A recent article in USAToday prompted pet owners to question the safety of Elanco’s Seresto Collar. The article presented several anecdotal reports of pets succumbing to acute illness after a Seresto Collar was placed on the pet.

The article cites incident reports of harm to pets and humans, as outlined by Nathan Donley of the Center for Biological Diversity, a non-profit organization that watchdogs the EPA as part of its work to protect endangered species.

 

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While the article presents raw data of incident reports that may be accurate, presenting this data in absolute numbers rather than as a percentage of the collars sold and placed on pets since the collar was released in 2012 does not accurately reflect the collar’s safety record.

Since its release in 2012, more than 25 million Seresto Collars have been sold in the U.S. Globally, more than 80 regulatory agencies, including the U.S. EPA, reviewed the safety and efficacy data prior to approval of the Seresto Collar in their respective countries. Based on adverse event reports received by Sayer and Elanco since Seresto’s release in the U.S., the reporting rate for all incidents is less than 0.3%. The majority of these incidents relate to contact irritation at the collar application site.

The article and the stories of pet loss present an opportunity for us to present to our clients considerations for choosing parasite preventatives. All flea and tick prevention products work to kill the insects with chemicals that can potentially adversely affect your dog or cat.

Geriatric pets, pediatric pets, underweight animals and animals with other concurrent illnesses are more likely to be susceptible to toxicity from all medications, including parasiticides. Most topical products such as Seresto Collars, do not get absorbed into the bloodstream. The active ingredients are dispersed over the body in the lipid (oil) layer of the skin and can be effectively removed with shampooing using a product such as Dawn dish detergent if an adverse reaction is noted.

It is advisable that a new product be administered/applied at a time when no other medicines or supplements are being given concurrently and when the owner is home for 8-12 hours to monitor for reactions.

Finally, there are many counterfeit products available on the internet designed to look exactly like the original. Products should be shipped and received in their original, intact packaging and the manufacturer’s domestic client support number should be legible on the label. If you are in doubt about the authenticity of the product, please do not use it until you check with us or the manufacturer. We welcome your questions and together we can arrive at a best choice product for your pet.

 


Contact Croton Animal Hospital to discuss pet medications, or to make an appointment.

 

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