Latest / Paws Between Us - Pet Stories, Welfare and Building A Bond / Short Paws: Protecting Pets, Us and Our Planet: The Flea Treatment Debate

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Short Paws: Protecting Pets, Us and Our Planet: The Flea Treatment Debate · Paws Between Us - Pet Stories, Welfare and Building A Bond

• 0:00
  So welcome to our Pause Between Us short pause, your regular dose of positive pet news.
• 0:05
  Every other week we bring you a short, uplifting and informative episode
• 0:09
  packed with the latest feel-good stories from the world of pets.
• 0:12
  So settle in for a short pause and let's spread some positivity together.
• 0:16
  Hello Natalie, how are you?
• 0:18
  That was very formal.
• 0:20
  Full names.
• 0:21
  I just thought that as I said Natalie, I was like, oh, it's Nat.
• 0:25
  I get really upset if James says Natalie, I'm like, who the hell are you talking to?
• 0:30
  That's my husband by the way.
• 0:32
  Yes, of course.
• 0:33
  We've been friends long enough.
• 0:34
  I'm not going to hold it against you.
• 0:36
  I'm not going to be like a headteacher going, Natalie, come over here.
• 0:41
  No, yeah, good. How are you? I'm all right.
• 0:43
  Yeah, I'm all right. Thank you. Not too bad. Not too bad.
• 0:47
  Yeah, I've been a bit shattered this week.
• 0:49
  I was saying a little bit ago, I don't know what.
• 0:51
  I'm just exhausted this week.
• 0:54
  I've kind of taken a few hours off work because I've just been so tired.
• 0:58
  I mean, I've had little worries with Murray and still kind of keeping an eye on his little limp,
• 1:03
  but he does seem to be better, so we should be fine.
• 1:06
  I think we're out of the woods with that.
• 1:07
  That's good. I'm pleased.
• 1:09
  Maybe that worry off your mind will, I don't know, help with the tiredness.
• 1:14
  Maybe you've got a lot of things on your mind that's weighing you down.
• 1:17
  Yeah, I do catastrophize things.
• 1:21
  Yeah, well, we worry about our pets, don't we?
• 1:23
  And yeah, we've got a long weekend ahead.
• 1:28
  And it's my birthday.
• 1:29
  Yeah, it's your birthday.
• 1:31
  Are you doing anything nice for it?
• 1:33
  28 again.
• 1:37
  I've not got anything majorly planned.
• 1:39
  I wanted a really chilled time just to sort of like not be on the clock and not do too much.
• 1:44
  But we are going to a fancy, nice village pizza place on Sunday because Monday is bank holiday, so less options.
• 1:50
  But we've got stuff planned in the week, like lots of little visits and outings and spending some money.
• 1:55
  Oh, I like spending money.
• 1:58
  Spend, spend, spend. Why not?
• 2:00
  How are you and Betty?
• 2:02
  Yeah, we're good.
• 2:03
  I was just thinking the other day, I'm sitting too much at the moment because I'm not getting out and about with Betty because she's just not really walking like she used to.
• 2:14
  I have talked about this before, but we do very short walks now.
• 2:18
  And yeah, I used to benefit and love the exercise of walking alongside her because, yeah, the walks are so short.
• 2:27
  I'm just sat for far too long.
• 2:29
  So I need to get back to the gym probably or back to doing a bit of a power walk somewhere.
• 2:37
  We went for a walk to the park earlier, but she just wasn't up for it today.
• 2:41
  She wasn't feeling it.
• 2:42
  So we popped her in the stroller.
• 2:45
  I pushed her all the way to the park.
• 2:47
  She had a little walk around the park and then I pushed her all the way back.
• 2:50
  So that's still good that I'm able to do that walking when I'm sort of pushing her along.
• 2:56
  I haven't tried running yet with her in the stroller.
• 2:59
  You know, like you see sometimes mums with their kids in their prams and they're sort of like pushing them up a hill.
• 3:04
  So you need to get one with shock absorbers on it and a bit more bounce.
• 3:09
  Yeah, this one is a little bit cheap and cheerful.
