I have a blog post on dog food, but....what about everything else? Like the shampoos/tick treatments that we put on their skin, the water we give them, the roundup we spray on our weeds that they absorb through their paws....that kind of stuff?
Before I dive into this some more, let's talk about why these things are important and help you from feeling overwhelmed.
First of all, I'm NOT about being perfect. People will sometimes say to me, "I know you probably would never buy that, but I love this!" And I always laugh and say, "Trust me, I still buy things that are the some of the worst options all the time." I gladly indulge in an oreo blizzard from Dairy Queen and I also GLADLY use some very toxic spray to kill wasps around my house (I have no mercy for those suckers) amongst many other things. I'm not striving for perfection, I'm striving for better.
Think about it this way....let's say you eat fast food for 2 meals every day. If you normally have 3 meals each day, that's about 67% daily fast food intake. But what if instead you change to eating fast food 1 out of your 3 meals each day? You just cut your percent in half to about 33%. You CANNOT tell me that your body isn't going to benefit from cutting that fast food intake in half. Plus, it probably feels a heck of a lot more manageable to cut your fast food intake to less each day instead of cutting it out completely, right? You're going to feel way less discouraged, and way more confident in the process, which is KEY to improving and making sustainable changes over time.
And if you're not convinced that limiting your dog's environmental toxin burden is important....here's a quote from https://explore.globalhealing.com/what-is-body-burden/ "In the “Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals,” the CDC reported that the average person in the United States has at least 212 chemicals in their blood and urine. [1] Seemingly innocuous substances like non-stick coating, fire retardants, baby products, and plastic food containers all contain some level of chemical contaminants that contribute to body burden. When you consider the fact that you’re nearly always in contact with something, it’s clear how accumulation happens."
Humans are affected tremendously. And dogs? They are smaller, closer to the ground, and their bodies are affected EVEN MORE (just as babies are). It matters, and there's ample amount of studies like the one below from https://www.cuyahogaswcd.org/files/assets/lawncarewithoutchemicals.pdf stating that "Studies find that dogs exposed to herbicide-treated lawns and gardens can double their chance of developing canine lymphoma and may increase the risk of bladder cancer in certain breeds by four to seven times."
Just a thought: If we knew there was a chance of the things we buy contributing to things like cancer in our pets, why wouldn't we just buy better options and get rid of that chance? I would in a heartbeat.
Alright, now that we're on the same page and we know the importance of making small changes, let's dive in.
So what things should we be looking out for? Let me give you a list of questions from a book I read called, "The Forever Dog" that gives a great comprehensive list of things to watch for.
Do you use unfiltered tap water and use that for your dog's water? Brita/Fridge filters only filters out about 9 things and is basically the same as tap water....those don't count :)
Do you have carpet and/or engineered wood in your home?
Do you use typical house cleaners with poison control warnings?
Do you have flame-retardant furniture?
Do you use scented detergents/fabric softeners/dryer sheets for your pet's bedding?
Do your dogs have plastic dishes?
Do you store food in plastic bins?
Do people in the home smoke?
Do you or your neighbors use harsh chemicals on your lawns and weeds?
Do you wear perfume or cologne?
Do you use scented candles, plug-ins, or air fresheners?
Do they have dog toys made of plastic?
Do you treat/spray your home for insects or pests?
Do you live in a home that has mold?
If you answered yes to most of those questions (2 years ago, I would have said yes to ALL of them, now it's down to under 5) then be on the lookout for part 2 of this blog post!!
Much love, Brittany
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