Benefits of Reducing Chemicals in Your Dog’s World
Benefits of Reducing Chemicals in Your Dog’s World
At Pure Earth Pets, we love this planet and leading an eco-friendly lifestyle. But there is one thing that we love even more than that: our rescued dog Dover. While the last few blogs focused on the benefits of purchasing environmentally friendly products from a global point of view, today’s topic is all about the potential health benefits that sustainable products offer for the dogs in your life that you love like we love Dover.
Dogs Explore the World with their Nose and Mouth
Dogs are all-in when it comes to facing each day. They do not do anything half-way. Most dogs wake up ready to go outside to explore their world. Unlike us, there is no worrying about what germs or chemicals they might encounter that day. Dogs live in the moment, which means throwing themselves full force into their exploration of anything in their path. And their method of exploration? Their noses and mouths.
Dogs experience the world by sniffing, licking, chewing. While we can pick up objects with our hands and then wash our hands before touching our mouths, dogs cannot. Dogs use their mouths and noses to investigate their environment. Not only can they not wash off their paws with soap and water like we humans can, their only way to clean their paws is to lick them. This means that anything they have walked through or touched with their feet also ends up in their mouth. As a result, they ingest toxic substances and chemicals much more regularly than we humans do.
Fewer Chemicals Mean Less Work for the Immune System
Your dog’s immune system is their body’s defense against harmful substances called antigens. Antigens include things like bacteria and viruses. However, chemicals, drugs, and manmade toxins are also antigens. The more antigens that your dog’s immune system encounters, the harder it must work. Similarly, the fewer antigens your dog’s immune system encounters, the less it must do. It’s basic math, like fighting an army of 10 versus an army of 1000.
Your dog encounters antigens daily. His or her immune system is constantly battling the bacteria on that rabbit poop that he ate this morning, or that dog virus that she encountered after her play session at doggie daycare. It is impossible to keep your dog away from all antigens, but it is relatively easy to make choices that keep manmade toxins out of his or her daily life. Purchasing eco-friendly products keeps toxic substances like chemicals away from your dog. This means that your dog’s immune system will not have to work overtime fighting these threats.
What the 2007 Pet Product Recalls Taught Dog Owners
The year 2007 changed everything for many dog owners, in a heartbreaking way. In 2007, thousands of pets became sick from chicken jerky treats imported from China and over 1,100 died. The affected chicken jerky treats were tainted with harmful substances that caused kidney failure and death. Additionally, several brands of pet food were discovered to be tainted with melamine and cyanuric acid.
After recalls of hundreds of products, many dog owners started paying attention to the ingredients and where and how the products were manufactured. This change in mindset caused dog owners to seek out treats made with organic, safely grown and harvested ingredients. The experience also prompted pet owners to research the toys, beds, bowls, and other products that they purchased for their dogs.
Eco Friendly Choices for Your Dog
When shopping for pet supplies, look for products that are free of phthalates, BPA, lead, arsenic, and formaldehyde. These are all substances that are sometimes used in the manufacturing process in cheaply made products.
At Pure Earth Pets we only offer dog toys that are made of safe, non-toxic materials that are made in the United States by companies like West Paw Design, Planet Dog, and Jolly Pets. These companies are founded first and foremost on a love of pets and a dedication to putting their safety before anything else.
Eco Friendly Choices at Home
In addition to choosing pet treats with safe, non-toxic ingredients and pet toys that are manufactured without deadly chemicals, you can make other choices in your home to further reduce your pet’s exposure to chemicals. Swapping harsh chemical cleaners for more organic options like essential oils and vinegar is beneficial for everyone, human, feline, and canine.
Outside your home, you can swap chemical lawn care treatments using products like Roundup or broadleaf weed killers made with 2,4-D for organic lawn practices. Instead of using chemicals to kill weeds, organic lawn care uses nutrients to grow thick, healthy grass that naturally inhibits weed growth. Additionally, as you remodel or redecorate, you can choose environmentally friendly paint, furniture, bedding, and flooring to reduce off-gassing and exposure to chemicals used in the manufacturing process.
What’s Good for the Earth is Good for Humans and Pets
Fortunately, what is good for the earth is usually healthy for humans and pets, at least when it comes to reducing the amount of chemicals and toxins used to create food, treats, and toys. Although there is no guarantee that making eco-friendly choices will prevent diseases like cancer or kidney disease or extend your dog’s life, doing so will certainly reduce the number of antigens that their immune system must react to. With so many great product options available, it is easy and fun to give your dog the safest products you can find, so that their immune system can work on dealing with that mysterious thing that your furry baby snarfed up on your walk last night.