Seresto Flea and Tick Collar Review: Does This $58 Collar Really Last 8 Months?

Introduction

Last spring, I was this close to losing my mind over fleas. I had spent $120 on an exterminator to bomb my whole apartment, I was vacuuming every single day, I washed all my sheets twice a week, and I was still getting bit, every single night. Max, my 35-pound Lab mix, was scratching so bad, he had these little red sores all over his belly, and I could see fleas jumping off him, every time I picked him up. I was using Frontline, the monthly spot treatment, which cost me $15 a month, and it wasn’t working. Nothing was working. That’s when my vet recommended the Seresto Flea and Tick Collar. It was $58, and it was supposed to last 8 whole months. I was skeptical, because I’d tried so many things that didn’t work, but I was desperate. I ordered it, right away, from Amazon, the large dog one, ASIN B00B8CG602, and after using it for 8 months, I have so much to say about it.

Seresto Flea and Tick Collar: A Seresto Flea and Tick Collar Review of Its Protection

Let me break down what this thing is, first, because I had no idea, before I bought it. It’s this thin, clear plastic collar, right? It has these two active ingredients in it, imidacloprid and flumethrin, which slowly release over time, over 8 months, to kill fleas and ticks, before they can bite your dog.

The idea is, you just put it on your dog’s neck, adjust it, cut off the extra part, and that’s it. You don’t have to do anything else. No monthly spot treatments, no spraying them every week, no pills. It’s supposed to be waterproof, too, so you don’t have to take it off when they swim, or when you bathe them. It just keeps working, the whole time.

And it’s supposed to work for 8 whole months. That means, one collar, covers you, for the entire flea and tick season, which is like, April to November, where I live. That sounded too good to be true, honestly. I’d never had a flea treatment that lasted more than a month, before.

My Story: Putting the Seresto Collar to the Test

When the collar arrived, I opened the package, and I was shocked, because there was no smell. I was expecting that strong, chemical smell, like the flea spray I used to use, but there was nothing. It was just this thin, clear collar, that felt like regular plastic. I put it on Max, adjusted it, so I could fit two fingers under it, like the instructions said, and cut off the extra part, which was like 3 inches, because he has a small neck.

The first week, I was checking him, every single day, for fleas. I was running my hands over his belly, his back, his neck, looking for any little bugs. And, after 3 days, the scratching stopped. Max stopped scratching, all the time. I couldn’t believe it. After a week, I didn’t see a single flea, on him, or in my apartment. The bites on my legs, they stopped, too.

I took him swimming, that month, at the lake, twice. I was worried, because I thought, the water would wash the stuff off, right? But no, it was fine. He swam for an hour, got all wet, and when we got home, he still didn’t have any fleas. I bathed him, too, with his dog shampoo, and I didn’t take the collar off, and it still worked.

Then, after 4 months, I was like, wait, is this still working? Because I hadn’t had a single flea, in 4 months. I checked the reviews, and a lot of people said, it stops working after 4 months, but no, for us, it kept working. We went hiking, in the woods, where there are tons of ticks, and he didn’t get a single tick, the whole time.

But, the first week, I noticed, his neck was a little red, right where the collar was. I panicked, I thought, he was allergic to it, like I’d read about in some reviews. I took the collar off, for a day, and the redness went away. Then, I put it back on, but I adjusted it, so it was looser, so it wasn’t rubbing against his skin. And that fixed it. No more redness, no more irritation.

And then, 8 months later, right when the collar was supposed to stop working, I started seeing a flea, again. Just one. That’s when I knew, it really did last 8 months, exactly like it said. I ordered a new one, right away, and put it on, and the flea was gone, the next day.

What I Liked and What I Didn’t Like About the Seresto Collar

After using this for 8 months, I went through all the pros and cons, and I checked out hundreds of other reviews, to make sure I wasn’t the only one with these experiences.

What I Liked

• It really does last 8 months: I’m not kidding, it worked, exactly for 8 months. No more monthly treatments, no more remembering to reapply it, every 30 days. I put it on, and I forgot about it, for 8 months.
• It’s way cheaper than monthly treatments: $58 for 8 months, that’s like $7.25 a month. Frontline was $15 a month, so I saved $62, over 8 months. That’s a huge difference.
• It’s waterproof: I didn’t have to take it off, when he swam, or when I bathed him. It just kept working, no matter what.
• No smell: There was no chemical smell, nothing. I couldn’t even tell he was wearing it, half the time.
• It actually killed the flea infestation: After that exterminator, and the Frontline, nothing worked, until this. It killed all the fleas, in my apartment, in a week.
• Max didn’t mind wearing it: He never scratched at it, he never tried to take it off, he didn’t even notice it was there.

