We worry so often about chemicals getting into our food & our kids’ toys, but harmful chemicals are affecting our pets too!

A recent study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) shows that cats and dogs carry a much higher “body burden” — the amount of persistent toxic chemicals in the body — than their human caregivers.

Just why are our pets so susceptible? Their vulnerability is due in part to their diminutive size and lifespan, but a larger component probably has to do with the way pets live: close to the ground. Like human children, dogs and cats will eat food off the floor and spend a lot of time on toxin-laden carpets. Pets pick up outside dust, insecticides and herbicides, then ingest these chemicals through self-grooming. Toxic dyes in pet products and plastic chew toys and water bowls also play a dangerous role, as do high mercury and PBDE levels in seafood.

Here are some ways you can protect your beloved pet:

• Don’t use lawn herbicides

• Use plant-based kitty litter from wheat or recycled newspaper instead of clay-based litter

• Vacuum frequently, and bag resulting dust to prevent reintroduction into the house.

• Flea collars are ineffective and a source of constant toxic exposure to your pets and family. Choose natural pest repellants like garlic and clove oil instead.

• Pick pet food free of chemical preservatives BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin, vary cats’ diets to limit seafood mercury-exposure and choose organic or free-range ingredients rather than “by-products.”

• If you suspect your deck was made with arsenic-treated wood, don’t let pets underneath it. Regularly treat with sealant, wash with soap and water, and never power wash.

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