# WARNING: Seresto Flea Collar



## auspiciousmind

I'm not trying to scare anyone just wanted to post this for anyone considering the Seresto Flea Collar.

The OH bought two Seresto flea collars on Saturday for Button & Romeo at the vets from their recommendation. Within 24 hours both were "not themselves" quite sleepy and very quiet (which for Romeo is very strange).
Romeo hadn't been for a poo at all and Button has dire-rear. Off came both collars and I boiled up some chicken for dinner and breakfast.

Today Button was quiet but was moving a round quite a lot - I've kept her in all day so I can monitor her bowel movements - of which she had 3 all very loose and runny.

Romeo hadn't been moving around very much at all and over night was really really quiet (usually he's running around waking everyone up). Noticed that he's been walking a few steps then laying down.. walking a few step.. laying down.. he went to the litter tray and laid down to have a pee.. no bowel movement.
Around 5pm it was 100% worse so rang the vets who told me they had absolutely NO space to fit me in AT ALL.. So after hyper ventilating and crying down the phone they managed to fit me in at 6pm but they were only concerned with Romeo (due to the back legs not working properly).

Vets:










For anyone that can't see the picture:

Treatment: 
Metacam Injection
Micralax Enema

Suspect reaction to: Seresto Flea Collar
Listless, Struggling on back end. Hasn't passed Feces. NO temp , HR/RR normal , Colour ok. Advised metacam and enema as feces in rectum. Re see if concerned.

Consultation fee waived due to suspect reaction.

This morning:










This evening:










They both still have appetites and are eating and drinking fine. Button seems to be ok now.. but my poor baby can barely keep his eyes open and won't walk more than a few steps :crying:


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## Jonescat

Really hoping that Button and Romeo pull through and are back to themselves by the morning. Thankyou for sharing you experience and crossed fingers/paws from us.


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## catcoonz

poor Romeo and Buttons, i hope they are better tomorrow.
what a very worrying time for you. thankyou for the warning.


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## Ang2

NEVER NEVER NEVER put flea collars on cats. I do hope your babies will be ok.


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## buffie

Ang2 said:


> NEVER NEVER NEVER put flea collars on cats. I do hope your babies will be ok.


I am saddened that a vet would suggest, never mind sell, a flea collar  Hope your kittens are feeling better soon


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## auspiciousmind

Thanks everyone 

Button seems to be fine now but Romeo still isn't walking properly.. I feel sick to my stomach. I know I won't be sleeping tonight.

I should of known about the flea collars, I hate myself right now.

My OH went to the vets asked about which flea treatment they were recommending as Frontline combo didn't seem to work the last time we tried it.. they suggested the Seresto and said it was "wonderful worked really well". 

:crying:


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## Ang2

Can you get some activated charcoal from your all night chemist?


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## auspiciousmind

We don't have any all night chemists here buy I can go in the morning ASAP. How will it help?


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## Ang2

It helps neutralise toxins and poisons.


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## Ang2

Pet Poisoning - Signs & Symptoms


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## auspiciousmind

Ok thank you I will go as soon as it opens.

:'(


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## carly87

Pardon my French, ubt your vet needs a very siwt kck up the arse for selling this. Flea cls are well known for their posonous se effects. He should have recommend another spot on, not this.

I really hope your boy is all right soon. Make sure he stays well hydrated. Force fluis if you have to. I'd alos try feidng some Hills AD as it's a great recovery food. Just be aware that it's quite rich though, so can make diar rear worse. I normally mix a reasonable portion into their normal food or some chicken etc as the sme lorally gets them eating.


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## auspiciousmind

Legs don't appear to be any better, its heart breaking to watch him. 
His appetite is normal , he's fairly alert - currently following a fly around with his head.
He's had a bowel movement which was basically thick brown water.. not sure if that's normal.after having an enema (he had several solid poos directly after the enema).

Button appears "back to normal" just waiting for a bowel movement. Shes extremely grumbly due to being told in no circumstances is she to leave the house.

:crying:


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## Charlotte1988

Poor kitties! I hope they're back to normal soon


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## auspiciousmind

Thank you 

Romeo still has an appetite... Tried to belly crawl to my bowl of cereal!
He's a little bit more 'sleepy' than he normally would be bit I think its boredom and depression.
He gets excited if you pick up a toy and he tries to follow me.

