Vets to educate owners about pesticide risk
pesticides.
Veterinary surgeons across England are being asked to support the Campaign against accidental or illegal poisoning (CAIP) to help prevent pets inadvertently picking up pesticides.
Nigel Gibbens, Defra’s Chief Veterinary Officer and Harvey Locke, President of the British Veterinary Association have jointly written to veterinary practices across England asking vets to help raise awareness of the risks and to help Defra gather a comprehensive picture of incidents that do happen.
The letter also asks vets to display a new double sided A5 poster which highlights the hazards that can exist both in the countryside and at home.
Common problems include:
- dogs and cats eating slug pellets picked up during walks or in the garden
- dogs and cats picking up poorly placed rodenticide baits which may be used at
home, on farms and around waste bins
- farm animals occasionally getting access to poorly stored pesticides
- some birds of prey, other predators and even pets being deliberately poisoned with
pesticides.
In addition the letter urges vets to report any suspected cases of pesticide poisoning to the
Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS) via its hotline 0800 321600.
Copies of the countryside users leaflet can be downloaded in pdf format, or ordered as
printed material from the CAIP website
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
