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Lawn Pesticides: How your neighbor can impact your pet's lifespan...

Spring is coming a good read to remember!

Studies Have Linked Lawn Pesticides with Canine Malignant Lymphoma
A study reveals a link between canine malignant lymphoma and professionally applied lawn pesticides.
By Barbara Dobbins

[Updated October 19, 2017]

It’s a ton of fun to see an athletic, healthy dog sprinting across a sprawling lawn of thick green grass – but could this practice be dangerous to the dog’s health? A study presented in the January 2012 issue of the journal Environmental Research concluded that exposure to professionally applied lawn pesticides was associated with a significantly (70 percent) higher risk of canine malignant lymphoma (CML).



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It’s a broad conclusion and light on specifics. The case-control study, conducted between January 2000 and December 2006 at the Foster Hospital for Small Animals at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, was structured around a 10-page questionnaire that was mailed to dog owners who were having their pets treated at the Foster Hospital; the resulting data came from the owners of 266 dogs with confirmed cases of CML and 478 dogs in two control groups (non-CML cases).

The questionnaire was not included in the article; a summary stated that it covered a wide variety of data considerations, including breed, weight, medical history, and the types of chemicals used in the home. The characteristics of the CML cases did not vary much from the controls, other than in the weight category (the CML dogs tended to weigh more than 50 pounds). Exposure to types of flea and tick products and frequency of administration was similar among the groups, as was overall exposure to lawn care products.

What did show cause for concern was that the CML cases were more likely to live in homes that reported professionally applied pesticides and herbicides, though the results were only marginally significant for the herbicides. Exposure to other types of professionally applied lawn care products was not associated with increased risk. There was an increased risk, however, for dogs who live in homes where owners applied lawn-care products containing insect growth regulators – substances that inhibit the development of insect eggs and larvae.

One disappointment: specific lawn care chemicals or insect-growth regulators were not identified. Instead, the umbrella categories of herbicide, pesticide, insect growth regulators, fungicide, rodenticide, and fertilizer were used. It could be that some of these chemicals are already designated as known carcinogenics. The article notes that studies evaluating frequency of exposure and exposure dose are needed; thus it appears that the researchers did not determine which chemicals the dogs were exposed to, in what quantities, or for how long.

Also disappointing was the fact that genetic factors were apparently not considered as part of the study. Three-fourths of the CML dogs were classified as purebred, as was the control group. The incidence rate of CML is not the same for all breeds; increased risk has been reported for several breeds including Basset Hounds, Boxers, Airedales, Golden Retrievers, Saint Bernards, Bulldogs, Bullmastiffs, and Scottish Terriers. This predisposition could indicate an inherited characteristic.

Like the canary in the mineshaft, dogs can serve as sentinels for human disease because they are our close companions and are subjected to many of the same environmental influences. Canine cancers have the same biology and behavior as human cancers, and in some cases have identical histology and response rates to treatment. The goal of this study was to identify risk factors for CML from exposure to environmental chemicals in an effort to provide insight to risk factors for humans in developing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Keep in mind that exposure to lawn care products is different for canines than it is for humans. People can know if a lawn has been recently treated with chemicals and thus avoid it and take precautions when handling such chemicals. Our pets have no such option; their uncovered and unprotected bodies come in direct contact with the environment. They see an enticing outdoor carpet, perfect for rolling around on, running across, playing fetch and wrestling with playmates on, and even ingesting. Dogs have their mouths on everything: themselves (grooming), their playmates, their toys and sticks lying in the grass, and yes, the grass itself. And those mouths can be the conduit from external to internal exposure.

Though more study is needed, the preliminary findings of this study suggest that you can reduce your dog’s risk through the following:

-Don’t use pesticides on your own lawns, or allow lawn-service providers to use them on your property.

-Don’t use lawn care products that contain insect growth regulators.

-Prevent your dog from walking on (or rolling on, eating, etc.) any lawns, unless you are able to determine that absolutely no pesticides are used to maintain them. (Most municipalities are required to make their chemical lawn-care regimens available to the public. It says something about these chemicals that their use is prohibited on most public school grounds.)


 
I would caution anyone before using vinegar as a weed killer.
First it actually 'kills' very few weeds. It is a contact pesticide that kills by burning what it touches. Never kills the roots so weeds will return. It may take out some young shallow weeds but the established deeper ones will return soon enough.
The problem with burnout pesticides is they burn what they touch. Meaning any frogs, toads, salamanders and beneficial insects as well as microorganisms in the soil. You'll be left with a very unhealthy yard that is full of weeds.
 
