By browsing the pages of famous marketplaces or alternative sites, you may come across reassuring-looking sprays, collars or vials based on medicinal herbs and essential oils. Products that promise to keep fleas and ticks away without resorting to synthetic chemistry. A choice that, in principle, may make sense. The problem arises when those products have neither efficacy tests nor valid authorizations behind them.
The Ministry of Health has issued an official notice reporting the online proliferation of alleged “natural” pesticides promoted as effective against fleas, ticks and vector-borne diseases, but without any scientific evidence and valid authorization. This is no small warning. It is the signal that the phenomenon has reached such dimensions as to require institutional intervention.
Monitoring is active, also with the support of the NAS Carabinieri Command, to combat any illegal conduct and protect both animal and public health.
Natural does not automatically mean safe
It is important to make a distinction: the issue is not to demonize products of natural origin tout court. The real issue is another. Any product, natural or conventional, that is marketed as a pesticide must demonstrate that it really works and is safe for the animal. Without authorization, there are no guarantees on either side.
The Ministry is explicit on this point:
Only authorized veterinary medicines can guarantee effective anti-parasitic and preventive protection. The use of unregistered products can lead pet owners into a false sense of security, exposing dogs, cats and owners to significant health risks.
An owner convinced that he has protected his pet lowers his guard, does not notice an ongoing infestation, does not recognize the first signs of a vector-borne disease. A double risk, therefore: the direct risk of an uncontrolled product, and the indirect risk of protection that does not exist.
Parasites are now there all year round
There’s another thing to keep in mind: fleas and ticks are no longer a seasonal problem. Climate changes have lengthened the periods of activity of these parasites, making them a constant threat in every month of the year, in the city as in the countryside. The diseases they transmit, from leishmaniasis to Lyme disease, can have serious consequences, not only for animals but also for the people who live with them.
In this context, relying on an untested product is equivalent to not protecting yourself at all.
What to do
The Ministry invites citizens to follow some concrete indications. First, always check that the product is authorized as a veterinary medicine, then be wary of any promise of “total” or “natural” protection without verifiable scientific references.
A good idea is to contact your veterinarian to choose the most suitable solution for the animal and the context in which it lives and pay maximum attention to the reliability of the e-commerce sites and social profiles from which you purchase.
This last point is often underestimated: many of these products are sold through sites and social profiles with attention to detail, with enthusiastic reviews and attractive packaging. The “green” image is built to convey safety and reliability. But when it comes to the health of an animal, trust cannot be based on aesthetics or promises, it must be based on official authorizations, scientific evidence and the opinion of a trusted veterinarian.
