If you use spot-on flea or tick treatments on your dog or cat, there's something worth knowing about, because the government has just launched a campaign asking pet owners to be a bit more careful about how they apply them.
Why the campaign has launched
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (the VMD, which is the agency that regulates animal medicines in the UK) published the campaign in May 2026 after monitoring by the Environment Agency found two common active ingredients, fipronil and imidacloprid, turning up in UK rivers and streams at levels that could harm aquatic insects like mayflies and dragonflies. Research suggests these chemicals are getting into the water supply through household wastewater and when treated pets go for a swim in natural water.
Nobody is saying stop using them
To be clear, spot-on treatments are genuinely important. The UK has around 21 million pet cats and dogs, and these products protect them, and us, from fleas, ticks and the diseases they carry. Nobody is saying stop using them. But the way a lot of people apply them means more of the chemical ends up in the environment than needs to.
Plan, Apply, Protect
The VMD's new guidance boils down to three steps they're calling Plan, Apply, Protect.
Plan before you treat
Plan means washing your pet in the days before you apply the treatment rather than after, and timing the application so you won't be in close contact with your pet for a while, like at night or before you leave for work.
Apply it properly
Apply means reading the instructions properly and actually parting your pet's fur so you're applying the product to the skin, not just the top of the coat.
Protect waterways afterwards
Protect is probably the one most people don't know about. Don't let your pet swim for at least four days after application, try to limit bathing and swimming in the weeks after that, bin used pipettes rather than rinsing them down the sink, and don't leave pet fur from treated animals out for nesting birds to pick up.
The surprising bit
That last one surprised me too, honestly.
What could change next
The VMD is also currently reviewing whether products containing fipronil and imidacloprid should require professional advice at the point of sale, so you'd need to speak to a vet or pharmacist rather than just picking them off the shelf. A call for evidence on that is open until 11 June 2026 if you want to submit a response.
Where to read more
The full guidance and free downloadable resources are available at bespotonaware.campaign.gov.uk, and the original government press release is on GOV.UK if you want to read it straight from the source.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice of any kind.