Spring will be here soon enough!


What YOU Need to Know About Lawn Chemicals !!
AS WE LEARN MORE AND MORE ABOUT THE DANGERS OF GLYPHOSATE AND COMMON LAWN CHEMICALS, PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW WE CAN PROTECT OUR DOGS AND CATS BECOMES CRITICAL.





The expression, “May you live in interesting times” is a phrase that’s been around in the US for about 50 years (I know, it always seems so much more like ancient wisdom to me too).



When you look at how we’re poisoning the planet with herbicides and chemicals and how readily it’s accepted by most, it seems to me to be both strange and interesting. Most of us might agree that the mindset of many folks is such that they simply cannot grasp how many poisons and toxins are continuously being sprayed on the ground.



The thing is, we’re exposed to all of this along with our dogs and cats – and they don’t even wear shoes!



Here’s how nuts it gets: dandelion is one of the most healing herbs on the planet. It cleans the liver, kidneys and lymphatic system. Appearing in the spring, the earth gives dandelion to us at the exact time that our bodies need a good springclean- ing. It many countries in Europe it was gathered in the spring to be prepared in foods. Dandelion is sold in health food stores. But ... when it’s on your lawn it’s considered a toxic weed that must be sprayed with products that destroy your liver and poison your lymphatic system, sometimes causing lymphoma. Interesting, yes? Crazy? Certainly!

When your dogs walk in, play on and roll around on a pesticide-treated lawn, they’re continuously picking up what- ever residues remain on the grass from chemical lawn treatments. As dogs sweat through their feet, it’s easy for them to pick up and absorb these products.



While we might think the rain will wash these poisons away, they in fact form an aerosol herbicide-rich mist several feet up from the ground. This is all absorbed into dogs’ sinus cavities, respiratory systems and skin. This will happen whenever it rains for weeks following the application of the lawn treatment. Our dogs run through this mist, inhaling these proven carcinogenic products. Wind can also carry these chemicals up to 50 feet from where they’re applied. Considering our dogs “hoover” the ground as they walk, they get even more of these chemicals in their sinus cavities. Knowing this, chewing on the grass takes on a whole new meaning.

Our dog’s exposure to these chemicals occurs through ingestion (fetching toys and digging in the grass), inhalation (through inhaling the mist and sniffing) and transdermally (through their paws, jowls and skin).

It’s not even a maybe they pick them up on a bad day type scenario. These toxic lawn chemicals are in their systems.

A study published in the Science of the Total Environment found that the incidence of lawn chemicals in dogs’ urine was widespread– even among dogs in households where chemicals were not applied. Untreated lawns get contaminated through drift and dogs can be exposed to chemicals during walks. Remember that these chemicals get tracked into the house and contaminate flooring and furniture for everyone in the home.





HARMING HEALTH



Studies have repeatedly shown that dogs from homes with routinely treated lawns get significantly more bladder cancer. One of the studies, done at the Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies at Purdue University in 2004, found lawn chemicals have a definite link to bladder cancer. This included, but was not limited to, our common herbicides containing 2,4-dichlorophenolxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 4–chloro-2- methylphenolxyproprionic acid (MCPP).

Breeds more at risk for bladder cancer are Beagles, Scottish terriers, Shetland sheepdogs, West Highland White terriers and Wire Hair Fox terriers. Scottish terriers are 20 times more likely to develop blad- der cancer than other breeds of dogs.



Studies in people have linked herbicide exposure to cancers of the colon, sinus, lung, prostate and ovary, as well as lymphomas and multiple myelomas. Dogs, unlike people, have their noses to the ground inhaling these herbicides like nobody’s business. Think sinus cancer.

The National Cancer Institute found that dogs were twice as likely to develop lymphoma if Roundup was applied on their properties four or more times a year. By now, we all know that cancer is the top cause of death in dogs over a year of age. One in two are getting cancer. Glyphosate use four times a year doubles the chance of a dog getting cancer. Do the math.



According to a study conducted over a six year period at the Foster Hospital for Small Animals at Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, exposure to lawn pesticides raised the risk of canine malignant lymphoma by as much as 70 percent. That’s an even greater risk. Lymphoma is the most common cancer that we see in our dogs.



