Re-using a Seresto collar

[Antonio65]

At the local cat shelter they have been using Seresto collars on some cats, with good results, I'd say.

One of the cats who recently had the collar put, though, developed a severe cutaneous rash around his neck a few days after having the collar, so the collar was removed and stored away for about 5 days before it was re-used on another cat, a 4 months kitten.
Now, about three weeks later, the kitten was visited by the vet for a different reason and lots of fleas were seen on his coat despite the collar. The vet said that a collar removed from a cat and stored away for a very few days, isn't effective anymore once that it's put on another cat.
I find it hard to believe that.

Any ideas or experiences on this?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Given Seresto collars are supposed to provide up to 8 months of protection, I am hard pressed to understand the vet's logic. Maybe it has something to do with how the collar was stored?

A lot of folks on this site seem as if they aren't real 'impressed' with these collars, but I think it is more from the perspective of them being viewed as less than safe, than it is from an efficacy standpoint. I've seen quite a number of complaints about adverse reactions like the first kitten had. Even though the collar is supposed to work like some of the topicals that spread through the sebaceous glands, perhaps the chemicals are really more concentrated in the area where the collar is placed and therefore more inclined to irritate the skin there in some cats. Also, this product, like most all others, contain inactive ingredients - of which any could also be a source of irritation.

Seresto contains two active ingredients - imidacloprid (the adult-only flea killing agent that is also used in Advantage II) and flumethrin, which kills ticks. While theoretically it should reduce the flea population, it does not address flea eggs/larvae, and adult fleas must bite the cat for it to become effective at killing them. Maybe that also plays a role on how effective it may or may not be on some cats?

 

[misty8723]

Seresto Collars are not all that safe. Check reviews. One of my vets recommend it once and I researched and decided no way I would put them on my cats.

 

[iPappy]

I've read that the collars bought on places like Amazon can be phoney, causing reactions. I've never been a fan of leaving collars on anything, so I have no desire to use them anyway.

 

[Antonio65]

Given Seresto collars are supposed to provide up to 8 months of protection, I am hard pressed to understand the vet's logic. Maybe it has something to do with how the collar was stored?

As far as I know, the pre-used collar was stored as it is in a small cabinet for no longer than 5 days, so I hardly believe the active ingredients have vanished due to this form of storing.

I've seen quite a number of complaints about adverse reactions like the first kitten had. Even though the collar is supposed to work like some of the topicals that spread through the sebaceous glands, perhaps the chemicals are really more concentrated in the area where the collar is placed and therefore more inclined to irritate the skin there in some cats. Also, this product, like most all others, contain inactive ingredients - of which any could also be a source of irritation.

Yes, I read something about this even here on TCS, but this is the first time I see something with my own eyes.
Anyway, the second kitten received the previously used collar, it seems it didn't work, and was given flea drops

Seresto contains two active ingredients - imidacloprid (the adult-only flea killing agent that is also used in Advantage II) and flumethrin, which kills ticks. While theoretically it should reduce the flea population, it does not address flea eggs/larvae, and adult fleas must bite the cat for it to become effective at killing them. Maybe that also plays a role on how effective it may or may not be on some cats?

Other cats with this kind of collar never showed any episodes with flea again, so I believe that in the medium to long term this collar breaks the cycle of fleas and ticks.

 

[Antonio65]

Seresto Collars are not all that safe. Check reviews. One of my vets recommend it once and I researched and decided no way I would put them on my cats.

Yes, I had read some bad reviews.
I've been using these collars on my yard cats for a few years now, and apart from a momentary skin irritation on one of the three cats, nothing occured so far. All the yard cats are flea-free. Same thing applies for the cats at the shelter who have been wearing these collars for a few months now.
I also asked the vets, and they told me nothing about any safety issue.
But I do believe that some people had bad experiences with Seresto collars. It happens with just everything. My previous cat had a horrible reaction to Frontline spot-on drops. I would never advise that product to anyone, and since then I spread the voice about how bad it was on my Lola! Yet people keep using it.

 

[Antonio65]

I've read that the collars bought on places like Amazon can be phoney, causing reactions. I've never been a fan of leaving collars on anything, so I have no desire to use them anyway.

Yes, I have read that too, that several collars bought on the internet can be phoney.
Actually, the ones I purchased were much less expensive that those in the shops, exactly half the price (€21.50 instead of €44.50), so when I received the package with the less expensive collars, I took a photo of those wonderful aluminum boxes, front and rear, and send them to the manufacturer and I asked them if they were genuine, and they told me, after checking all the codes on the boxes, that they were genuine.
I bought them from an online pharmacy, so I believe that they do not want to risk the license with a fake product.

I used them all now, and no cats had reactions or showed to have been wearing an ineffective collar.

The one I told about in my OP was bought in a shop.

 

[misty8723]

I also asked the vets, and they told me nothing about any safety issue.

The same way doctors don't tell you of possible side effects with the drugs they prescribe. I once got the worst headache I've ever had (I rarely get headaches) after taking some drug. Looked at the potential side effects and it said if you get a really bad headache stop taking and call your doctor. So I did. Eventually the nurse returned my call and said the doctor had never heard of that and I should keep taking them. Just saying that sometimes vets (or doctors) don't really know or figure bad is not going to happen. Yard cats are a different story, but for my indoor cats I won't use chemicals on them of any kind, including the collars. I do monitor for fleas.

 

[Antonio65]

The same way doctors don't tell you of possible side effects with the drugs they prescribe. I once got the worst headache I've ever had (I rarely get headaches) after taking some drug. Looked at the potential side effects and it said if you get a really bad headache stop taking and call your doctor. So I did.

My cat Freya is on Phenobarbital, and she had a couple of reactions that weren't even mentioned in the leaflet, and that my vets were totally unaware of. I found a couple of articles on the web, though, that warned me about.

Yard cats are a different story, but for my indoor cats I won't use chemicals on them of any kind, including the collars. I do monitor for fleas.

So far I'm fine with my indoor cat, they never had any fleas or ticks, so I'm not giving them anything either.