He's not crying in pain.. you can do anything with his legs and he's not bothered... He just can't walk on them :'(


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## Ang2

Please get him back to the vets. Its clear he is not making a fast recovery. He really needs supportive care and iv fluids for 24 hours. Your vet should not charge for this as TBH, he has done this! 

Please dont take any chances. Phone the vet now!


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## Cats cats cats

This is so sad   i had considered these collars myself because my cats hate their spot on treatments . Thank you for sharing this . I really hope romeo recovers soon , keep us updated xxx


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## Paddypaws

Oh gosh you poor poor thing, how terribly upsetting.
I agree....back to vets asap for full IV support and MAKE SURE they file this reaction with relevant authorities.


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## colliemerles

_oh my, i am so sorry to hear this, i do have eveything crossed for your fur baby. I didnt know flea collars were dangerous, i dont use them but know people who do, i thought they may cause itching but didnt know they can do this. I am going to advise my friends to get the flea collars off ASAP,_


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## wellsandmittens

Your poor kitties! I hope that Romeo makes a speedy recovery and thank you for posting about this, although I have never used a flea collar on my mogs I didn't realise that reactions to them could be so severe


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## auspiciousmind

Hi everyone,

Just update for you.. I called the vet and the vet told me to come up as soon as possible and I'd be straight into a consultants room as soon as I got there (which I was).

I had a lovely female vet who was just really really lovely.. All the tests as normal were done:

Temp - Fine
Heart Rate - Fine

She tested his reflexes which were ALL fine (including his back legs)
He had neurological test which were ALL fine 

He legs were very well checked - he's been poked , prodded, pulled , pushed , stretched out - As far as they are concerned he's in absloutely NO PAIN.

She took him to another vet for a 2nd opinion - he was equally as confused by the whole thing - they can't find anything physically wrong with him.. Although you can visibly see he can't walk more than a few steps.

The cheeky little git wouldn't walk for her at all so.. she couldn't judge the situation until I asked her if she had any food.. she said yes.. I asked her to wave it infront of his face and then move across the room.. Romeo got up and walked over every time she moved.. still not being able to walk more than one or two steps without having to lay down and try again.

So they've now taken some samples of blood and I'm hoping to hear back within the next hour or so... I was supposed to pay but I don't have any money with me (as I literally stuck clothes on and ran to the vets with him) so I'm going to need to find money by the end of the day!

Thank you for all your supportive messages I'll keep everybody updated.

As far as Button is concerned she's acting fairly normal (she's been for a wee but no BM yet) and she's very grumpy about not being allowed out. Otherwise seems to be her normal self?


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## auspiciousmind

Paddypaws said:


> Oh gosh you poor poor thing, how terribly upsetting.
> I agree....back to vets asap for full IV support and MAKE SURE they file this reaction with relevant authorities.


Forgot to mention .. The vet IS reporting this to the relevant authorities.. I made sure of that last night and double checked this morning.


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## chillminx

Seresto flea collar contains flumethrin, an insecticide, which in laboratory trials when given orally to rats for 6-15 days caused temporary *ataxia*.

Ataxia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

However, it does seem extreme for your cats to react so badly to the collar after only 24 hours, especially as they did not ingest the insecticide orally.
Also, the fact that both cats were affected (though one less severely than the other) shows it was not just a one-off rare reaction

I am wondering if the collars were faulty, and had been soaked in a far stronger solution of flumethrin at the manufacturers than they should have been. I hope the vet will withdraw them all from sale until the matter has been investigated thoroughly.


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## Paddypaws

Do they groom each other? Maybe Romeo groomed his Buttons and ingested the chemical. I really don't think the vet should be pushing for payment in this situation, quite frankly I think they should be falling over backwards to get him healthy and avoid an official complaint!


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## auspiciousmind

chillminx said:


> Seresto flea collar contains flumethrin, an insecticide, which in laboratory trials when given orally to rats for 6-15 days caused temporary *ataxia*.
> 
> Ataxia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> However, it does seem extreme for your cats to react so badly to the collar after only 24 hours, especially as they did not ingest the insecticide orally.
> Also, the fact that both cats were affected (though one less severely than the other) shows it was not just a one-off rare reaction
> 
> I am wondering if the collars were faulty, and had been soaked in a far stronger solution of flumethrin at the manufacturers than they should have been. I hope the vet will withdraw them all from sale until the matter has been investigated thoroughly.


