A veterinary expert breaks down Spain's new antibiotic law and how it affects your dog or cat. The law restricts when vets can prescribe antibiotics, and the video follows a case study of a dog named Selva to show what changed for pet owners and veterinarians.
On January 2, 2025, Royal Decree 666,2023 came into force in Spain, a new law on antibiotics for dogs and cats that has caused controversy in the veterinary world. It is also known as the Presbet Law. In this video by animal expert, we are going to explain the specific case of Selva, a dog affected by this law, so that you can better understand how it can affect your pet's health. What is Royal Decree 666? 2,023? This new decree regulates the prescription, dispensing and use of veterinary medicines in Spain. Its main objective is to control the use of antibiotics to prevent the spread of resistant bacteria, a serious problem that affects both human and animal health. To achieve this control, the Presbet system has been implemented a mandatory registry where veterinarians must document all antibiotic prescriptions. This computer system is dependent on the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which monitors antibiotic prescriptions in production animals and since January 2025, also in companion animals. What are the effects of the new law on veterinarians? From now on, veterinarians are required to provide more rigorous justification for prescribing antibiotics and to register each case in the presbyt system within a maximum period of 15. In other words, they can no longer sell antibiotics for dogs and cats directly in clinics or prescribed medications without first carrying out a clinical examination. In addition, they are required to specify brand names on their prescriptions, which may limit treatment options and the availability of medications. This change has caused concern among professionals because it limits their ability to respond in emergency situations. For example, before the law, they could act immediately based on their clinical judgment. But now bureaucratic delays can mean the difference between life and death for an animal. So what are the consequences for dogs and cats? The effects of this regulation have already become evident, as was the case of Selva, a nine year old Jack Russell puppy who was bitten by another dog and who was the first fatal victim of this new law. Due to the new regulations, the veterinarian was forced to start treatment with first line antibiotics and wait for the results of a bacterial culture before being able to administer a more pot antibiotic. Unfortunately, the results came days after Selva died from sepsis. As you can see, delays in administering antibiotics can be fatal or result in serious infections. In addition, pet owners must now go to pharmacies to obtain prescribed medications, which can also cause delays and increased costs since drugs for veterinary use in pharmacies have a higher VAT than drugs purchased in clinics. Reactions from the veterinary SECTOR what is the opinion of the veterinary sector. Professionals have already expressed their discontent with protests and clinic closures in different cities. In this way, they claim that the new law imposes an excessive bureaucratic burden on them and limits their ability to guarantee the health of animals. They also argue that the obligation to prescribe by brand name can create difficulties in the availability of certain medications and make treatments more expensive. Ultimately, they believe that a balance is needed between controlling the use of antibiotics and the autonomy of the veterinarian to decide the best treatment in each case. And that's it for this new video by an animal expert on the new pre sped law on the use of antibiotics for pets. What do you think about this new regulation? We want to know what you think about the subject and don't hesitate to share the video to inform everyone you know. Remember that if you want to know more about veterinary care, don't miss the playlist that we have left here on the side and in the description box. Until next time, experts.
