Taking care of your pets can be tough no matter what. But it's even worse when the things that are supposed to help them, end up harming them instead. Rome, NY resident Patricia Johnson sent us a message about one such product.

The Bayer Company makes "Seresto Flea and Tick Collars" for dogs. Johnson started using the collar on her 3 year old Chihuahua/Terrier mix. Within a few days, she noticed changes in the dog's demeanor. After a trip to her Vet, she learned the dog was near death from poisoning, but no conclusive proof of what caused it. Apparently, she is not the only one that has noticed this sort of thing.

Scott says:

I have been using the Seresto collar on my 12 year old and 3 1/2 year old dogs (Labradors)since June 6th 2013. In that time each dog has developed diarrhea and my older dog has been near death in the emergency vet clinic all weekend at great expense mind you with severe vomiting and diarrhea.

I’m not saying it is the Seresto collar but neither dog is known to eat foreign objects or dead animals as they are in a fenced enclosure. For precaution I am taking them off it. The similarity and timing of their symptoms is no coincidence I believe.

  • Melissa says:

    No Coincidence Scott,

    The same is happening to my two year old Golden Retriever. I put the collar on her two weeks ago and she started having the same symptoms. I took it off, bathe her and gave her bland diet and she returned to normal. I called bayer when this happened and they said that this couldn’t happen. There could have been other variables- berries growing in back yard that could have caused it. I waited until a few days ago and put it back on. the same symptoms started to happen again. Called Bayer back and got a refund.

  • Bonnie says:

    No Coincidence! My Weimaraner started loosing spots of hair and had severe diarrhea. Toy poodle became very lethargic. Thank God we noticed before it was too late.

  • robin says:

    my almost 12 year old dog has never had fleas until i used the seresto collar what a giant waste of money now im battling fleas and she is suffered for 2 weeks back to advantix (Reviews via FixFleas.com)

There are pages of reviews like this on FixFleas and other websites. In some cases, the symptoms cleared up as soon as the product was removed.

Unfortunately, Johnson's troubles weren't over. Even after hospitalization and treatments, her dog continued having serious complications for weeks. She finally had to put her beloved pet to sleep.

Princess Lilli
Patricia Johnson
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The Bayer Company has acknowledged that this product may cause these side effects, and has even paid some reimbursement fees to veterinary offices. However, there has been no direct link between the flea and tick collar and these medical complications

Think about this - if the pesticides and insecticides in this and other brands of collars can affect our pets this way, what happens when your children touch the collar and then put their fingers in their mouth?

Dog & kid
Lise Gagne/ThinkStock
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There are lots of products out there for flea and tick control. Be sure to do your research and look for reviews online. If you notice any unusual behavior from your pet, it's always good to check with your veterinarian. It may just save your pet, and your child's life.

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