Allergy to Soresto flea and tick collar?

[diane silver]

Hi everyone,

I haven't posted here for a while, but my 8-year-old Doodle, Emma, has been suffering with what we've thought are "seasonal allergies." She developed this about a year ago and we've been treating her with various meds.The only place on her body that she has had issues with are her front paws - licking them to the point that they become red, irritated, and sometimes as a result of her licking, infections which require her to be on antibiotics, etc., etc.

I have a friend at the dog park whose Golden Retriever also has been suffering with pretty much the same symptoms and she told me that he was wearing a Soresto flea and tick collar which was removed for bathing and since they took it off two weeks ago, the dog hasn't touched his feet!

Which leads me to my question: Since Emma has also been wearing the Soresto collar, I'm wondering if anyone here has had the same issues with their dogs.  We've removed the collar only yesterday, so I don't know if it's had any effect, but I'd love to hear from any of you if this is something you've heard of or dealt with.

Thanks so much.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I wouldn't put much stock in what your dog park friend told you. Yes, the paw licking is a symptom of seasonal allergies, and yes, it's possible that a flea collar could cause an adverse reaction, but the two things are not related. (Allergens are organic matter. Chemicals, cleaners, etc can be irritating or cause health issues, but they don't cause antibodies in the circulatory system, and that's what causes allergy symptoms.)  It's most likely a coincidence that your friend's dog's itching stopped around the same time period that she removed the collar, coupled with the fact that seasonal allergy symptoms are diminishing right now in most parts of the country anyway, as the ragweed and other fall weeds die off and the cold weather sets in. There's no way to know for sure, but there are lots of other methods of controlling fleas and ticks, so try something else and see if that makes a difference. Allowing of course for the fact that Emma's allergy symptoms might normally be diminishing right now anyway. 

Your best bet for any dog who regularly needs treatment for skin infections caused by allergies is always to consult a veterinary dermatologist.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I have no experience with the Soresto collars. This is the time of year Calla gets itchy so I just started her on Allegra which works really well. Luca has been licking his paws a lot and he has developed hot spots, which I've managed topically in the past. So I may well start him on Allegra too. Whatever these seasonal allergies are they are affecting me too and I just took an Allegra. So if the collar proves not to be the problem you might try that antihistamines.