![]() Cats are often outdoor creatures, and the ingredients found in worming treatments can be found in their skin and hair, and therefore shed into the outside world. It has come to more prominence in recent years that some of these parasiticides are being leached into the environment. The choice of parasiticide could be making a large impact. It is likely that only very small amounts of these products will find their way into our water systems and soils, but with an estimated 11 million cats in the UK (PDSA, 2020), even tiny amounts add up. Tablet wormers may pass through your cat and into their urine and faeces and out into the environment through that route. This leads to the active ingredients being taken into the wastewater system. They can also be washed off the pet directly, or from bedding. Spot-on treatments can be washed off the pet owners’ hands after applying the treatment, or after petting a cat with a recent treatment applied. Since you are giving these medications directly to your cat, it is reasonable to expect that they stay in, or on, your cat, right? However, there are various ways in which these chemicals may escape out into the environment, albeit in small quantities. Many vets, reasonably, therefore recommend regular treatment with a suitable product. A study in 2020 looked at the risk to companion animals, and found that all surveyed cats met the risk requirement to be de-wormed at least four times a year, and most (68%) fell into the highest risk category, with a recommendation for more regular treatment (Pennelegion et al., 2020). The European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESC-CAP) guidelines recommended worming cats between 1 – 12 times yearly, depending on risk (ESCCAP 2018). But in some cases can cause serious disease, especially in children and immunocompromised adults. In humans, worms may again be an asymptomatic problem. Worms are commonly a factor in kittens which fail to thrive. These can exist in your cat without causing symptoms, but a high burden can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and weight loss. The most common intestinal worms in cats are tapeworms and roundworms. Worms can cause health problems in cats, but can also infect humans. Which worming treatment is best for the environment?Ĭats in the UK, especially those with outdoor access, are exposed to a variety of parasites. ![]() Why are wormers bad for the environment?.How do wormers get into the environment?.
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