We use weed killers to kill weeds. But our naughty pets often come into contact with weed killers when they roam around gardens. Since weed killers cause harm to human beings, they are more likely to harm pets too. In fact, pets may have various types of illnesses if they touch or eat the weeds.
However, Can weed killer cause cancer in pets?
Yes, weed killers can cause cancer in pets. However, it depends on several factors. But, when pets come into contact with weed killers, their probability of getting cancer increases more than those pets who don’t come into contact with weed killers.
Let’s learn more in-depth details about “Can weed killer cause cancer in pets?” to have a better conclusion regarding this topic.
Can Weed Killer Cause Cancer In Pets?
According to research from Purdue University, they found some actual facts about the probability of cancer when pets come into contact with weed killers.
- If any pet comes into contact with weed killers, it has a 3.5X probability of getting bladder cancer.
- If any pet comes into contact with weed killers and insecticides, it has a 7X probability of getting bladder cancer.
So, you are here to know, can weed killer cause cancer in pets? It has been a hot topic recently.
Cats and dogs are the two most usual animals most of us have in our houses. These pets are not much unruly, but they love to explore outside. They often visit our backyard garden to play.
Though you are supposed to keep them out of the weed-treated area, anything can happen at any time. After all, you can’t monitor them 7/24 continuously.
Weed killers come in various forms. They contain different ingredients. Many of them include harsh/toxin ingredients that cause serious health issues for pets. One of the most dangerous ingredients is glyphosate, which is the primary concern for using weed killers.
Weed killers (especially chemical-based herbicides) contain many toxic components that are not good for humans and animals. Eating these weed killers or exposing your skin/body to these herbicides may lead to several healthy injuries.
It may lead to cancer if the chemical-based herbicides have been exposed to pets for an extended time in a significant. Also, it can happen to pets when it is occurring more often without any break or only a short break.
Another study found that weed killers may increase the probability of getting malignant lymphoma for pets by up to 70% if exposed to systematic weed killers. If you continuously use weed killers in your garden, your pets have more probability of getting cancer.
Hopefully, the above information gives precise details on “Can weed killer cause cancer in pets?”
What To Do If Your Pets Suffered Exposure To Weed Killers?
If your pets suffered exposure to weed killers, immediately contact to a vet. The expert veterinarian will give a full report of what type of physical illness your pet is facing.
Also, he will tell you whether your pet is likely to have any cancer or it has developed one. In addition, the veterinarian will suggest you the treatment for the pet.
You might be unaware of the fact that the weed killer you are using is harming your pets. So, what should you do? At first, you have to do a medical checkup for your pet to find out whether it has any cancer symptoms or not. Also, you want to figure out what type of illness your pet is having.
Your pet may develop a different type of cancer-based on the type of weed killer you are applying, how long you have been using it, and how much you have used it.
If you are not too late or the cancer has not developed yet or is in the initial stage, the recovery period will be fast. However, if you are too late and cancer has developed significantly in the pet’s body, it may gradually kill the pet. But, there are still many medical factors related to it, which veterinarians can only explain.
How Weed Killers Enter Pets’ Body?
Weed killers can enter pets’ bodies in several ways, such as eating any foods that were exposed to weed killers. It can also enter pets’ bodies through breathing, drinking water, and the surrounding environment where the lawn is treated.
One study found that pets have more than a 50% chance of having glyphosate in their bodies. The glyphosate level increases when exposed to the active ingredients for an extended period in a significant quantity. Hence, the more glyphosate enters their body, the higher the glyphosate level will be.
So, how do weed killers enter pets’ bodies even though you are not using them in your garden? You might not be using it, but your nearby neighbors must be using it. Otherwise, there is no possibility of getting into contact with weed killers.
As you may already know, weed killers may come into your nearby house or garden through rainwater or heavy winds. Also, your pet might have visited your neighbor’s gardens where they have applied herbicides.
Why Are Pets Vulnerable To Weed Killers?
It is important for pet owners to understand that their pets are vulnerable to the consumption of weed killers.
