Anyone using Seresto for flea and tick prevention?

[msnitsirk]

I called the vet today and found out that Frontline is no longer effective. A quick online search confirmed that many people have been having the issue since last year. The Frontline I've been using was from 2013 and has lasted because I only give it to her in the months when fleas/ticks are a problem. So now, I am forced to pick something else.

My vets office recommends the Seresto collar. While there are many good reviews out there, as with any flea/tick preventative there are also some scarey stories out there. I hate putting the topical stuff on but I'm also worried that the collar might not agree with her as it has given some dogs rashes/sores or made them lethargic.

I have one month of Frontline left and then I need to make a decision. It will get me to August 10th but that is prime flea tick season and the ticks are bad this year.

Is anyone using the Seresto collar and have any experience to share. What else are you all using this year? I have her on Heartguard so I only need to worry about fleas/ticks.

 

[tuggersmydog]

I would be interested in know more also about it also. I've also heard Frontline has become ineffective, but my vet still stands by it. Still, I would like to have an alternative if I need one.

 

[waynegro]

I've been using Advantix and haven't found any ticks and the mosquitoes seem to stay away as well. I've been wondering about Soresto collars as well. Are they removable, can kids touch them, do they interfere with a regular collar during walks? Thanks for bringing this topic up.

 

[msnitsirk]

Upon my initial call to the vet (to schedule a nail trim and get more Frontline), the person who answered the phone told me that the collar is "safe" as in safe to touch and safe for humans and safe for swimming dogs. She told me that my vet has been using it on her farm dogs for two years now. I have never believed that anything I read on the Internet is true, I take it with a grain of salt as the old saying goes, but I also don't trust my vet or anyone fully without doing my own research and my own due diligence for anything that I will put on my Sammie. From what I've read, these Soresto collars seem "safe" for most breeds with German Shepard owners having the most complaints. (and other very heavy fur dogs.) What is most bothersome is other breed owners saying the collar gave their dog a rash or made them lethargic. For most people, symptoms seem to resolve within a few days of removing the collar. Some complain of more persistent symptoms such as persistent rash and/or seizures. (I know these things can happen with any topical too.) I still had one dose of the old Frontline left that I put on Sammie today. I will be doing a whole lot of research over the next month to figure out the best thing for her in the long run.

 

[msnitsirk]

Since the Seresto collar is an 8 month "solution" I definitely won't be putting it on Sammie until next spring if I decide it is the right thing to do. For this year, I just need to decide on a two month dose of another topical aside from Frontline. My vet is currently using Vectra 3D so I thought I might just use that for the last two months of this flea/tick season. As I said earlier, I HATE, putting any of that crap on her but it is necessary where I live (NW Indiana) so I am forced to choose the least evil. I hate that I have to "cross my fingers" and hope she doesn't have a reaction to it. At least with the old Frontline formula, I know it worked and didn't affect her badly (at least on the surface, but why did they discontinue the old formula I wonder? ) Thanks all for listening to my rant and I am open to any suggestions. Where I live flea/tick preventative is very necessary, otherwise I would not do it. Our last boxer and our old house (before Sammie) had a horrible flea infestation and I never want to relive that. Our current boxer/new house has been flea free for over 2 years but the ticks are HORRIBLE this year.