Are Environmental Toxins Causing Cancer In Dogs and Cats?
Reviewed by Lisa Blohm, PhD, MSN, RN
Disclaimer: The following information has not been approved by the FDA. This information should not be interpreted as medical advice and is not a substitute for a visit with a medical care professional. Always speak to your doctor about any health concerns.
Americans LOVE their pets! Many owners consider their pets a family member, and the loss of a beloved animal companion is a traumatic experience. Have you noticed the increased incidence of cancer in dogs and cats? Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Science found the cancer death rate among Golden Retrievers increased from “normal” to 60% in an eleven-year period. It is alarming to learn that researchers are finding evidence that environmental toxins are causing cancer in our pets!
Are you wondering why a vitamin and supplement store is writing an article about the health of our pets? An article on the Environmental Working Group (EWG) website caught our eye as we explored topics for our new series, The Lifestyle Detox. The EWG article states “American pets are polluted with even higher levels of many of the same synthetic industrial chemicals that researchers have recently found in people, including newborns.”
This information raises an alarm for all of us – not just our pets!
Pets are big business in the US. Consumer spending for pet-related products continues to soar with a whopping $136.8 billion in 2022.
With 60.2 million US homes with dogs, 47.1 million homes with cats, and 82.18 million homes with children, we have passed the point of more homes with pets than children. (1)
As our pet love continues to soar we are treating them more and more like our children. Ever hear of doggy daycare? How about Audible for pets to keep them company when owners are aren’t home? Many families purchase pet health insurance, and some boarding kennels offer a private room with a bed and a human companion to keep stress levels at a minimum for our beloved companions.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not poking fun at these loving owners. I am illustrating the level of care and love that is lavished on our pets.
Cancer in Dogs and Cats
Have you ever heard the story that miners would lower a canary in a cage into the mine to make sure the air was breathable? From all that I have been reading on this topic, I see a strong similarity between that canary and our dogs, cats, and even reptiles.
Did you know that in 2007 the American Cancer Society published a report stating that 216 chemicals were identified that are known to cause breast cancer in dogs? Is your first thought flea and tick products? Not so! The chemicals identified in the report are not limited to animal products – they are found in consumer products, food, air pollution – they are ones commonly found in our places of work and homes.
Of course, pet owners are not intentionally exposing their pets to high levels of chemical toxins. The interesting thing about the research that has been done on this topic is that the chemicals researchers are finding in pets are the same ones found in humans! It seems that pets develop health problems from chemical exposure much more rapidly than humans. The theory is that this is caused by animal’s compressed lifespans.
With similar exposure, animals are recording substantially higher levels of these toxic contaminants than humans. Here are just a few examples from the EWG research project on cancer in dogs and cats:
- Stain and Grease Proof Coatings: 2.4 times higher in dogs than humans
- Fire Retardants (PBDEs): 23 times higher in cats than in humans
- Mercury: 5 times higher in cats than in humans
Why is this happening? The EWG research concludes that: “Pets face chemical exposures that in some ways are similar to those of infants and toddlers who have limited diets, play close to the floor, and put their hands and household objects in their mouths far more often than adults. For pets, as for children, exposures are greater and the resulting health risks are higher.”
Here is what the EWG research considers the likely sources of toxin exposure in dogs and cats:
- Teflon Chemicals (PFCs): Food contaminated by packaging, house dust, stain-proofed furniture, pet beds, and carpeting.
- Toxins in Plastics and Medicines: Medicines, insect repellants, plastic containers and toys, shampoos, including a huge range of other consumer products.
- Fire Retardants: Foam furniture and bedding, contaminated air and house dust, and contaminated food (particularly seafood).
You can see that most of the sources of contamination are the same ones you and your loved ones are exposed to on a daily basis.
TOXINS AND CANCER – IS THERE A LINK?
For years we have been assured that the increasing rates of cancer, autoimmune disorders, and chronic health issues have no link to the environment – we’ve been told that the cause is genetics, and lifestyle and dietary choices. But the data being gathered from our animal world tells another story. Check out these statistics from the Canadian Women’s Health Network:
- Beluga Whales: The death rate from cancer is 1 in 4. This is the same as Canada’s human population. They are also having trouble reproducing – an increasing problem among the human population.
- Fish: Epidemic rates of liver cancer in fresh and saltwater fish living in polluted waters. Fish cancer is almost non-existent in non-polluted waters.
- Dogs: Canine bladder cancer increased six-fold between 1975 and 1995. It has been associated with living in industrialized countries and mimicking the distribution of bladder cancer in people.
- Birds: Research has found that birds rarely get cancer, but cancer in herring gulls living in the polluted water of the Great Lakes has been increasing – the same multi-strain model of carcinogenesis as humans.
Note that genetics, lifestyle, and dietary choices aren’t causing cancer in these animals!
THE DREADED “C” WORD
Cancer. The word everyone fears and over one-third of us will hear.
On September 23, 1971, Former President Nixon declared a “war on cancer”, allocating 1.6 billion dollars to fuel a federal crusade to find a cure. Forty-six years later cancer holds the same rank as the second leading cause of death in the US, right behind heart disease. The National Cancer Institute has spent more than 90 billion dollars in research and treatment since 1971, and yet, we haven’t won the war. We haven’t even knocked cancer off the “top of the chart” as cause of death in the US.
