Pets Are Family Too

Pollution and toxins are major topics of interest in our world today, especially during this “Earth Week”! We hear people and organizations talk about how to reduce pollution and halt global warming almost on a daily basis. Eco-friendly ads by all manner of businesses appear on our television sets more frequent now than ever than in the past! So, it should be no surprise to learn that our beloved pet family members are not immune to pollutants and that they also are contaminated with chemicals present in the environment and our households.

A recently released study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), of American dogs and cats revealed that some of the same chemical pollutants found in people are also present in in our pet family members. According to the study, pets typically had higher concentrations of the chemical tested than those of humans. Out of the 70 chemicals tested, pets showed evidence of 48 of them, including mercury, heavy metals and fire retardants. Many of the chemicals used in the test are often the same ones monitored in people by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

How can this happen? Just as with small children in the home, domesticated dogs and cats often sniff and eat off of the floors, carpets and grass where contaminants tend to reside in abundance. Our pets usually drink tap water from the faucet which may contain contaminants from the municipal water supplies. There is also pet food that may contain high levels of mercury that we feed our cats and dogs on a daily basis. More importantly, the findings in this Environmental Working Group (EWG) study, may also show people who have pets, that their present environment may be more toxic than they know, if they have pets who get cancer and other diseases, sort of an early warning signal, sad to say.

The study is inconclusive as to the health risks that dogs and cats face from these chemicals, but the same chemicals have been found to cause health problems in people.

* For dogs, blood and urine samples were contaminated with 35 chemicals altogether, including 11 carcinogens, 31 chemicals toxic to the reproductive system, and 24 neurotoxins. The carcinogens are of particular concern, since dogs have much higher rates of many kinds of cancer than do people, including 35 times more skin cancer, 4 times more breast tumors, 8 times more bone cancer, and twice the incidence of leukemia, according to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Center (2008). Between 20 and 25 percent of dogs die of cancer, making it the second leading cause of death in dogs (Purdue University Department of Veterinary Pathobiology 2000).

* Cat samples contained 46 chemicals altogether, including 9 carcinogens, 40 chemicals toxic to the reproductive system, 34 neurotoxins, and 15 chemicals toxic to the endocrine system. Endocrine (hormone) system toxins raise particular concerns for cats, since they include the thyroid toxins and fire retardants called PBDEs. Thyroid disease (hyperthyroidism) is a leading cause of illness in older cats (Gunn-Moore 2005). The growing use of PBDEs in consumer products over the past 30 years has paralleled the rising incidence of feline hyperthyroidism, and a preliminary study suggests that PBDEs are found at higher levels in cats stricken with this disease (Dye 2007). Studies also show a high correlation between eating canned food and developing hyperthyroidism later in life for cats (Edinboro 2004; Kass 1999, Martin 2000). In addition to PBDEs, hyperthyroidism in cats could be linked to the plastics chemical and potent endocrine disruptor BPA that is known to leach from the pop-top cat food can lining into food (Edinboro 2004; Kang 2002).

To read the entire report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG), click here.

In the meantime to try and minimize the chemical exposure to cats and dogs, wipe your feet or take off your shoes when coming in from outdoors; check the chew toys for harmful plastics and other contaminants; watch out for recalled pet foods, and materials used for pet beds and accessories. We may not be able to prevent chemical exposure to our dogs, cats and even ourselves, but we can try to limit the exposure as much as we can!  These are just a few suggestions and if you can think of others, leave a comment about it below.
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