I Put A Seresto Flea Collar On My Cat About 3 Nights Ago, And He Is Still Suffering With Fleas.

[justinb386]

I have a male cat that is around 6 months old, and he just started getting fleas this spring/summer.

I have been too scared to try something like Frontline (for example), because I have read that the topical liquid treatments can be like poison, and make a cat very sick, so I thought that getting a Seresto flea collar was the safest option for my cat (after reading all of the great reviews about the collar).

I would like to add that my cat hates water, and will not allow me to give him a bath (even just putting a little bit of liquid on him at a time makes him very upset). I wanted to give him a good Dawn bath, and tried a few times, but he will just not allow me to give him a good bath.

Anyways, I had high hopes that the Seresto flea collar would get rid of all of his fleas (and it noted that is starts working after 24 hours), but it has now been around 3 days, and my cat is still itching, scratching, and biting at what I imagine are fleas biting him.

I no longer see any fleas crawling around on his face like I did before, but he still seems to be suffering with a flea problem.

By the way, I am currently fighting a flea problem in my apartment, and I have a lot of carpet.

I bombed the place about a week ago (using 3 Hot Shot foggers that were specifically for Bed Bugs, and Fleas, that I found at Walmart), after vacuuming really well, and cleaning up as best as I could, and that has not helped my flea problem in the least.

They have been eating me up, so I know that I have a really bad problem, and the Seresto flea collar has not seemed to give my cat any relief from the fleas biting him.

I tried to make the collar as tight as possible (following the instructions), without choking my cat, but today it became loose a few times, so I tightened it up just a little tighter.

I am afraid that this flea collar is not doing him much (if any good), other then maybe just keeping the fleas away from his face.

My question is, is the Seresto flea collar supposed to work just as well as the topical treatments (like Frontline for example)?

I purchased the collar at a super walmart, but I am afraid that they have have a no return policy on an item like a flea collar.

It just does not seem to be working, and I am really upset, and worried about my cat.

I do not want to risk using a treatment that might make him deathly ill, but on the other hand, I really want him to be relieved from this flea problem.

I also wish that I could find a solution to getting rid of the flea problem in my home.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Columbine]

Hi, and welcome to TCS

I have no experience of Seresto, but generally speaking, flea collars are far less effective than spot-on treatments like Frontline and Advantage. Flea collars only work on the fleas that come close to the collars, whereas spot-on treatments spread over the skin with kitty's natural oils to give full body protection. They also stop fleas from being able to breed, so will actively help you get the house infestation under control. As far as the safety of spot-on treatments goes, I've been using them every since they first came on the market. So long as they're responsibly and correctly applied, they don't cause any problems With a heavy infestation, they really are necessary to bring things back under control.

Your best option at this point is to go and talk to you vet - you often have to be very wary about combining spot-on treatments with flea collars, or using the two close together. An infestation of the level you describe warrants veterinary advice in any case.

As for flea collars - the best thing to do with them is cut them up and stick them in your vacuum cleaner bag, so they can kill any fleas you vacuum up
Cat Fleas
Homemade Flea Remedies For Cats

 

[Antonio65]

I have put a Seresto collar on a cat who lives in my courtyard. She isn't mine in the real meaning of the word, but she's been living there for over a year now. So I thought to help her stay free from fleas and the like. I don't think she had any fleas on her, but I did it just in case
I was very doubtful on that collar, especially after reading the terrible reviews and consequences on cats of those who had tried it before.
So I bought the collar and kept a close eye on the cat for a week afterwards, and saw no terrible side effects like those who I had read about.

Anyway, I don't know if scratching is a symptom of fleas or other parasites, but she still scratching every now and then.
I chose the Seresto collar because I didn't want to stress the cat every 4 weeks with drops. She's not very fund of handling, so I chose something that could work without my continuous intervention.

As far as I know, the chemicals in that collar are released gradually into the cat's skin, so it should work all over the body, not only around the collar area.
This is all the experience I have so far.

 

[di and bob]

Collars take a while for the treatment to spread, but should be loose, not tight so the collar can rub and release the medicine while the cat moves. I have a feeling the cat is getting reinfested, more fleas are appearing, being hatched and getting right back on the cat. Make sure you treat the bedding and anywhere she lays, very well, get a powder or spray for these areas.And wash what you can. Foggers are fine but they have to be used every few weeks to get rid of fleas that hatch in the meantime. Fleas can hide under cushions, etc, so are extremely hard to get to, that is why it is so vitally important to retreat. Vacuum very well every day for a while,and empty/spray the vacuum cup. I know it is a pain but you'll never get rid of them until you treat often and clean thoroughly.