Thanks Chillminx.. I've only had 2hrs sleep and that was this morning after the OH went to work.. and I had Romeo lying on my chest so I'd wake up if he moved. I spent all last night googling and reading.

The feeling I'm getting from the vets now is that they don't think it's the flea collar? I really don't know. I just know that Button has only ever been to the vets for her vaccinations and spaying.. She's never been ill before.. The flea collars were put on and they both went down hill... I can't see how they could say it wasn't the flea collar?!

Last night the vet waived the consultation fee due to it being a suspected reaction.. but kept repeating that there had been no reaction like Romeos seen before. To which I kept repeating he wasn't like this before the flea collar!!

Today I'm expected to pay (by 7pm) for the consultation and the blood tests - I will pay it but that says to me they're trying to say it isn't the flea collar?

I know I'm rambling I'm just so worried :crying:


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## auspiciousmind

Paddypaws said:


> Do they groom each other? Maybe Romeo groomed his Buttons and ingested the chemical. I really don't think the vet should be pushing for payment in this situation, quite frankly I think they should be falling over backwards to get him healthy and avoid an official complaint!


Button doesn't groom Romeo... But Romeo tries to groom Button.. They're fairly calm around each other now but they do have a tiff.. where Button will give Romeo a bit of a tap and Romeo will nip her neck.. So that actually could be a possibility 

They are pushing for payment.. I left without paying this morning because I really didn't have the money with me but they want to be paid before they shut at 7pm...


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## chillminx

Honestly AM, like you I really think it is a bit too much to be a coincidence that both cats became unwell after they had the flea collars put on! Unless they both had some other form of treatment whilst they were at the vets e.g. booster vaccinations which could be responsible? 

I have only read reports so far of cats reacting to Seresto collars with skin damage, sometimes quite severe. But Paddypaws has a good point -- do your cats groom each other? If so Romeo could have ingested a dose of the flumethrin that way. I still think there might be a fault with the collars though. 

What you could really do with is an independent analysis of the quantity of 
the chemicals in the collars, (as they also contain imidacloprid). But I am afraid it would be expensive, and I don't know where you would find the kind of lab you'd need......

It must be so worrying for you with Romeo being the way he is -- I do hope he will make a full recovery very soon.


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## auspiciousmind

chillminx said:


> Honestly AM, like you I really think it is a bit too much to be a coincidence that both cats became unwell after they had the flea collars put on! Unless they both had some other form of treatment whilst they were at the vets e.g. booster vaccinations which could be responsible?
> 
> I have only read reports so far of cats reacting to Seresto collars with skin damage, sometimes quite severe. But Paddypaws has a good point -- do your cats groom each other? If so Romeo could have ingested a dose of the flumethrin that way. I still think there might be a fault with the collars though.
> 
> What you could really do with is an independent analysis of the quantity of
> the chemicals in the collars, (as they also contain imidacloprid). But I am afraid it would be expensive, and I don't know where you would find the kind of lab you'd need......
> 
> It must be so worrying for you with Romeo being the way he is -- I do hope he will make a full recovery very soon.


I've just called the vets to get the Blood results.. I was put on hold and then told the vet would ring me back in a little while.. as the phone number on the system was the wrong number for us?! Even though this morning THEY RANG ME! 

I'm shaking :crying:

It is possible that Romeo may have ingested it.. hmy:

Romeo had his 2nd vaccination about a month ago? and Button hasn't had any vaccs recently

Thank you x


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## chillminx

Well, you will have to pay them if you want to keep using them, I'm afraid.

Any case, the vet can argue that if the collars are at fault it is a genuine accident, and not due to his malpractice or mistake. If he has prescribed the collars before without ill effects to the cats concerned, then he cannot be said to have acted irresponsibly. Therefore he is entitled to be paid for the work he did. Sorry

But I would still insist you are certain the collars are to blame and say you would like the matter taken up with the manufacturer and the collars tested at a lab a.s.a.p. (preferably an independent one).


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## chillminx

AM -- I don't think the vaccs are to blame -- they were too long ago, and the cats were fine afterwards. So it has to be the collars.  

