Do you have questions about your cat or dog’s health? Seresto Flea and Tick Control collar have called on the TV vet and animal expert, Rory Cowlam, to answer your questions - £200 voucher to be won

[BellaMumsnet]

Please note, we are no longer taking questions on this thread.

Whatever life may bring, our pets are always there to love us unconditionally. As an important part of the family, it’s only right we treat them with the utmost care they deserve. With this in mind, Rory Cowlam, Seresto’s expert vet, will be on hand to help answer your questions on your cat’s or dog’s healthcare.

Here’s some more information about Rory the Vet:

“Rory is a respected voice within the veterinary industry with an ever-growing career in broadcast. His warmth and knowledge shine through on his regular appearances on programmes such as ITV's Lorraine, BBC's Blue Peter, CBBC HQ as well as BBC Breakfast and Sky News. A graduate from the Royal Veterinary College in 2015 he has since gone on to a full-time career as a member of the Neighbourhood vet practice based in East Dulwich, London. Rory's ethos is based around education and communication which saw him become an Amazon best-selling author in 2020 with his debut book ‘Secret Life of a Vet’ published by Hodder.”

Here’s what Seresto has to say:

“You don’t want to be thinking about fleas and ticks when you should be enjoying play time with your pet! We at Seresto are keen to ensure that nothing gets in the way of the special bond between you and your pet. We know life is busy, and monthly flea and tick treatments can feel like just another thing to try and remember. That’s why Seresto collars provide 7-8 continuous months of flea and tick protection, allowing you to forget monthly treatments once and for all. Give your pet Seresto - the long-lasting flea and tick protection that lets pets play on!”

So whether you have a question on how to prevent your pet from getting fleas and ticks, or maybe this is the first time you’ve had a dog and want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to keep them happy and healthy, post your question on this thread for Rory the Vet to answer. Rory will be back on the week of the 3rd May to answer some of your questions.

Everyone who shares a question on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky Mumsnet user will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

Also just remembered that the kitten that likes to lick his sibs, also likes to nap in the litter tray!
Any ideas as to why?
He did lose his female twin when they were about 4 months old...she came home from a day out with a broken back😭

@CovidCorvid

My question is why does my dog still have fleas and ear mites even though she has a correctly fitting seresto collar on. Correct collar size for weight of dog, she’s been wearing it for 4 weeks.

Last summer she had one and I still found ticks on her most days but no fleas last year thankfully.

The house doesn’t seem to have fleas and the cats don’t have fleas, just the dog!

Hi @CovidCorvid We’ve talked to Seresto about your concerns. Here's what Seresto has to say:

"Elanco take any reported product complaint very seriously and therefore would ask if you have concerns following the use of Seresto, or would like to discuss your experiences with Seresto, please could private message us on our FB or IG pages with your contact details and we can put you in touch with someone on our technical team to discuss further."

@Wolfiefan

Is a seresto collar toxic to humans? Can it affect for instance a child who pets the dog?

Hello, thanks for all your questions so far. We’ve talked to Seresto about some of the concerns that have been raised on this thread. Here's what Seresto has to say:

"Hi @Wolfiefan, thank you for getting in touch. Seresto does have some user safety advice. It’s important that you keep the bag with the collar in the outer packaging until ready to use. You should not allow children to play with the collar, or to put it in their mouths. Pets wearing the collar should not be allowed to sleep in the same bed as their owners, especially children. You should wash your hands with cold water after fitting the collar."

@littlecottonbud

How do you know if your dog has fleas or ticks - what are the outward signs - are they easy to spot (I have a Doodle cross)

Hi @littlecottonbud. Fleas usually cause itching, hair loss and scabbing to the skin. The most common areas we see this is over the lower back and around the neck. You might even see black flecks in their coat which is the flea faeces. I would recommend you get a flea comb and pass it through your dog's coat regularly to check for any signs.

As for ticks, generally prevention is the best thing here as they can be very small. Depending on the species, they can range from a few millimetres to around a centimetre in size.

@DinkyDaffodil

Can dog fleas spread to cats- and vice versa - and is there a spray you can use universally for both ?

Hi @DinkyDaffodil. Yes, absolutely!

Did you know that actually the fleas you find on dogs AND cats are often the cat flea? They can live on dogs just as easily and yes, if you have multiple pets it is key to make sure you're treating all of them!

@PollyRoulson

What is your view on the recomendation to recall Seresto collars in the US?

