Over-the-counter pet flea treatments could be banned under new UK rules

Pet owners across the UK could be banned from buying flea treatment for cats and dogs under new government rules.

Ministers have begun an eight-week consultation on letting only veterinary practitioners or pharmacists give out the potent, pesticide-based flea treatments, to ensure “correct usage”. At the moment, the flea and tick treatments can be bought from any pet shop.

When applied to the skin of cats and dogs, the flea treatment gets into their fur, and then into the environment, where it can kill songbirds, fish and other aquatic creatures. The highly potent treatments can cause skin irritation for pets, and animal welfare advocates argue that excessive use could be inappropriate.

The water minister, Emma Hardy, said: “This government is committed to restoring nature and cleaning up our rivers. These treatments play a vital role in pet health and welfare, but it is right that we look at whether they should only be made available for sale via medical practitioners who can advise the public on their correct usage.”

Cats and dogs are widely treated with topical treatments that include insecticides to prevent fleas. Vets often recommend regular treatments as a preventive measure, even when dogs and cats do not have fleas. But scientists now recommend animals should not be treated for fleas unless they have them.

A recent study found songbirds were using dog and cat fur tainted with the treatments to create their nests. The scientists found a higher number of unhatched eggs or dead chicks in nests where there was a higher incidence of insecticide.

Recent research funded by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) found the application of certain flea and tick treatments by pet owners was contributing to these chemicals being detected in watercourses, after people washed their hands once they had applied the treatment and when the animals swam in waterways.

Abigail Seager, chief executive of the Veterinary Medicines Directive, said: “We know that fipronil and imidacloprid play an important role in protecting pets and people from parasites and the diseases they can carry. However, these substances are entering our waterways and may be having wider environmental impacts.

“As part of the call for evidence we want to hear as many perspectives as possible to ensure future decisions help us maintain appropriate availability of veterinary medicines on the UK market, while protecting animal health and the environment.”

There is growing concern about the impact these treatments are having on biodiversity. Imidacloprid and fipronil are powerful insecticides: one monthly flea treatment for a large dog contains enough imidacloprid to kill 25 million bees.

In the UK, fipronil is an ingredient in 66 different veterinary products, and imidacloprid is in a further 21. These chemicals have been banned for agricultural use since 2018, yet Environment Agency data found fipronil residue in 98% of river and lake samples, and traces of imidacloprid in 66% of all samples.

Monitoring by the Environment Agency has found concentrations in surface water that frequently exceed toxicity thresholds for aquatic insects. Residues have also been found in river sediments, fish tissue, and coastal waters, suggesting multiple pathways by which contamination may occur.

The government recently committed to banning imidacloprid and two more neonicotinoids – clothianidin and thiamethoxam – from agricultural use.