Tbh I can't really see why the vet is disputing it so much anyway, seeing as ataxia was quite a common side effect in the trials of flumethrin with lab rats. Rats are not the same as cats naturally, but as they are both mammals the results could well be applicable to rare occurrences with cats, and certainly should not be ruled out.


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## auspiciousmind

chillminx said:


> Well, you will have to pay them if you want to keep using them, I'm afraid.
> 
> Any case, the vet can argue that if the collars are at fault it is a genuine accident, and not due to his malpractice or mistake. If he has prescribed the collars before without ill effects to the cats concerned, then he cannot be said to have acted irresponsibly. Therefore he is entitled to be paid for the work he did. Sorry
> 
> But I would still insist you are certain the collars are to blame and say you would like the matter taken up with the manufacturer and the collars tested at a lab a.s.a.p. (preferably an independent one).


I don't actually have a problem with paying anyway.. The OH is all but ready to sell the car if it ends up costing us loads to make him feel better. Unfortunatly I don't have any cash on me and my OH is 60 miles away and won't be back until 6/7pm 

I will push to make sure something is looked into with the collars most certainly


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## auspiciousmind

....
The vets have just called me back with the blood results..

There is nothing wrong with him... Liver/Kidneys/ Electrolytes ... everything is fine    

He's been prescribed 3 days of metacam to be given with his food once a day... On friday I have to call back and speak to the vets and tell them how he's doing...

The vet really doesn't know what wrong.. she took an extra vial of blood incase.. and if by friday he's not better we have to send the vial of blood to be tested for toxoplasmosis :crying: :crying: :crying: but she stressed that Romeo is not showing the typical symptoms of it :crying:

I don't know what to do :crying:


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## Paddypaws

Right now the priority is getting Romeo well and back to himself again, and allowing you to relax and calm down too!
After that....well, I do think the vet practice should be playing this rather more diplomatically than demanding payment by close of business. No practitioner wants to force a situation into one of formal complaint....even if they are pretty certain that there has been no malpractice ( as we agree in this case)
HOWEVER a 'goodwill' gesture would not go amiss at this stage in the proceedings.ie not admitting any fault in terms of insurance but trying to smooth the waters.
Please keep posting to keep us updated on Romeos recovery.


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## auspiciousmind

Hi everyone.. We've just paid up £60.00 which I don't begrudge at all it's just a little irritating that £60 has got us no further in any way shape or form of knowing what wrong with him. Obviously that's no1's fault!!

I know some people will be interested in this so I requested a print off again:










For those of you who can't see the image:

*Appointment to re assess case

Pre G.A Blood test

Romes is brighter this morning and has passed faeces and had some diarrhoea this morning. Is EDDU all normally but is still not using his back legs normally. He is taking a couple of steps and then wanting to sit down.
On CE well hydrated, mm colour normal , resp rate normal , heart rate 140bpm (maybe a little slow for a cat in the vets), abdo palpation unremarkable, temp normal and withdrawal reflexes in hind legs normal. Gait is almost slightly ataxic/weakness.
Advised preGA bloods to rule out electrolyte abnormalities as a starting point.

Metacam Oral for cats 3ml

(I assume this is the blood results.. someone on here probably will understand this)

Na 150 , K,3,4 , Cl 11.5 , TC02 25 , Urea 10.4 , Glucose 5.8 , HCT 29 , pH 7.419 , pCO2 36.7 , HCO3 23.7 , BEecf - 1 , AnGap 15 , Hb 9.9 , TP 67 , Alb 28 , Glob 39 , ALT 30

Advised that bloods are normal and no electrolyte abnormalities. Plan to continue with metacam for a couple more days and re-evaluate next step dependent on response. Some extra blood has been taken for possible toxo screen if it is decided that this is necessary.*

I just wanted to add the vet I had TODAY was really really lovely - and although she didn't know what it was thats doing this she asked several other vets opinions in the practice (one of which has done both romeos vaccinations and treated him before) and none of them have a clue whats going on. She did make me feel a little more at ease and took the time to explain everything in great detail which i really appreciated.


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## auspiciousmind

Seeing some improvement today!!!!!


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## Ang2

Your cat is suffering the effects of poisoning so cant understand why they are claiming not to know what is wrong him. TBH I cant believe they have charged you for anything and are lucky you havent sued them! I certainly wouldnt be using that vet again after prescribing something that nearly killed my cat THEN charging to treat him for the effects of that!

