Can plastics impact my dog’s health?
Plastic can harm our own health, but what about our dogs? Just like us, our dogs are exposed to plastic throughout their lives, from their food and toys, to furniture and outdoor pollution. Unfortunately, just like us, plastics — particularly the chemicals within them and the microplastics they create — can pose a threat to our dog’s health.
When it comes to exposure to plastics, dogs share a lot of the same vulnerabilities as children. Dogs spend much of their lives close to the floor, where microplastics and chemicals accumulate in dust. Like young children, dogs also explore the world with their mouths, by licking, sniffing, and chewing. These behaviors can increase their exposure to contaminants.
Indeed, scientists are finding evidence that plastic is getting into our dogs' bodies. A study that collected feces from 78 dogs and cats found microplastics in every sample. Another study found microplastics in every canine testicle sample collected from dogs undergoing routine neuter surgeries. In a biomonitoring study by Environmental Working Group, urine and blood samples from dogs contained dozens of plastic-associated toxic chemicals, some at higher levels than those typically found in people.
Dogs also face their own unique sources of plastic exposures. Dog toys are often made of plastic or silicone, and a 2013 study found that some released endocrine disrupting chemicals like phthalates and bisphenol A into simulated canine saliva. Multiple studies have also found microplastics in pet food, with processing or plastic packaging identified as the likely source.
We still have much to learn about how these exposures affect pet health. But dogs can act as involuntary sentinels of environmental contamination, because they share our homes and environments while their compressed lifespans mean they can develop health problems more rapidly. Pets have already been used to understand the role of environmental exposure in several cancers, hyperthyroidism, fertility problems, and cardiac and metabolic diseases.
Our dogs deserve protection from plastic-related health impacts. It’s not possible to shop our way out of this problem for our dogs, and their products face even fewer regulations than we have for ourselves. We must protect our dogs in the same way we can protect our own health — reducing unnecessary plastic and removing harmful chemicals, before they end up in our homes, our food, and our dogs.
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