The tests confirmed evidence of 48 of the 70 substances and 43 of these were present at far higher levels than anything previously documented in humans. They also found evidence of 23 chemical contaminants that had never been noted in national studied conducted by the CDC.

This jackpot added up to:

11 carcinogens

31 chemicals reproductive toxins

24 neurotoxins

Seven of the chemicals were present at levels five times higher than amounts documented in the human population. Our dogs ingest increasing amounts of pollutants via seemingly benign sources such as tap water, commercial food, and air contaminants. Because of a dog's smaller size and shorter lifespan these substances can accumulate to toxic levels in a far shorter time.

• The highest concentrations of chemical contaminants found were stain and grease proofing Teflon chemicals.  The canine blood samples were positive for thirteen different perfluorochemicals and five were present at higher levels than national testing results have found in the human population.  The most likely sources of contamination are PFCs or PFC contaminated food, chemical coatings on dog food packaging, PFC laden house dust, and fire retardant or stain proofing chemicals routinely applied to  furniture, carpets and dog bedding. These contaminants have been linked to cancer and birth defects.

• The canine blood samples also showed high concentrations of six phthalate breakdown products at levels ranging from two to five times higher than anything documented in the human population. Possible sources of this contamination include chew toys made with softeners to increase their flexibility, additives used in some medicines, plastic wraps and containers, and chemical fragrances in shampoos. Although the risks associated phthalates are not definitively established, studies have demonstrated liver damage, cancer and birth defects in laboratory animals. As a result, certain states have banned phthalates in children's toys beginning next year. Risks: Endocrine system damage (

• The tests also found these dogs to be contaminated with 19 different fire retardant chemicals at levels up to 17 times higher than anything noted in the human population. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers PBDEs are found in building materials, electronics, furnishings, cars, plastics, polyurethane foams, and textiles. Humans are usually exposed to PBDEs by inhaling contaminated air or eating contaminated food. For dogs, there are many sources of exposure such as foam furniture, dog coats, and bedding manufactured before 2005. These items can also cause secondary cross contamination of house dust, food and water. Consistent low level exposure leads to measurable levels of these chemicals in blood, breast milk, and fat tissues. Canadian studies have documented high levels of of PBDEs in salmon, ground beef, butter, and cheese. PBDEs remain classified as safe in Canada but studies have documented developmental and nervous system toxicity, disruption of estrogen and thyroid function.

Dogs have come to increasingly share every aspect of our lives. They breathe the same air, drink the same water, eat the same food and sleep on the same chemical treated furniture. This phenomenon is especially true for hairless dogs because they habitually lick their skin and are more likely to absorb topical chemicals.

This fact is not lost on researchers and studies have attempted to correlate health disorders between the species for more than two decades.  For instance, a 1981 study of human cancer patients and 8,760 dogs at 13 veterinary teaching hospitals in the same county found a significant correlation between high rates of  bladder cancer in both species. This strongly suggested a link between industrial activity in the area and environmental exposure to carcinogens. The study made no direct link between specific chemical as a cause of bladder cancer in dogs but blood tests showed the dogs to have abnormally high levels of PCBs.

A 2001  study by the National Cancer Institute tested urine samples from over 1400 dogs (NCI) found high level of the weed killer, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in dogs  near areas recently treated with this product. It is linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in humans and is suspected to increase the risk of malignant lymphoma in dogs.

Despite these unsettling findings, many suspect products remain available to consumers thanks to gaps in public health legislation that does not mandate safety testing for most industrial chemicals. The only existing law to protect the public from industrial chemical exposures is The Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA). It does not require manufactures to conduct testing to rule out any health risk on most industrial chemicals.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is in place to prevent public exposure to potentially dangerous chemicals but its authority extends only to the human population. If CPSC is given reasonable evidence that a product poses a risk to human health they can have it reclassified as carcinogen, mutagen, or a teratogen- of course these products are already on the market when this happens. And there are countless instances of seemingly safe chemicals being reclassified as dangerous that remain widespread in the environment. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are the classic example. There are no known natural sources of PCBs They have no known smell or taste. Until they were banned in 1977 they were used in the manufacture of insulation, coolants and electrical equipment. But PCBs persist in the environment and we are still exposed to a variety of them via many sources in food, air, and water.

However, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has no ability to regulate products manufactured for pets Substances that have been proven to cause a human health risk can still be used in the manufacture of pet products with no labeling to notify the consumer of this fact.  There are few regulations to monitor or limit chemical contamination in products manufactured and sold for pets. The most notorious example is last year's massive pet food recall which was traced to the presence of melamine and cyanuric acid in imported wheat gluten. Tracking and identifying the source of this contamination proved to be an arduous process. It also awakened the general public to the extent of this risk. As a result The Human and Pet Food Safety Act was passed in September 2007 to implement a better means of alerting the public to unsafe pet food. It is a start but still fails to address the millions of products manufactured and distributed for pets.

There are no government standards regulating manufacturing practices of toys, dishes, bedding, clothing or countless other products developed and marketed for pets. The American Pet Product Manufacturers Association functions as a self regulating organization and obviously has no authority over the tons of foreign manufactured pet products purchased by American consumers. 

Pet products are rarely labeled to notify consumers of chemical content and health risks to pets from many chemicals have not been investigated. However, many of them are linked to health problems in humans and plenty of studies have documented the rising number of dogs afflicted with cancer, immune disorders and genetic abnormalities. It's estimated that one fifth to one quarter of all dogs die of cancer, making the second most common cause of death.  Much has been written about possible links to commercial dog food, vaccines and poor breeding practices. An obvious and often mentioned fact is that that advances in veterinary care have extended the canine lifespan.

Of course this also means that dogs are exposed to more toxins for longer periods of time.

Little consideration has been given to continuous low level exposure to household toxins as a possible reason. Needless to say, this opens the door to the even more worrisome possibility of a link between household chemical contamination and a growing number of health problems in both dogs and their owners.

Most of us have no concept of the number of chemical substances we regularly  ingest. Over 3,000: chemicals are added to foods during manufacturing and more than 10,000: chemical solvents, emulsifiers and preservatives are used in commercial food processing. It's estimated that four billion pounds of potentially toxic chemicals are released into the environment each year, including 72 million pounds of recognized carcinogens. The average American has between 400 to 800 different chemicals stored in their in fat cells. There is no way of knowing the source of many of these or their potential short- and long-term health effects. Becoming more aware of these frightening statistics is one step towards protecting ourselves and our pets.