National attention has been drawn to recent reports from pet owners of adverse events linked to a well-known brand of flea and tick collars.
Veterinary professionals claim they have seen no reason for concern, and the manufacturer has defended the collars as being effective and safe. Federal regulators caution the public that these reports of adverse events do not always indicate that a product was to blame for the harm.
Two pesticides are present in Seresto collars, which were created by Bayer and are now produced and marketed by Elanco Animal Health. These pesticides are imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid, and flumethrin, a pyrethroid. The Environmental Protection Agency, which also regulates the majority of collars and spot-on flea and tick treatments applied to a pet’s skin or fur, regulates collars.
Since Seresto collars were first introduced in 2012, the EPA has received more than 75,000 incident reports involving them, according to research published on March 2 by USA Today and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. In those reports, there were 1,700 pet deaths and about 1,000 human injury incidents.
The media coverage, according to Elanco, is misleading because more than 25 million of the collars have been sold in the U S. and that more than 80 regulatory bodies from around the world have examined the products The business argued that there was no medical or scientific justification for a recall, adding that data generated for the product’s registration and obtained through postmarket surveillance indicate the product is safe and effective.
Yet, on March 17, the U. S. Following reports that the collars may have killed thousands of pets and may have injured many more, the House Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy demanded that Elanco Animal Health “immediately institute a temporary recall of all Seresto flea and tick collars.” ” Subcommittee Chair Rep. In a letter to Elanco CEO Jeff Simmons, Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois stated that members of the subcommittee believe the number of injuries and fatalities is significantly higher than reported because the majority of consumers would not be aware to report the incidents to the EPA.
In addition, the subcommittee demanded that Elanco provide plans for product recalls and refunds, copies of all administrative or legal complaints regarding claims that the collars caused harm to people or animals, copies of communications pertaining to product safety, and U S. sales figures.
The company’s response to the committee’s request reads, “Elanco is cooperating with the Subcommittee’s request and looks forward to explaining how the media reports on this topic have been widely refuted by toxicologists and veterinarians.” “Elanco thinks that any future reporting on these issues should be based on the pertinent data and scientific knowledge.” ”.
Although Elanco claims postmarket surveillance shows Seresto collars are safe, pet owners have complained online in recent years that the collars are to blame for issues ranging from vomiting, appetite loss, and rashes to seizures, dizziness, weakness, and even death. Some owners also started filing complaints with the EPA.
The EPA accepts incident reports from anyone, according to experts, and also receives incident reports from pesticide manufacturers and the National Pesticide Information Center. The EPA Incident Data System is used by agency officials to track incident reports, analyze them to determine when regulatory action is required, and use the data to check the active ingredients in pesticides to make sure they don’t pose unreasonably high risks to human health or the environment. According to an agency statement from EPA spokesperson Ken Labbe, when a product is the subject of a lot of reports, EPA officials ask product registrants for more details or to look into the incidents further. In addition, he stated that the EPA was unable to confirm or deny claims that the organization had received an unusually high number of Seresto incident reports when compared to other pesticides used on pets. But agency officials take each incident report seriously.
According to the EPA statement, “some incidents are thoroughly investigated and reported in such a way as to establish a strong link between the adverse effect and the exposure.” On the other hand, many other reports lack sufficient evidence to establish causation,”
Many of the reports are anecdotal, and it is not always clear whether the user used a product that was suitable for the type and size of the pet or followed the label’s use instructions. However, there is typically no procedure for confirming the information in reports. ”.
According to Keri McGrath, a spokesperson for Elanco Animal Health, the adverse event reports are unreliable medical information that hasn’t been verified by pharmacovigilance specialists. According to the statement, some reports involving Seresto collars detail incidents where the collars were plainly unrelated to the pet’s ailments. McGrath used the report of a dog wearing a Seresto collar just months before the dog had to be put to sleep due to debilitating arthritis as an illustration.
The company statement also states that there have been zero reported adverse events involving Seresto collars. 3% of incidents occur, and more than 90% of those are minor side effects like skin problems at the application site.
Dr. The Pet Poison Helpline’s Renee Schmid, a senior consulting veterinarian and veterinary toxicologist, reported that since January 2015, there have been about 400 calls involving Seresto collars. The vast majority of cases involved animals consuming collars, typically dogs chewing or eating their own or a housemate’s collar.
According to her, about 60% of people experienced clinical signs, and 90% of those who did vomited. Some also developed diarrhea or mild lethargy.
“Overall, most pets only had mild symptoms,” she claimed. “Serious signs were not common. ”.