That aside, Im so glad you are seeing improvement.


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## auspiciousmind

Ang2 said:


> Your cat is suffering the effects of poisoning so cant understand why they are claiming not to know what is wrong him. TBH I cant believe they have charged you for anything and are lucky you havent sued them! I certainly wouldnt be using that vet again after prescribing something that nearly killed my cat THEN charging to treat him for the effects of that!
> 
> That aside, Im so glad you are seeing improvement.


My OH did question the fee's last night after I told him how much he had to go and pay.. the receptionist said he would have to call the practice manager and discuss it with her although in her opinion "nothing will change".

I've always had really good experiences with the vets there so I'm really not sure how I feel about it... I was beginning to think that he had some disability or that there was something seriously wrong with his spine or something?! The more I read (especially the links Chillminx has posted) the more I'm 100% certain it is/was the flea collars. I don't understand why they wouldn't just tell me it was? I realize that this must be a really rare reaction and nobody could of predicted this was going to happen. I don't want to blame anyone.. I just wish they'd been straight with me :001_unsure:


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## Ang2

Its not rare! Have a google of flea treatment poisoning.


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## dagny0823

I'm with Ang2 here. I think vets and doctors are often very slow to admit there's a problem with anything they've prescribed. It's leaves them liable to lawsuits and it makes them look less than omniscient. 

I've had a doctor stonewall me on thyroid meds for myself that weren't really making me feel any better with the response "that's what most people use" and "it's a very good drug". I've had a vet stonewall me about a spot on I'd tried and stopped using because the cats foamed at the mouth and the fleas didn't die by saying "oh well, it's been around a while now." As if I was making it up or being uppity. And as if the fact that it's been used for years means that it should be perfect forever for everyone. 

I can't help but wonder if you took Romeo to another vet if you'd get a new response, or if they would realize they prescribe that same collar and wouldn't want to say anything against it either.


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## Paddypaws

AM, I hope you do not mind, but I have posted some details of your experience over on MSE.
One of my boys had what I was certain was a strong reaction to a spot on flea treatment many years ago.....he collapsed and could not walk, had to be hospitalised on IV and was treated for poisoning. Of course the vet who had sold me the treatment denied the link all together. He made a full recovery and the experience just reinforced my reluctance to use these treatments frequently (if at all! )


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## auspiciousmind

Like I said in a previous post I will be calling the vets on friday to update them on Romeos progress.. I'd like to reinforce the fact I think it is/was definatley the flea collar so if anyone has any questions they'd like me to ask the vet I'm more than willing to ask them?

As for using the vets again... I've lived here for 2 years now - I can't drive and it's a relatively remote place to live + the fact that I don't drive makes it even worse. I've only had to go this particular vet to pick up frontline combo and a feliway plugin until we found Romeo. Up until then the only time I had to visit the vet was with Diesel (who lives with my mum) and we use a vet in Plymouth... now thinking about it I could give them a ring and ask but flea treatments and see if they prescribe them and ask questions.

I'm just happy he appears to be getting better.










This morning he woke me up by clamping his paws around my arm and biting my elbow... He's eaten all his food , gone for a wee (but no BM  ), he even had enough energy to prod Button with his paw.. and jumped on the back of the sofa (which he hasn't even attempted in the last few days)
He's still a bit sleepy and tired ... and his hind legs are still not moving exactly how they should be but he seems to be able to walk a longer distance before he has to sit/ lay down again. Fingers crossed 



> AM, I hope you do not mind, but I have posted some details of your experience over on MSE.
> One of my boys had what I was certain was a strong reaction to a spot on flea treatment many years ago.....he collapsed and could not walk, had to be hospitalised on IV and was treated for poisoning. Of course the vet who had sold me the treatment denied the link all together. He made a full recovery and the experience just reinforced my reluctance to use these treatments frequently (if at all! )


No Paddypaws I don't mind at all.. I hope that it gets spread around and people realize these things are dangerous.. I've read about flea collars on here before but I guess it was a naive trust of vets that made me feel comfortable using the seresto collars. "They wouldn't prescribe them if they were safe" mentality I guess.

