http://www.care2.com/greenliving/is-your-pet-a-toxic-dumping-ground.html
Is Your Pet a Toxic Dumping Ground?
By Nora Simmons, Natural Solutions
You work hard to reduce your family’s exposure to household toxins, but your pets may face a greater risk than you, says Olga Naidenko, PhD, senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, “Where do our pets spend their time? They sleep on the couch, roll around on the carpet, and get dust carrying toxic chemicals all over their fur and then lick it off.”
Relative to humans, dogs are burdened with three times more perfluorochemicals (PFCs)–the chemicals used to stain-proof furniture and sometimes coat the inside of pet-food bags and cans. Our canine companions also face two and half times the amount of human exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs), which are used on furniture and carpet. And our kitties absorb a whopping 23 times more PBDEs than we do, which they store in fatty tissue. Studies have linked PBDEs to thyroid and liver problems as well as cancer.
While PBDEs and PFCs have been banned in many parts of Europe, they are still widely used in North America. But Naidenko says she has hope. “Now that we have this information, we can work toward manufacturing reform and better regulation.” In the meantime, here are some ways to lighten your pet’s toxic load:
- Choose pet food without the chemical preservatives BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin, and opt for organic or free-range ingredients to ensure pets are getting high-quality food.
- When you buy new furniture, resist adding stain-proofing treatments.
- Replace furniture or pet bedding whose exposed or crumbling foam may have been treated with flame retardants.
- Vacuum often, preferably using a HEPA filter. Since PFCs and PDBEs migrate through dust particles, keeping your carpets and furniture dust-free will help reduce contamination.
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9 comments
add your comment »I have lost 3 dogs to cancer and 1 cat to cancer. I now wonder if pesticides did not add to their deaths. My husband used to use chemicals on our yards, now, he doesn't- he lets God green our yard. The only problem is the drinking water, whether you have city or well- there are still contimnants.
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Hi,
Interesting post. Now I feel the need to head back to my home and take care of my pets in a natural way. Thank you for the ideas.
heilpflanzen
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Hi,
Interesting post. Now I feel the need to head back to my home and take care of my pets in a natural way. Thank you for the ideas.
heilpflanzen
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I have 8 cats and dogs. They all eat high quality holistic foods, natural treats and are exposed to ZERO chemicals or toxins in my house or yard...we're completely GREEN in every way. They are treated with homeopathic remedies and organic / all natural products only. SAFE is the only way to go.
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dear kaitlyn i was so sad to hear you lost you precious kitty i know only too well how heart breaking it is ..I pray for you to heal and know that you dear sweet kitty will always be in your heart..I lost my kitty 5 years ago and my kitty will stay in my heart forever .. Friend of your companion
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Thank you for this article , my kitty died this last weekend and I had been worried lately about the amount of cleaning products that might have gotten into his system when I was cleaning (he followed me everywhere so it was hard to keep him out of things ) this was very informative and I'm glad to know what to keep an eye out for in the future to keep the dog I have now and any pets I might have in the future safe from harm in my home .
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to the lady who responded to the society that she thinks is not just our children . For years i cared for seniors in my community cooking ,cleaning , making sure they were cared for so there familys could have a life with their familys and the familys appreciated someone dependable and went to there jobs and did their job. I am a middleaged woman who has seen it all and when i worked 7 days a week because other people wouldnt i had a brain anyursym burst in my head and was not expected to live. My children stepped up to the plate and cared for me cleaned my house and took care of my pets. I had more pressure in 1 day than most people don't have in their lives.. I cleaned up puke ,poop, and dead bodies than most people never will. I raised my children that we are responsible for our domain and our health. Today people dont care who they hurt, how much they trash everything that don't belong to them..and think the world owes them a living. Yes i have seen people abuse animal and let there pets distroy their homes they rent... I have worked all my life to care for people and their pets..i am sorry that you think i need good luck.. I think you need a reality check to realize people abuse people and their pets.. Good luck to you and when you figure out that familys need to be there for their loved ones..And that includes pets..
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I am fascinated that you only see this tendency in children. My experience has been seeing the problem in all ages. And myself. We seem to think that being in America automatically keeps us safe from germs and filth. I have shocked myself by looking around my house one day and realizing that I had gotten distracted by the pressures of life and allowed the clutter and dirt to accumulate to the point to where I wasn't sure it was safe to be where I lived every day. I am now working to recover the simple life and stability I had always taken for granted. I can't say that this is true of others. Many never experience stability or real cleanliness. But I am happy to say that my children have remembered even while I was ill and have become strong models for their children. If you don't like what you see, perhaps you can influence those you care about most. Good luck.
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i would like to add a comment to pets and influenza. I have lost two pets to influenza i have had one was my dog the other was my cat. Infectious diseases are making our pets sick and we thought our pets could never get sick. Between people who spit and are not clean we are a sicker people that carry contamination to people and pets.. I have never been so discusted by people who don't keep there homes clean and those who don't clean there homes to not putting on clean clothes and wearing there pajamas to the store. The other day i was in wal-mart and the girl in front of me smelled so bad i had to leave the line to get away from the stinch.. I have seen young people trash rentals to trashing there vehicals. What kind of citizens are these people??? We no longer teach our kids to clean or be clean and they have no respect for the elderly and i have even been told we have to earn their respect. I raised my children to respect the people before them for if it wasnt for senior adults clearing the past to make the future generations have what they have now and i am sick of our youths lazyness. My children have found out how people are not wanting to work or go to work. We are going down the path of a lazy country. Wake up children!!!
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