Dr. Schmid and her coworkers at the hotline believe that the low concentration of flumethrin is safe for dogs and cats and unlikely to result in anything more severe than a mild gastrointestinal upset if consumed, according to her. Imidacloprid also has a wide safety margin, she said. Insects are more susceptible to imidacloprid than mammals due to differences in the receptor binding properties.
Some animals and people may be more sensitive to a pesticide than others, she explained. But she added, “We feel very comfortable with this specific product and its use in animals based on the toxicological profile of the Seresto collars and calls to the hotline. ”.
Counterfeit Collars—THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH ANIMAL PRODUCTS ON THE INTERNET and not just for Seresto Collars.
Counterfeit products also play a part in this overall report. Sadly, many fake Seresto and other collars and products have been sold by online merchants. Compared to the genuine collars you can buy directly from your veterinarian, these expired and/or imitation collars report a significantly higher rate of reactions. The majority of customers who complained about problems said they purchased their Seresto collars online, where there are concerns about the quality and authenticity of the goods. These knockoff goods and packaging are made to resemble the originals they are attempting to imitate. While concern over a fake product’s lack of effectiveness is high, this is dwarfed by the possibility that it could be harmful, which is of the utmost concern Buying from a trusted source, such as your veterinarian, their online pharmacy, or directly from the seller’s website, is the best way to avoid buying a fake item and to increase safety measures with proper usage of the products. Buying goods from your veterinarian has the added advantage of enabling us to provide recommendations tailored to your pet, keep your pet’s medical record up-to-date, and enable us to more accurately assess and take care of your pet’s needs in the event of an issue.
What Could Have Caused Issues with the Seresto Collar?
Although the EPA has approved their use on animals and close to people, the collar does contain pesticides to prevent fleas and ticks. However, any chemical can have unanticipated side effects. The Seresto collar’s pest-repellent substance is intended to remain in your pet’s skin’s oils and oil glands, with little to no absorption into your pet’s body overall, making them generally very safe with few adverse systemic reactions. A systemic reaction could result from a pet’s skin barrier having an underlying disorder or abnormality that permits more chemical absorption. Most serious injuries reported involving people occurred as a result of opening the packaging or putting the collar on their dog. Numerous incident reports for dogs involved animals actually ingesting the collar; in these cases, the chemicals did not actually cause as many problems as the plastic that the animals ate. In light of this, it is crucial to investigate claims made regarding incident reports and problems with these products that are probably the result of user error rather than product faultiness.
Are Seresto collars safe? They have allegedly killed thousands of dogs and cats.
According to the most recent Seresto collar complaints, there are a number of health risks for both dogs and cats.
This controversy began in early 2021, when the EPA published documents alleging a connection between the Seresto flea collar and various illnesses and deaths in pets who wore them. Now, a year later, the collars are in the news again, as Gizmodo has acquired 282 detailed and heart-wrenching complaints that customers entered with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), describing the horrific health issues that their dogs and cats experienced — including death. Article continues below advertisement
Many of the complaints are made by customers who unintentionally purchased fake Seresto collars from shady websites, despite the fact that many of the complaints are about genuine Seresto collars that customers bought from Petco or other official websites.
Seresto’s real website can be found by visiting www.seresto.com. However, googling “Seresto collars” can bring one to websites that look deceivingly real, like www.serestooutlet.com, www.seresto-store.com. Not to mention, a number of other websites mentioned in the complaints published by Gizmodo are now defunct. Article continues below advertisement
Numerous customers who unwittingly purchased flea collars from these websites note that their collars shipped from China, despite the fact that genuine Seresto collars are supposed to ship from the U S.
And while some customers knew these collars were fake before using them, others used them on their pets and some of them experienced negative effects.
FAQ
Are there any side effects from Seresto?
Redness or irritation around the collar site. Alopecia (hair loss) around where the collar sits. Temporary reduced appetite after applying the collar. Stomach issues (vomiting or diarrhea).
Is there a class action lawsuit against Seresto?
The Seresto flea and tick collar for cats and dogs was developed by the pet pharmaceutical company Elanco Animal Health. In March 2021, USA Today reported that two pet owners filed a class-action lawsuit against Elanco Animal Health. Pet owners claimed Elanco fabricated data regarding the safety of this “protective” item for animals.
Is it safe to use a large Seresto collar on a small dog?
The size of the Seresto Dog Flea and Tick Collar that best fits your pet’s neck will depend on the percentage of active ingredients it contains. If you use the larger collar, it won’t hurt your small dog. To make it smaller, you would simply need to take more off.
Which is safer Seresto or Nexgard?
Again, provided the doses are similar, the chemicals in both are equally effective at killing ticks. Nexgard, however, generally administers ticks a leaner dose than Seresto.