• 3:12
  It rattles about a bit.
• 3:14
  I don't know, I thought I could do maybe some jogging with her in the stroller.
• 3:17
  But anyway, she just wasn't interested today and it was so hot in the park.
• 3:23
  She did chill and enjoy a few rays, but she was mostly sat in the shade, which is fine.
• 3:29
  It's been warm today.
• 3:30
  It has and we shouldn't complain, should we?
• 3:32
  But it's probably started to get a bit too hot for her anyway.
• 3:35
  So I think combined with the mobility challenges and then the warm weather,
• 3:38
  it is not the time of year for Betty to do much walking.
• 3:42
  Yeah, I worry a lot about big hairy dogs and like pugs and other animals with breathing problems.
• 3:52
  And then my cat's furry.
• 3:54
  It's all right at the moment, but then I think when it gets into the 30s,
• 3:57
  how do people keep their cats and dogs cool if they're like, you know, big furry huskies?
• 4:02
  You know, should we have huskies in the UK when it can get really warm in summer?
• 4:08
  People do, but it'd be quite interesting to speak to somebody how they do keep their animal cool
• 4:13
  and whether it's what the top tips are for keeping furry big animals
• 4:17
  or those that struggle a little bit with the heat.
• 4:19
  Yeah, but I think as well with some of these dogs that the way their fur is actually does keep them cool.
• 4:25
  Sometimes it's a misconception, yeah, that like a really hairy dog is actually like really hot.
• 4:31
  But I think there are like then, yeah, their fur is designed also to keep them cool.
• 4:37
  That's why with certain breeds, you shouldn't actually like clip all the fur off
• 4:42
  because that actually is the fur that's helping regulate their temperature, yeah.
• 4:45
  So you think, oh, actually, this dog's got too much fur, I need to remove it all.
• 4:49
  And no, that can actually be worse.
• 4:52
  Interesting.
• 4:53
  Well, that's a good bit of insight.
• 4:54
  I mean, it's a school day, but I know you did a grooming kit course, is that what it was from?
• 4:59
  Yeah, I'm no expert in all of this, but yeah, there are definitely...
• 5:03
  That's reassuring.
• 5:04
  Because I watch a dog go past and I'm like, oh, they must be really hot.
• 5:08
  So that's reassuring.
• 5:09
  I mean, you know, you shouldn't be walking a dog in high temperatures.
• 5:13
  That isn't right because the ground can be really hot and that can burn their paws.
• 5:20
  And, you know, there is a limit to whether you should be out and about walking in the heat.
• 5:24
  I mean, I think it's the same for all of us, isn't it?
• 5:26
  Yeah.
• 5:27
  But yeah, the funny thing is I have a cooling mat for Betty, a blue cooling mat.
• 5:33
  And she, for whatever reason, does not want to sit on that.
• 5:35
  So I sit in the park, pop the cooling mat down, think, oh, you know, she'll maybe sit on that.
• 5:40
  No, she's not interested.
• 5:41
  She sits alongside it on the grass.
• 5:43
  So I don't know if it gives a weird smell or it's a bit plasticky.
• 5:47
  I don't know, but she's just not interested in the cooling mat.
• 5:51
  Well, I did that for the cats.
• 5:53
  I bought my cats a cooling mat because they're furry and really big.
• 5:57
  And I thought this would be nice.
• 5:58
  And I think they've used it once.
• 6:00
  So it's the same.
• 6:01
  And I remember when we had that really hot summer, I was like, surely they're too warm.
• 6:05
  I'll get a paddling pool out.
• 6:07
  I'll go and sit in the paddling pool.
• 6:08
  Cats would obviously not go anywhere near water.
• 6:11
  And I was like, oh, it'd be lovely to get in a nice cool bath.
• 6:14
  Cats, come and join me.
• 6:15
  She didn't want any of it.
• 6:17
  Not interested.
• 6:18
  So, yeah, but I think, you know, keeping your pets cool in the summer is an interesting topic that we should look into.
• 6:24
  Because I know a little bit about dogs, but not really cats.
• 6:27
  So, no, same.