Are they safe to use?

Hello, thanks for all your questions so far. We’ve talked to Seresto about some of the concerns that have been raised on this thread. Here's what Seresto has to say:

"Hi @PollyRoulson, your pet’s health and safety is very important to us. There is no evidence in the scientific evaluation conducted for registration or the regularly reviewed pharmacovigilance data to suggest a recall of Seresto® is warranted, nor has one been requested, or even suggested by any regulatory agency. As a result, Elanco continues to stand behind the safety profile of Seresto®. It remains available to consumers as an effective way to protect pets against fleas and ticks that can transmit disease and can impact their quality of life. Please see here to learn more about how we monitor the safety and efficacy of Seresto."

@BristolMum96

Is a flea collar enough or do I need to apply topical gel to my cat also?

Hi @BristolMum96. A flea collar should be enough to keep fleas and ticks at bay! No other treatments are needed.

@LTsMum1

What's best for a dog with sensitive skin/suspected allergies ?

Hi @LTsMum1. Oh where do I start!? Parasite protection is absolutely key here.

Food alterations can help to control allergies and things like omega 3/6 supplements can help with the natural skin health and barrier. Shampooing is often really useful to help remove allergens from your dog's coat and help soothe itchy skin, and then some dogs will even need long term medication to help.

Skin can be a real minefield so work closely with your vet to get on top of it!

@MummyBtothree

Can my dog catch fleas from hedgehogs?

Hi @MummyBtothree. Hedgehogs actually have their own species-specific type of flea called the hedgehog flea (or Archaeopsylla erinacei if you're feeling fancy). These cannot live on dogs, cats or humans though, so don't worry!

@Olinguito

Do Seresto cat collars have a quick release clasp for safety, to prevent the cat getting caught on something?

Hi, thanks for your question. We’ve talked to Seresto about your question and here's what they have to say:

"Hi @Olinguito, we're glad you asked. All Seresto collars feature a safety-release mechanism which means that it can widen should an animal become trapped. For cats and small dogs, it is also equipped with a pre-determined breaking point, so is able to break completely under force – so this should give you peace of mind, especially if your pet is the adventurous kind."

@HarrietHardy

What's in the collars? Is it the usual pesticides or something else?

Not looking forward to another flea-infested summer. Nothing works any more.

Hi @HarrietHardy. There are lots of effective treatments out there!

Seresto collars have Imidacloprid and Flumethrin impregnated into the product, which transfers to your pet's coat continuously for up to eight months protection from fleas and ticks.

@Tangledtresses

Yes I'd like to know about the lawsuits being issued about the pesticides in these products... why are dogs dying? Have seizures, skin conditions etc....

Hello, thanks for all of your questions so far. We’ve talked to Seresto about some of the concerns that have been raised on this thread. Here's what Seresto has to say:

"Hi @Tangledtresses, your pet’s health and safety is very important to us. Please see here to learn more about how we monitor the safety and efficacy of Seresto."

@LetsGoChamp

We have a husky X and she is flea treated as she should be yet every year she gets them and with her thick coat they are a nightmare to get rid of as they end up in the house and on other pets.

We’ve tried the prevention but what is the best cure to actually get rid once they’re already infested?

Hi @LetsGoChamp. I'm so sorry you have to deal with this, fleas can be super stressful!

It's all about using an effective product year round. Fleas can live in the environment for up to a whole year so you can't really take a break from prevention. Use an effective product year round and you may also want to look into treating your house as there are likely eggs and larvae in the environment.

@WorkplaceLlama

Is it safe to use on cats who interact with small children?

Hello, thanks for your question, we’ve talked to Seresto about this and here's what they have to say:

"Hi @WorkplaceLlama, thank you for getting in touch. Seresto does have some user safety advice. It’s important that you keep the bag with the collar in the outer packaging until ready to use. You should not allow children to play with the collar, or to put it in their mouths. Pets wearing the collar should not be allowed to sleep in the same bed as their owners, especially children. You should wash your hands with cold water after fitting the collar."

@Irishterrier

How much scratching is normal and how do you discover what the issue is if it's more than 'normal' levels of scratching?

Hi @Irishterrier. When you first get a new pet, you will spend the first few months learning what a "normal" level of scratching is for your pet. If you have noticed an obvious increase then i would suggest there is likely something causing it.

I would suggest thorough grooming to have a look for any signs of flea dirt or other critters, as well as any areas of hair loss or reddened skin. If you're seeing any of that then it's time for a vet visit.

