Posts Tagged ‘chemicals’
Keep Your Cat Away From These Top Ten Poisons
The Top 10 Poisons of 2008
1. Human Medications: 50,000 cases
It’s easy for pets to snatch pills from counters and bed-side tables, or quickly eat them if you’ve dropped a couple on the floor. Both over-the-counter and prescription medications and even dietary supplements can be make your cat sick.
2. Insecticides: 31,000 cases
One of the most common exposures involves using chemical flea and tick products incorrectly, such as applying a topical product for dogs on a cat.
3. People Food: 15,000 cases
Grapes, raisins, avocado and citrus fruits can all be dangerous for pets, but one of the worst offenders is chocolate, which contains large amounts of methylxanthines. If eaten it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst, urination and hyperactivity, and in severe cases abnormal heart rhythm, tremors and seizures.
4. Rodenticides: 8,000 cases
Rat and mouse poison can contain inactive ingredients that are attractive to pets. Aside from eating the poison itself, cats can also become sick from eating a rodent that’s ingested poison. Exposure to rat and mouse poison can cause bleeding, seizures and kidney damage.
5. Veterinary Medications: 8,000 cases
Drugs meant for animals can still cause side effects, especially when they are misapplied or improperly dispensed. Some of the most common toxic exposures involved non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, heartworm preventatives, de-wormers, antibiotics, vaccines and nutritional supplements.
6. Plants: 8,000 cases
Azaleas, rododendrons, sago palms, lilies, kalanchoe, and schefflera are common houseplants that can be toxic to pets. Lilies are especially toxic to cats and can cause kidney failure even in small amounts.
7. Chemical Hazards: 5,500 cases
Many chemicals around your home can cause symptoms ranging from gastrointestinal upset and respiratory difficulties to depression and chemical burns in your pets. Examples include antifreeze, paint thinner, drain cleaners and pool/spa chemicals.
8. Household Cleaners: 3,200 cases
Bleaches, detergents and disinfectants contain chemicals that can cause serious gastrointestinal distress and irritation to the respiratory tract in your cat.
9. Heavy Metals: 3,000 cases
Metals such as lead, zinc and mercury can all poison your cat. Lead is especially widespread and pets can be exposed via paint chips, linoleum and lead dust that’s produced when surfaces in old homes are scraped and sanded.
10. Fertilizer: 2,000 cases
If your lawn has been sprayed with a chemical fertilizer it’s essential to keep your cat off of it. Prevention is the best way to avoid accidental exposure to these potentially toxic chemicals.
Six Tips To Lower Your Cats’ Exposure To Industrial Chemicals
1) Remove your shoes in the house. Removing shoes has been scientifically proven to reduce contaminants in the home.
A new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study shows that people track in weed killers and other pesticides commonly applied to lawns during the spring and summer. The study, conducted by the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio, is among a series being funded by the EPA to assess how small children are exposed to pesticides around the home. Scientists think that “track-in” exposures may exceed those from the best-known source: pesticide residues on fresh fruits and vegetables.
In 1991 the EPA conducted a study called the “Door Mat Study” that measured the amount of lead dust that was in homes. The study found that in homes where there was a doormat at the entrance and where shoes were NOT worn, there was a marked reduction (about 60%) of lead dust and other chemicals in the home.
2) Go organic: According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 60% of herbicides, 90 % of fungicides and 30% of insecticides are known to be carcinogenic. Alarmingly, pesticide residues have been detected in 50% - 95% of U.S. foods. Pet food fare even worse, especially those containing by-products and “meal” (chicken meal, fish meal etc.)
3) Avoid plastics: use a glass bowl for food, all plastic is synthetic and made from petrochemicals, it neither photo-degrades nor bio-degrades, it just breaks down into ever smaller toxins such as Phthalates and BPA. Phthalates chemically mimic hormones and are particularly dangerous to children and pets.
4) Use safe, natural or organic cleaners. Paints, deodorants, cleaning fluids, varnishes, cosmetics, dry cleaned clothing, moth repellents, air fresheners all contain dozens of chemicals.
5) Avoid using artificial air fresheners, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or other synthetic fragrances as they pollute the air you are breathing.
6) Never feed your cat fish, especially tuna! All fish is contaminated with PCBs and mercury, although wild caught salmon and sardines both have lower amounts.
How Many Industrial Chemicals In Your Cat’s Blood?
When blood and urine samples were collected from 20 dogs and 37 cats at a Virginia veterinary clinic, 48 industrial chemicals were found. 
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 include the thyroid toxins and fire retardants called PBDEs. Thyroid disease (hyperthyroidism) is a leading cause of illness in older cats. 
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 cat food can linings into food.
You can read the full article on POLLUTED PETS at THIS LINK
Find Out If Your Cat’s Toys And Bedding Have High Levels of Lead And Other Toxins
HealthyStuff.org is a nonprofit environmental research organization that just released results on over 900 common products tested for toxic chemicals including lead, mercury, and arsenic. Pet toys, beds, and collars were included on their list of products tested. In all, HealthyStuff.org includes test results for over 5,000 products.
Play N’ Squeak “Batting Practice”, Play n Squeak “Twice the Mice”, Penn-Plax Purr Pet Wiggle Wand and Coleman Classic Rectangular Bed For Dogs, Small 18×24 all had exceptionally high levels of toxins, particularly lead. 
Please check out their site to find out if your pet’s toys, beds, collars, harnesses or other stuff contains toxic chemicals.
