Vets plea to public as fake Frontline highlights illegal meds fear

Senior veterinary professionals have pleaded with the public to consult clinicians before using treatments on their pets, following a stark warning about fake animal medicines.

The VMD and the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) issued the urgent alert after a toxic insecticide was found in a counterfeit Frontline flea treatment, whose use left a cat requiring life-saving intestinal surgery.

The makers of the genuine treatment, Boehringer Ingelheim, have stressed there are no quality or safety concerns about their products and urged pet owners to be vigilant when making purchases.

Bought fake products

The latter message has been echoed by officials from several veterinary and welfare organisations after new IFO figures indicated nearly a quarter (24%) had knowingly bought fake products and 16% had done so without realising.

Among those who did, nearly three-quarters (72%) said price was an important factor in their action.

BVA senior vice-president Anna Judson said: “When it comes to using flea and tick treatments, pet owners should always speak to their vet first as they can advise on the most appropriate treatments to suit their pet’s needs and how to use them responsibly and safely.”

Counterfeit treatments

RSPCA chief vet Caroline Allen said: “We are very concerned about counterfeit vet treatments on sale which can be highly toxic to pets and we would always urge pet owners to seek professional veterinary advice if they have any health concerns.

“We appreciate financial pressures can lead to some owners to look for cheaper treatments online but they could be unwittingly putting their beloved pets in serious danger by inadvertently buying these counterfeit goods and would urge them to take on board this Government advice.”

Meanwhile, PDSA vet nurse Nina Downing warned fake treatments can cause symptoms including “twitching, swelling, breathing difficulties, vomiting, diarrhoea, collapse, coma and even death.”

She added: “We always recommend that you only give your pet medication which has been prescribed by your vet.

“When fulfilling a prescription online, source them from reputable companies that are on the register of online retailers, brought to you by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.”

Potentially lethal

One cat, named Smokey, had to undergo emergency surgery after being exposed to a fake product, which analysts at the University of Bath found contained traces of the potentially lethal insecticide pirimiphos-methyl.

Meanwhile, one of the genuine Frontline medicine’s primary active ingredients, (S)-methoprene, was absent.

Owner Alan Wall said it was “heartbreaking” to see his pet become seriously ill after purchasing what he believed to be a genuine treatment online.

IPO deputy director of enforcement Helen Barnham warned of offers on treatments appearing “too good to be true,” adding: “Counterfeiting is anything but a victimless crime and this latest discovery confirms this.”

Seizure notices

The VMD issued 122 seizure notices for the sale of unauthorised animal medicines and supplements last year, which it said had prevented around 18,000 illegal items from reaching consumers.

The two agencies have urged consumers to look for signs of counterfeit products including spelling errors, missing expiry dates or leaflets, instructions not being in English, and poor-quality products or packaging.

In a statement responding to the warning, Boehringer Ingelheim said: “The health, safety, and well-being of Frontline customers and their pets is our top priority and there are no quality or safety concerns with genuine Frontline products.

“Customers should take care to only buy genuine Frontline products and can find out where to purchase these on our website.

“If buying from an online marketplace, we recommend customers check who the product is sold by and fulfilled by. The star rating and seller feedback, number of reviews and whether they are pet specialist retailers is usually a good indicator of trusted sellers.”