Fake Seresto flea collars ‘could be harmful to pets’

Counterfeit copies of flea collar brand Seresto that could be hazardous have been seized in Philadelphia by US customs.

The knock-offs of the popular product – produced by Germany’s Bayer – appear to have originated from China and could potentially cause chemical burns or hair loss in pets, according to CBP.

Officers at the Port of Pittsburgh have intercepted 13 international parcels in the last couple of weeks that all told included 31 cat and 27 dog flea collars and would have had a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of more than $3,500 if genuine.

They were shipped from China and Hong Kong and were en route to addresses in Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

In the UK, Bayer launched a campaign to educate pet owners on where to safely buy the products last year. The company has also been asking vets to play a key role in helping stamp out the illegal activity, by identifying and reporting counterfeit collars they come across when in consultation with pet owners.

It has created a video to help customers distinguish genuine from fake flea and tick control collars (see below), as well as an online guide here.