Keeping a house clean is anything but easy, especially if you have pets. Canines and felines love to roam around the house and stink up the entire place. But that doesn’t mean you are going to stop your fluffy friends from playing around their own home. So what do you do? You buy cleaning products that claim to wipe all the stains and litter endowed by your dog all over the house. And while they seem like the perfect solution to a nasty problem, cleaning products can be harmful to your four-legged companion. Yeah, that’s right! Most cleaning products come with toxic chemicals such as bleach, formaldehyde, isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, and phenols, which can be highly injurious to your pet’s health.
And since most of the cleaners are used over the floor, your dog comes in contact with them readily as it spends most of its time rolling around on the floor. To keep your canine safe, you must only get pet-friendly cleaning products. Whenever you go to the store to get cleaners, read the label of ingredients, and make sure the product you are buying is free of toxic chemicals. But what are those ingredients that you need to watch out for? Well, let’s find out
Ammonia is one of the most commonly used cleaning agents in the United States of America. It is abundantly found in cleaning products even though it’s highly toxic. Ammonia is a well-established irritant for a dog’s respiratory system. If a dog ingests ammonia or inhales it, it will experience a burning sensation in its nose, throat, and respiratory tract. Continued exposure to ammonia can even lead to breathing problems in dogs.
Ammonia can also cause redness and irritation to the eyes and skin of a canine. And if a dog licks a surface that’s been cleaned by ammonia, it develops a burning sensation in its mouth throat and stomach.
Although ammonia can be found in all kinds of cleaners, it is mostly found in oven cleaner, stainless steel cleaners, window cleaners and wax cleaners for hardwood floors. Since ammonia-containing cleaners are excellent at leaving a surface spotless and shiny, most people forget to read the label when buying such products. But if you have a dog (or any other pet for that matter), you must avoid ammonia cleaners at all costs if you want to keep your pet safe and healthy.
Bleach is notorious for being harmful to human health. But even then, it is widely used in cleaning products because it’s an incredible disinfectant. People use it either on its own or in a formula that contains it. Either way, bleach is dangerous for most living organisms, including dogs.
Since humans can understand to stay away from something that might be dangerous for them, they don’t come in contact with bleach directly. They always wear protective gear when dealing with bleach. But unfortunately, dogs are not as smart as humans, and they can’t protect themselves from hidden dangers. Hence, when you clean an area in your house using a bleach cleaner, your dog will come in contact with the toxic chemical and develop health issues.
Bleach is associated with causing diarrhea, vomiting, burns inside the mouth or throat, even seizures and shock in dogs. And if a canine inhales chlorine, it can develop respiratory ailments, which can lead to troubled breathing.
If you want to keep your furry friend healthy and safe from deadly chemicals, then you must keep bleach out of the house.
The most commonly used cleaning products that have chlorine as an ingredient are scouring powders, toilet bowl cleaners, mildew removers, basic bleach, laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, all-purpose cleansers
Phthalates are hazardous for the endocrine system in a dog’s body. They are used to add delectable fragrance in cleaners, and that is why they are not mentioned on the label. Instead of phthalates, companies mention ‘fragrance’ on the bottle of their cleaners to deceive people. And resultantly, dog-owners never realize that they are exposing their doggo to a toxic chemical.
According to a study conducted by the National Toxicology Program, phthalates can cause cancer. The study found strong evidence that suggests that phthalates are highly carcinogenic.
Some animal studies have found that phthalates can cause multiple kinds of tumors in animals, including liver, pancreatic, and testicular.
Phthalates are most commonly found in deodorizers (that pet owners often spray around the house to kill the smell caused by pets) and all-purpose cleaners. More importantly, phthalates are found in dog products to combat the smell of canines. Dog toys, crate mats, and bed are some of the most common phthalates infused products that dog parents unknowingly end up buying. Make sure to get rid of all the dog essentials that have ‘fragrance’ in them, unless the source of the said fragrance is organic and mentioned on the label.
Many EPA studies have found that glycol ethers harm the liver, nerves, and digestive system of humans and animals alike. They are a common compound in most household cleaning products, namely carpet cleaners, stain removers, window cleaners, and liquid soaps.
Glycol ethers are often hidden behind “natural” cleaners. Many companies trick customers into believing that a cleaner is free of harmful chemicals by making it natural. But many of these cleaners are contaminated with glycol ethers, so you should be careful when buying household cleaning products.
Formaldehyde is an EPA-declared carcinogen, which means it causes cancer; It is a common ingredient in most household cleaning products. Once it reaches room temperature, it is released into the air, polluting the environment. And once in the air, your dog can easily inhale it.
If a dog inhales formaldehyde, it can experience severe eye and skin irritation and can even develop respiratory and nerve problems.
If you are not careful with the products you are using in your home, you can expose your pet to harmful environmental conditions, which can irreversibly harm their health. Be sure to check all your current cleaning products for toxic chemicals and throw them away if necessary.
by Bobby J Davidson || You can’t buy love, but you can rescue it™ .
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