Seresto Flea Collar Caused at Least 1,700 Pet Deaths, Says New Class Action Lawsuit

The makers of the Seresto flea collar face another class action lawsuit claiming the product causes pets to become ill and even die.  

Lead plaintiff, Kevin Levensten, lodged the lawsuit in Pennsylvania federal court Monday, seeking to represent other state residents who purchased the allegedly dangerous item. Levensten claims that the makers of the Seresto flea collar, Elanco Animal Health Inc, along with parent company Bayer Corp, sold the Seresto flea collar despite knowing that substances included in the product could harm pets, as well as their owners.  

Levensten, a Pensylvania resident, says that his dog experienced seizures after he used a Seresto flea collar. The plaintiff claims that the flea collar’s active ingredients, the insecticides imidacloprid and flumethrin, caused his dog to experience seizures after they were released onto his pet’s hair and skin when wearing the flea collar.  

Levensten warns that the insecticides present a risk not only to pets, but also to owners and others who may handle the collars.  

The class action lawsuit alleges that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revealed a connection between insecticides used in the Seresto flea collar and as many as 75,000 reports of harm to pets and even humans. Levensten claims that the flea collars have been linked to 1,698 pet deaths and 1,000 reports of harm to people.  

Indeed, earlier this year, a joint investigation between USA Today and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting revealed that the agency received thousands of reports of human and pet injuries and illnesses linked to Seresto flea and tick collars.  

Elanco Animal Health and parent company Bayer now face legal action, including at least one other class action lawsuit over the Seresto flea collar.  

Problems in pets reported to the EPA allegedly include rashes, seizures and even death. People have reported suffering from rashes, neurological issues, heart palpitations, nausea, eye irritation, ocular pain, ocular redness, blurred vision, eyelid edema, numbing, skin lesions, rhinitis, urticaria, pruritus, erythema, conjunctivitis, nasal irritation, and nasal discharge, says the class action lawsuit.  

Levesten points out that the Seresto flea collar is the only product of its type on the market that contains the insecticide flumethrin; however, Elanco Animal Health fails to warn consumers about health risks associated with this substance.  

The class action lawsuit notes that the inserts in Seresto flea collar packages only warn of rare occurrences of “scratching, redness, and hair loss” and does not instruct pet owners to remove the collar if these occur. The inserts allegedly say that “dermatitis, inflammation, eczema or lesions” occur only “in very rare cases” and fail to warn of any human health effects.  

Despite the lack of warning, Levesten says that Seresto flea collars present severe health risks to pets and their owners. The plaintiff wants to represent potentially hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania residents who purchased a Seresto flea collar between March of 2015 and the present.  

The class action lawsuit accuses Elanco Animal Health and Bayer of violating state consumer protection laws, breach of warranty, fraud, and negligence. Levensten is seeking damages on behalf of class members, as well as attorney and court fees.  

Have you used a Seresto flea collar on your pet? We want to hear from you! Tell us what happened in the comment section below.  

The lead plaintiff is represented by Daniel C. Levin, Nicholas J. Elia of Levin Sedran & Berman LLP, and Scott D. Levensten Law Firm, PC.  

The Seresto Flea Collar Class Action Lawsuit is Levensten v. Elanco Animal Health Incorporated, et al., Case No. 2:21-cv-02364 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• Seresto Pet Collar Linked to Thousands of Pet Injuries, Deaths Since 2012, Report Says
• Seresto Collars Responsible for Dog Illness, Death, Says Class Action
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