The ingestion of weed killers can happen when an animal ingests plants or soil near a chemical, urine from a dog that has been sprayed by a pesticide, or if they eat plants while they are out in the yard.
So, why are pets vulnerable to weed killers?
Animals actually don’t know these are harmful products, which can harm them. As a result, they might run to the garden area where weed killers are applied, and the solution gets into their unprotected paws. At worst, they lick or eat at the weeds where the toxin solution is applied.
Why Are Pets Cancer Rates Rising?
Excessive use of weed killers and other hazardous chemicals is the main factor or reason for the rising rates of pet cancer.
According to a study in 2012, the cancer rating for pets like dogs has increased by up to 70 percent when they come into contact with 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. This acid is particularly found in many weed killers. It mainly increases the chance of developing Canine Malignant Lymphoma in the body.
When dogs have Canine Malignant Lymphoma, they can die within a few months if no treatment is arranged. But they get treatment immediately; they have a probability of recovering, and they can live a few more months.
Most of the time, they get chemotherapy protocol treatment for this type of cancer. It may vary based on the cancer stage and how immense the illness is. According to several doctors, a dog can live 6-14 months as per the treatment plan.
What To Do To Prevent Pets From Getting Sick?
Don’t use chemical-based weed killers for your home garden if you are a new pet owner. If you have a caretaker to take care of your garden, make sure he doesn’t use any weed killer containing glyphosate, 2 4-D acids, or other toxin ingredients.
What’s more, you should research properly before planting grass that doesn’t look prone to get affected by weeds easily. Simply put, plants those native grasses which have a strong tolerance level. They won’t need pesticides and weed killers. Therefore, you will keep your pets as well as yourself safe. Most importantly, you won’t have to mow the lawn repeatedly on a regular basis.
However, if you love to have green grasses in your garden, choosing an alternative solution is necessary. Instead of using toxic weed killers, use natural/organic weed killers to keep your pets safe. The pesticides will not harm your pets even if they come in contact with them.
What Are The Pet-friendly Natural Solutions For Weeds?
So, what is the natural solution for weeds?
You can use clove oil and food-grade vinegar to kill harmful weeds. Adding organic compost on all sides of the grasses will work effectively to discourage weed growth.
1. Best Pet-Friendly Industrial Grade Vinegar For Weeds
You must be wondering how right? This organic compost provides sufficient nutrition for green grasses and other plants. It makes the grass strong, and it can fight vigorously against weeds.
2. Use Non-toxic Weed Killers for Your Lawn and Garden
Generally, chemical weed killers are more effective than natural weed killers. But if you care for your pets’ safety, you should choose non-toxic weed killers.
Using non-toxic weed killers doesn’t only keep your pets safe but also keeps you safe. Many effective organic weed killers are available in the market to remove, control, and kill weed efficiently.
They may work slowly or require you to give more effort to make them work effectively. But one thing is sure. Using them will keep your pets safe, and they won’t have any probability of having cancer in the future.
Taking care of your pets is necessary. Whenever you bring your pets to a nearby park, make sure the area where your pet will walk is not treated with weed killers.
Additionally, be careful if your pets are going to a nearby neighbor’s garden regularly. Since it is not possible to ask every neighbor whether they are using chemical-based weed killers or not, you should limit the visit as much as you can.
When you have applied weed killers recently, do not let your pets enter the treated area. More importantly, if there is any rain after using the solution, make a barrier around the site so that your pet can’t enter on the spot.
Wet grasses are more likely to enter your pets’ bodies if they come close to the treated area. Even after the area fully dries up, you must ensure your pets don’t eat the grass or weed in the area.
Cows Are In Suffer From Weed Killers
So, why is lymphoma cancer found in cows’ bodies?
Though there can be many other reasons, using glyphosate-based weed killers is one of the main reasons behind this lymphoma cancer in cows.
Apart from dogs and cats, cows have also suffered from weed killers. According to The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, they have found around 20% of cows have lymphoma in their body. The study was done from 1998-2002. The percentage is increasing day by day. Here are some alarming data.
