Seresto Collars - 4 month review

[Silaria]

Well, Edan and CJ have been wearing Seresto collars for 4 months now. Keiran's been wearing one since mid-May (3 months). I'm going to focus on Edan and CJ since we are at the half-way point in the life of their collars. Since, when I first mentioned I was going to use them, people asked how they worked, I figured an update was in order.

We live in a high tick area and our home is bordered by woods on 3 sides. We also have feral cats, rabbits, deer, raccoon, and other wildlife in our yard on a regular basis. We've been camping and hiking. And, of course, out a the facility where 95% of the local agility trials are held, which is where we picked up the majority of the ticks last year.

So far the Seresto collars have worked exactly as advertised. The first month they were wearing them we did find a few (3 or less) on the floor that were quite dead. Since that time we have not seen a single flea or tick.

Now, we are at the latter half of the collar's life (8 months) and as the weather gets colder fleas and ticks are more apt to seek warmth on the dogs and in the house. We'll see how well they work as they near the end of their effectiveness. I'll provide another update at that point.

Hope this is helpful to some members.

 

[Caro]

Interesting. Are you leaving them on the dogs all the time?

 

[Silaria]

They are on the dogs the majority of the time. They only time they come off is when we are running CPE agility because dogs have to "run naked" in that venue.

 

[Sheltie4]

I thought I would chime in with an unsolicited review on Seresto collars also.

I live in a suburban area, so fleas are more of a concern than ticks.

My dogs have been wearing them since April, and I have not seen any evidence of fleas.

I am quite pleased at this point. So easy - no monthly administration. Another plus, is the gray color of the collar - it looks slightly less grimy than the white Scalibor bands I used previously.

 

[ghggp]

Do these collars do any harm to their coats?

I would think wearing a collar all the time would rub their coats and cause mats and possibly cause hair loss.

Thanks for posting the reviews!

 

[Silaria]

Do these collars do any harm to their coats?

I would think wearing a collar all the time would rub their coats and cause mats and possibly cause hair loss.

The collar is very thin and hides in the coat; hides so well that I almost forgot to take it off for a run in CPE back in early August (I found it while petting him at the start line).

My dogs where a thin collar all the time so there is a small gap (for lack of a better description) in their fur from that however, with the fullness of the ruff around the neck we really don't see it.

Does that answer your question or make it more confusing?

 

[ghggp]

Thanks for the detailed response!

Yes, it DOES answer my question!

Think I will invest in several!

Live in the suburbs so ticks are not a problem but fleas are.

 

[ghggp]

One more question...

What size do you get?

Chance is 31lbs and Jasmine is 22lbs

Thanks in advance!

 

[Silaria]

One more question...

What size do you get?

Chance is 31lbs and Jasmine is 22lbs

Thanks in advance!

The sizes of the collars go by weight, similar to the way the topicals are dosed by weight. The size to weight chart is about half way down this page: http://www.petparents.com/products.aspx/about/seresto

I got the small because all my dogs weigh less than 18 pounds.

You'll need the large for both of yours. I've seen the larger collar on some dogs and it's a wider than the small but it should still hide in their ruff pretty well. You can trim the excess off with a pair of scissors.

 

[VallejoSheltie]

For the minimal price difference, I would suggest getting the larger collar.

You can basically get 2 collars for the price of 1.

Even with my larger-sized 19-20" guy, I have to cut off a fair bit of the collar per instructions.

Get a cheapo nylon dog collar at the $1 store
Cut the plastic-clip ends off with an inch of nylon collar left
Sew the nylon ends onto the Seresto collar remnant

I have about 75-80% neck covered by the remnant, which seems to work well.

Also, check out the Permethrin-laced Cow ear tags that can be placed on regular collars if Frontline still works in your area.
Farmers, Beagle forumistas and hunters have been using them for decades. Last 6 months, $1-1.50 each.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/y-tex-insecticide-cattle-ear-tag-purple-pack-of-20
Far as I know, unlike some fleas, ticks do not have drug resistance.