An interesting subject a little different from our usual mix, but an opportunity for dog owners to consider, which also has implications for our watercourses.

Herbalist Vet, Iris Ege will discuss ‘Pet flea treatments and their effect on pollinators, birds and aquatic life’ on Monday 24th of April 7pm.  

Outlining concerns below, she will argue:

‘Is preventative healthcare for pets putting biodiversity at risk?  There are about 10 million dogs and 11 million cats in the UK, with an estimated 80% receiving flea treatments [1], whether needed or not.
The blanket use of flea treatments should be discouraged, and that new regulation is needed according to recent research. Currently, the flea treatments are approved without an assessment of environmental damage. A study has revealed that highly toxic insecticides used on cats and dogs are poisoning rivers across England which is arguably, mostly preventable. The discovery is “extremely concerning” for water insects, and the fish and birds that depend on them, the scientists said, who expect significant environmental damage is being done’. 

Links:  
https://www.pdsa.org.uk/media/7420/2019-paw-report_downloadable.pdf

BIO:

Qualifying as a vet at Justus-Liebig University, Germany (2003), Iris started her journey in holistic veterinary medicine a year later. Having gained UK experience working in a mixed practice in   Herefordshire, she reduced her conventional workload in 2012 to mostly small animal locum jobs. This has enabled her to stay in touch with the latest developments in veterinary medicine while focusing on alternative veterinary medicine which, currently, is not very widely used in veterinary practices in the UK. She founded A.P. Vet LTD in 2013.

Research source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/17/pet-flea-treatments-poisoning-rivers-across-england-scientists-find