Vets urged to cut back on flea treatments amid UK biodiversity fears University of Sussex scientist calls promotion of preventative practice when pets are flea free ‘profiteering’.
Dave Goulson, professor of biology at the University of Sussex, where the songbird study was carried out, said: “Given the scale of environmental contamination it is causing, prophylactic use of flea treatments on family pets cannot continue.
Vets need to stop “profiteering” by giving dogs and cats preventive flea treatments that are wiping out insects and songbirds, according to a well-known scientist.
“Defra [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] and the veterinary profession need to take responsibility for development of a sustainable alternative, but an obvious first step is to stop treating animals for fleas if they don’t have fleas.
Imidacloprid and fipronil, for example, are powerful insecticides: one monthly flea treatment for a large dog contains enough imidacloprid to kill 25 million bees.
