Flea Collar May Be Linked to 1,700 Pet Deaths
March 19, 2021 — A top-selling flea collar that may be linked to the deaths of nearly 1,700 pets and hundreds of injuries to people should be recalled, a U.S. lawmaker says.
Since the Seresto collars were introduced in 2012, there have been more than 75,000 incidents — ranging from skin irritation to seizures to death — reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to government documents obtained by a nonprofit group, CBS News reported.
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi wants a recall of the collars, which contain two different pesticides to combat fleas and ticks.
“I think that it’s only appropriate in this case that the manufacturer do a voluntary recall,” he said, CBS News reported. “We look at the situation, investigate and then proceed from there.”
Retailer Elanco says the collars are safe. The “incident report rate … in the U.S. has been below 0.3%” and the majority “relate to non-serious effects” such as skin problems, according to the company.
Elanco says it will not issue a recall. That’s something that would be up to regulators, a company spokesperson told CBS News.
