by#Linda#Anderson#
After writing the article “Is your Home Toxic”?, I asked myself the question “If we use toxic chemicals in our homes what about our animals health, do we expose our animals to toxic chemicals?” “Ask the right questions and you shall find” C. Monk. The internet is a good place to find answers to your questions. I asked the question: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!TOXICITY TO ANIMALS A whole new world of information is available to all, You can read some of the information I found on the next pages. Let me know what you think? itworksgreen.com lindasfreelibrary.org
January 23, 2012 Flea and Tick Product Ingredients: What You Should Know Read this before buying flea and tick products for your pet You can find many brands of flea and tick products at supermarkets, pet supply stores, online retailers, and through your veterinarian. Before you use any of these products on your pets, it is critical to read their labels and consult with your veterinarian. They may contain ingredients that could harm pets and people. The studies The Center For Public Integrity released information on its website for its Perils of the New Pesticides study in 2008. At least 1,600 pet deaths related to spot on treatments with pyrethroids were reported to the EPA over the last five years, according to an analysis of EPA pesticide incident exposure data by the center. The EPA assigns risk levels to all pesticides for their potential dangers to humans and some flea and tick products contain chemicals, specifically permethrins, that are "likely to be carcinogenic to humans.”" " " I"found"this"ar/cle"at"the"Humane"Society"web"site"more"on"the"next"page."
The$chemicals$ Besides&pyrethroid-based&products,&ingredients&to&be&wary&of&are&organophosphate& insec7cides&(OPs)&and&carbamates,&both&of&which&are&found&in&various&flea&and&7ck& products.&&The&only&OP&currently&found&in&flea&and&7ck&products&in&the&U.S.&is& tetrachlorvinphos.&&This&chemical&is&classified&by&the&EPA&as&being&"likely&to&be& carcinogenic&to&humans."&&There&are&ques7ons&about&the&effects&of&long-term,& cumula7ve&exposures&as&well&as&combined&exposures&from&the&use&of&other& products&containing&OPs&and&carbamates.&&Permethrin&is&another&chemical&that&the& EPA&has&classified&as&"likely&to&be&carcinogenic&to&humans"&if&ingested&orally.&& If&the&ingredient&list&includes&carbaryl&or&propoxur,&the&product&contains&a& carbamate.&&According&to&the&NRDC,&the&poten7al&dangers&posed&by&thee&products& are&greatest&for&children&and&pets.&&Propoxur&is&considered&to&be&a&"probable& human&carcinogen"&by&the&EPA.&&As&of&September&2010,&Carbaryl&will&no&longer&be& permiTed&for&use&in&new&pet&products.&&However,&exis7ng&stock&of&flea/7ck& products&containing&carbaryl&can&s7ll&be&sold.&&The&HSUS&recommends&that&pet& products&containing&carbaryl&should&be&disposed&of&and&not&used&on&pets.& The$effects$ According&to&the&NRDC,&there&are&studies&that&show&OPs&and&carbamates&can&harm& the&nervous&system.&Children&can&be&especially&vulnerable&because&their&nervous& systems&are&s7ll&developing.&For&pets,&the&data&is&limited,&but&according&to&NRDC,& many&companion&animals&appear&to&have&been&injured&or&killed&through&exposure& to&pet&products&containing&OPs.&Cats&are&par7cularly&vulnerable,&since&they&oYen& lack&enzymes&for&metabolizing&or&detoxifying&OPs&and&can&ingest&OPs&by&licking& their&fur.& What$about$the$EPA?$ Each&year,&millions&of&Americans&purchase&flea&and&7ck&products&believing&that&they& couldn't&be&sold&unless&they&were&proven&safe.&But&the&EPA&did&not&begin&to&review& pet&products&for&safety&un7l&1996.&&As&noted&on&CPI's&website,&"The&EPA&cannot& make&its&own&assessment&because&unlike&the&regula7ons&direc7ng&the&FDA's& approval&of&human&products,&the&Federal&Insec7cide,&Fungicide&and&Roden7cide& Act&does&not&require&pet&products&to&undergo&field&trials&prior&to&approval.&&So&the& agency&can&only&require&less&extensive&tes7ng,&oYen&only&on&one&breed&of&dog&or& cat.&&This&makes&it&difficult&to&predict&the&effects&on&the&broader&popula7on&of& users.”&
Most%pet%owners%know%what%types%of%things%are%toxic%to%animals,% grapes,%chocolate,%onions,%garlic,%among%other%things.! But!you!might!not!know!that!something!you!use!to!protect!your!pets! from!fleas!and!7cks!can!also!be!toxic!for!them!and!for!your!children.! A!report!in!2000!led!to!the!ban!of!six!dangerous!pes7cides!in!pet! products,!but!products–flea!and!7ck!collars!specifically–containing!other! toxic!chemicals!remain!on!store!shelves.! There!is!actually!a!ban!on!a!flea!collars!that!have!a!specific!chemical!in! them!that!has!been!thought!to!cause!cancer!in!dogs.! “When!you!pick!up!a!flea!collar!at!the!pet!store,!you!just!want!to!stop! your!dog!or!cat!from!scratching;!you!don’t!want!to!put!their!health–or! your!family’s–in!jeopardy,”!said!NRDC!Scien7st!Miriam!RotkinPEllman.! According!to!reports,!the!chemicals!are!propoxur!and!tetrachlorvinphos! (TCVP)!both!of!which!are!known!to!damage!the!brain!and!nervous! system!of!animals,!as!well!as!cause!cancer.! Also,!children!are!at!risk!when!they!pet!thier!animals!and!then!put!their! hands!in!their!mouths.!The!NRDC!filed!the!lawsuit!against!the!companies! in!California!Superior!Court!in!Alameda!County!last!year!for!failing!to! comply!with!California’s!Safe!Drinking!Water!and!Toxic!Enforcement!Act.! This!law!prohibits!businesses!from!knowingly!exposing!consumers!to!any! chemical!