• 6:28
  Yeah, good one.
• 6:30
  And on that topic, it kind of brings me on to something that I've been reading in the news this week about a proposed ban on over-the-counter flea treatments because of the impact that they're having on wildlife and the environment.
• 6:44
  And it is that time of year where those little critters are out and about.
• 6:50
  And you've got to think about flea protection for your dog or your cat.
• 6:56
  I think they said it's when you have like warm weather, but also when it's quite like moist, there's a lot of rain as well.
• 7:04
  That's breeding ground for fleas.
• 7:07
  So I'm just itching at the thought of it.
• 7:10
  But yeah, the government is considering restricting over-the-counter flea and tick treatments for pets due to the growing evidence that the chemicals in these products are polluting rivers and harming wildlife.
• 7:22
  And researchers from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate have found residues of fipronil and a parasitic, well, I can't actually pronounce this, but a parasiticide called imidacl, oh God, I can't pronounce it.
• 7:41
  But anyway, there's chemicals from flea treatment that basically have been found in fish tissue, aquatic insects, coastal waters and wild bird nests.
• 7:59
  These chemicals that are in these treatments are water soluble, meaning that they wash off pets when they swim or when owners wash their hands after applying spot on treatments.
• 8:08
  And it is linked to decline in songbirds, bees, flies and other insects.
• 8:13
  One study even found that fipronil, which is the one thing I can pronounce, was in 100% of bird nests tested, so there's evidence that exposure may reduce chick survival.
• 8:25
  The government have launched this eight week consultation and thinking about whether flea and tick treatment should be available only via prescription from vets or trained professionals.
• 8:34
  And they're not considering a full ban, but they do want to reduce unnecessary routine monthly use.
• 8:41
  And, you know, I think one of the concerns I have when I read this, because I do give Betty regular monthly flea treatment and I do get it from the vet, so I feel lucky that I can afford it.
• 8:55
  But there is a trade body that warns that making treatments prescription only could make them more expensive and less accessible, potentially reducing the number of pets who get the care they need.
• 9:06
  And I have seen over the years cats and dogs with fleas and, you know, it's quite an uncomfortable, painful thing, you know, when they're scratching excessively and yeah, just it can't feel nice if you have fleas crawling all over your body.
• 9:24
  And if you can't afford to go to the vets and get the treatment, then how are you going to access it?
• 9:30
  So there is a real tension, isn't there, between pet health and environmental protection, because I hate the idea of that it being or having an impact on some of the things that I've just mentioned or some of the wildlife and insects I've just mentioned.
• 9:46
  I'm not sure how you really can overcome this.
• 9:49
  Yeah, because like, I suppose we're trying to do good, but by doing good on one thing, we're affecting another thing.
• 9:56
  Yeah.
• 9:57
  But you're right, absolutely should not be at the detriment to people who can't afford to go and get a prescription or an appointment or whatever they need through their veterinary clinic.
• 10:07
  What if you're not registered? I know some people aren't and they still want to kind of do the best by their animal by buying that from the off the counter.
• 10:14
  So as long as it's still affordable and easy to get hold of, that's probably the main thing.
• 10:19
  I mean, I've had a situation with Weaver last time.
• 10:22
  She had her flea and wormer.
• 10:25
  It kind of burnt her skin.
• 10:27
  So we're actually looking for an alternative, not per pet, but some maybe a tablet that might actually not then sort of burn her and make her feel a bit uncomfortable because she was scratching just from that.
• 10:39
  So we're going to go to the vet to get that.
• 10:41
  We're not going to risk.
• 10:43
  I don't want to risk going to just off the counter stuff.
• 10:45
  I want something that is going to work well and will give her the protection she needs.
• 10:49
  But like you said, we're probably a bit lucky that we've got a bit of extra money to do it that way.
• 10:54
  So, yeah, that's the thing.
• 10:56
  Like, I'm not actually that sure how effective sort of over the counter treatments are.
• 11:05
  So, you know, on the one hand, they might be more affordable.
• 11:09
  But actually, are they making a difference to your pet and they're having a negative impact like burning skin or whatever?
