Cat and dog owners are being urged to safely use flea and tick spot-on treatments. Spot-on treatments are used to protect the UK’s 21 million pet cats and dogs from fleas and ticks, but there are concerns that these medicines are not always used in line with the instructions in the product leaflet, which can cause harm to the natural environment. 

Pet owners are encouraged to follow three simple steps (Plan, Apply and Protect) when using flea and tick spot-ons to help limit environmental impacts while continuing to protect animal health. 

The government has published a dedicated website to help pet owners, vets, retailers and anyone else who applies flea and tick treatments or advises pet owners to follow these simple steps.