If you type "Seresto Collar side effects" into google this thread is on the first page of results thankfully


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## Paddypaws

Aww, he is looking extra adorable in that picture....I do hope he is not milking this for extra treats and snuggles.
I really would like to make a point that I just don't think it is either necessary or healthy to use flea treatments routinely, even IF there is no massive reaction such as this one by Romeo (and Buttons )
I don't even like the household sprays but do use Indorex or similar very thoroughly to cover the whole house. Recent new arrivals have been dosed with Advantage but I wont repeat the dose unless I have good reason to suspect a flea outbreak.


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## chillminx

AM, very pleased to hear Romeo is much improved today! Bless him, what a sweetie he is, love the photo! 

The fact he is making a fairly rapid recovery from the ataxia/weakness reinforces my suspicion the Seresto is to blame. The condition came on suddenly, soon after the collar had been put on, and once the collar was removed, the condition has started to go -- -- coincidence??? 
Hmm, I think not!! .

How about reporting the adverse reaction to DEFRA -- they take reports from the general public as well as from veterinary professionals. It is only by reporting our experiences of side effects that such useful data can be collected. Here is the link:

Adverse Reaction Home


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## auspiciousmind

Ahh thank you chillminx 

I will get on the site and report it.. I wonder if I could attach the invoices I have to it? So they can see the vets notes.

Romeo has eaten all his food again and he's still a bit tired and dopey but he's been walking around a lot more and looks less uncomfortable.. he did have a little tumble earlier though.. he looks so confused about why he doesn't seem to be able to run around :001_unsure:


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## Ang2

I cannot help but feel that your vet has let you down very badly. If Romeo had been put on an IV, it would have flushed to toxins out much quicker and he would have made a faster recovery. He has totally dismissed any fault of his own, given poor after care, and has been totally negligent and somewhat arrogant in refusing to accept responsibility and give the due care needed.


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## Jansheff

Ang2 said:


> I cannot help but feel that your vet has let you down very badly. If Romeo had been put on an IV, it would have flushed to toxins out much quicker and he would have made a faster recovery. He has totally dismissed any fault of his own, given poor after care, and has been totally negligent and somewhat arrogant in refusing to accept responsibility and give the due care needed.


and have they at least refunded the purchase price of the dratted evil collars?


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## auspiciousmind

Just to let you know .. Romeo is doing really well.today he isn't sleeping , he wants to play and is moving around *nearly* perfectly.

Both Button & Rome's have had a bowel movement... I was so excited I text the OH who replied "your such a weirdo".

I will still be ringing the vets tomorrow anyway.

And no there's no chance in hell of getting a refund on the collars.

Does anyone have any questions they'd like me to ask the vets???


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## chillminx

Very very pleased to hear the good news AM:thumbup1: What a relief!

Romeo's fairly rapid & spontaneous recovery obviously knocks on the head the vet's unlikely theory that Toxoplasmosis might be to blame!! I wonder what other off-the-wall theories the vet may come up with to explain it all!! :crazy:


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## auspiciousmind

chillminx said:


> Very very pleased to hear the good news AM:thumbup1: What a relief!
> 
> Romeo's fairly rapid & spontaneous recovery obviously knocks on the head the vet's unlikely theory that Toxoplasmosis might be to blame!! I wonder what other off-the-wall theories the vet may come up with to explain it all!! :crazy:


I did a little dance... when one after the other they used the litter tray to do a poo :blush:

The relief of seeing him being able to walk.. you wouldn't believe it! 

I don't know what theory they will come up with .. but I promise I'll let you know! I've reported the reaction on the link you gave me yesterday and I'm considering reporting it to watchdog like another poster did for the Bob Martin stuff. I have the vets email address and I'm considering emailing the practice manager (I've never seen her in the vets).