Are we really buying the statements on the label? How does each of us justify the use of these products? There’s no more room for conjecture and guesswork. The die has been cast and the proof is plentiful.



MONSANTO’S MISCHIEF



Think this is a minor issue? People are fighting back – and winning. Monsanto, the makers of Roundup (glyphosate) just lost a lawsuit filed for their actions.

Although Monsanto appealed the verdict, it was upheld and the jury ordered the company to pay out $289 million. The reason for the ruling was that the company had not warned on their label or in their literature about the cancer risks posed by its main weed killer. The case

of the school groundskeeper, Dewayne Johnson, filed in 2016, is a well-known one. It was fast-tracked due to the severity of Johnson’s non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which he claimed was caused by Roundup and Ranger Pro - both Monsanto glyphosate herbicides. In fact, for decades Monsanto has fought, using every resource it has, countless lawsuits filed against the company. That’s why this victory is out- standing and noteworthy, especially since we know that studies have shown the dangers of exposure for many years.



And Roundup wasn’t the only offending product from this company. Monsanto was also the primary US manufacturer of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) from 1935 until 1977, at which point they were banned by Congress. Studies of PCBs have found increased rates of melanoma, liver cancer, gall bladder cancer, GI cancer and brain cancer in people. In 2016 a St Louis jury awarded $46.5 million dollars in compensatory and punitive damages to three people who claimed that PCB exposure caused their non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. There were initially nearly 100 plaintiffs, with many not making it to trial.



It’s more than interesting that our dogs, busy hoovering the ground all the time, so commonly get malignant melanoma in their mouths.



While some literature suggests keeping your dogs away from treated areas for the duration of package label recommendations or even at least 48 hours, I strongly believe that this is misleading. Glyphosate does not dissipate speedily. It lingers in the soil well beyond a month, or even years. The Extension Toxicity Network

at Oregon State University reports that glyphosate has a half-life of 47 days. That said, even Monsanto has stated that it can have a half-life of 141 days in some soils. Interestingly, the metabolite of glyphosate AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid) is more persistent, with a half-life of 958 days. In laboratory rats this caused excessive cell division in their bladder linings. It’s the same reason smokers get lung cancer - smoke inhalation causes excessive cell division in their respiratory tract. Do your thoughts shift to lawn chemicals causing bladder cancer in dogs?



Monsanto continues to assert that Roundup is safe, even after the many lawsuits have found otherwise! A study published in 2013 in the journal Entropy shows that exposure to glyphosate - even when the body rids itself of the herbicide rapidly - creates inflammation, which can lead to diabetes, heart disease and cancer in people.



AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION



We know that our furry friends like to
go out for their walks and get out on the town. We can’t very well stop this (nor do we want to). Here’s what we can do to keep their bodies free of chemicals, pesti- cides and pesticides.



1. Feed your dog or cat chlorophyll every day. Chlorophyll comes in both powder and liquid drops. As chlorophyll is really a food, I would suggest taking the suggested human dose and adjusting it for your pet’s weight, figuring that a human weighs 150 lbs.



2. Energetix makes a homeopathic preparation called Agri-Chord, which is designed to pull glyphosate, agricultural chemicals, herbicides and pesticides out of the body.



3. Stop spraying lawns with this stuff. I over-seed my lawn with select grasses that would not need these chemicals. Or, change your perspective. Think about those dandelions and the beauty and

health benefits they offer, rather than viewing them as weeds.



4. Check out what your neighbors are spraying and educate them by sharing this article with them.



5. Try to walk your dog in more natural parks where the chance of these products being sprayed is lower.



6. Educate your community, parks and your township. And make sure you know where these chemicals are being used in your neighborhood.



7. Booties are always an option (but good luck if your dog’s never worn them!). Videos abound of dog’s reactions to having these babies put on their feet. I almost fell on the ground after watching my English Labrador Retriever the first time I put them on him. I never put them on again Maybe someone will come up with booties designed for this purpose only. It’s a good idea for a cottage industry.

We can’t keep our pets in a bubble. For most dogs, walks are the highlight of their day. But we can become more aware, educate others around us and change this course of events on our planet. Make the interesting times we live in on this planet even more interesting by getting others interested in these facts.



Note: Since I wrote this article for Dog's Naturally Costco has discontinued all Monsanto products. Things are changing.



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