Can PBDEs Harm Your Pet?

Eliminate Toxic PBDEs

An industrial chemical known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) used in home furnishings could be diminishing your pet's health.  This chemical is a flame retardant used by manufacturers to reduce the flammability of padded chairs, sofas, mattresses and other cushy seats in homes and offices. You can reduce or eliminate the PBDE levels in your environment by choosing electronics made with alternatives to PBDEs available from Apple, Sony, Intel, Erickson, HP, Canon and Dell.  Select wild salmon rather than farmed fish.  Use lean meats, poultry, and low-fat dairy products rather than their higher fat counterparts.  Fatty tissue serves as an accumulation zone for PBDEs.

The Environmental Protection Agency indicates that polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have a negative impact on your health and environment.  These chemicals in your home environment may be causing harm to your pet without your knowledge.
In the body, PBDEs are found in breast milk, blood and the blood of umbilical cords.  These chemical compounds persist in the environment and accumulate in wild animals.  They are thought to cause brain damage, birth defects, and contribute to disease of the liver and thyroid.
PBDE chemical compounds are used as flame retardants in industries that produce electronics, furniture and foam.  These products have a propensity of giving off airborne particles that build up in your home's dust.  Seventeen pet dogs who live primarily indoors participated in an analysis at Indiana University.  The analysis found their PBDE concentration levels to be five to 10 times higher than that of humans.
"In the U.S., we the have highest levels of flame retardants in our dust and in our bodies," indicates Arelene Blum, Executive Director of the Green Science Policy Institute.  Pollution in People asserts that these toxic PBDE industrial chemicals have been used for more than 30 years in the manufacturing of mattresses, furniture and consumer-used electronic plastics.
Household furniture is frequently produced with flame retardant chemicals and materials before it is shipped to consumers.  Furniture that is made with organic cotton stuffing or wool padding will be free of the hazards of PBDE.  This means when shopping for sofas, loveseats, easy chairs, mattresses and other furniture with seat, arm or back padding, it will be important to ask the contents.  Ask if flame retardants are used and if there are alternate choices.  Request that organic cotton or wool padding be provided as a condition of your purchase.  The use of flame retardant materials varies from state to state.  Its use will depend on governmental laws and regulations that are in effect.
It is estimated that approximately five percent of the weight of the petroleum-based fill known as polyurethane foam is flame retardant chemicals.  Polyurethane foam is used in nearly all sofas, easy chairs, loveseats and mattresses manufactured.
"PBDEs are an important, but generally unrecognized, persistent organic pollutant,'' advised Robert C. Hale in Nature.  Hale is a professor at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences.  Persistent organic pollutants can remain in our environment for many years without breaking down.  Body fat in animals and humans become the storage zones for these pollutants. 
''There is an enormous need to act quickly when there is a problem with a chemical that is not only toxic but is persistent and accumulates,'' says Gina Solomon, Natural Resources Defense Council senior scientist.
Talk with your veterinarian about the impact of these industrial chemicals on your pet's health and wellness.  Your veterinarian will guide you in reducing the negative impact on your pet's health.
Sources:

Environmental Protection Agency.
Green Science Policy Institute.
Hale, Robert. Nature.
Main, Emily. Flame retardant furniture: Unhealthy, and doesn't stop fires.
Natural Resources Defense Council.
Pollution in People.
Practically Green.

Does Your Young Dog or Puppy Have Pain or Lameness?

Pain and Lameness in Puppies or Young Dogs Need Speedy Attention

If your young dog or puppy experiences lameness, pain or discomfort in its legs or joints get prompt attention from your family's veterinarian. A fever may accompany the pain or lameness.  Your puppy or young dog may seem lethargic and lack energy, enthusiasm or vitality. These are important signs that your vet will need to know about. Your dog's or puppy's bones could have interrupted or disturbed growth causing them this pain.  Getting a diagnosis early and following your veterinarian's treatment recommendations can help your pet cope with this disease.

Young puppies are expected to be full of life and energy.  They are enthusiastic about playtime, walks and exercise.  Puppies will often follow you wherever you go, can disrupt your nap or quiet time in their excitement to show you something new, and be always ready for playtime and fun.  When puppies and young dogs are lethargic and demonstrate pain and lameness in their legs, a visit must be made to your veterinarian promptly.
"A puppy that becomes acutely down and out with no specific signs causes extra concern because our expectation is that they are young, vibrant animals. There are two diseases that are only seen in puppies and young dogs that cause pain and lameness in multiple limbs and lethargy. They often have a fever and decreased appetite," advises veterinarian Christie Long.
Hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD) usually affects puppies between 2 and 8 months old.  It is a developmental disease of the bone that occurs when blood supply to the bone's growth plates is disturbed.  This disturbance can impede production of bone, cause weakening and microscopic fractures.
Panosteitis is another condition that could be present in puppies and young does, suggests Dr. Long.  It typically occurs in large and medium-breed dogs that are younger than two.  "Hypertrophic osteodystropy produces similar signs in even younger dogs, but the pain is localized in the region at the end of those bones and the joint itself. These animals often have joints that are very warm to the touch and swollen," she indicates.  Dr. Long further shares that both diseases have been extensively studied.  Doctors are still looking for a specific cause and suspect that not feeding foods formulated specifically for large-breed dogs can be a contributing factor in patients with HOD.
Household breeds commonly affected by hypertrophic osteodystrophy (HOD) include:  Saint Bernards, Doberman pinschers, German shepards, Weimaraners, Great Danes and Irish wolfhounds.  Hazel Gregory's Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy or a Blood Infection shares her experiences with the challenges of identifying HOD while eliminating blood infection in her Great Danes.
Pain and lethargy in your young dog or puppy should be taken seriously and treated promptly by a veterinarian.  Dehydration and serious complications can occur if treatment is delayed.  Be sure to visit your family veterinarian speedily.  During the visit with your family veterinarian, you'll be asked questions about your pet's current habits.  Your vet will ask about appetite and eating habits.  Other questions will include weight loss, fatigue, or lack of energy that you've noticed in your puppy.  Your vet will examine your puppy or young dog for fever, swelling and check for pain in the legs.  The doctor will determine if the discomfort or pain is severe and will pinpoint the location of pain in your dog's bones.  During your visit, your veterinarian will talk with you about treatment recommendations for your puppy or young dog.