Hello,
So today I was talking about the Seresto collar with my partner. When I searched it up to see the price again, I saw articles that were about 1 to 3 days old talking about how the Seresto collar was causing accidents! I just took my cat's seresto collar off him. Does anyone know more information about this? I don't think my cat has had any problems with this but now I'm worried. Please let me know! I thought this brand was trusted.
We Asked Vets About the Seresto Flea Collars. Here's What You Should Know (yahoo.com)
Seresto pet collars found to harm pets, humans, EPA records show (usatoday.com)
Hi!
So there are a couple of things it's worth knowing about the recent Seresto news article.
Firstly, reports of problems do not mean that the Seresto is to blame. Anybody can report a suspected side effect, but often when these are investigated there is not a link between the two. When something goes wrong with your pet, we often look for the things we can see (the Seresto collar) rather than the things we can't (diseases, cells, genes and the like) and make a connection where there is none. Allegations and anecdotal reports of a problem with a collar are not enough to create a recall - so whilst the EPA may not be seen to be doing anything, it's likely they've investigated and found most of these reports to not be linked to the collar. I've often gone through the process of reporting a suspected side effect only for the company to pay for tests to be done that proved, conclusively, that the drug wasn't the cause.
Secondly, I think it's also important to understand that, because Seresto is not a prescription product, the market is full of fakes- and there's no way to tell how many of these incidents are related to the fake collars. The fake collars come in extremely similar packaging and are often almost indistinguishable from the real thing. But these fakes won't have undergone the rigorous safety testing that the Seresto collars have.
As a vet, I still feel safe recommending the Seresto collar to my patients if it's one that suits their needs.
I hope that helps clear things up a bit!
Seresto flea and tick collars contain 2 insecticide chemicals: imidacloprid and flumethrin. Similar to other products, I have not heard of any specific proven problems with these chemicals or the Seresto collar per se. However, I’m not a fan of collars as I don’t find them effective, they continuously expose everyone to chemicals, and I think that when needed, other chemicals for fleas and ticks are a better choice than collars. Until more information is available on the Seresto collars, you might consider a more natural approach (safe shampoos and sprays) or topical chemicals as directed by your doctor if your cat has regular flea and tick exposure.
Dr. Shawn Messonnier