But, the question is, how do cows and other cattle get into contact with these weed killers? As you know, cows love to eat grasses and other minor green plants, including weeds. When you apply the solution to the weeds, some may touch the green grass and other plants. Cows eat these plants and harm themselves in several ways.
Even if they don’t, the glyphosate weeds and unwanted plants can still enter their bodies. Wondering how? It can get into their body through breathing and their body or skin. The situation becomes critical when they are exposed to this harmful weed killer for the long term. The more time they are exposed, the more damage they will cause.
What To Do If Weed Killers Injure Your Pet?
Apart from knowing about “Can weed killer cause cancer in pets?” you should also know what to do if weed killers injure your pet.
If you applied weed killers to your garden and your pet shows several signs of sickness, you want to go to a veterinarian soonest. Tell him everything clearly. You should mention the type of weed killer you have applied and how long you have been using the product.
The veterinarian may suggest doing several tests to determine the current health condition of your pet and whether any cancer is already developed in the pet’s body. The treatment should be started immediately for quick recovery.
If the pet is diagnosed with cancer and becomes already severe, it may not live long even after treating it properly. However, if it is a minor illness, they can recover quickly. You should never overlook any little sickness as it can lead to dangerous health issues.
How To Know If Your Pet Is Sick Due To Weed Killers?
If your pet is exposed to weed killers heavily or eats weed killers, you will see different symptoms. Here are they:
- They may vomit heavily
- They may become weak
- They may have eye and skin irritation
- They may have difficulty breathing.
- They may experience diarrhea.
- Their body may not function properly.
What could happen if your pet consumes a significant amount of weed killers?
- They may have a lack of appetite.
- They may burn their mouth, tongue, and nose due to the chemical reaction.
- They may have convulsions.
- Their kidney might be damaged.
- They may have gastrointestinal tract damage severely.
What emergency situations will you notice if your pet has consumed weed killers or been exposed to them heavily?
- They may have irritation to the nerves.
- They may have a delirious fever.
- They may have seizures or epilepsy.
- They may have non-stop vomiting.
- They may have Sinus tachycardia issues.
- They may be overly feared or stressed.
Different Perspective On Using Weed Killers
Many environmentalists have mentioned these essential sayings.
- Though weed killers effectively kill and control weeds, they also cause damage to pets and humans.
- Using weed killers for an extended period may lead to minor to several health issues — At worst, it may cause cancer too.
- There are around 240+ ingredients that are used on weed killers. But about 60 components are not safe for use since they can cause harm to humans and pets.
- Many companies don’t have safety regulations strictly. Plus, some of them don’t mention all the warnings and safety details on the product label.
However, the manufacturing companies didn’t agree with the environmentalists fully. Here are some of their opinions:
- Weed killers are not less likely to harm pets and humans as they are appropriately tested in the lab. They won’t cause any health issues if applied in the correct quantity while following the entire safety standard.
- Since most weed killers are weakened by the inclusion of water or another solvent, they are less likely to possess any risk if users apply it correctly.
- Many authentic organizations mentioned there is no 100% surety or reliable source of information that weed killers are causing cancers in pets and humans.
- Many gardeners don’t follow the product label to apply the correct quantity. They apply too much or too little. Also, they often overlook wearing all safety standards and doing all the precautionary activities before using weed killers
Hence, we can see there are some conflicting opinions between environmentalists and the maker of weed killers. But it is surely the manufacturers of weed killers will always try to defend them as they are doing business.
We can say both users and the manufacturer should be more cautious about it. The maker of weed killers should avoid using toxic chemicals as little as they can. Organic weed killers are safe for both humans and pets.
In addition, users should always wear all protective gear before using any weed killers. Most importantly, children and pets should not be allowed to come on the site unless the solution properly dries up. All family members must be aware of where the weed killers are applied.
Finishing Up
Are you still wondering about this question: Can weed killer cause cancer in pets? Yes, weed killers can kill pets if they have been exposed to the toxic product for a long time in a significant amount. You will notice several symptoms before your pets are finally diagnosed with cancer. Hopefully, you have learned many valuable details about “Can weed killer cause cancer in pets?”
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