Pets for the Environment
Posted on April 17, 2008 by
The Environmental Working Group is taking a stand on pet care products, home toxins and the effect they have on people and animals. Our pets are members of our family, but their food, grooming products and toys aren’t held to the same standards as those labeled for human use. And our pet’s health could be telling us startling things about our own health.
From EWG:
“In addition to being guardians, playmates and even beloved family members, dogs and cats may also be serving as sentinels for human health problems that can arise from exposures to industrial chemicals.
In recognition of the unique roles that pets play in our lives, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) undertook a study to investigate the extent of exposures dogs and cats face to contaminants in our homes and outdoor environments. What we found was startling.
Dogs and cats were contaminated with 48 of 70 industrial chemicals tested, including 43 chemicals at levels higher than those typically found in people, according to our study of blood and urine from 20 dogs and 40 cats. Average levels of many chemicals were substantially higher in pets than is typical for people, with 2.4 times higher levels of stain-and grease-proof coatings (perfluorochemicals) in dogs, 23 times more fire retardants (PBDEs) in cats, and more than 5 times the amounts of mercury, compared to average levels in people found in national studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and EWG.
“Like humans, pets are also exposed to toxic chemicals on a daily basis, and as this investigation found, are contaminated at higher levels,” said Jane Houlihan, VP for Research at EWG. “The presence of chemicals in dogs and cats sounds a cautionary warning for the present and future health of children as well. This study demonstrating the chemical body burden of dogs and cats is a wake-up call for stronger safety standards from industrial chemical exposures that will protect all members of our families, including our pets.””
So, Eddie the dog, (pictured above) is on a mission “to create a healthy environment for pets and people by demanding toxic chemical reform legislation in the U.S.”
Visit the Pets for the Environment site, sign up, find out how you can help, and get tips on how to make your home a healthier place for you and your pets.
This is great! I feel like pets get overlooked in the whole effort to be green and healthy.
I recently brought my cat to the vet’s office for an unrelated health problem. Her blood test revealed higher than normal levels of a liver enzyme, indicating that she had had some sort of toxic exposure at some point.
While she’s in good health overall her liver damage is still significant–what caused it? We will probably never know for sure, but it could certainly be related to contact with/consumption of products we assumed were safe.
It’s great to hear that somebody is taking interest in this issue.
I know! After everything I’ve been through with both my dog and cat, it’s so nice to feel like there are people out there sticking up for pets and pet owners. And EWG is just amazing. I know they are going to make a difference.
For those of us whose dogs and cats are like family (actually, I like my dog and cat better than most of my family members) it’s great to see someone out there taking this seriously.
[...] Pets for the Environment, the new campaign started by the Environmental Working Group is working to test the safety of pet food. [...]