all these conditions are not met, chances are the Frontline plus is fake. This is sad that these fake suppliers are so greedy to do this to a pet for money. These pet stores will sell you one of the packets out of the box, so check that the packet matches the box before purchasing. The back of the package does not have instructions like in the US, but that is ok because its not a requirement here in the Philippines. The weight on the box is in Kilos not lbs. The typical price for 10-20 kilos (blue box) for a box of 3 packets is about P1150. My purchase was for Lice. This treatment doesn’t kill the eggs, so you must follow up in two weeks with another dose. (vets recommend 2 weeks because they claim Frontline loses its strength after two weeks).
If you’re concerned that the Frontline you purchased is fake, please take it to your veterinarian to have them check or contact the manufacturer.
I live in the Philippines, prescriptions aren’t necessary even for human medicines (not enforced) except certain controlled. Having said that, Frontline Plus is available in some pet supply stores. I just purchased Frontline Plus for dogs at the local pet store. The lot number is located on the box and on the individual med container packages. However there is an expiration date. The package includes instruction bi-fold sheet which matches what I saw on the Net. The name Merial SAS is on the box and says was manufactured in Toulouse, France. Warnings are on the box “Keep out of reach of Children” Additional RX sticker on box says was imported by Merial Philippines Inc. Also has ingredients stated on box. Is it possible for this to be Fake?
Eveyln – that is not what I said in this blog post. There have been news reports warning about fake Frontline just this past week. The issue is with sites like Amazon.com, where anyone can set up a store and sell products and we can’t tell if they’re legit. Amazon does a great job policing their site but some people get through.
What I say in the blog post is that if someone isn’t sure if the Frontline they purchased is real or fake, they can take it to their vet’s office and their vet will know. I didn’t say that the only place people can buy Frontline is from their vet.
So let me get this right, Now people saying that ONLY the real authentic Frontline can be through a Veterinarian only!?! they sounds REDICULOUS. What about all the BIG & FAMOUS WELL KNOWN PET SUPPLY PLACES LIKE PETCO ETC………….THIS DOSENT SOUND RIGHT AT ALL. OK THERE ARE FAKE COUNTERFEITS OUT THERE YOU ALL MAKING IT SOUND LIKE “FRONT LINE” IS ‘NOT’ AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC SOUNDS OBSURD & CRAZY!
Yes, bummer. But not a surprise, which, I guess, makes it double bummer.
Isn’t it a bummer?
Sadly, this doesn’t really surprise me at all. It’s one of the reasons why I prefer getting some things directly from our vet.
I was surprised at first, but then when I think about the fact that people will steal content instead of writing their own, and that brands will keep tainted treats on the market to keep from cutting into their revenue – of COURSE someone would sell fake flea and tick treatment.
I’m just glad that I came across this when I was dancing around on the Internet learning more about keyword research. I was stunned.
I didn’t even think of storage. Thanks, Ann
Isn’t that crazy? And it’s been going on for awhile. From what I learned yesterday, unless it comes from your vet, there’s a chance that it could be fake. Wow!
Yikes. I didn’t know about this, but then again I shouldn’t be surprised. I will be more careful where I order the products from now on. Thank you.
When Merial or Bayer came and talked with us about their flea products, this always came up. The thing is, these prescription flea medications are only sold to veterinarians so they aren’t sure where exactly some online pharmacies get theirs from. Vets could sell them on the black market, or there is the fake thing too. And there is no telling if the products are stored properly, etc. We always discouraged people from buying their’s elsewhere but were happy to sign the prescriptions, it’s the law anyways. Have to allow people to purchase their prescriptions from whichever pharmacy they choose.
Gosh, people will make fake ANYTHING to make a quick buck! How dare they prey off of us dog moms. If they only knew how tough we are…
Are you kidding me?! I had no idea about fake Frontline so thank you for bringing it to our attention! Geeze, people are trying to get in on the pet-industry for the $$$ without any concern for the actual pets. Shameful.
Oz
I think this happens more than people think. We use to see it all the time when I worked at the vet clinic. Some people may also not realize that some products like Frontline, don’t guarantee their product unless it is purchased from an authorized dealer.