Does Your Dog Live Toxin-Free? Create a Natural Environment!

Pets, especially dogs are curious about their environments! Their noses can smell 40 times greater than humans (www.pbs.org) so of course they are eager to explore! Their bodies are also very sensitive to the things around them. In my previous posts about plants and food, I’ve shared my research on which items to protect your pets from since we are preparing to bring a puppy home soon! In addition to plants and food to beware of, our homes can also harbor chemicals that our animals could get into. I wanted to highlight a couple categories that pet owners should be aware of inside and outside:

Antifreeze- This is a sneaky one. Antifreeze has a sweet taste that pets like, but it is very potent and a small amount can do a lot of damage. Switch to a pet-safe antifreeze instead. Check with your local auto shop.
Fertilizer and De-icing salts- Find a lawn care service that uses green practices so you don’t have to worry about keeping dogs off your lawn for any amount of time. Also, be aware when you are walking in the winter of your walkways or the sidewalk for de-icing salts because they are “paw irritants that can be poisonous if licked off” (humanesociety.org).
Poisons for other animals- Switch to other methods of pest control besides poisons before you get an animal and be cautious of other people’s homes who may use poisons. It is also possible for “[d]ogs and cats [to be]…poisoned if they eat a rodent who has been killed by poison (called secondary poisoning)” (humansociety.org).
Household Cleaners– “[B]leach, ammonia, chlorine, gycol ethers or formaldehyde can cause many problems in…pets [and]…. are particularly at risk for things such as cancer, anemia, liver and kidney damage” (dogster.com). Most common household cleaners use one of these chemicals as their main ingredient. I am so glad we use Norwex products to clean! Thankfully, with just water and the Norwex cloths that include the BacLock™ feature, you can clean any surface! From your kitchen counters to your floors, from your wood furniture pieces to your whole bathroom, Norwex cloths can clean it all without harmful toxins.
Fabric Softening Sheets– Keep these sheets out of reach or toss them! They can cause “drooling, vomiting, oral and esophageal ulcers and fever” (aspca.org) if chewed on or ingested. Instead, I use the Norwex Dryer Balls; they soften my laundry and speed up dry time without the harmful chemicals.

Those are some of the items I will be particularly aware of now that we will be sharing our home with a furry friend! For complete lists of toxic items, check out the Humane Society website and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals website to learn more. If you would like to learn more about creating a Safe Havens for your family (with furry and without! ), check out my Norwex website or contact me today so we can protect ourselves and our pets from harmful chemicals.

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