Protecting pets from harm is the goal of all pet owners. This includes form any outside factors and any dangers found within the home. What do you do when the danger comes from an unexpected quarter, in this case, the flea and tick collars that many pet owners use to protect their dogs and cats from pests?

In harm’s way

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No one would think something designed as safe for their pet would harm them, but that is exactly what seems to be happening with a popular brand of flea and tick collar sold by Elanco and developed by Bayer.

Rhonda Bomwell and Pierre

When Rhonda Bomwell bought a flea and tick collar for her Papillon service dog, Pierre, on the recommendation of her veterinarian, she had no idea the heartbreak it would lead to. Within a day of putting, it on him, Pierre had an adverse reaction, going into seizures and having to be rushed to the hospital.

Before he could receive medical treatment, Pierre was dead. During this whole incident, Bomwell never thought to remove the new collar she had put on him. But she is not the only one suffering a loss after using the popular Seresto flea and tick collar.

How flea and tick collars work

The collar releases a small amount of pesticide onto the animal wearing it and is supposed to keep away fleas and ticks over a period of months. And while it kills any fleas and ticks that get on the protected animal, it is supposedly harmless to the animal itself.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has done nothing to inform the public of the risks the collars pose. This is after hundreds of deaths, almost 1,700 so far, and tens of thousands of injuries to animals have occurred. To make it worse, hundreds of humans have also been harmed by the collars.

Ron Packard’s two dogs

Another tragic story resulting from the use of the collars involves two dogs owned by Ron Packard of Brockton, Massachusetts. Two of his four dogs had seizures on the same day after he had placed the collars on them. Within weeks, 10-year-old Danny and 5-year-old Dominic, both Cavachons, were dead.

The only connection Packard could make was the use of the Seresto collars. This led to him creating a Facebook page, “Bayer Elanco Seresto Collars of Death,” where others could share stories of their pets’ reactions to the Seresto collars.

“I don’t want others to go through what we went through,” Packard told USA TODAY. “Every time I read the stories; it brings me back to my dogs. But if I can save a few pets, I can deal with it.”

For more on this important pet health matter, check out the following video.

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Source: USA TODAY, The Sun