What I Didn’t Like

• There are counterfeit versions out there: My friend bought one, from a third party seller on Amazon, and it was fake. It worked for a month, and then it stopped, and she got fleas again. She had to return it, and buy the official one, from the official seller, to make it work.
• Some dogs have allergic reactions: A lot of people said, their dog got red, itchy skin, or even sores, on their neck, from the collar. I had that, too, at first, until I loosened it.
• The upfront cost is a little high: $58 is a lot, to pay all at once, when you’re used to paying $15 a month. I had to save up, for a week, to buy it, at first.
• It doesn’t work for super heavy flea areas, for some people: A lot of people said, if you live somewhere, with a really bad flea problem, it doesn’t work as well, you still get fleas.
• Some dogs get sick, if they lick it: A few people said, their dog licked the collar, and then they had diarrhea, or vomiting, or they were lethargic, for a couple days.

Is the Seresto Collar Right for Your Dog?

So, is this thing right for you? Well, that depends. If you have a dog, that doesn’t have sensitive skin, and you’re tired of monthly flea treatments, that don’t work, then yeah, this is perfect. It worked for me, it worked for a ton of other people, it’s cheap, it’s easy, it lasts 8 months.

But if your dog has super sensitive skin, then you might want to be careful. A lot of dogs with sensitive skin, get that redness, or that irritation, on their neck. You can try loosening the collar, like I did, but if that doesn’t work, then it’s not for you.

And if you’re going to buy it, make sure you buy it from the official seller, not some random third party. Because there are so many fakes out there, that don’t work, and they can even be dangerous, for your dog. I bought mine, from the official Amazon store, and it worked perfectly.

And if you live somewhere, with a really bad flea problem, then you might want to test it, first. A lot of people said, it works, but some people said, it’s not strong enough, for really bad infestations.

Common Questions About the Seresto Collar

I got so many questions from my friends, after I posted about this, so I wanted to answer the most common ones, right here.

Does this really last 8 months?

Yeah, for me, it did. It worked, exactly for 8 months, right when it was supposed to stop, I started seeing fleas again. A lot of other people said the same thing.

Is this waterproof?

Yeah, it is. I took Max swimming, twice, and I bathed him, a bunch of times, and it still worked, the whole time.

Can my dog lick this?

Well, you don’t want them to, because some dogs get sick, if they lick it too much. But most dogs don’t lick it, because it doesn’t taste good, so they leave it alone.

Does this work for ticks?

Yeah, it does. I took Max hiking, in the woods, where there are tons of ticks, and he didn’t get a single tick, the whole 8 months.

Is this safe for puppies?

The label says, it’s safe for puppies over 10 weeks old, so if you have a younger puppy, don’t use it.

Do I have to take it off at night?

No, you don’t. You just leave it on, 24/7, the whole 8 months. You don’t have to take it off, for anything.

My Top Takeaways on the Seresto Collar

At the end of the day, this collar worked, way better than anything I’ve ever tried, before. It solved that flea problem, that I had, that was making me crazy, for months. It killed all the fleas, in my apartment, in a week, it kept them away, for 8 whole months, and it cost me way less, than the monthly Frontline, that wasn’t even working.

The little irritation, that was annoying, but it was easy to fix, just by loosening the collar. The upfront cost, that was a little high, but it was worth it, because I saved so much money, over the 8 months.

I was so skeptical, at first, because I’d tried so many things that didn’t work, but this one, it actually worked. It was exactly what it said it was. 8 months of protection, no hassle, no smell, no nothing.

If you’re like me, and you’re tired of fleas, and you’re tired of monthly treatments that don’t work, this is worth trying. It’s not perfect, but it’s way better than the other options.

Final Thoughts on the Seresto Collar

All in all, the Seresto Flea and Tick Collar has been a game changer, for me, and for Max. It solved that flea problem, that I thought I was never going to get rid of, and it made my life so much easier. I don’t have to remember to apply the monthly spot treatment, I don’t have to worry about fleas, I don’t have to worry about ticks, when we go hiking.

It’s not perfect, there are fakes out there, some dogs have allergies, the upfront cost is a little high, but none of that was a dealbreaker, for me. It worked, exactly like it said it would, it lasted 8 months, it killed all the fleas, and it saved me a ton of money.

I would pay $58, again, in a heartbeat, for this. It’s worth it, to not have to deal with fleas, anymore.

If you’re interested in trying it out, you can check it out here: Check Price on Amazon

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A Quick Disclaimer

I’m not a vet or professional trainer. This is just my personal experience.