Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, sent letters to Elanco Animal Health Inc. and Bayer U.S. LLC seeking documents and information regarding the Seresto flea and tick collars, following reports that the collars may have killed thousands of pets and caused injuries to many more pets as well as humans.
“For so many Americans, pets are part of the family, and during the pandemic we are increasingly turning to them for comfort,” said Chairman Krishnamoorthi. “So, when a product is linked to the deaths of thousands of pets, protective action must be taken.”
Recently disclosed documents from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reveal that Seresto flea and tick collars were reported to have caused almost 1,700 pet deaths, over 75,000 incidents involving harm to pets, and nearly 1,000 incidents involving human harm. Additionally, a Seresto collar caused one twelve-year-old boy, who slept in bed with a dog wearing the collar, to be hospitalized due to seizures and vomiting.
“We believe that the actual number of deaths and injuries is much greater, since the average consumer would not know to report pet harm to EPA, an agency seemingly unrelated to consumer pet products,” Chairman Krishnamoorthi wrote.
The packaging for Seresto collars contains no disclaimer warning that the risks of toxicity are so great that they could possibly be responsible for harm and/or deaths. The collar is the only flea and tick collar that combines a cocktail of the two pesticides imidacloprid and flumethrin. Reportedly, a 2012 Bayer study found that combining the two pesticides makes them more toxic against fleas. It appears they are more toxic to pets and humans as well.
The Subcommittee requests documents and information by March 31, 2021.
Watch this space for news on this important topic.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!