• 11:16
  You know, should we have actually better treatments that are more affordable that you can access more easily and that doesn't then have an impact on wildlife?
• 11:28
  Yeah, because if people are popping these things on the back of the necks of the dogs and cats that they're buying over the counter and actually they're not that effective, but they're still harming wildlife.
• 11:36
  Well, you'd kind of say, well, we shouldn't really have them.
• 11:39
  What's the need?
• 11:40
  But then maybe they are helpful and effective because the vet always says to you, you know, we'll get the treatment from us because some of these over the counter ones aren't that good.
• 11:51
  They don't really work.
• 11:53
  So, yeah, we definitely don't want products that don't work and then are harming wildlife.
• 11:57
  And still paying for them.
• 11:59
  Yeah, yeah, I agree.
• 12:01
  But then I also think that some of these treatments can be quite toxic to animals.
• 12:07
  Like you've just said about burning skin, like Betty used to have something that like a little spot on treatment and she developed cysts on her paws.
• 12:15
  It was like an allergic reaction.
• 12:16
  And my mum's chihuahua sometimes when he has his flea treatment, it actually makes him sick.
• 12:21
  He's vomit.
• 12:23
  So some of this stuff is quite strong.
• 12:26
  Yeah, I'd like to see some more research and evidence.
• 12:29
  Maybe it's already out there on kind of like efficacy and impact.
• 12:35
  You know, how effective are these treatments and what is the impact on our pets, but also the broader sort of environment.
• 12:42
  So I've heard a different way of thinking about it.
• 12:45
  And I think there is a sort of an emerging movement about people trying to treat them with other things, more natural ingredients, because I only read a little bit into it.
• 12:53
  And I wouldn't want to recommend anything because I think you need to sort of follow the science, really.
• 12:59
  I'm kind of all about robust testing and kind of making sure things do what they're supposed to do.
• 13:04
  But science moves on.
• 13:06
  And, you know, obviously now we're finding out that some of these things are polluting the environment.
• 13:09
  So we need to act quickly and make improvements.
• 13:13
  But it's really interesting you brought this up, because one of the things I read today.
• 13:18
  75% of new or emerging infectious diseases in humans are thought to come from animals, originate from animals.
• 13:27
  And there's this whole thing that I mentioned last time about One Medicine with Hume Animal Trust.
• 13:34
  And it's also this there's a thing that's been going around since the early 2000s about One Health, the idea that human health, animal health and the environment are all connected.
• 13:43
  So you'll get better results if everything is protected together, not separately.
• 13:48
  So you work on them as a holistic kind of system, not let's treat an animal, let's treat a human, let's look at the environment.
• 13:54
  So if animals stay healthier, it reduces risks for disease for people.
• 13:57
  It improves food safety and supports stronger public health overall.
• 14:01
  So it's kind of, you know, it's not an argument there.
• 14:06
  And so if we look into better animal welfare, because animals are, I mean, this to me is like a massive argument.
• 14:12
  It shouldn't just be about human health.
• 14:13
  It should be about taking care of all the animals that are kind of sharing our world.
• 14:17
  So, you know, if we have better health, animal welfare, you're also going to get healthier animals who are more comfortable, who are more productive, who are less likely to suffer and have a better quality of life.
• 14:27
  But also you can have safer food systems.
• 14:29
  So healthier livestock and stronger animal care will protect the food chain.
• 14:33
  And therefore, when we eat animals, those of us who do, we'll obviously be eating higher quality content and we won't be absorbing all the flea treatments that have gone through the ecosystem that might end up back in our systems.
• 14:46
  Stronger public health, if we do a prevention system like this, it reduces the pressure on hospitals, vets and communities.
• 14:53
  If you have a cleaner environment with less pollution and less habitat loss, look after the environment.
• 14:58
  We reduce the risks of any disease being spread, any diseases coming through and general population well-being.
• 15:05
  And there needs to be this, which I mentioned before, about sharing information and working together.
• 15:10
  So vets and doctors, scientists, farmers, policymakers, all working together instead of silos to support a general health of the world, essentially.
