Capstar indeed kills fleas FAST, and it is an oral medication rather than a topical. Be aware though it's a one time or DAILY medication. The topicals last for 4 weeks or longer.

I've seen too many bad reactions at work from owners using things like Hartz, Adams, Bio Spot, etc. I couldn't with good concious recoomend any of those to anyone.

I've only seen a couple reactions (like 3-4 in 9 years) with the topicals we use (Frontline Plus and Revolution), and those were mild mostly minor hair loss and a couple high strung cats that drooled for awhile (which they tended to do when they came in for a normal visit anyways).

Definately check other vet's costs on Frontline Plus. There can be a HUGE variance in what each one charges. Revolution is a prescription medication so I doubt if a different vet that has not seen your pets before would let you buy it there or not. Frontline Plus does NOT require a prescription, but a different vet may require an appointment to form a client/patient relationship to sell it to you the first time.