UltraGuard Flea & Tick Collar

Name: UltraGuard Flea & Tick Collar
Brand: Hartz

PFR Grade

Avoid — high plastic content with documented health risks

Contains tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) — an organophosphate pesticide classified as a probable carcinogen. The NRDC has petitioned the EPA to ban TCVP in pet products. Hartz flea collars have been linked to pet deaths.

PFR Avoid

Flea and tick collar for dogs. Hartz is one of the most widely available pet product brands in the US.

Score Breakdown

How scores are calculated

Materials (40%): How plastic-free the product is — raw materials, construction, and coatings.

Packaging (20%): Is the product packaged in plastic? Is it recyclable?

Transparency (20%): Does the brand disclose ingredients, sourcing, and manufacturing?

Durability (20%): How long does it last? Longer-lasting products reduce plastic waste over time.

Materials

Packaging

Transparency

Durability

$10See Safer Alternatives in Pet Care

This is a rating of this specific product only — not the company. Other products from this brand may score differently.

Last updated: April 6, 2026

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Critical Exposure Risk — Why This Product Category Matters

Pets are even more vulnerable to chemical exposure than humans. Dogs and cats spend more time on floors (where chemicals settle), groom themselves (ingesting whatever is on their fur), and have faster metabolisms that concentrate toxins. Conventional pet products — food bowls, toys, flea treatments, and grooming products — are often made with the same toxic chemicals found in human products, with even less regulatory oversight.

Synthetic Plastic Content

80%

synthetic plastic by weight

Why We Rated It This Way

Hartz flea collars contain tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP), an organophosphate pesticide classified as a probable carcinogen by the EPA. The NRDC has documented thousands of pet deaths and illnesses linked to these collars. Children who pet treated animals are also exposed. This is one of the most dangerous pet products available.

Chemical & Health Analysis

Each chemical of concern is broken down below — what it is, where it comes from in this product, what it does to the body, and who is most at risk.

Contains:Plastic collar with pesticide impregnation

pesticides

Source

Tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) in flea collar

Health Risk

Probable carcinogen, neurotoxicity, pet deaths documented

Who Is Most At RiskPets wearing the collar, children who pet treated animals

All health claims are based on published, peer-reviewed research from the NIH, WHO, IARC, and peer-reviewed journals. This information is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice.