Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Seresto flea collar makes my cat’s neck go bald… But that’s better than fleas, right?

43 replies

Codger2023 · 12/04/2023 10:40

I have a 13 year old outdoor cat. For the past month he’s been wearing a Seresto flea collar which is meant to last 7-8 months. If I take it off I can see the skin underneath it has gone bald. There’s also one sore patch - not raw, but red - where he’s been scratching it.

I am planning to keep him in this collar because I really don’t want him having fleas! And he always gets them.

He’s an outdoor cat through and through. Where I live is just perfect because it’s mid-terrace with neighbours gardens backing into ours. He can roam through gardens without ever being able to reach a road. He scratches his claws on the tree, walks along the fence, sits out in the sun, and toilets outside too.

But he’ll encounter other cats and maybe also foxes. So he always gets fleas.

The droplets from PetsAtHome like Frontline, Advantage, etc, don’t seem to have any effect. The vets he is registered with don’t offer injections but they do say there’s an anti-flea oral tablet they could give him. That’s one thing I haven’t tried.

He is not in distress wearing the collar but he does look a bit odd with a bald neck! It is not too tight because I can fit four fingers under it.

AIBU to keep him in the collar because I really don’t want him to get fleas?

OP posts:
SinisterKnitter · 12/04/2023 19:02

Allergictoironing · 12/04/2023 18:41

The prescription spot on from my vets is Prinocate, does fleas and worms. Active ingredients are Imidacloprid and Moxidectin - not sure which of those is fleas and which worms, but if your cat is very outdoorsy then he could be eating anything so wormer is important too. Advocate (also presciption only) has the same active ingredients.

Anything without a prescription that you can buy on line won't be anywhere near as effective as prescription ones (rather like painkillers for people!).

Imidacloprid is the same active ingredient for flea treatment as Advantage...

SinisterKnitter · 12/04/2023 19:05

It's not helpful, or true, to suggest that the only effective meds available are prescription only, for humans or pets.

Original poster
Codger2023 · 12/04/2023 19:08

I’m a bit confused about whether some websites sell prescription-only flea treatments so long as you tick a few boxes and give them the name and age of your pet.

I had thought that was the case with sites like the one I used, Pet Drugs Online, and I was actually buying prescription strength treatment just in a more convenient way…

OP posts:
Allergictoironing · 12/04/2023 19:35

If you look at the Pet Drugs on Line web site, you will see they have a different section for prescription only drugs. Yes these are also listed in the main sections e.g. Prinocate is listed under flea treatments, but if you go into the details it tells you it's prescription only. They sell both prescription and non-prescription meds on the same site , same as if you go to a pharmacy and can buy some stuff over the counter but for other stuff you need a prescription.

Killingmytime · 12/04/2023 19:40

Codger2023 · 12/04/2023 10:40

I have a 13 year old outdoor cat. For the past month he’s been wearing a Seresto flea collar which is meant to last 7-8 months. If I take it off I can see the skin underneath it has gone bald. There’s also one sore patch - not raw, but red - where he’s been scratching it.

I am planning to keep him in this collar because I really don’t want him having fleas! And he always gets them.

He’s an outdoor cat through and through. Where I live is just perfect because it’s mid-terrace with neighbours gardens backing into ours. He can roam through gardens without ever being able to reach a road. He scratches his claws on the tree, walks along the fence, sits out in the sun, and toilets outside too.

But he’ll encounter other cats and maybe also foxes. So he always gets fleas.

The droplets from PetsAtHome like Frontline, Advantage, etc, don’t seem to have any effect. The vets he is registered with don’t offer injections but they do say there’s an anti-flea oral tablet they could give him. That’s one thing I haven’t tried.

He is not in distress wearing the collar but he does look a bit odd with a bald neck! It is not too tight because I can fit four fingers under it.

AIBU to keep him in the collar because I really don’t want him to get fleas?

frontline do not work as the active ingredient fleas are immune, advantage and advocate ( esp advocate) are fantastic. Keep at it.

dementedpixie · 12/04/2023 19:43

You need an actual prescription from the vet to buy prescription flea treatments online

I use stronghold plus and have never had an issue

dementedpixie · 12/04/2023 19:46

Stronghold Plus contains the active ingredients Selamectin and Sarolander so is different to the others you have tried

CatsAddictedToDreamies · 12/04/2023 19:47

We have vet prescribed flea treatment... I think it is called something Advocate. It is working (currently).

