A congressional subcommittee is launching an investigation and calling for a temporary recall of the Seresto flea and tick collar.
The investigation comes after thousands of reports that the collars may have made pets and even people sick.
An owner of 4-month-old kittens, Oscar and Felix, shared how her pets were healthy until she put the Seresto collars on them. Karen Pisano said within two days Oscar’s legs began twitching.
A veterinarian advised that she remove the collars immediately, but Oscar died that night.
“You think you’re doing the best thing for you pets – to protect them. And to see this poor thing, to see him pass, he didn’t deserve that,” Pisano said.
Jerry Kurtz said his 135 pound dog, Baron, was healthy as a horse until he put a Seresto collar on him.
“Within 12 hours he had a massive, massive seizure, and he was foaming at the mouth. His eyes were rolled back,” Kurtz said.
A veterinarian gave Baron anti-seizure medication, but the seizures continued, getting so bad that a year later Kurtz said he felt he had to put Baron to sleep.
“I loved that dog. Just wasn’t right, just wasn’t right,” he said.
Seresto collars contain two pesticides to ward off ticks and fleas.
Retailer Elanco said the collars are safe. Government documents obtained by a non profit group show that since Seresto collars were introduced in 2012 more than 75,000 incidents have been reported to the EPA.
The incidents range from skin irritation to seizures, plus nearly1,700 pet deaths.
Senior Scientist Nathan Donley said the biggest thing that stuck out to him was how high the numbers were.
Elanco disputes the claims and states that, “the incident report rate in the U.S. has been below 0.3 percent” and the majority “relate to non-serious effects” such as skin problems.
A company official said that a report is not an indication of cause and there is no established link between exposure to the active ingredients in Seresto and pet deaths.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi wants the collars off the market at least temporarily
“I think it’s only appropriate in this case that the manufacturer do a voluntary recall. The situation has to be investigated and that’s why we’re taking action as we are now,” he said.
The company said it is cooperating with the subcommittee, but does not plan to issue a recall. The EPA said it is in conversation with Elanco about these products.
Many vets continue to recommend the collars.
The EPA which regulates pesticides has not concluded that the collars pose a danger.
Cox Media Group