@clared112

do flea and tick collars have an expiry date?

Hi @clared112. Yes, all drugs have an expiry date.

@GooodMythicalMorning

How safe are they? Are reactions to them common?

Hi, thanks for your question. We’ve talked to Seresto about your concerns and here's what Seresto has to say:

"Hi @GooodMythicalMorning. Our goal is to ensure pets live a long, healthy life with the help of our products and services. Please visit uk.mypetandi.com/our-products/seresto/safety/ to get the facts about Seresto®."

@Mabelface

My cat intermittently gets a bit snotty (flying cat snot balls aren't pretty). It lasts for a few days then back to normal. He eats, sleeps and zoomies as normal throughout. He's 3 years old and due his boosters.

Hi @Mabelface. Oh, your poor walls! Cat snot paintings are a touch too Jackson Pollock for my liking!

Snotty cats, especially when intermittent like that, can be tricky to get on top of. As it's quite mild, I would suggest you will probably end up just living with it. As for cause, your vet is the best person to ask. There could be an allergenic cause here, but I would also be suspicious that they may be a carrier of one of the "cat flu" viruses.

@jacqui5366

Do the Seresto collars come in differing sizes to fit different size dogs, that way the dose would be adequate, I would not want to use a collar which has the same dose for a labrador on my pug.

Hi @jacqui5366. Yes they do! They come in two different sizes, one for larger dogs and one for smaller.

@sandgrown

My Shih Tzu used to constantly get fleas and would scratch all the time . The vet recommended Seresto collars and they have stopped the fleas with no ill effects . Are they now not recommended?

Hello, we’ve talked to Seresto about your question and here's what they have to say:

"Hi @sandgrown. Our goal is to ensure pets live a long, healthy life with the help of our products and services. Seresto is still very much recommended by Vets and Animal Health professionals, however if you are concerned about treatment, we would suggest you talk to your vet about their recommendation for your dog. It's important that you use all year around prevention for your dog to prevent another infestation! Please visit uk.mypetandi.com/our-products/seresto/safety/ to get the facts about Seresto®."

@Hopezibah

The message seems to be to pre-emptively prevent pets getting fleas e.g. with a collar such as this or with regular flea treatment applied but our cat has gone many months without flea treatment in the past and has never got fleas. Is it ok to do this and just keep an eye on him to make sure he hasn't got fleas or is it truly better to pre-emptively treat them even though it feels excessive to me.

Hi @Hopezibah. This is completely your choice of course!

I usually recommend to those that don't use prevention, that they need to be really careful and monitor their animals more closely with grooming and daily coat checks. This is so that they can react as quickly as possible if there are any signs of fleas or other nasties in their pet's coat.

One single female flea can lay up to 50 eggs a day so if you're a little slow at noticing this, then you could be dealing with a really nasty infestation in just a few days.

@PickledChicory

The flee/tick collar sounds great. My dog loves swimming, most days and often in the sea should I remove the flee/tick collar for that? Will frequent swimming and towel drying make it less effective?

Hi @PickledChicory. A lot of flea and tick collars out there are not waterproof, but Seresto is! You don't need to take it off for swimming or bath time either, easy peasy!

@pastaparadise

Our 2 year old cat has gone bald over his lower abdomen and inner thighs. No signs of fleas, soreness, scratching etc, and otherwise seems healthy. Could it be stress (new cat in the neighbourhood who keeps hanging around), and if so, any recommendations? Or any other possibilities? Thanks

Hi @pastaparadise. Working in London, where there are SOOO many cats all living on top of each other, I see a huge amount of this!

If you are using regular and effective parasite treatments and the skin doesn't look inflamed then yes, I would agree with you, stress is probably top of the list of likely causes. It can be really tricky to get on top of this, but have a look at the tips on the "International Cat Care" website for how to alleviate stress in your cat. Good luck!

@Buddywoo

Two of my three dogs, at separate times, have had allergic reactions to Seresto collars. The dogs were not related and were different breeds. One had a severe neurological reaction.

For this reason I will not use Seresto again.

Hi @Buddywoo, we’ve talked to Seresto about your concerns. Here's what Seresto has to say:

"Elanco take any reported product complaint very seriously and therefore would ask if you have concerns following the use of Seresto, or would like to discuss your experiences with Seresto, please could you private message us on our FB or IG pages with your contact details and we can put you in touch with someone on our technical team to discuss further."