FWIW- my childhood cat had the same reaction to a flea collar and she lost her hair around the neck and it never grew back... BUT it also badly affected my dad. He had some sort of autoimmune reaction to it and the skin on his hands started peeling off like gloves. It was incredibly painful for him and although they figured out quite quixkly what it was he was in a bad situation for years. His skin on his hands would break apart even just carrying shopping bags.

dementedpixie · 12/04/2023 19:50

Advocate has the same flea treatment as Advantage. Advocate just treats some worms too whereas advantage only treats fleas

Original poster
Codger2023 · 12/04/2023 20:14

Here are photos people have posted on the Seresto Amazon review page. I’d say my cat has similar/more hair loss around the neck as the black and white cat, but not so bad a sore spot. And fortunately nothing like the white cat with the peeling skin! I don’t like the thought of my cat’s hair never growing back round the neck though which is almost enough to take it off him.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/portal/customer-reviews/media-gallery/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_crsl_img?ie=UTF8&asin=B08TRV9PN3&mediaType=image

https://www.amazon.co.uk/portal/customer-reviews/media-gallery/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_crsl_img?ie=UTF8&asin=B08TRV9PN3&mediaType=image&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-the-litter-tray-4783284-seresto-flea-collar-makes-my-cats-neck-go-bald-but-thats-better-than-fleas-right

OP posts:
Original poster
Codger2023 · 12/04/2023 20:15

Link doesn’t work but just search for Seresto cat flea collar on Amazon and look at the customer photos.

OP posts:
Clarich007 · 13/04/2023 10:35

Try Bravecto, it does last 3 months. My street cat has never had fleas while using this.

Mardiarse · 13/04/2023 10:46

Codger2023 · 12/04/2023 19:08

I’m a bit confused about whether some websites sell prescription-only flea treatments so long as you tick a few boxes and give them the name and age of your pet.

I had thought that was the case with sites like the one I used, Pet Drugs Online, and I was actually buying prescription strength treatment just in a more convenient way…

If they’re prescription only meds, then you will need a prescription from your vet.
If your vet is unable to give you an appropriate flea treatment, then ask them to give you a prescription for one, you will need to pay for the prescription.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 13/04/2023 11:46

Reactions get worse with repeated exposure so his neck could end up red and weeping, he'll scratch it with his paws and it'll be a right mess.

It's not ok for their fur to fall out, it's not meant to do that.

Toddlerteaplease · 13/04/2023 12:08

If it's making him sore. You must take it off.

Original poster
Codger2023 · 14/04/2023 16:48

I took it off the other day as I haven’t seen a flea on him in a while anyway. Though maybe now I’m tempting fate!

He sleeps on my bed, half under the duvet when it is cold. So I really don’t want him getting fleas.

OP posts:
kaimarie · 12/02/2026 12:07

Codger2023 · 12/04/2023 10:40

I have a 13 year old outdoor cat. For the past month he’s been wearing a Seresto flea collar which is meant to last 7-8 months. If I take it off I can see the skin underneath it has gone bald. There’s also one sore patch - not raw, but red - where he’s been scratching it.

I am planning to keep him in this collar because I really don’t want him having fleas! And he always gets them.

He’s an outdoor cat through and through. Where I live is just perfect because it’s mid-terrace with neighbours gardens backing into ours. He can roam through gardens without ever being able to reach a road. He scratches his claws on the tree, walks along the fence, sits out in the sun, and toilets outside too.

But he’ll encounter other cats and maybe also foxes. So he always gets fleas.

The droplets from PetsAtHome like Frontline, Advantage, etc, don’t seem to have any effect. The vets he is registered with don’t offer injections but they do say there’s an anti-flea oral tablet they could give him. That’s one thing I haven’t tried.

He is not in distress wearing the collar but he does look a bit odd with a bald neck! It is not too tight because I can fit four fingers under it.

AIBU to keep him in the collar because I really don’t want him to get fleas?

Hi. Did you ever have a solution to this with your cat? I have the exact same issue, my cats neck is not red or sore, it’s completely fine but is bald where the collar has been sitting. None of the spot-on treatments work no matter how well I apply them, prescription and non-prescription. The only thing that has worked so far is the collar. Thanks

Oxo01 · 20/02/2026 19:47

Definatly
Bravecto spot on from vets

New posts on this thread. Refresh page