“known!to!the!state!to!cause!cancer!or!reproduc7ve!harm”! without!proper!warning.! “Warning!labels!will!now!help!pet!owners!beVer!avoid!bringing! dangerous!chemicals!into!their!homes!against!their!will.”! “The!boVom!line!is!—!these!products!are!so!dangerous!that!they!don’t! belong!on!store!shelves,”!said!RotkinPEllman.! “EPA,!PETCO,!PetSmart!and!the!rest!of!the!pet!product!industry!know! this!and!should!do!the!right!thing.!Ul7mately!the!only!way!to!truly! protect!people!and!animals!from!the!toxic,!cancerPcausing!chemicals!in! flea!collars!is!to!ban!them!from!the!products!altogether.”! For!more!informa7on!on!pet!products!that!may!be!harmful!visit! www.nrdc.org.!I!found!this!ar7cle!at!this!site:! WriVen!by!J.!Lauren!Benton!
Pet odor neutralizers such as carpet powders and upholstery sprays have common toxins in them that are actually unsafe for humans and animals. Some of these toxins include xylene, cresol, phenol, dichlorobenzene, and naphthalene it describes in doityourself.com. XYLENE—This toxin is an unpredictable solvent that is used in the manufacture of chemicals. It only affects humans or animals when coming into contact with the skin or inhaled, but in large quantities can lead to inflammation. CRESOL—This toxin is found in most pet neutralizer products. It can burn the skin and cause irritation around the eyes or mouth. If ingested in a large dose, it could lead to anemia, heart damage, and even death. PHENOL—Once this chemical comes into contact with the skin, eyes, or respiratory organs, it will cause a burning sensation. In large quantities, like the previous two, it will burn the skin. Inhaling large amounts can cause coma and seizures. Long term exposure can cause liver or kidney problems. Dichlorobenzene—This chemical has a very strong odor. If ingested, it can cause liver and kidney tumors. It can also become a water pollutant. Naphthalene—This is most commonly used in mothballs. It can cause damage to red blood cells and may produce anemia in children. If ingested, it can cause nausea, lack of appetite, pale skin, and blood in urine. Studies also show that this chemical has a carcinogenic effect. Check your labels to know the contents of an odor neutralizer. It is always good to know whether any household items contain chemicals that may be toxic to your pet or child. If you do have to use a product with these chemicals, make sure you close the area you plan on using the product. Also, put away food and water containers so they do not get contaminated. Written by J. Lauren Benton I enjoy reading her work a wealth of information!
High Levels of Toxic Industrial Chemicals Contaminate Cats And Dogs By Olga Naidenko, Rebecca Sutton, Jane Houlihan, April 2008 SUMMARY AND FINDINGS They are trying their best to warn us. In the first study of its kind, Environmental Working Group found that 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. The results show that America’s pets are serving as involuntary sentinels of the widespread chemical contamination that scientists increasingly link to a growing array of health problems across a wide range of animals—wild, domesticated and human. Source: Analysis of blood and urine from 20 dogs and 37 cats in study conducted by EWG. Laboratory analyses by AXYS Analytical, Sidney, BC.
Dogs: High levels of plasticizers, grease-proof chemicals,and fire retardants 35 chemicals detected - 40% at higher levels in dogs than people Source: Analysis of blood and urine from 20 dogs in study conducted by EWG. Laboratory analyses by AXYS Analytical, Sidney, BC
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In America there are 8 times more companion dogs and cats than there are children under five. Seventy percent more households have dogs or cats than children of any age. These pets are often beloved family members, and yet they can be subjected to chronic, constant exposures to chemical contaminants in homes, yards, and parks that pet owners cannot always prevent.!
Cats: notably high levels of fire retardants, high levels of plasticizers, and grease-proofing chemicals 46 chemicals detected - 96% at higher levels in cats than people Source: Analysis of blood and urine from 37 cats in study conducted by EWG. Laboratory analyses by AXYS Analytical, Sidney, BC.
