Love Your Pet Today and Every Day!

I just discovered that  February 20 is " Love Your Pet Day".Let's get this straight.  Our Roxie gets a lotta love all 365 days of year!  She is a Rat Terrier and loves to run and let any other critters who think they live on our property know who is the boss. Oh yes!  A couple years ago she broke her leg and chipped the bone, but thanks to her Shaklee protein and supplements, she has been running better and faster without a hitch.  And she is 11 or more years old.  

Another way that we show our love for her is giving her healthy food, having clean air and lots of purified water. But did you ever think about what affect the cleaners and laundry products ( including the off-gassing) have on their health?   Many dog owners keep cleaners in their homes that are not exactly pet safe out of habit or ignorance of the bad effects they can have on those live beings in the home. Cleaning products with ingredients such as bleach, ammonia, chlorine, gycol ethers or formaldehyde have been known to cause many problems in adults and children, but young children and pets are particularly at risk for things such as cancer, anemia, liver and kidney damage. Many toxic cleaners are also carcinogenic.

Several studies have been done on the dangerous effects of some common cleaning products. Many of these included data on pets which showed that our dear pets are not immune to chemicals and that many cleaning products are not pet safe. One study concentrated on measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in cleaning products. In it, the vapor pressure of various chemical compounds in cleaners was measured. Three cleaners, Pledge, Clorox Wipes and Lysol Disinfecting Spray, registered close to a thousand times more vapor pressure than a natural cleaner. This means that even when the toxic cleaners are put away and closed, the vapors left behind can continue to harm both us and our pets. My eyes are burning just thinking about it. 

Some Toxic Ingredients and Their Effects on People and Pets:

Ammonia - Used in many de-greasers for ovens, glass and stainless steel, ammonia has a very high VOC, burns mucous membranes and contributes to asthma. If it is mixed with bleach, it creates a poisonous gas which can be deadly to small pets.

Chlorine - Used in disinfectants, toilet bowl cleaners and automatic dish detergent to name a few, chlorine is also used to bleach coffee filters. It can cause everything from dizziness to vomiting to laryngeal edema. Avoid this ingredient and be careful about letting your pet swim in the pool.

Glycol Ethers - Glycol ethers are found in many cleaning products that are not pet safe including glass cleaners, carpet cleaners and spot removers. It has been linked to anemia, lung damage and kidney damage in people and pets.

Formaldehyde - The thought of a funeral home comes to mind when formaldehyde is mentioned and everyone can recognize the strong, nauseating smell. But it's also used in products such as soaps and even some pet shampoos. It can contribute to asthma and is carcinogenic.

Some Cleaning Products That are Not Dog Safe

There are many, many cleaning products that are not safe for dogs on the market. Here are a few popular cleaners that contain some of the ingredients mentioned above as well as others:

Floor Cleaners - These include Pine Sol and Mr. Clean. Even if you manage to get all of the residue off the floor, the vapors linger and are dangerous to your pet. Try a non-toxic, pet safe cleaner instead. 

Bathroom Cleaners - These include Clorox Bathroom Cleaner and Scrubbing Bubbles. Never use a continuous toilet bowl cleaner such as Clorox Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner. It is very dangerous, especially with the temptation to drink from the toilet bowl.

All Purpose Cleaners - For use in the kitchen and around the house, the most common toxic all-purpose cleaners that scream "Danger!" are Mr. Clean Multi-Purpose Spray and Formula 409.

Drain Openers - You may think that since this product is poured down the drain, it can't be harmful to your pet. But the toxic drain openers give off dangerous fumes long after you've emptied them. For a non-toxic, pet safe option, try a product such as Earth Friendly Enzymes Drain Opener.

Glass Cleaner - It may seem that toxic glass cleaners are simpler products and are, therefore, safe but they are not. Instead of something like Windex, try vinegar and water or Shaklee Basic h2 ( at $.02 a gallon, it's worth it for the savings) 

Laundry Detergent - It's easy to assume that choosing a laundry detergent isn't that important because the rinse cycle rinses it away. But there is residue left behind on clothes and pet blankets that can be harmful to your pet, especially those that chew on their bedding. And our skin is known to absorb 70% of the stuff it comes in contact with ( how do you think the meds on the patches get into the blood stream?)  So,  avoid detergents with toxic ingredients such as Tide and Cheer. Seriously, even when they say Free and Clear, I would stay clear of them.  Do your research but I stick with Shaklee all the way to be super safe.  

Before Roxie we had a Welch Corgie/Pug mix named Zelda, after the Princess Zelda.  Then there were was a little hamster and some rats ( one named Stinky), a couple birds and many rabbits... and now that the boys are out of the house, we were grandPAWrents to Jazzy and Tucker  before the grandbelles arrived.  Can you tell we LOVE our pets? 

I guess on this LOVE YOUR PET DAY, my message is the same.  What will it hurt you to have a toxic intervention and make some changes in what you clean your home and your clothes with?  If you are serious about it, contact me and I will help you get started, like someone did for me 30 years ago, and what a difference it has been for our health and that of our pets. 

So, what is the name of your pet?  

( note: some info from  http://www.dogster.com/cleaning/cleaning-products-that-are-not-dog-safe)