An increasing number of investigations regarding occurrence, behavior and effects of veterinary drugs in the environment have been performed during the last years. Veterinary drugs are frequently used in high amounts leading to considerable concentrations of these compounds and their metabolites in manure and pig slurry. During fertilization with liquid manure substantial amounts of veterinary drugs and metabolites or transformation products reach agricultural soils and subsequently our ground water resources. While acute toxic effects on organisms in the environment of certain antiparasitic drugs are well known, comparable effects of the detected veterinary antibiotics cannot be expected. There is evidence that antibiotic resistance genes arise in soil after manure application. Therefore, the entry of veterinary drugs into the environment should be reduced and promising veterinarian, legislative and technological measures to reach this goal will be presented.