:thumbup:


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## Cazzer

only just seeing this as not had any internet since Monday. Glad he is getting better x


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## auspiciousmind

Thank you Cazzer 
Words can't express how happy I am!! x


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## Cats cats cats

I'm so pleased to read your little man is getting better and better  i can imagine how relieved you must be   xxx


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## Teazle

Hi I am so pleased I have come across this forum as I have just been advised to get these seresto collars for my 9 cats I have not had a flea problem for years as all my cats are indoor cats and I have had cats over 20 years but this year it seems that the fleas are every where I paid £60.00 to the vets for a bottle of frontline that was a waste of money I have sprayed the house washed the cats flea shampoo but I just can't seem to get rid of them it a nightmare and I have just emailed a pest control company and he phoned me and quoted me £85.00 todo the house up recomended these collars which I will most certainly not be buying my cats have never hand to have flea collars on them but I just as we'll take them off for the good they are doing two of the cats have had reactions to them so they have come off 
I am glad your little man is getting better I certainly think the vet should have put him on a drip my vet is lovely if I had rushed one of my cats to him paying wold have been the last thing on his mind he would have just invoiced me 2 months down the line he is really great the animals always a first priority


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## Carma Poodale

Do you use Advantage or Advantix on your kitties? If you do without any side effects then this collar is not what caused them to have this problem. As for what the vet bill says, if you rushed in there all upset , hyperventilating, blaming the collar you probably were upset enough to keep repeating it and so the vet put it on your bill (which I feel was per your request) this collar has been being tested for over 10 yrs on cats and dogs, There were side effects of hair loss but most side effects were the same as those that had a reaction to other topical flea treatments. 
If these are normally outdoor kitties or those who go in and out as they please it sounds like they may have eaten something that upset their system and I would worry that vet would give a cat a enema just because it hasn't poop for 1 day. I would be very worried about that. 
Considering it takes 48 hrs for the product to enter the system to effectively work the collar wasn't the problem because it didn't have time to fully work.


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## Kyria

Carma Poodale said:


> Do you use Advantage or Advantix on your kitties? If you do without any side effects then this collar is not what caused them to have this problem. As for what the vet bill says, if you rushed in there all upset , hyperventilating, blaming the collar you probably were upset enough to keep repeating it and so the vet put it on your bill (which I feel was per your request) this collar has been being tested for over 10 yrs on cats and dogs, There were side effects of hair loss but most side effects were the same as those that had a reaction to other topical flea treatments.
> If these are normally outdoor kitties or those who go in and out as they please it sounds like they may have eaten something that upset their system and I would worry that vet would give a cat a enema just because it hasn't poop for 1 day. I would be very worried about that.
> Considering it takes 48 hrs for the product to enter the system to effectively work the collar wasn't the problem because it didn't have time to fully work.


Cats should not wear flea collers. Im sure there was something about Bob Martin flea collars recently that they poisoned the cats or something like that. Do your cats wear flea collars? If so, you are lucky they havent got sick.


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## Jesthar

Yup, Bob Martin and others too - plenty of very well documented problems with flea collars!

Let's not feed this one, guys, eh? 

Especially given the age of the thread...


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## Meezey

Jesthar said:


> Yup, Bob Martin and others too - plenty of very well documented problems with flea collars!
> 
> Let's not feed this one, guys, eh?
> 
> Especially given the age of the thread...


Opps just read this and deleted the comment I was about to make..... I shall say nothing..... :


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## Michael Green

I have been using Seresto on both my Jack Russell bitch and Siamese neutered girl for 18 months on the recommendation of my vet with no ill effects. My Siamese used to get all sorts of problems with drops.


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## Kyria

Michael Green said:


> I have been using Seresto on both my Jack Russell bitch and Siamese neutered girl for 18 months on the recommendation of my vet with no ill effects. My Siamese used to get all sorts of problems with drops.


..All I can say is maybe its early days yet..I would never ever put flea collars near my cats all those poisons going in the body..I only worm and flea every other month now too.. I use stronghold it kills both and have never had problems with fleas or worms...Goodluck to your pets I hope they carry on being healthy..


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## buffie

Michael Green said:


> I have been using Seresto on both my Jack Russell bitch and Siamese neutered girl for 18 months on the recommendation of my vet with no ill effects. My Siamese used to get all sorts of problems with drops.


The only place for a "flea collar" is in the vacuum cleaner it will do no harm there and _ may _ kill a flea or 2


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## Loire3738

Searching Google for Seresto Flea collars for cats I came across this posting back in 2012. I sympathise with the cat owners and hope that their two cats recovered from their allergic reation to Seresto. My own cat suffers a huge allergic reaction to flea bites, which results in constant scratching of his back, the fur becoming coarse and falling out, and extensive scabbing. We tried all of the proprietory flea treatments but without any real success. Then in 2008 we moved to France and during one of his flare ups we took him to a local vet, who recommended a Seresto Flea Collar. Since that day he has had no further problems and is not bothered by the wearing oif the collar. I noted a further post whci recommended never, never, never put a flea collar on a cat. I am convinced that this collar, replaced every 6 - 8 months has saved my 21 year old cat from a life of misery.