As cats meticulously groom themselves, they lick off accumulated dust that studies show can be contaminated with the neurotoxic fire retardants PBDEs and reproductive toxins called phthalates that were found in the cats we tested (Bornehag 2004, Stapleton 2005, Wormuth 2006). A dog eating scraps from the floor may also swallow dirt and dust tracked in from the outdoors and contaminated with heavy metals and pesticides (Colt 2004, vom Lindern 2003). A flea collar can spew droplets of insecticide that can be lethal to cats (Linnett 2008). Dogs and cats often eat food processing and packaging chemicals that contaminate their food, day after day and year after year, resulting in cumulative exposures with unknown health risks (FDA CVM 2008b). Chew toys might contain plastic softeners, foam beds might be infused or coated with fire retardants and stainproofing chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects, and plastic water bowls might leach hormone disruptors.!
Pets face chemical exposures that in some ways are similar to those of infants and toddlers, who have limited diets and 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 (Betts 2007).!
Dogs: The 20 dogs tested included 5 mutts or mixes and 15 dogs of 7 different breeds, including a Pug, Great Dane, Dachshund, Great Pyrenees, and others. In the group, 12 dogs were female and 8 male; ages ranged between 6 months and 12 years (average age 6.3 years). The laboratory analyzed composite blood and urine samples collected from the animals. The dogs’ blood and urine was contaminated with 35 chemicals altogether. These included 7 chemicals (20%) with average levels at least 5 times higher than typical levels in people, and another 7 chemicals with average levels up to 5 times amounts found in people. Relative to people, dogs showed high levels of stain- and grease-proof chemicals (perfluorochemicals in the Teflon family), plastics chemicals called phthalates, and fire retardants called PBDEs:! Cats: Veterinary technicians collected blood and urine samples from 37 cats, which included 13 female and 21 males cats (gender not reported for 3 cats). The group included cats with ages from 9 months to 17 years. The laboratory analyzed blood and urine samples composited from all the animals. The cats’ blood and urine was contaminated with 46 chemicals altogether. These included 25 chemicals (54%) with average levels at least 5 times higher than typical levels in people, and another 18 chemicals (39%) with average levels up to 5 times amounts found in people. Relative to people, cats showed very high levels of neurotoxic fire retardants called PBDEs and methylmercury, a pollutant from coal power plants and a common seafood contaminant.!
Conclusions The body burden testing conducted in this investigation is the most expansive ever published for companion animals. The study indicates that cats and dogs are exposed to complex mixtures of industrial chemicals, often at levels far in excess of those found in people. Our pets well may be serving as sentinels for our own health, as they breathe in, ingest or absorb the same chemicals that are in our environments. Exposures that pose risks for pets pose risks for human health as well. A new system of public health protections that required companies to prove chemicals are safe before they are sold would help protect all of us, including the pets we love. PLEASE READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE! h#p://www.ewg.org/reports/pets!
I"could"research"and"write"more"about"toxicity"to"animals," "but"if"you’re"like"me""and"become"down"hearted"with" so"much"informa9on,"I"will"suggest"you"too"can""look" on"the"internet"under"Polluted"Pets,"Chemicals"on"Pets," Toxicity"to"our"Animals,""just"to"name"a"few"at"your"own" leisure." I"felt"I"had"to"try"and"do"something"to"help"clean"our"homes" and"keep"our"pets"and"plants"pest"free"without"toxic" chemicals"."I"researched"and"found"a"leading"chemist"“D.S.”" in"Los"Angeles"we"wanted"to"make"a"difference."We"worked" together"to"make"a"non"toxic,"pes9cide"free,"Insect"Repellent" “It"Works"Green”"for"our"homes,"pets"and"yard."All"the" Federal"Guidelines"were"met"using"EPA"25b"guidelines." """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""I"hope"my"story"will"show"we"all"can" """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""try"and"make"a"difference."Sharing" """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""informa9on"with"others"on"Blogs,"Facebook" """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""the"printed"page"etc."and"prac9ce"what"we" """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""have"learned,"we"can"all"make"a"difference." " """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""Linda"Anderson"11R22R12." """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""President"It"Works"Green"L.L.C." itworksgreen.com" lindasfreelibrary.org"
Linda Anderson 2-3-54 Orange County Ca. Founder: Linda’s Free Library a non profit Creator of: It Works Green LLC
So many women my age have had the opportunity to reconnect with their dreams before children. I am no different, as a child having trouble reading ( it seems we what we can’t have) I said to myself one day “I want a Library”. I had no idea it would be a library without walls, so came about Linda’s Free Library a non profit organization. I wanted a place where children could write stories for other children as only they can. I also wrote some stories, one is Ava’s Garden, where I wanted to show how a child could make a difference as Ava did in her garden. It worked many children have made gardens. After the diagnosis of Cancer in one of our horses and the death of this dog in the photo due to cancer, I started to research products that can cause cancer to humans, animals and plant life. Knowing I had to do something I started a company ‘’It Works Green LLC” with the mission statement, toxic free, no pesticides ever! free our loved ones of Pests Naturally. It works. “Lets all make a difference!” Linda Anderson 11-23-12