Pets

* EPA Announces Increased Scrutiny of Flea and Tick Pesticides. (Beyond Pesticides, June 22, 2009). Similarly, one of the known cancer-causing pesticides used in pet collars, propoxur, is under review in Canada. Adverse effect reporting is fundamental to PMRA reviews: adverse effects forms.

* (Beyond Pesticides, April 28, 2009)   Lawsuit Seeks to Protect Consumers from Toxic Pet Products    This is a US lawsuit for pet products containing propoxur and tetrachlorvinphos without adequate warning. A quick check of Canadian registered pesticides indicates that both products are available to home owners for pets in Canada, seemingly without any warning whatsoever.

* The Dangers of Pesticides and Animal Abuse

General information, stories and photos; links to articles and reports of interest to pet owners including recalls of pesticide products causing pet deaths and others; alternative and holistic care for pets. Videoopodcasts on The Truth About Cats, Dogs, and Lawn Chemicals . (2007)

* New Data Finds Pesticides Are Leading Cause of Summer Pet Poisonings
Statistics compiled by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center confirm that July and August are the most dangerous time of year for companion animals. The data found that over 3,000 (48%) of the cases involved animals being exposed to pesticides.  This includes commonly used insecticides (flea and tick products), rodenticides (mouse and rat baits) and herbicides (weed killers). Read full article: Animal Poison Control Center Warns Pet Owners About the Dangers of Summer Pesticides  

* Cancer Registry and Surveillance System for Companion Animals

Breast Cancer Environmental Risk Factor (BCERF) Research Project http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/Research/AnimalReg/

Chocolate, cocoa mulch and pets.Theobromine is the natural chemical stimulant found in chocolate. It is toxic to dogs and cats. Chocolate is extracted from cocoa beans. Apparently cocoa mulch, containing the largest quantities of theobromine a pet might encounter (300-1200 mg/ounce), is now sold in stores and is potentially dangerouns to pets as it smells nice. However very few pets will eat it. More at   http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp

* Flea and Tick - least toxic

For more information on protecting your pet from pesticides, read Beyond Pesticides factsheet, Pesticides and Pets: What you should know to keep your pets safe.Also see Beyond Pesticides’ factsheets, Least-Toxic Control of Fleas and Least-Toxic Control of Ticks.