Pets and pesticide poisoning

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Dear John,

Pesticides used in veterinary medicines for cats and dogs are leaching into the natural environment.

PAN UK has discovered that five insecticides deemed to be too environmentally-damaging to be used as pesticides on crops are still being routinely included in tick, flea and worm treatments for our pets, posing a risk to aquatic ecosystems.

New analysis of Environment Agency data ([link removed]) shows that three of the five insecticides – fipronil, permethrin and the controversial neonicotinoid imidacloprid – are present in English rivers in concentrations that exceed accepted safe limits for wildlife. Studies indicate that these chemicals are finding their way into rivers from a range of different routes including contaminated household wastewater resulting from washing treated pets and their clothes and bedding, and allowing treated dogs to swim in rivers.

Twenty-four environmental and veterinary organisations – including The Progressive Veterinary Association, Veterinary Poisons Information Service, RSPB and The Wildlife Trusts – have joined PAN UK in writing an open letter ([link removed]) calling on the UK Government to ban these five toxic pesticides from being included in medicines for cats and dogs. The groups point out that there are more than 300 alternative products available for pet owners, including many major brands, so a ban is highly unlikely to have any impact on animal welfare.

Despite many statements of concern from both veterinary and environmental groups over the years, concrete improvements or major reductions in use have not occurred. It is high time to adopt a precautionary approach and ban these five chemicals ([link removed]) that we know are harmful to wildlife.

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As public concern regarding the impacts of pesticides on wildlife and human health has risen in recent years, so too has the worry that our pets are being exposed to a cocktail of pesticides. However, with almost no monitoring of pet poisoning incidents conducted by the government, and very little academic research on the topic, we remain largely in the dark over the extent and true nature of the problem.

Read PAN UK’s new report ‘Pets and pesticide poisoning’ ([link removed]) where we shine a light on a largely invisible problem that is most likely affecting hundreds, if not thousands, of people and their pets every year.

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** One more thing…
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In solidarity,

the team at PAN UK
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