Report Urges Caution on Pet Parasite Drugs Over Wildlife Risks

The report argues there is no rigorous pre-approval assessment of these products and growing evidence they harm wildlife. Two pesticides found in treatments, fipronil and imidacloprid, are turning up in UK rivers at levels that can hurt invertebrates like mayflies and dragonflies, with knock-on effects on fish and birds. The report also flags insufficient evidence on human health risks and says regulators are too influenced by industry.

Rosemary Perkins at Imperial College London, who gave evidence, called it a worldwide issue, noting many products were approved on an assumption of negligible environmental risk that is now known to be invalid. The report recommends extending the no-bathing period for treated dogs from four to 28 days, and notes that newer isoxazoline treatments may accumulate in soils and sewage sludge. It calls for minimizing use of these medications until independent research clarifies their risks. There is also worryingly insufficient evidence to assess whether or not [pet parasite medicines] are harmful to human health, the report states.