Chattahoochee animal clinic monthly specials

So, I went to our local walmart in Roswell, GA this past weekend and to no surprise, I am seeing more and more "look-alikes" to the common insect preventatives that we prescribe as veterinarians. You look at the percentages of active drug and it looks like a match! HOWEVER, there is one significant detail that you cannot assess from the product information...the OTHER ingredients. The 90% of other ingredients found in your flea and tick preventatives is a closely guarded secret by the manufacturers of products, such as Frontline, Frontline Tritak, and Advantix. Their sales reps do not even know that information. There is a very good reason for that...its what makes the product effective. Here at Chattahoochee Animal Clinic, we are seeing an abundance of flea allergies right now. I am attributing this to the dry and warm afternoons that we are currently having in Roswell and the surround Atlanta neighborhoods. This summer was not conducive for insect infestation because of the constant rain.

As a veterinarian, I want what is the best for my patients and a product that I know works and is guaranteed by the manufacturer. For example, Merial goes to great lengths back their product. If you still see fleas after 3 months of use they will send out Terminex to figure out the problem. Not too shabby. Also, in the event that your pet has an adverse reaction to the flea medication, would you not prefer a company that will be accountable for the problem. Good luck with the OTC distributors. Of course with any adverse event, we at Chattahoochee Animal Clinic will go to bat for the client against the manufacturer, but if the product did not leave out our doors then we do not have a leg to stand on in the battle. This is a problem that all veterinarians face when it comes to industry accountability in the world of preventatives.

So, as a final thought I will leave you with this analogy...Just like in restaurant food recipes, there are plenty of copycats, but they are still a far cry from the real thing.

-Dr. Smith