Seresto Collar – Are They Safe For Your Dog?

For those of us that love keeping up with the news, you may have seen an article on the Seresto Collar published in USA Today back in March 2021.

As an owner of two dogs that have been using these collars for years and having read this article a few weeks back (August 2021) definitely had me a little concerned regarding the safety of these flea and tick collars.

With the Our Dogs World 101 family in mind I have decided to write this article to make sure you are all kept well-informed by firstly sharing the above link and also addressing some issues that were written.

Are Seresto Collars Safe 2021?

There is no doubt that after reading this article there are some concerning statements that would warrant caution.

However it is equally important to really research this article and its so called facts, which is something I have spent the last 4 weeks doing.

In this research I have found that there were numerous inaccuracies, assumptions and opinions that were presented as facts and these have been used as Media hype!

As I mentioned earlier my two dogs have been using the Seresto Collar for years now without any incident and I firmly believe they can continue to do so without any risk to their health.

I can also tell you that Our Dogs World 101 has many customers and staff that have also been using the Seresto Flea and Tick collars without any major issues.

Amazon, who is one of the biggest sellers of this collar also have over 55,000 customers who have had no issues using this product.

Are Seresto Collars Toxic?

Just like all other EFFECTIVE flea treatments these collars do have safe pesticides used to prevent fleas and ticks and have been ticked off as safe by the EPA for use on pets.

Any chemical has the possibility to cause an unexpected reaction, not only to animals but also to us humans.

The flea and tick preventing chemicals in the Seresto collar are Flumethrin and Imidacloprid

Now I won’t bore you with the chemical break-down of the above but for all you science buffs out there I have linked their break-down according to Wikipedia.

According to a Bayer study (The Company That Produces The Seresto Collar) these two products combined have been found to be the most effective flea and tick control chemicals on the market.

So the two Seresto collar chemicals according to Harmony Animal Hospital are designed to stay in the oils and the oil glands of your pets skin with a minimal amount of absorption into your pets body which generally makes them very safe with very few reactions.

With regard to the serious injuries to people this was after opening the package and/or placing the collar on their pet and not washing their hands thoroughly afterward.

And in regard to dogs becoming ill, the majority of those incident reports were from the dog either eating the collar or getting hold of the plastic wrap it comes in.

Yes, these flea collars are toxic, however reading the full report and looking deeper into the incident reports I can confidently say that the vast majority of these incidents are user error rather than a fault in the product.

It has also been well publicized that of the deaths and reactions to the Seresto collar some or all of the effected pets could have had underlying health issues previously.

Watch Out For Fakes!

Fake or counterfeit products also play a huge part in the overall report published in USA Today.

Unfortunately there have been many fake Seresto Collars being sold by online retailers, especially on EBay!

These collars are mass-produced in China at a very cheap cost and then sold on EBay at well below market prices, and the video below shows us exactly how good the fake really looks.

These fake, knock off collars have reported a much higher rate of reactions than the official ones purchased from the likes of Amazon, Chewy or your local veterinarian.

After looking a little deeper into the claims in the report I have found out that a large majority of people reporting issues with the Seresto collar had in fact bought these online through the internet.

Most of those were on either EBay or through drop-shipping stores that more often than not source through companies like Alibaba and Ali-express.

These fake products are made to look identical to the real thing.

Unfortunately looking like the real thing is where this stops as the actual chemical breakdown of these fake Seresto collars are nothing like the real thing.

The best way to make sure you are getting the real deal is to purchase through either of the reputable online markets I mentioned previously or from your local veterinarian.

The fake collars may seem like a great cost saving idea at the time as we all love a good deal, however the lack of SAFE and effective chemicals and ingredients more often than not can lead to a very sick pet and some very expensive vet bills, if you catch the reaction on time!

Fake Seresto Collars – What To Look For

• The lot number and the Bayo logo are missing from the collar – Some counterfeiters have gotten privy to this and have now added this but the quality and appearance of these stamps are still very light and harder to read than the real collar.
• The collar features a buckle rather than the slide and lock system the Bayer Seresto collar uses.
• The collar smells – The Seresto Collar is odorless, the fake is a smell that is really pungent on the nose.
• The fake will have a missing expiry date or lot number – Some fakes will be missing both.
• Poor quality printing- The actual wording as you would have seen in the YouTube video is crooked.
• The tin itself has stickers on both the front and the back, the real one does not!
• The fake tins are smaller than the real ones.

Another thing to watch for in addition to the above are fake products that state the correct active ingredients, however at either a dosage that is dangerously high or much lower than the real product.

Does Seresto Cause Diarrhea?

All flea and tick control collars can vary in their active ingredients and as far as the Seresto collar goes this is no different.

In the majority of cases if your dog shows signs of diarrhea its is usually because they may have ingested the collar or packaging accidentally or have been applied incorrectly.

This can result in diarrhea, lethargy, seizures, drooling, vomiting and issues with their cardiac system.

If your dogs shows any of these signs it is very important to get them to a vet immediately.

Also removal of the collar is very important.

Does Seresto Really Work?

My answer to this is a resounding and confident YES!

The great thing about this product is that it not only kills and prevents fleas, it also is a very effective tick treatment.

While a flea and tick collar will most definitely protect your dog you need to ensure you do everything else within your environment to kill and control re infestation.

I have covered this in detail with an article called Treatment For Parasites In Dogs and I would highly recommend that you read this before starting any flea and tick program.

The Seresto Flea and Tick collars, as of writing this article today, are protecting over 25 MILLION dogs and cats in the USA alone and over 100 Million around the world for up to 8 months with one collar.

Honestly, protecting your dog or cat has never been easier with the Seresto collar, with this collar there are no more monthly chews to remember, or remembering to change the flea and tick collar every month.

Do Fake Seresto Collars Work?

The bogus or fake counterfeit Chinese knock off collars not only don’t work they are also manufactured from harmful ingredients that can cause sickness, chemical burns and as publicized in the article we mentioned earlier, death!

Back in May 2020 a shipment was seized by U.S Customs and Border Protection agencies containing dog and cat flea collars under the Bayer Seresto name and is contained in this report.

These collars don’t work so please don’t be suckered into these cheap and dangerous knock-offs.

My Final Thoughts

If your dog, as mine do, are already wearing these collars without any adverse side effects then there is no need to remove them as it is the most effective, cost-efficient way to kill and control fleas and ticks available on the market today.

Unfortunately the real Bayer Seresto collar has taken some bad publicity due to the availability of the fakes entering the market and to unscrupulous online marketers promoting these cheap knock-offs purely for profit rather than genuine care for pets.

If you read the article in the link I shared you may have seen the part where it says that over an 8-year period there were about 1700 pet deaths and approximately 3600 serious incidents involving Bayers Seresto Flea Collar.

If you break this down on the actual usage of the collar (Over 100 million users worldwide) that is less than 0.00006% world-wide.

So if you really are looking for a great flea collar that will do the job it says it does then I have no hesitation in recommending this flea collar.

I must tell you I am not a vet, I am just a loving doggy parent who spends my time taking the best care of my two dogs and also want to help other pet parents do the same, which I do through thorough research and testing before I recommend any products to you.

I hope you have found this article on Bayers, Seresto Flea and Tick collars useful, and I welcome any comments or your own stories regarding flea and tick control by either sending us an email or leaving them in the comments section below.

As always, May Your Home Be Filled With Love And Dog Hair.

Any/all links on this site may be affiliate links, and if you make a purchase through one of them, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read the full affiliate disclosure here.

“As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Mark

Founder of Our Dogs World 101