Antiparasitic drugs are essential for livestock health but their use has environmental welfare consequences for dung fauna and aquatic invertebrates.
Antiparasitic drug use in livestock creates a welfare tradeoff: the drugs protect livestock from the welfare harm of parasite burden while causing welfare harm to the invertebrate communities in dung and waterways. Sustainable parasite management approaches that combine strategic drug use with pasture management, biological control, and genetic selection can maintain parasite control while reducing drug volume and environmental impact. The welfare of the dung beetle and aquatic invertebrate communities affected by drug persistence deserves consideration alongside the welfare of the treated livestock.