All about EM® Collars
How do the collars work?
How do the collars work?
How do the collars work?
All about EM® technology and how it works to protect your pet.
Collar Effectiveness
How do the collars work?
How do the collars work?
Useful information to make sure you stay protected with a prevention regimen.
Caring for your collar
How do the collars work?
Caring for your collar
Care instructions to help you get the most out of your collar.
Proper Measuring
Shipping & Ordering FAQs
Caring for your collar
How to properly measure for the best fit.
Design a Custom Collar!
Shipping & Ordering FAQs
Shipping & Ordering FAQs
Choose from over 70 cord colours & a variety of "bling" options.
Shipping & Ordering FAQs
Shipping & Ordering FAQs
Shipping & Ordering FAQs
Answers to common questions about EM Collars and Ordering FAQs
Collar Effectiveness
Prevention & Checking for Ticks
Prevention & Checking for Ticks
Prevention & Checking for Ticks
PREVENTION: The key with ANY tick preventative is early detection with daily tick checks - even with veterinary preventatives. Most topical/oral veterinary preventatives do not stop ticks from biting your dog, they simply kill the tick after it bites. After the tick bites, it can take 24-48 hrs to die and Lyme disease can be transmitted during this die-off period. With EM® Collars, you have the added benefit of making your dog less susceptible to tick bites as they "repel" them.
No prevention method is 100% and the key is to remove ticks as soon as you find them, so checking daily is key. If they are removed within 24 hours, the risk of transmission is quite low. If the tick is not engorged, then it has most likely NOT had time to transmit any diseases it may have carried. It is not totally uncommon to find a tick "floating" atop the fur. This is because ticks are not picky about what they latch onto. They hang on grass/branches with one side of their legs leaving the other side with legs swaying in the breeze in order to latch onto anything that rubs up against them. Usually though, they do not stay on long once they realize this is not the environment they were hoping for, and I almost never hear of reports of them biting/engorging.
Collar Effectiveness
Prevention & Checking for Ticks
Prevention & Checking for Ticks
PROTECTING/MAINTAINING YOUR COLLAR: Wear & tear on the clay pipes, dirt, oil for from skin and contact with chemicals will all decrease the effectiveness of the EMs. The clay pipes should be maintained regularly with warm water only to keep dirt and debris free from the pipes, including inside. Oils and abrasives can also break down the ceramic clay and make them more susceptible to breakage. To help loosen dirt that may be inside the pipes, rotate them while rinsing under warm water. Sunlight is good for the EMs so after washing, place them in the sun to dry. Our paracord is mold resistant & quick drying! I recommend removing the collars during play - as the EM pipes can easily break, especially during "mouthy" play. As the EM pipes are ceramic, they are susceptible to breakage - we braid MORE than required onto each collar, so that if a few break, it will not reduce the effectiveness. Some owners report that their dog lying on a hard surface, such as hard tile or concrete, will cause them to break. This is unfortunately, beyond our control :)
Collars should be replaced yearly in general - some may need to be replaced more frequently if there is extra wear and tear and others may be able to extend this. It is dependent on the dog/lifestyle, but generally a good idea to replace each "tick season".
It is very important to remember that it can take up to a month before the collars are working at full effectiveness. Especially during this time, it is important to check daily and use additional preventatives.
These collars work well for MOST pets and humans, but they seem to work better for some than others. Some find they need to use additional preventatives - many customers like the Earth M.D. Flea & Tick Prevention and the Legendary Canine Fur Fresh Outdoor Spray. Most people find EM collars also work to repel fleas. We have never had fleas with our crew of 3 dogs and many fosters since using these collars
Caring For Your Collar
Cleaning the collar
EM Collars should be washed with warm water ONLY. Absolutely no soaps or chemicals as these will compromise the integrity of the Effective Microorganisms®!
Rotate and rinse the clay beads often - at least every other week - the beads will work best when they are clean and free of debris.
Swimming with the collar is fine - as long as it is not in chemically treated water. (i.e. chlorine or bromine)
Hang to dry in a warm, sunny area. Sun is good for the EMs and our paracord is mold-resistant & quick-drying!
If you use other products such as topical flea & tick preventatives, bug spray etc - do NOT allow these products to come into contact with the EM Collar. Oils, soaps and chemicals WILL compromise the EMs and cause them to become ineffective. These can also cause the Ceramic Clay to break down, and the pipes will crack.
If your collar becomes very dirty or smelly (because let's face it, dogs like to roll in some awful things!) you can safely soak the collar in warm water mixed with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. The PH of baking soda is safe to use with the EMs and will not harm them, but do this ONLY when there is a skunk/rolled in something emergency.
The paracord I use is the highest quality:
- 550 Paracord - Type III Commercial Grade with 550 lb minimum break strength
- Diameter of approximately 4.0mm - 7 inner strands
- Mold, mildew, rot and UV resistant
- Color will not bleed
- Made in USA (never any cord from China!)
How to get the most out of your collar
- Keep the collar on your pet 24/7 for the first month of use. This is to build up the effectiveness of the Effective Microorganisms®. After the first month of continual wear, you can remove the collar when it is not needed (i.e. your pet is sleeping). **Note: you should still remove the collar to wash it during this first month!
- During "Tick Season" (dependent on your geographic location), the collar should be worn at all times.
- We recommend you change your collar/bracelet every year. You can extend the life and effectiveness of the collar if you maintain it bi-weekly. The collars do lose effectiveness over time - while it is different for every dog, most will lose effectiveness after continuous wear. Some will find they need to replace more than that, others find they can go longer. Wear & tear on the clay pipes, dirt, oil for from skin and contact with chemicals will all decrease the effectiveness of the EMs.
Collars should be replaced yearly in general - some may need to be replaced more frequently if there is extra wear and tear and others may be able to extend this. It is dependent on the dog/lifestyle, but generally a good idea to replace each "tick season".
Additional precautions
- If you live in a multi-pet household, you may find that your pets enjoy chewing on the others' collars - if this is the case, remove the collar when they are unsupervised. These collars are NOT chew-proof and we do not offer replacements for collars which have been the victim of snack-time ;) Yes, I'm talking about YOU Chloe!
- For your pet's safety and the safety of other pets, collars should be removed when engaged in rough play. Any collar poses a choking hazard, should a collar become caught in another dogs jaws. Play safe!
- Never attach a leash to a tick collar. These collars do not have a leash clip and are not built to safely restrain a dog. It WILL break.
- EM Pipes are made of ceramic clay and are susceptible to breakage. The most common causes of breakage are: hitting against a hard surface (i.e. dog lies down on tile floor or cement), playing with other dogs (other dogs' teeth can easily crack the pipes), using products like essential oils and topical flea & tick preventatives - these cause the clay to break down and they can crack. This is unfortunately beyond our control. Please do your best to avoid situations like this. We put MORE EM pipes that required on each collar so that if some break, it will not reduce the effectiveness. We do not replace 1 or 2 pipes, but if you are concerned or lose more than a few, please email us.