Some Cats Can Suffer From A Reaction To The Collar
In certain instances, some cats can have a reaction to wearing the Seresto collar, especially if they havent worn one before. This can include scratching and some hair loss and skin reactions. Bayer suggests that this is mainly due to the mechanical irritation of wearing a collar, rather than the ingredients.
Were not sure about that, especially if your cat usually wears a collar, but most irritations do seem to clear up in a week or so, without the need to remove the collar.
If you see any redness, irritation, or excessive scratching, we recommend taking your cat to your veterinarian so they can check your cat.
Sentry Purrscriptions Flea And Tick Collar Check Price
While this option isnt effective for quite as long as other chemical options, it still offers a very reasonable level of protection. The collar will help to kill and repel adult fleas ticks for up to 6 months, and it can disrupt the life cycle of fleas for the first three months. It also repels mosquitos for a month.
While most cats can use this collar with little to no irritation, it shouldnt be used on cats younger than six months.
Unlike many other collars which have no odor at all or a light pleasant scent, these collars emit a robust citronella-like scent that not everyone can tolerate. The color is also greasy to the touch, which is a turn off for many pet owners. Plus, the concentrated ingredients may irritate your cats skin.Pros
- Doesnt feature a breakaway design
- Doesnt last as long as many other methods
Petarmor Simple Source Flea & Ticks Cat Collar
The PetArmor Simple Source Flea & Ticks Cat Collar is suitable for kittens over 6 months of age. It can fit cats necks measuring up to 14 inches. This makes it useable for even large cats. It is all-natural and doesnt contain the chemicals that are commonly found in other cat collars. Instead, it uses cinnamon oil, clove oil, and lemongrass oil. These ingredients are advertised to drive away fleas and ticks for up to 3 months.
The plant-based ingredients are safe to use around cats, children, and other pets. If you have dogs, this flea collar will not harm them.
That said, this collar lasts for much less time than other collars on the market. It isnt particularly effective, though it does seem to work at least a little. The scent can be overwhelming at first, though it does wear off with time. The collar just needs to air out. It is a bit girthy, so it may not be suitable for much smaller cats.
You might also be interested in: 10 Best Cat Collars in 2021 Reviews & Top Picks
Recommended Reading: Cat Carrying Shirt
The Toxicity Of These Collars Is Extremely Low
On a listserv for veterinary toxicologists, Gwaltney-Brant said her colleagues expressed surprise at the concerns about Seresto collars. Even when pets ingest the collarswhich happens fairly often with dogsshe said, the toxicity of these collars is extremely low, and they have no red flags on this particular product.
Flea Collars Often Contain Insecticide Chemicals That Are More Dangerous Than Those Found In Other Flea Treatment Products
More than any other flea treatment, flea collars have been implicated in reactions including seizures, rashes, and death. Flea collars are most often made with tetrachlorvinphos, proxopur, and permethrin, all of which pose serious health risks to both cats and humans.
Also Read: Best Flea Treatment For Cats- Knock Out Fleas With These Safe Treatments
Recommended Reading: Blue Buffalo Cat Food Dry
Cat Collars For Fleas Products Reviewed
Using flea collars can be a good strategy for getting rid of fleas on cats. Here are a few of the top choices available on the market right now.
- Very easy to use and put on
- Comparable to “spot on” treatments
- Brand name collar
Most cats have sensitive skin which requires a degree of caution when using flea collars with chemicals to ensure safety. This flea collar is packed with 5 different essential oils that actively repel fleas and their larvae and eggs.
The essential oils release slowly throughout the day to establish a thin but firm coat along with the upper layer of skin. The collar remains active for up to 8 months and is waterproof.
As an added bonus, this collar also comes with a flea comb, which can be run along the coat of your cat to remove dormant eggs or fleas that may be hiding on fur that isnt coated with the oils.
Going natural may only repel the fleas, but this is sometimes the best option to take to prevent painful skin irritations on your cat.
Most Medications Aren’t Risk
The same goes for the Seresto collars. Your vet should be able to walk you through the risks associated with flea and tick collars and help decide which treatment is best.
“There are precautions and warnings with everything,” Wheeler says.
He added that, generally, older and younger dogs can be more susceptible to health issues. Plus, every dog is simply different when it comes to their health and biology. That’s why you should talk with your vet about whether a collar is the best idea.
You May Like: How Much Food Should Cats Eat
Been Using For 5 Years And Perfect Today My Cat Died From 3 Ticks
We live on the nasty northern beaches but Seresto has been our saviour for 2 cats for 5 years. No ticks, or if there are any, they are dead. Today my cat was found with 2 engorged ticks and we just buried her 4 hours later . Just beware, they are not perfect! Removed the collar from my other cat and purchased a new one-bad batch last time . Do not have a solution except check your cats every day if you can-even with the collar.Checked packaging to see if it was a fake, but all indications are that it was very real.
Purchasedin November 2010.
Used the collar on both our cats who are litter sisters.One became listless and little interest in food. Lost 20% of her body weight in a few weeks. Changed her foods and still uninterested in most things. Gave her a very good check over for joint or other problems.Removed the Seresto collar and within 2 days back to her happy active self eating good amounts and regaining weight.The sister still has the collar on and no problems.Back to Bravecto for our little sensitive girl
Purchasedin November 2020at Pet Circlefor $37.00.
My Pet Wears A Seresto Collar What Should I Do
For that, we’ll employ a phrase you’ll read a lot on Daily Paws: Talk with your veterinarian .
Your vet weighs what’s best for your pet and recommends what they believe to be safe, effective products, says Randy Wheeler, DVM and executive director of the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association. You’ll also want to be skeptical of what you find on some corners of the internetoutside of Daily Paws, of courseso it’s best to talk to a professional.
“You should feel comfortable with their opinion,” Wheeler says.
If you believe you need to take the collar off, you can. But you should still call up your veterinarian. They’ll give you other options for flea and tick prevention.
RELATED: How to Treat Your Dog and Home for Fleas
You might also want to check and make sure your pet is wearing the flea collar correctly. It might be tempting to put it on and then leave it for eight months, but these collars do require a little bit of upkeep, says Alicen Tracey, DVM and member of the Daily Paws Advisory Board.
“Flea-tick collars work by interacting with the skin in order to distribute the preventative medication and should therefore be placed around the neck snug enough to create skin contact, but allowing the applicator to fit two fingers beneath the collar,” she writes.
If you don’t check regularly, the collar can get too loose or too tight, which can cause irritation.
Recommended Reading: What Does It Mean If A Cat Hisses At You
Beloved Pets Flea And Tick Collar For Cats Best Natural Flea Collar
Moving on to Beloved Pets Flea and Tick collar.
Its hard to find good resources online surrounding this collar, but the information we could find explains that it works through a formula of natural oils. Citronella being the primary repelling agent.
This natural solution for cats is a good purchase for those who prefer the natural route to dealing with flea infestations. Its effective, but almost definitely not as effective as the others on this list, though thats to be expected with natural compounds.
Dont make the mistake of assuming that natural ingredients mean your cat cant possibly have a negative reaction to the product though, theres always a possibility.
They do offer a lifetime manufacturers guarantee, which shows they have confidence in their product. If you arent satisfied with the quality of the product or the results, you have every right to contact them and request a full refund.
The 8 month protection seems a bit of stretch given the potency of the natural ingredients, so in the long run you might be better off opting for the Seresto if the flea problem is recurring.
What Do Seresto Cat Collars Contain
What do Seresto Cat Collars contain that makes them so effective? They contain two active ingredients, imidacloprid and flumethrin. The ingredients list also mentions other ingredients, which is basically the polymer matrix that makes up the collar and holds the active ingredients within its surface.
Imidacloprid is an insecticide that acts like nicotine, a substance that is toxic to fleas. Its been used in flea treatments since 1994, and there are currently over 400 products that contain imidacloprid for sale in the U.S.A. Some pet owners and their pets can suffer from skin irritation from flea treatments containing imidacloprid.
Flumethrin is also an insecticide that acts against ticks.
Recommended Reading: Can You Bathe A Cat In Dawn Dish Soap
‘plastic Impregnated With Insecticides’
The Seresto collars were developed by pharmaceutical giant Bayer and sold by Elanco, a US pharma company.
Keri McGrath, a spokeswoman for Elanco, told Insider there is no established link between pet deaths and animals’ exposure to the active ingredients in the Seresto collars. The EPA first approved the product in March 2012, determining that the collars are safe for dogs older than seven weeks and cats older than 10 weeks.
“The article is misleading and misses several key pieces of information, leaving a skewed impression for readers,” McGrath said of the USA Today investigation. “The numbers referenced in the original article represent the number of reports received and do not reflect causality.”
“A report is not an indication of cause,” McGrath added, noting that “if a dog were to be wearing a collar and experience any sort of adverse event, the collar would be mentioned in the report.”
The EPA reported that Seresto collars “are made of plastic impregnated with insecticides” that are released over a period of months and coat the animal’s fur. Those insecticides are flumethrin, which repels and kills ticks, and imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid that targets fleas.
A 2012 study by Bayer found that the two insecticides have a “synergistic effect” and are more toxic for fleas when paired together.
“For whatever reason, this combination is just really nasty,” Donley said.
How Do Dogs Get Fleas
The cycle usually begins with an infected wild animal. As that animal roams around the neighborhood, it can deposit fleas on anything it touches .
Of course, your dog doesnt live outside. Eventually he needs to come back in the house again. Well, now you have fleas in your house, finding their way into your carpeting, beneath couch cushions, bedding, even sometimes YOU.
Those fleas deposit their multitude of microscopic eggs around your house, which grow to become adults and the cycle repeats. Fleas can reproduce very quickly you can have an infestation before long.
You May Like: Calories Per Day Cat
Analysis Of 300+ Reviews For Bayer Seresto Flea And Tick Collar For Cat
BestViewsReviews analyzed 10,818 reviews for 15 products in the Cat Flea Collars
We analyzed a total of 343 reviews for this product out of which, 19 reviews were received in the last 6 months.
