The label says, word for word:
Advantage Multi for Dogs is indicated for the prevention of heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis and the treatment of Dirofilaria immitis circulating microfilariae in heartworm-positive dogs. Advantage Multi for Dogs kills adult fleas and is indicated for the treatment of flea infestations Ctenocephalides felis.
Do not administer this product orally.
Do not use this product (containing 2.5 % moxidectin) on cats.
WARNING: DO NOT ADMINISTER THIS PRODUCT ORALLY. For the first 30 minutes after application ensure that dogs cannot lick the product from application sites on themselves or other treated animals. Children should not come in contact with application sites for two hours after application.
Ingestion of this product by dogs may cause serious adverse reactions including depression, salivation, dilated pupils, incoordination, panting, and generalized muscle tremors.
Some dogs are more sensitive to avermectins due to a mutation in the MDR1 gene. Dogs with this mutation may develop signs of severe avermectin toxicity if they ingest this product. The most common breeds associated with this mutation include Collies and Collie crosses.
Do not use on sick, debilitated, or underweight cats. Do not use on cats less than 9 weeks of age or less than 2 lbs. body weight.
Cats may experience hypersalivation, tremors, vomiting and decreased appetite if Advantage Multi for Cats is inadvertently administered orally or through grooming/licking of the application site.
Every approved medicine has a field study behind it, and the label prints what happened:
Following treatment with Advantage Multi for Dogs or an active control, dog owners reported the following post-treatment reactions:
Dog field study table (Advantage Multi for Dogs group): Pruritus 19 (14.8%); Residue 9 (7.0%); Medicinal Odor 5 (3.9%); Lethargy 1 (0.8%); Inappetence 1 (0.8%); Hyperactivity 1 (0.8%)
Following treatment with Advantage Multi for Cats or an active control, cat owners reported the following post-treatment reactions.
Advantage Multi for Dogs: 'Approved by FDA under NADA number 141-251' (FOI 'Date of Approval: December 20, 2006', sponsor Bayer HealthCare LLC). Advantage Multi for Cats: 'Approved by FDA under NADA # 141-254' (FOI 'Date of Approval: January 19, 2007'); DailyMed setid 4acea077-3f1a-4507-ab8c-2f65d9035c97. The dog label carries a boxed warning (quoted first under warnings) about oral ingestion, licking and children.
The emergency page sorts the signs by how long you have, and the symptom checker asks what you are seeing. Reactions to a medicine can also be reported to the FDA yourself: how to report a problem.
These answers come from the approved label on DailyMed, read on 2 October 2026. Where the label does not say, the answer says so, and the vet or the pharmacist is the one to ask.
The approved use is quoted at the top of this page. It is a liquid put on a dog's skin, once a month when it is used to prevent heartworm disease or to treat fleas. It is also approved against hookworms, roundworms, whipworms and sarcoptic mange. The label read for these answers is the one for dogs, and it says not to use the dog product on cats. Advantage Multi for Cats has a label of its own.
The label gives no time in hours or days. It says that adult fleas already on the dog are killed by the first dose. It also says that fleas which were already developing in the dog's surroundings can keep appearing for six weeks or longer after treatment starts. Ask the vet what to expect and by when.
It goes on the skin and never in the mouth. The label says to part the hair between the shoulder blades until the skin shows and to put the whole tube directly on the skin. For a dog of 20 pounds or less it goes on in one spot between the shoulder blades. For a heavier dog it goes on in three or four spots along the top of the back, from the base of the neck to the upper back, where the dog cannot reach to lick. Do not put it on irritated skin, and keep it out of the dog's eyes and mouth. For the first 30 minutes keep the dog from licking the spots, and keep treated dogs apart from each other and from other pets. Children should not touch the spots for two hours, and you should wash your hands with soap and warm water afterwards. The label says a shampoo 90 minutes after treatment does not weaken the heartworm protection, and that shampooing as often as once a week may weaken the effect on fleas.
In its section on heartworm prevention the label says what to do if a dose is missed and more than 30 days have passed since the last one. In that case you should "administer Advantage Multi for Dogs immediately and resume the monthly dosing schedule".
The studies and the warnings are quoted above. The label says that if the liquid gets into the dog's eyes you should hold the eyelids open, rinse well with water and contact your vet. It warns that a dog that swallows the product can have serious reactions, including dullness, drooling, wide pupils, unsteadiness, panting and muscle tremors. It also says stiff or damp-looking hair, pink skin or a slight powdery residue may be seen where the liquid went on.
The label says to store it between 39° and 77°F, away from excess heat or cold, and to keep it out of the reach of children.
The label gives no disposal instructions for the tubes. The FDA says the best way to get rid of most unused or expired medicines is a take-back option: a drug take-back location, which can be at a pharmacy or a police station, or a prepaid mail-back envelope. If you cannot use one and the medicine is not on the FDA's flush list, the FDA says to mix it with something unappealing such as dirt, cat litter or used coffee grounds and to seal the mixture in a plastic bag before throwing it away. Flushing is only for medicines on that list, such as opioids. Do not give leftovers to another pet.
Write the dose, the times and the stop date here, then print this page for the fridge.
Dose and times: _____________________________________________
Stop date: _____________________________________________