Vets push for a ban for over-the-counter flea treatments

Vets are calling for a ban of over-the-counter flea treatments used by pet owners across the UK, following a parliamentary inquiry into Pet Parasite Medications (PPMs).

Evidence was given by a panel of vets at the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee last week, flagging that the two parasiticides commonly found in treatments, fipronil and imidacloprid, are causing environmental damage and are toxic to wildlife. 

Some UK vets are pushing for a ban on sales of spot-on treatments containing these chemicals, by none other than veterinary professionals, as they begin to move away from such treatments. 

Amongst the professionals present at the briefing was Elizabeth Mullineaux, senior vice-president at the British Veterinary Association (BVA), who said recent surveys from members of the BVA supported the push. 

Mullineaux told the committee: “We have about 20,000 members, and we survey about 2,000 of them on a regular basis. Some 93.5% of the people who responded to our recent survey were concerned about the environmental impact of small animal parasiticides.”

Rose Perkins, a veterinary surgeon and visiting fellow at the Grantham Institute, was also present at the committee posed the suggestion that flea medications only be used in cases of infection as opposed to on a general basis and posed using alternative treatments such as isoxazolines. 

Perkins told the committee: “It’s more in line with how we use antibiotics, it’s much cheaper, you save a lot of money, and isoxazolines are incredibly effective.”

The outcomes of the committee are still ongoing, with The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) reviewing the potential environmental damage of these chemicals. 

British Veterinary Association president, Dr Rob Williams, said: “Parasiticides, like flea treatments, are vital tools in preventing, treating and protecting people and animals from disease and related welfare issues. However, there’s increasing evidence that some of these products are damaging to the environment and so they must be used responsibly.

“We strongly support VMD proposals to reclassify them, so they are unavailable for general sale, but must instead be purchased in conjunction with professional advice on when and how to use them responsibly.”