Flea prevention for your pet matters. Whether you are hiking a trail or hanging out in your backyard, fleas and their bites can cause your pet major discomfort. Fleas also spread disease. This is why it is so important to use a good flea preventative, like Seresto®, on your pet.
This post is sponsored by Seresto® and the BlogPaws™ Pet Influencer Network™. I was sponsored to the BlogPaws 2016 conference to help spread the word about Bayer Animal Health, but Oz the Terrier only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Bayer Animal Health and Seresto are not responsible for the content of this article.
When we participated in a previous campaign for Seresto, I wrote about Oz’s flea bite allergy and the resulting Flea Allergy Dermatitis he suffers with when bitten by fleas. Like many dogs, Oz is hypersensitive to the substances in flea saliva. This hypersensitivity, or allergy, causes intense skin irritation and itchiness that spreads from the bite area and results in Oz losing patches of fur and sometimes even a skin infection if he scratches too much.
It only takes ONE FLEA BITE to cause Flea Allergy Dermatitis. Just one bite and Oz is an itchy mess. But with the Seresto collar, he is rarely bitten by a flea and it is because Seresto kills fleas on contact unlike other preventatives that only kill fleas once they bite.
As I said, fleas also transmit disease…and parasites. Fleas can be infected with tapeworms. When your pet chews on an irritated area of its body and a flea is present, it is possible for your pet to swallow the flea. If that flea is infected with a tapeworm, there is a good chance your pet will get a tapeworm as well.
Flea bites can also cause a bacterial infection known as Bartonellosis. In dogs, the bacteria have been linked to medical conditions associated with the heart, eyes and liver.
I don’t even want to think about a flea infestation! Thankfully, Oz has never been infested with fleas. If a pet is infested with fleas, they can easily suffer from iron-deficiency anemia since the hundreds of fleas are having a blood-meal on your pet.
All of the above can be prevented if you use a good flea preventative, like Seresto, on your pet. Seresto kills fleas on contact and it also hinders flea reproduction since it kills fleas before they can lay eggs.
On last week’s post about Seresto, a few of you asked questions regarding swimming and bathing while using Seresto on your dog and the efficacy of the collar when your dog is bathed or swims frequently. I have answers about Seresto for you (I am still waiting on an answer for another question, so stay tuned):
Seresto® is water-resistant and remains effective following a shampoo treatment, swimming or after exposure to rain or sunlight. There is no need to remove the collar for bathing or swimming. Under normal conditions – i.e. bathing once a month, swimming once a month – effectiveness lasts for 8 months.
If you bath your dog more than once a month, it is suggested to use a non-stripping shampoo, which is generally a soap free formulation used for general cleansing.
If your dog gets a bath or swims more than once a month, the control duration of the Seresto® collar is reduced to 5 months for flea control and reduced to 7 months for tick control.
If I may point out, even at the lowest reduced control duration of 5 months for flea control, the price for the Seresto collar is still comparable to other flea and tick preventatives. Take the example below, using the HIGHEST prices I could find for one Seresto collar and a well known drop-style brand with 6 monthly applications:
Seresto at $60 – even at 5 month reduced control duration is equal to $12/month
Brand X at $70 – with 6 monthly applications included is equal to approximately $11/month
Seresto pricing is comparable to other flea and tick preventatives even at the reduced control duration. If your dog gets a bath or swims only once a month, at the full control duration of 8 months the price per month goes down to almost $7. Seresto is definitely worth the investment for the health of your pet.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of BlogPaws Pet Influencer Network. The opinions and text are all mine.
Why does flea prevention matter to you?
What are your thoughts on using the Seresto collar?
What are your thoughts on using the Seresto collar?
Great information, Oz, and thank you!
ReplyDeleteIndeed....Fleas can be SO nasty! Thanks for the great info on Seresto!
ReplyDeletePoor Katy came out of rescue infested with fleas. We've been a bit paranoid since.
ReplyDeleteFleas are evil little buggers... imagine what diseases they caused during the centuries... and therefore we show them the paw, right Dr. Oz?
ReplyDeleteMy angel sissy Cinderella had what sounds like your same condition. When she was furst rescued by LBR, she'd lost almost all her fur and was all swollen, itchy, and lumpy. We were real careful about her and fleas.
ReplyDeleteI HATE fleas Oz! You sound just like the vets I used to work with. "Just one bite!" ;) You are Dr. Oz after all. Scary thing is that that Bartonellosis disease is also known as cat scratch fever in the humans.
ReplyDeleteOh Miss Ann, I did not know cat scratch fever was the same as Bartonellosis! Thanks for teaching me something new! You are so smart.
DeleteLuckily fleas as not a problem here but when we travel they could be!
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
We are so glad we do not have a flea problem here. This is great info for those areas that do
ReplyDeletehugs
Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel
We don't like fleas and can't find a single redeeming quality to the little buggers! Mom said they have improved these collars since her cat wore them in the 70's. They stank back in the day! *She is ancient!
ReplyDeleteI can't take the oral flea chews cause they make me sick, so I've been taking the topical, which applied right before my walkie, avoids the 'rub off on the furniture' scenario ☺, butts my coat is so thick that a lot of the liquid ends up on my FURS and not my skin. Ma got one of these, butt hasn't used it yet, because the liquid has my heartworm protection in it too. So she wants to use that up ($$$$ expensive) before she tries this one. She did hear of some doggies having a bad reaction, butts I think that is true with any medication.
ReplyDeleteKisses,
Ruby ♥
Thanks for sharing this information, I don't use these collars but have people ask me about them.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. As you know our dogs probably swim 4-5 days a week in the summer and 2-3 in the Spring and Fall. I have heard mixed reviews on this product, but it is something worth considering. We are mostly concerned about ticks.
ReplyDelete