Vets and Pet-Owners See Gaps in Flea and Tick Prevention, Highlighting Need for Year-Round Care, New Merck Animal Health Global Survey Finds
Data show pet owners face difficulties with consistent compliance, while veterinarians worry about inconsistent or incorrect medication administration
In the U.S. Two-thirds of veterinarians note that most pet owners do not follow year-round treatment plan, despite evidence that fleas and ticks are present during all seasons
Merck Animal Health, known as MSD Animal Health outside of the United States and Canada, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE:MRK), today announced results from a new global survey revealing significant gaps in pet owner adherence to flea and tick prevention and concerns among veterinarians, underscoring the need for year-round protection. According to Pet Owner & Vet Perspectives on Parasite Treatment and Prevention: A Global Survey, the majority of pet owners (83%) consider flea and tick treatment a crucial part of their pet's care, but experience challenges remembering to adhere to a care plan.
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"More than ever, these findings underline the critical need for targeted education and awareness about the importance of year-round flea and tick prevention," said Rob Armstrong, DVM, DVSc, Global Companion Animal Parasiticides Marketing, Merck Animal Health. "Pet owners are encouraged to visit their veterinarian at least once a year and use that opportunity to discuss the most effective strategies for year-round flea and tick protection."
The insights from 4072 pet owners and 582 veterinarians in 15 countries revealed a disconnect between perceptions of flea and tick treatment administration between pet owners and veterinarians. While 80% of pet owners around the world surveyed feel confident in administering flea and tick medication, 74% of veterinarians worry pet owners are not consistently administering flea and tick prevention medication (administering late or missing doses) or not at all (20%). Despite confidence in administering flea and tick medication, around half of pet owners (56%) admit that administering flea/tick solutions can be difficult. In addition to the difficulties of administration, 46% of dog owners and 51% of cat owners shared they have forgotten to administer flea and tick treatment in the past year. In the United States, veterinarians report significant non-compliance among pet owners, with two-thirds of veterinarians noting that most pet owners do not follow year-round treatment and are more likely than global counterparts to feel they miss doses.
Despite Nearly Half of their Pets Experiencing Flea and Tick Infestations, Pet Owners Globally Underestimate the Potential Threat Fleas and Ticks Pose to their Pets and Themselves – Worse in the United States
Around the world, more than half (51%) of dog owners reported having a flea or tick issue at least once or twice, and 66% of outdoor cat owners reported the same. Forty-three percent of exclusively indoor cat owners reported they have experienced a flea and tick problem. Most pet owners are aware of flea and tick threats to their pet's health (82%), but only 40% strongly agree it is a threat to their personal health. In the U.S. these numbers are more jarring where half of pet owners see fleas and tick-borne illness as a potential risk to their pet or to themselves or their family. While most pet owners are aware of skin irritation, tapeworms and Lyme disease being a consequence of fleas and ticks, knowledge around other conditions vary, leaving many pet owners uninformed of the potential consequences of fleas/ticks infestations. It's important for pet owners to understand the potential harm fleas and ticks can cause to both animals and humans.
"It's alarming to note that this survey found 67% of pet owners around the world are unaware of ehrlichiosis, a serious illness transmitted through tick bites," said Armstrong. "Nearly 60% of humans infected with this disease require hospitalization, and without prompt treatment, it can lead to life-threatening complications, particularly for those who are immunocompromised. There are other illnesses caused by flea and tick bites that are equally alarming."
With the Flea and Tick Population Growing, Care Should Be Managed Year-Round
While many pet owners around the world (44%) emphasize flea and tick season is in the summer months, veterinarians are four times more likely (vets: 47%; pet owners: 10%) to define flea/tick season as year-round, and for good reason. This finding is especially true of veterinarians and pet owners in the United States. Changes in the weather attribute to the expansion of fleas and ticks in more geographic regions than ever before. Ticks have been expanding their geographic ranges in recent decades largely due to warming temperatures. Furthermore, tick populations in many areas of their past and even newly established localities have increased in abundance.i Therefore, one way climate change might affect human health is by increasing the risk of vector-borne diseases. A vector is any organism – such as fleas, ticks or mosquitoes – that can transmit a pathogen, or infectious agent, from one host to another.ii
The Majority of Pet Owners and Veterinarians Globally and in the United States Open to Trying Long-Duration Prescription Medications to Protect Animals and Humans from Fleas and Ticks
Both pet owners and veterinarians from around the world and in the United States agree that compliance in administering flea and tick preventatives remains difficult. Long-duration medications may be an option to help ensure year-round compliance. In fact, globally, two-thirds of vets (65%) would be likely to recommend an annual medication option, and three in four (75%) pet owners are likely to try a once-yearly medication. In the United States more than half of pet owners would prefer a less-frequent treatment and trust yearly treatments, although slightly less than their global peers. Globally, pet owners and veterinarians agree that prescription options are preferred with veterinarians viewing prescription options as more effective than over the counter (71% vs. 4%) and owners also placing greater trust in prescription options (79% vs. 47%).
Study Methodology
The Pet Owner & Vet Perspectives on Parasite Treatment and Prevention: A Global Survey was conducted by Savanta on behalf of Merck Animal Health among n=4,072 pet owners and n=582 veterinarians in 15 countries. Pet owners were adults 18+ who own a dog and/or cat. Pet owner sample size by country: Australia & New Zealand n=268, Brazil n=318, Canada n=277, China n=256, France n=257, Germany n=259, Italy n=283, Japan n=289, Mexico n=286, Peru n=286, Poland n=296, Spain n=294, United Kingdom (UK) n=276, United States (U.S.) n=427. Veterinarians worked at least 10 hours a week in practice and treat both dogs and cats. Veterinarian sample size by country: Australia & New Zealand n=40, Brazil n=43, Canada n=43, China n=52, France n=41, Germany n=41, Italy n=42, Japan n=24, Mexico n=52, Peru n=40, Poland n=38, Spain n=42, United Kingdom (UK) n=42, United States (U.S.) n=42. The research was conducted online between December 23, 2024, and January 28, 2025.
About Merck Animal Health
At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than a century, we've been at the forefront of research, bringing forward medicines, vaccines and innovative health solutions for the world's most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business of Merck. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals®, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, producers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
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This news release of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (the "company") includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
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i Krause, Paul J., et al. "Ticks Are the Major Vectors of Human Disease in the United States." PMC, National Institutes of Health, 2018, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5877023/#:~:text=Ticks%20are%20the%20major%20vectors,largely%20due%20to%20climate%20change.
ii Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Vector-Borne Diseases and Climate Change." CDC, 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/climate-health/media/pdfs/VECTOR-BORNE-DISEASE-Final_508_1.pdf.
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