Call to end unrestricted sale of pet flea treatments over pollution fears

Widely used flea and tick treatments should no longer be freely available from shops and unchecked online sources, a parliamentary committee has warned.

The House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee is calling for tighter controls on pet parasite medications amid concerns about their effect on companion animals and the natural environment.

Its report, Paws for concern: pets, parasites and pollution, calls for a ban on the general sale of off-the-shelf and unchecked online pet parasite treatments.

Instead, the committee wants the Government to introduce an interim risk-based regime restricting access to all parasiticides.

The products would only be supplied alongside individualised advice and an assessment taking into account factors including the animal’s lifestyle, location and clinical needs.

The inquiry focused on pet parasite medications containing chemicals of concern, including fipronil and imidacloprid.

It examined how the products are distributed and the impact of their use and non-use on biodiversity and human health.

The committee also considered current regulation and monitoring, as well as how changes to treatment practices could affect pets and their owners.

Baroness Sheehan, chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee, said: “Our report raises serious questions and concerns about the environmental risks of pet flea and tick treatments as well as how they are sold to pet owners. Their over-use on household pets is the equivalent of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

“The lack of scientific evidence and data, poor customer guidance and the relationship between the pet medication suppliers and regulators appear as murky as the waterways these flea treatments are polluting.

“Pet owners deserve accurate evidence-based guidance on the need for, and risks of, the existing and new chemicals which are being prescribed and the impact they are having on their pets, home and the environment.”

The committee is urging the Government to establish the true scale of pollution caused by all pet parasite medications and publish anonymised information about product sales and usage habits.

It also wants Phase II Environmental Risk Assessments extended to all existing and future pet parasite medications.

The relationship between the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, the industry and VICH should be reviewed to remove any risk, or perceived risk, of regulatory capture, the report said.

Ministers have also been asked to establish funding schemes with UK Research and Innovation to address substantial gaps in the evidence surrounding the use and effects of the treatments.

Current packaging guidance says pets should not be allowed to bathe for four days after the application of a spot-on treatment.

However, the committee wants that period extended to 28 days after finding sufficient evidence that spot-on treatments continue to contaminate water systems throughout that time.

The committee said the UK’s approach to pet parasite medications needed to be recalibrated to protect companion animals and the natural environment.