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One in four vets see cats poisoned with permethrin
cat
PDSA vets see about 20 cases of permethrin poisoning in cats every month.
Bob Martin praised for removing products from general sales

Pet product manufacturer Bob Martin has been commended by animal charities for deciding to remove on-animal flea treatments that contain permethrin from general sales.

Pet owners wishing to buy these products will therefore have to obtain them through a vet, pharmacist or other suitably qualified person.

International Cat Care (iCatCare) called the move “a great day for cats in the UK” and “a substantial step forward.” However, the charity says this is a global problem, so there is more work yet to be done.

According to the PDSA, thousands of pet owners are accidentally poisoning their cats by applying dog flea treatments containing the insecticide permethrin, which can be fatal if given to cats.

The charity's vets are seeing around 20 cases of accidental permethrin poisoning every month. With many cases going unreported, experts fear this may be the tip of the iceberg.

Senior PDSA vet Sean Wensley says a lack of owner awareness is to blame, with “devastating consequences.”

PDSA is now backing a campaign launched by iCatCare last year. It calls for a change in the licensing of all products containing permethrin, meaning they could only be dispensed by a suitably qualified person, who could give advice at the point of sale. It is thought this would stop owners mistakenly buying unsafe products online or from pet shops.

iCatCare's chief executive Claire Bessant says cat deaths through permethrin poisoning are “often simply down to mistakes at the point of purchase, with pet owners mixing up cat and dog products, or just unaware that you cannot use a dog treatment on a cat...

“The saddest thing of all is that cats are dying because owners are trying to do the right thing and treat their cats for fleas.”

A recent survey by iCatCare found more than one in four vets have seen a case of cat poisoning by permethrin in the first six months of this year. Around half said they saw a case last year.

The most common cause of poisoning was dog spot-on products being mistakenly used on cats. However, a number of cases were the result of a cat coming into close contact with a dog that had been recently treated.

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise £100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.