Lawn Chemicals and Your Dog
My-Dog.info > Dog Care
This question is an important one, and is a part of a bigger
question about the possible potential impact of long-term, low
level exposure to agriculture and lawn chemicals (pesticides,
herbicides, fungicides) and other industrial chemicals (paints,
oils, solvents etc.) on many species.
There have been case controlled studies of the risk of
malignant lymphoma (a cancer of the lymph system) of the dog, and
exposure to 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicides.
Though some early studies found a link, other more recent
analyses do not confirm the connection. It is clear only that
dogs on recently sprayed lawns do pick up the chemical because
they excrete 2,4-D in their urine.
Other pesticides have also come under scrutiny in studies as
well.
Those households engaging commercial spraying companies, and
those applying pesticides frequently have a weak association
(that requires further study) of increased non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma, a human cancer that closely parallels canine lymphoma
in cell type.
A very recent study (May 2001) from Italy suggests that
malignant lymphoma in the dog is very slightly associated with
residence in urban industrial areas, and with the use of paints
or solvents by the owner.
If you find this a bit confusing, be aware that a very solid
scientific study design needs to be applied to a large population
of dogs undergoing the same chemical exposure exactly (type of
chemical, dosage, length of time etc.) before firm conclusions
can be reached. We also do not jump to conclusions when we look
at evidence in other species—if it has effect X in species
Y, we do not assume it has the same effect X in species Z.
Species vary considerably in how they process toxic compounds and
in their susceptibility to tissue damage such as cancers. We also
commonly have a situation where the dog has been exposed to more
than one chemical in the same time span, or concurrently, owners
have been treating the dog with flea control products or
administering pharmaceuticals for medical problems that will
confound or complicate environmental exposure assessment.
In order to draw a conclusion of cause and effect, one needs
to have a large sample with consistent exposure data over time.
As you can imagine, a study such as this is not easy to
implement. Confounding factors can influence the outcome of many
designs, so some study designs are considered much more useful
than others. For a number of reasons, there are still differences
of expert opinion about the impact of chronic exposure to these
chemical compounds, but important research continues.
Until more information is available, it would be prudent as a
rule of thumb for pet owners to reduce or eliminate the use of
chemicals on lawns where pets run and roll around if they cannot
be restricted from accessing the lawn following chemical
applications during the time the product label suggests there be
no access to the lawn. Packages and inserts of sprays and
granules provide detailed application and toxicity information,
and commercial lawn sprayers and the homeowner should follow
product recommendations to the letter to prevent possible
overexposure. Large, short-term exposures can cause illness such
as vomiting, nervous system signs, and diarrhea.
Reprinted with permission from www.animalhealthcare.ca
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