 

[dkb817]

We used the Frontline treatments for a previous cat (who passed away about 3 years ago from old age at roughly 23) and never had issue. He was indoors only, but our neighbors never treated their animals (who were frequently infested with fleas) so the fleas tended to be carried through the yard and into the house by our clothes. We would just apply the solution and then make sure that he couldn't lick or mess with the spot where it was applied until it dried (but it was always on his back, in between his shoulder blades so it's not like he could reach it, even if he wanted)


As far as the infestation in the home, the best thing we ever got was some product directly from the vet's office (I can't remember the name of it, but it was only available directly from the vet). It was around $100, if I remember right, but it nuked the fleas. It's worth looking into (you definitely have to be careful, as you may need to quarantine your cats away from the area where flea-killer is sprayed for a short period of time)

 

[Willowy]

Get some Capstar and give one every other day for a week, then once a week until the flea problem is resolved. The spot-ons and collars don't do a great job of getting rid of an existing infestation. But Capstar will kill every flea that bites the cat for 24 hours, so that'll knock the flea population down and give the collar a chance to work.

 

[Saf]

A lot of fleas have become immune to Frontline now so Advantage is better. And napalm your home with a suitable flea spray along with a thorough vacuum.

 

[LTS3]

No flea treatment works immediately so have patience It takes time to fully break the flea cycle. Adult fleas die off first but the unhatched eggs and young fleas aren't affected. It may take a few weeks or longer to fully get rid of fleas. As already said, flea collars don't work very well if at all so I'd take the collar off the cat. Ask the vet for a prescription flea treatment. Frontline is not the only product out there.

Don't forget to treat your home, too. Start with frequent vaccuming and washing blankets, towels, etc that your cat sleeps / lies on in hot water. Food grade diatomaceous earth can be sprinkled around the home to help kill fleas. Bathe your cat to remove fleas. Have a professional groomer do this if you don't want to try it at home. There are more suggestions here: Homemade Flea Remedies For Cats

 

[Blakeney Green]

I use Seresto collars on most of my cats. (Zephyr is allergic to Seresto, so not him.) I would not use an off-brand flea collar, but Seresto is my vet's primary recommendation for flea control - they also sell them, but I can get them cheaper on Amazon or Chewy. I've found Seresto collars to be quite effective despite the fact that I'm sure I bring home fleas and flea eggs on my work clothes fairly regularly, so my cats have way more flea exposure than most indoor pets.

Anyways, I had high hopes that the Seresto flea collar would get rid of all of his fleas (and it noted that is starts working after 24 hours), but it has now been around 3 days, and my cat is still itching, scratching, and biting at what I imagine are fleas biting him.

I no longer see any fleas crawling around on his face like I did before, but he still seems to be suffering with a flea problem.

You can't assume that. If you aren't actually seeing live fleas or finding flea dirt on the cat, the issue may actually be a flea allergy and/or infected flea bites from prior to treatment.

I would take the cat to the vet and mention your concerns. The cat may need an anti-inflammatory and/or an antibiotic.

It is also somewhat possible that the fleas in your area are no longer affected by the active ingredient in the collar. (In my area the fleas have become immune to Frontline/fipronil, so it does happen.) If that is the case, your vet will be aware of the issue and can recommend an alternative.

 

[Frankophile Feline Fan]

I highly recommend sprinkling your carpets, floors, and furniture with 20 Mule Team borax (found in major grocery store laundry additives sections). It will resolve your house flea problem in minutes and it's completely safe for humans and pets. Don't forget to vacuum the dead fleas after.

I use Advantage Multi on Colette. I was terrified of putting it on her at first, but she's doing fine and it works great. I think it helps to have a strategy that works for you and your cat. What I do is bribe her with liberal amounts of tuna to keep her still (and distracted), put her harness on, and then apply the Advantage Multi. I keep the harness on her for 1-2 days until the oily residue is absorbed. The feeling of the harness on her inhibits her from any knowledge that I put a foreign substance on her. She has no idea and gets her harness training at the same time

 

[Willowy]

As already said, flea collars don't work very well if at all so I'd take the collar off the cat.

Seresto is different from regular flea collars. It's basically the same as Advantage, but the collar releases small amounts constantly instead of one big dose once a month. I find Seresto to be very effective for my dogs, though too expensive for all of the cats!

It is possible that your local fleas have become immune to imidacloprid. But give it a while longer before you give up on it. It takes a while when there are a lot of fleas.

And also---if he's just scratching but you aren't seeing fleas, the collar could be working just fine. Flea bites itch for a while, like mosquito bites. The itch doesn't just go away after they stop biting.

 

[carrie2241]

Seresto collars work wonders. I was in the same situation. I was told to put the collar on the dog and to not use any other fleas killers on the dog or the house. Reason being is the fleas on the dog will die and as the new ones jump on the animal they will die. It took about two to three weeks and it worked no more fleas. I hate the price but the product does work.