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## Jesthar

Loire3738 said:


> Searching Google for Seresto Flea collars for cats I came across this posting back in 2012. I sympathise with the cat owners and hope that their two cats recovered from their allergic reation to Seresto. My own cat suffers a huge allergic reaction to flea bites, which results in constant scratching of his back, the fur becoming coarse and falling out, and extensive scabbing. We tried all of the proprietory flea treatments but without any real success. Then in 2008 we moved to France and during one of his flare ups we took him to a local vet, who recommended a Seresto Flea Collar. Since that day he has had no further problems and is not bothered by the wearing oif the collar. I noted a further post whci recommended never, never, never put a flea collar on a cat. I am convinced that this collar, replaced every 6 - 8 months has saved my 21 year old cat from a life of misery.


So you got lucky. Doesn't mean a product _known_ to cause such side effects in cats should be on the market. 

Many of the 'proprietory' over the counter flea treatments, plus some of the ones you can get from vets, are ineffective these days (including Frontline Combo), so you need to use something like Advantage and you have to treat regularly. Plus treating the house is recommended too.


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## Takoateli

Just a point of perspective. If every person who has a positive Seresto story to tell posted their stories, these horror stories would be outnumbered 1,000,000 : 1. Sometimes coincidence is mistaken for causality. Does anyone have any clinical data?


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## Calvine

@Takoateli: You realise this thread was started in 2012?


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## Takoateli

Calvine said:


> @Takoateli: You realise this thread was started in 2012?


It still comes up in Google searches. I found it because one of my dogs (a Jack Russel Terrier) acted strange one day. I wondered if it was the collar so I googled it.

It turns out the dog was just frightened. He's very emotional and has a complex personality.


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## Calvine

@Takoateli: I know you can still buy them (and they are not cheap). But just to say, we have had several of these threads on the forum, people questioning the safety of Bob Martin's and the like and we generally seem to conclude that people only tend to write reviews when they have a horror story to tell; if you use a product and it does what is expected of it, quite likely you will not bother to go online to say so. When my cat had a bad reaction to Stronghold I contacted the _manufacturers_ in the first instance.


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## Takoateli

Calvine said:


> @Takoateli: I know you can still buy them (and they are not cheap). But just to say, we have had several of these threads on the forum, people questioning the safety of Bob Martin's and the like and we generally seem to conclude that people only tend to write reviews when they have a horror story to tell; if you use a product and it does what is expected of it, quite likely you will not bother to go online to say so. When my cat had a bad reaction to Stronghold I contacted the _manufacturers_ in the first instance.


Yes. When my dog acted strange I called Bayer and asked about adverse reactions. What they said didn't fit my dog's behavior. Of course it felt really bad to think that I could have inadvertently injured my dog. I was very happy when he started acting normal again.
I am very happy with the collars. I live in a heavily tick infested area (a state park with much wildlife) and the difference in the number of ticks I find on them is greatly decreased. However we all sleep on the same bed and I find more ticks on me!


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## Calvine

Takoateli said:


> I find more ticks on me!


That must be nice for you!!


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## Gillian Mitchell

Just read this online about Seresto flea collars and how one lady put the collar on her dog and the following day he had a seizure and died. Here's the title of the piece tho not sure I can add a link but. Will try
*Popular flea collar linked to almost 1,700 pet deaths. The EPA has issued no warning.lo*


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## OrientalSlave

Ang2 said:


> It helps neutralise toxins and poisons.


It helps with ones they have swallowed. Suspect no use for this.


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## OrientalSlave

Frontline Combo may not work as one of the active ingredients is Fipronil which the fleas in some places are now resistant to.

You may also have an infestation in the house - fleas on cats are but the tip of an iceberg, if you find any the chances are there are eggs, larvae & pupae in your house. My suggestion would be to treat it with Indorex, RIP Fleas or Acclaim.

Suggest reading the RIP Fleas website, the advice is good.

http://www.ripfleas.co.uk/


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