• 15:18
  So people who are like not into animals, don't really care about the environment, who aren't really kind of interested in animal welfare and benefits.
• 15:27
  By supporting animal welfare and improving their quality of life, you'll improve your own quality of life and reduce disease spread and any other kind of well-being risk.
• 15:37
  So it all links in. It's so interesting.
• 15:41
  I mean, it seems bonkers that we've been talking about it because it seems obvious to me that we're all interconnected and what affects one thing is going to affect another.
• 15:48
  If we want happier, healthy lives, we need to look after everything that's around us.
• 15:52
  Boom, everyone.
• 15:53
  Indeed. Well said.
• 15:54
  Yeah, it's seeing the bigger picture, isn't it?
• 15:56
  And you just wonder why we haven't looked at it in this sort of mutually beneficial way before.
• 16:02
  Like what is getting in the way?
• 16:04
  What's stopping us?
• 16:06
  Because they all sound like really positive outcomes.
• 16:08
  So why wouldn't you think about it as a connected set of issues, really?
• 16:15
  Yeah.
• 16:16
  I don't know. I don't know whether people are just...
• 16:17
  I don't know. I don't know whether people are selfish, whether they don't understand that animals deserve better.
• 16:24
  I don't know.
• 16:25
  Some people do not care about animals or the environment around them, do they?
• 16:29
  And I think a lot of it probably comes from a lot of other issues that are kind of going on for them.
• 16:34
  It's not as plain and simple as that.
• 16:36
  I think, you know, it can be due to education, upbringing, lack of money and funds and all that kind of stuff plays into it.
• 16:43
  So it's not a straightforward picture, but...
• 16:45
  No, it isn't.
• 16:46
  And, you know, there's some big issues there that you've mentioned that aren't always straightforward to tackle.
• 16:51
  But you have to start somewhere, I suppose.
• 16:54
  And just talking about it today helps, hopefully, raise a little bit of awareness and consciousness and maybe encourage people to go and read a bit more about it.
• 17:05
  The other story that was just shared, actually, in my dog WhatsApp group this morning, there's a campaign to allow pets in aircraft cabins entering the UK.
• 17:17
  It's a growing campaign to let small pets travel in the cabin on commercial flights entering the UK.
• 17:23
  I hadn't realised this, that you can't be in the cabin on flights into the UK, but you can be out of the UK, apparently.
• 17:34
  So it can make returning home really difficult if you fly out one way and then you have to find a convoluted way to get back.
• 17:41
  Only assistance dogs are allowed in the cabins.
• 17:48
  And I think, you know, it is challenging for flat-faced breeds like Betty and for other dogs, because basically they can't be in the hold due to the sort of breathing risks.
• 18:03
  And this petition has already reached nearly 12,000 signatures.
• 18:06
  So it's like doing really, really well.
• 18:08
  So if you're listening and you are passionate about this, then do sign the petition.
• 18:14
  I mean, I think there are some concerns raised, which are valid concerns.
• 18:18
  So Allergy UK warns that allowing pets in cabins could pose serious risks for passengers with severe pet allergies, especially in a confined space where emergency help isn't easily accessible.
• 18:28
  You know, dogs can become distressed by aircraft movements.
• 18:32
  I know I was on a train recently and there was a dog and it really wasn't happy.
• 18:36
  Bless it.
• 18:37
  Oh, yeah.
• 18:37
  It seemed really stressed.
• 18:39
  So, you know, on a flight.
• 18:41
  Babies crying all the way through.
• 18:44
  Yeah, yeah, true.
• 18:45
  But then I guess it's more about the distress to the pet, isn't it?
• 18:49
  And plus, yeah, of course, like people are concerned about howling or disruptive behaviour on flights.
• 18:54
  So imagine you've got a baby crying and then you've got a dog howling.
• 18:57
  Oh, my God.
• 18:57
  Can you imagine?
• 18:59
  Yeah.
• 19:00
  But, you know, there are some people that believe that having their dogs beside them reduce anxiety.
• 19:05
  So especially for rescue dogs who might panic if separated from their owners.
