Rachel
Hi Carl…. thanks for posting that its good news indeed and another step forward hopefully… I find the last paragraph on the article you linked to really worrying though… Spain is still using diclofenac….
It’s time to ban Diclofenac in Europe!
We are very pleased with this development and hope that the veterinary community will start using Tolfenamic acid along with Meloxicam, avoiding any use of other NSAIDs that are not safe or have not been tested yet. Despite the proven adverse effects of Diclofenac on vulture populations, some countries within the EU approved the use of the drug for veterinary purposes over the last ten years, including Spain, home to approximately 90% of the European vulture population. The Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), together with other environmental groups, widely advocated for the ban of vet drug Diclofenac in Europe. Following a thorough process that included public consultation with several stakeholders, the EU has recognised that veterinary Diclofenac indeed posed a risk to vultures but considered that the current system of managing livestock in Europe would prevent the drug from entering the vulture food chain. As it turns out, though, a Cinereous Vulture did die from Diclofenac in Spain, proving that veterinary Diclofenac can kill vultures in Spain and Europe. The VCF urges the EU and Spanish authorities to consider a ban, especially now that two safe alternatives exist!