The analysis indicates that around 53% reviews were positive while around 42% of reviews had negative sentiment.
How Do The Flea Collars Work On Cats
Ticks and fleas are one of the biggest concerns most pet owners will face. These little pests can be the cause of immense discomfort to your pet and in extreme cases can also put you at the risk of acquiring an infection.
Collars are usually the best option for cats that are not already suffering from severe flea infestation.
Although they have been proven to very efficient at preventing fleas and ticks landing on your cat and settling in some cases, they can also help if your cat is already infested. For more severe infestations you should look for other solutions.
If you combine the use of a flea collar for cats with regular brushing and combing using a suitable cat flea comb, you can really lower the chances that fleas get a foothold in your cats fur. Combing should be done once a week at least to ensure you catch and remove adult fleas before they get a chance to lay eggs.
Scientific advancement in recent years has afforded pet owners the pleasure of effective topical treatments and capsules that have gradually led collars to fall from grace. Be as it may, they do still serve a purpose, and this leads us to the question of how exactly they work.
One of the most recent and impressive design improvements in collars is the slow release of their active ingredient. This leads to a long lasting product that can provide benefits for up to 8 months. Theyre are created to carry out two important functions which are
Recommended Reading: Normal Heart Rate For Cat
Seresto Flea & Tick Collar For Cats & Kittens: Materials
Flea collars are made of plastic impregnated with insecticides that release over time to coat cats fur. The active ingredients in Seresto collars are Imidacloprid and Flumethrin. Imidacloprid protects against fleas and Flumethrin protects against ticks. No other cat flea and tick collar have this combination of ingredients.
Is The Seresto Flea Collar Waterproof
It is waterproof to the effect that your cat can wear it outside in all weathers and the effectiveness shouldnt be compromised.
Its not like cats like getting soggy anyway. So I shouldnt image there are many instances where the collar will get very wet.
Its common sense that you dont want to be submerging the collar in water for any reason though.
Also Check: What’s The Biggest House Cat In The World
The Signs Are Very Random
Quoted in an article published by the Veterinary Information Network on March 5, 2021, Dr. Tina Wismer, medical director at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and a toxicology consultant for VIN, said, Looking at these reports, these are very random things, ranging from ruptured eardrums which I cant make fit really at all to liver failure, to heart problems, to kidney failure. The fact that the signs are very random makes me think that probably is not involved.
How Effective Are Flea Collars For Cats
Some products combine adulticides with an IGR to reap the benefits of both quick relief for your cat from bites and a way to avoid the spread of new fleas. A few flea collars can kill adults within 24 hours and last up to 8 months making them comparable to liquid drop treatments without the mess.
One thing that can reduce a collars efficacy is getting it wet multiple times per week. Most collars are listed as waterproof so a monthly bath should be ok, but too many and the insecticide could wear off. If your cat plays in water, you may want to take the collar off, put it in a plastic bag, and replace it once your cat is dry again.
The effectiveness of a flea collar is limited to your cat not the eggs, larvae, and pupae in your carpet or in cracks of your wooden floor. IGRs can help some, but it will take a while for those take effect.
The fleas you see on your cat only account for a small amount of the overall infestation. An adult female flea lays about 50 eggs each day and most of these fall to the ground. Adult fleas represent just 5% of your overall flea population. Another 50% are eggs, 35% are larvae, and 10% are pupae. To eliminate your flea problem completely, you need to focus on treating your home environment as well.
You May Like: Why Does My Cat Shake
Hartz Ultraguard Plus Flea & Tick Collar For Cats And Kittens
- Kills and repels fleas, ticks, flea eggs and flea larvae, plus prevents flea eggs from hatching for a 7 month duration.
- Water-resistant design wont cause loss of effectiveness if your favorite feline takes a stroll in the rain.
- Features a breakaway, safety release snap
- Fresh scented
- For use on kittens 12 weeks of age and older
Many Illness Reports Anecdotal
Although Elanco states that postmarket surveillance indicates Seresto collars are safe, pet owners have posted online in the past few years that they blame the collars for problems ranging from vomiting, loss of appetite, and rashes to seizures, dizziness, weakness, and death. Some owners took to registering their complaints with the EPA as well.
Experts note that anyone can file an incident report with the EPA, which also receives incident reports from pesticide makers and the National Pesticide Information Center. Agency officials track incident reports through the EPA Incident Data System, review reports to determine when regulatory action is needed, and use that information during reviews of active ingredients in pesticides to ensure they pose no unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. When a product is the subject of a high number of reports, EPA officials ask product registrants for more information or to further investigate the incidents, according to an agency statement from EPA spokesperson Ken Labbe. He also said the EPA cannot confirm or refute claims that the agency has received an unusually high number of incident reports related to Seresto collars, compared with the numbers of reports for other pesticides applied to pets. But agency officials take each incident report seriously.
You May Like: What Does It Mean When Cat Hisses