• 19:09
  I remember going to France a few years ago and realised that the ferry we'd booked wouldn't
• 19:15
  allow dogs in the cabin.
• 19:17
  Bessie had to go downstairs into a crate.
• 19:21
  I don't know who was more upset, me or Bessie, but I was pretty upset.
• 19:24
  She really didn't like it.
• 19:26
  They had a little video cam.
• 19:27
  You could get an app on your phone.
• 19:28
  You could see them.
• 19:29
  And I think she was howling and barking.
• 19:31
  Oh, bless.
• 19:31
  I'd be worse.
• 19:33
  Quite stressed.
• 19:35
  So, yeah, it's just something that clearly needs a bit of thought, but there is a petition
• 19:40
  and I'd be interested to see where that leads to.
• 19:43
  Yeah, yeah.
• 19:44
  I mean, yeah, the whole point of this is to have a bit more of a consultation to understand
• 19:48
  the issues on both sides.
• 19:50
  But you just hope that someone makes a sensible decision at the end of it.
• 19:53
  Yeah.
• 19:53
  Well, the thing is, if you can fly out, it's just flying back in.
• 19:57
  So clearly someone has looked at the pros and cons of flying out.
• 20:00
  And there are other airlines globally where you can fly in and out.
• 20:05
  It's becoming more popular, it seems, to travel with your animal like that.
• 20:08
  Indeed, you know.
• 20:09
  And so the question is, should the UK modernise its pets travel rules to match other countries?
• 20:14
  Possibly.
• 20:16
  If it is possible elsewhere, why isn't it possible here in the UK?
• 20:19
  If they've worked it out, then yeah.
• 20:21
  Yeah, exactly.
• 20:22
  They've obviously worked through some of the challenges.
• 20:24
  And I think it's only for small dogs.
• 20:26
  You know, I can see a great big dog like a Great Dane who need a seat all of its own.
• 20:31
  It'd need a whole row, wouldn't it?
• 20:33
  You'd have to book three seats for your big Great Dane.
• 20:36
  And maybe that's expensive.
• 20:38
  It'll be very expensive.
• 20:39
  Yeah.
• 20:40
  But yeah, pay for your seat and, you know, it can be done, can't it?
• 20:44
  It's interesting you say that just very quickly because I read this thing this morning about
• 20:47
  European Parliament has adopted a new animal welfare thing.
• 20:52
  But basically, without going into detail now, it states that dogs and cats are not
• 20:57
  commodities but living beings.
• 20:58
  So I think it's, as we've been saying over the weeks,
• 21:01
  I think lots of countries are moving towards understanding that animals need a lot more
• 21:05
  than just basics.
• 21:06
  They need so much more and they're much more valuable in our lives, which is a good thing.
• 21:11
  It is.
• 21:11
  Yeah, it's so true.
• 21:13
  So travel on your holidays with one.
• 21:15
  Yeah, indeed.
• 21:16
  All right, thanks.
• 21:17
  Great.
• 21:17
  Well, really good to hear from you, Nat.
• 21:20
  Good to see what's out there in the world in terms of some of these stories.
• 21:24
  And yeah, thanks everyone for listening.
• 21:27
  Yeah, and you.
• 21:28
  We'll be back together again shortly, won't we, to record our long pause.
• 21:33
  Yeah, where we have a guest speaker who's talking all about the wonderful life of bunny care.
• 21:40
  Yeah, get to learn a little bit about what you should and shouldn't do and recommended
• 21:44
  good practice for bunnies.
• 21:46
  So yeah, that'd be really nice.
• 21:49
  Yeah, we'll be back with that one.
• 21:50
  All right, thanks, Nat.
• 21:51
  Take care.
• 21:52
  Catch you soon.
• 21:53
  Bye.
• 21:54
  Thanks for listening to another short pause.
• 21:56
  Don't forget to like, subscribe or follow.
• 21:59
  Or maybe leave us a comment if there's an episode you'd like us to cover.
• 22:02
  Looking forward to seeing you again.
• 22:04
  See you next week for the bunny episode.
• 22:07
  Take care.