Frontline Spot on Dog 1 Pipette

Buying flea treatment one dose at a time isn't a mistake, it just answers a different question than buying three or six months at once — whether you'd rather try it before committing, or simply don't want a backlog of pipettes in a drawer.

This is a single pipette of FRONTLINE Spot On, fipronil-based and applied by snapping the tip off the sealed applicator and parting the fur at the base of the neck so it reaches the skin. Frontline's own figures are that it kills fleas within 24 hours and ticks within 48, and it's also effective against lice. It's also sold as a three- or six-pipette pack for owners who know they'll want to keep going.

• Active ingredient: fipronil
• Kills fleas within 24 hours, ticks within 48
• Also effective against lice
• Single pipette (3- and 6-dose packs also sold)
• Comes in three sizes — small, medium and large — banded to a dog's weight
• Frontline's checklist: dog at least 8 weeks old and 2kg

Why buy just one. A single pipette only covers one month, so if fleas or ticks are an ongoing risk rather than a one-off worry, the three- or six-pipette packs mean less handling and less chance of a missed month. Frontline's own safety notes still apply here: no bathing or swimming for 2 days after application, and it's not for rabbits.

Who it's for: owners trying Frontline for the first time, treating a single flea or tick episode, or simply preferring to buy one month at a time.