Havering Friends of the Earth

Pet flea meds alert

by Rosina Purnell; first published 18-Sep-2026

If dogs could talk… - Joanna from Dagenham

Although not a pet owner myself, I am always jealous of those who do own one. Small fluffy dogs are my favourite and I love the enthusiastic greetings one gets as a complete stranger when one makes a fuss of them during a casual encounter.

However, we have gradually been made aware of the harm preventative pet flea and tick treatments are having on the environment. This is a difficult one as cat and dog owners do need to protect their pets from parasites.

Chemicals in "spot on" treatments such as Fipronil and Imidacloprid are detrimental to wild life if they get into the environment, for example from waste water after washing a treated pet. Birds might well pick up strands of your pet's fur to line their nests, where the toxic residue could prove fatal to nestlings.

There are some traditional ways to deter fleas and ticks, such as brushing your pet regularly with a wire brush, or adding a dash of vinegar to the water when you wash them. But we are told that other treatments are not as effective as "spot on". So, what is the environmentally concerned pet owner to do?

The House of Lords Environment Committee says these treatments should be banned from general sale because of their harmful impact on the environment. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate says that the problem is that these products are not always used in line with the instructions on the product leaflet. Of course, they take a less stringent view because of business reasons.

Be Spot On Aware is a government website which gives very helpful advice. It particularly stresses that you should limit washing your pet or letting them swim for several weeks after application of the treatment.

It's all a bit of a balancing act. It is not advisable to use "spot on" as a regular preventive solution. That has been made very clear. If it has to be used on an occasion, then great care needs to be taken with its harmful effect on water.

We hope all pet owners will be attentive to this. Havering residents are now very much aware of the decline of bees because of the harm caused by pesticide use. We hope that equally, pet owners will either avoid, or limit, their use of chemical products which damage our precious Havering wildlife.