A new survey across the UK and seven other European countries asked people about the use of veterinary medicines for the treatment and prevention of diseases in pets and farm animals.
The survey, commissioned by NOAH’s European animal health association AnimalhealthEurope, found good awareness of the benefits of medicines for the health and welfare of pets and farm animals, and of their role in helping farmers produce food more sustainably. However, some people were not aware of the strict rules already governing the authorisation and use of veterinary medicines.
For pets, preventive care was also seen as important, with 81% agreeing pets should be vaccinated regularly. Eighty-three per cent agreed that pets should be checked by a vet regularly (at least once per year) and 88% believed it was important to regularly use tick and flea prevention when keeping a pet.
NOAH chief executive Dawn Howard said: “We are delighted to see great support for our UK farmers and vets in this survey, with 83% agreeing farmers care for the health and welfare of their animals.
“We are also encouraged by the recognition of the positive contribution of veterinary medicines to our lives and the role healthy animals play in sustainable UK farming. Prevention is truly better than cure and this year in particular has shown the importance of vaccination.”
