Seresto Pet Collar Linked to Thousands of Pet Injuries, Deaths Since 2012, Report Says

A popular brand of pet flea and tick collar has been linked to close to 1,700 pet deaths since 2012 — and its governing agency has “done nothing” to inform the public of the risks, a new report claims.

In a joint investigation into the Seresto flea and tick collar done by USA TODAY and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, journalists discovered that, since Seresto flea and tick collars were introduced in 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has received incident reports of at least 1,698 related pet deaths related to the product.

“Yet the EPA has done nothing to inform the public of the risks,” the report said.

The Seresto flea and tick collar works by releasing small amounts of pesticide onto the animal for up to eight months. The pesticide is supposed to kill fleas, ticks and other pests but be safe for cats and dogs. 

Documents provided in a public records request to the EPA also found, in the eight years to June 2020, the agency received more than 75,000 incident reports related to the collars, including nearly 1,000 involving human harm.

Between 2013 and 2018, 907 incidents were reported with humans, 19 of these incidents deemed severe. One included a case of a 12-year-old boy who slept in a bed with a dog wearing a collar who started having seizures and vomiting, and had to be hospitalized. 

The other severe cases included skin problems, such as a rash or hives, or neurological symptoms, including numbness and headaches. 

The EPA is in charge of regulating products that contain pesticides. 

Responding to the investigation, a spokesperson told reporters the two pesticides contained in Seresto had “been found eligible for continued registration” based on best available science and incident data.

“No pesticide is completely without harm, but EPA ensures that there are measures on the product label that reduce risk,” the spokesperson said.

“The product label is the law, and applicators must follow label directions. Some pets, however, like some humans, are more sensitive than others and may experience adverse symptoms after treatment.”

Seresto is the top-selling collar on Amazon, which has also received numerous complaints about the product on its platform, according to the report. 

Dozens of people claimed the collar caused skin rashes in their pet, others said it led to neurological issues. 

Meanwhile, the report suggests there may be many more incidents of harm caused by the collar that have gone unreported to the EPA. In order to report an incident, a person has to make the connection between the collar and the issue with the animal, and then know who to contact and how to report it. 

The collar was developed by Bayer and is now sold by Elanco.

An Elanco spokesperson responded to the reporters by stating that global data shows that 1 in 568 users of Seresto have an incident and most are minor. She said an adverse event report does not necessarily mean the product caused the problem. 

Pet collars are big business, the report added. It found that Bayer reported revenue of more than $300 million on Seresto alone in its 2019 annual report. 

Pet products can be the subject of class action lawsuits. 

In January this year, a group of grieving pet owners from all over the United States came together to file a class action lawsuit against the company that makes Sportmix pet food. 

Sportmix, an Indiana-based pet food maker, has been hit with several class action lawsuits after dozens of dogs died after allegedly eating one of the company’s products.

The class action lawsuits follow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recalls for more than 60 products in its line because of reports of pets dying after eating the foods.