Research supports the existence of chemical toxins in our pets and other wildlife and we are seeing a direct connection between their growing cancer rates and human cancers. Scary isn’t it?
HOW TO CREATE A SAFER HOME ENVIRONMENT
This is a topic that can become so overwhelming we decided to break it down into four main categories. We can’t change the world, but we can make changes to our home environment to protect ourselves from rapidly growing toxin exposure. We can see the links between cancer in dogs and cats and the environment – we need to make the connection for ourselves as well!
Here are some easily implemented ideas you can use to reduce toxins in your home environment:
1. Use Air Purifiers To Clean the Air
Air Purifiers are one of the simplest methods of controlling your home environment. They work to remove contaminants that enter the body through the lungs. As a minimum, you should be running an air purifier in bedrooms during the night.
- Airborne Contaminants: dust, lint, mites, pet dander, mold spores
- Biological Contaminants: bacteria, viruses
- Chemical Contaminants: chemical off-gassing from building materials; toxins released from cleaning and laundry products, plastics, flame-retardants on furniture and pet bedding, artificial fragrances in air fresheners, chemicals released from nonstick cookware and plastics….. The sources of these toxins are innumerable.
2. Keep Your Living Spaces Clean and Clutter-Free
- Simplify: Most of the products we bring into our homes are releasing toxins into our environment. Less stuff = fewer toxins. Simplify your life. You CAN live with less!
- Dust: Dust is more than an aesthetic problem – it is actually a health hazard! Did you know that average household dust has been found to commonly contain more than 7,000 different viruses and fungi? Dust is also comprised of toxic chemicals that have entered your home on shoes and clothing, and those that are released from furniture, building materials, clothing, toys, cleaning products…Your children and pets are on the floor getting this toxic soup of dust on their hands and in their mouths.
- HEPA Filters on Vacuum Cleaners: The price of these vacuum cleaners has come down in the past few years. They are certainly affordable and extremely important. Vacuums without HEPA filters don’t remove dust and contaminants from the exhaust air. Without a HEPA filter you are just moving settled dust to airborne dust, where it takes as long as 72 hours to completely settle back to the floor and surfaces.
3. Laundry and Cleaning Products
The American public has been fooled into thinking that a “fresh scent” or “clean” comes from a box or bottle that contains a mix of toxic chemicals. Of course, most consumers don’t realize the chemical exposure that results from the use of these products.
- The producers of laundry and cleaning products are not required by law to list the ingredients included in their formulations on the package making it virtually impossible for consumers to make health-conscious choices.
- The chemicals in common household laundry and cleaning products have been found to cause reproductive problems, exacerbate asthma, burn or irritate the skin, and harm the environment. Some are linked to cancer.
- The scents, or fragrance, included in these products are far from natural and are linked to a growing number of health problems. Synthetic fragrance is engineered by combining dozens of chemicals chosen from more than 3,000 fragrance ingredients.
- The EWG has compiled a list of top products they have ranked for safety. Check it out here.
4. Beauty and Cosmetics Products
The beauty and cosmetics industry is BIG business in the US. With an estimated 62 billion dollars in sales in 2016, the products included in this category are makeup, fragrance and perfumes, skincare and lotions, and hair products.
- The EWG states that there are more than 9,000 ingredients in personal care products. Many of these chemicals have research backing their damaging effect on our health.
- The US laws regulating cosmetic ingredients was last updated in 1938. No that isn’t a typo! The US has only banned 9 ingredients in the intervening years, while the European nations have banned over 1,000!
- Because the US government doesn’t regulate safety testing for chemicals used in personal care products, a manufacturer can make any claims they want – gentle, natural, soothing – with no risk. This is confusing for consumers who are truly looking for a natural product.
- Check out the EWG’s Skindeep Database to learn the grade of more than 70,000 products.
YOU CAN DO IT!
As adults, we are charged with protecting our health, and that of our loved ones, including our pets. The decisions we make, the actions we take, products we purchase, all impact our home environment.
Of course, we all know that this issue is bigger than just our home environment – but while we are taking steps to change the world – let’s take the time to make changes that reduce or lessen the toxins in our own homes.
The team at The Healthy Place works hard to promote education and awareness that inspires our customers to take steps toward health. We want you to “find your healthy place”, and feel honored to be a part of your journey. Stop in at either of our three locations and talk to one of our Wellness Consultants. They can advise you on supplements that support your specific health challenges. We also carry supplements to support the health of your pets!!
*Disclaimer: All information and recommendations given on this site, in email correspondence, newsletters or other materials provided by The Healthy Place is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice nor be viewed as a substitute for a face-to-face consultation with a healthcare provider. Consult a licensed healthcare practitioner before modifying, stopping, or starting the use of any medications, health programs, diets, and/or supplements, as well as regarding any health concerns you may have. Our statements and information have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. As with any health-related program, product, or service, your risks and results may vary. We expressly disclaim responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information provided to you here.”
The Healthy Place – Apple Wellness
6313 McKee Road Suite 100
Fitchburg, WI 53719
608-663-2640
The Healthy Place – Apple Wellness
550 Junction Road
Madison, WI 53717
608-203-5245
The Healthy Place – Apple Wellness
2824 Prairie Lakes Drive Suite 108
Sun Prairie, WI 53590
608-825-0080
another outstanding article…thanks Apple wellness!!