Signs and Symptons Your Pet Has Pesticide Poisoning

Photo by Tim Trad on Unsplash

Our planet is saturated with pesticides: They’re in our water, our food, our backyards our homes, even inside our bodies. Because of this, our pets are constantly exposed to these harmful chemicals, and therefore always at risk of pesticide poisoning. Whether ingested, inhaled, or simply absorbed from the environment, your pets are exposed to toxic pesticides every day—regardless if you personally use pesticides or not.

Because protecting pets from pesticides is a big part of what we do here at Cedarcide, we wanted to help you identify the signs & symptoms of pesticide poisoning in your pet. However, If you’re reading this right now and suspect your pet may be suffering from pesticide poisoning, shut off the computer and head to your nearest veterinarian immediately. Even low dose pesticide poisoning can be life threatening to your pet, and time is crucial to their survival.

Below are the most common signs & symptoms associated with pesticide poisoning in both cats and dogs. Note: Symptoms will vary depending on the severity of exposure; also, most animals will exhibit only a few of the symptoms, not all of them—and in rare cases, they won’t show any specific symptoms at all, just a general lethargy or lack of energy.

Here’s what you need to look for in your pets when it comes to pesticide poisoning:

 

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6 (Out Of 1,000,000) Reasons We Believe Owning a Dog Makes You a Better Person

It’s Scientifically Proven That Dogs Make You Happier 

Ever come home from a long day and instantly forget all your troubles once you finally see your dog? Spending even just a few minutes each day with your pup increases your brain’s production of dopamine and serotonin, both of which reduce stress and improve overall mood.

Dogs Teach Kids (and Adults) About Responsibility

Hey kid, are you going to throw that or what? – Beans (Cedarcide pet)

Opening your heart and home to an animal is no small commitment. You are now responsible for the well-being of another living creature. Having a pet is one of the earliest lessons children can learn about love, responsibility, social skills and empathy. As a bonus, children who grow up with dogs also have a lower risk of developing allergies.

Dogs Make You More Active and Therefore, Healthier

It’s a fact that people who own dogs go outside more often than those who don’t. Potty breaks, neighborhood walks, even hiking, camping and other outdoor activities—all quickly become part of your lifestyle once you own a dog.

Dogs Teach You How to Love and Communicate Better

Dogs need patience, understanding, love and affection. Learning to be more affectionate and communicative in non-verbal ways with your dog will improve your interactions with those around you, too.

Dogs Make Everything More Fun

Going to the park? BEST DAY EVER! New tennis ball? BEST DAY EVER! You left for 5 minutes and came back? BEST DAY EVER!  Dogs are enthusiastic about everything, and that fun energy and excitement is contagious.

Dogs Help Teach Us What Really Matters

One of the greatest gifts our dogs give us is unconditional love and companionship. Dog owners often find themselves choosing quality time with their pups over social outings or extra hours in the office. Dog’s help teach us what’s important in life: Relationships, loyalty, and love.

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10 Ways Pesticides Are Harming Your Pets

Over 80 million pounds of chemical-based pesticides are used on American lawns & gardens every year. Sadly, pets and other animals are hit hardest by these toxic treatments. Because pets play in yards and sometimes even eat their greenery, they experience greater exposure to these poisons than most other living things. And as with children, their low body weight and size make even small accidental exposure a serious, sometimes fatal occurrence.

But just how bad and widespread is pesticide exposure in pets? In 2008, the Environmental Working Group published aPolluted Pets report to give the public a better understanding of the chemicals affecting their pets. Among the dogs tested,Urine and blood samples detected 35 different chemicals inside these pets. Most alarming of all, 20% of the chemicals were at levels over 5 times higher than those regularly seen in humans. While direct contact with pesticides through lawn & garden exposure is common for pets, our animals also receive exposure from inside our homes, as pesticides applied outdoors almost always find their way onto home surfaces, such as carpet and countertops. From cancer to intense stomach pain and mood changes, here’s 10 ways pesticides are harming your pets.

 

Vomiting & Diarrhea

In addition to slow heart rates, respiratory failure and even death, organophosphates—some of the most toxic chemicals used in agriculture—also cause intense abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal distress in animals. Carbamates, another common pesticide, are known to cause dizziness, convulsions, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, too; as are phenoxy and benzoic acid herbicides (like 2,4-D), and pyrethroids (like Permethrin).

 

Aggression

It turns out your pets’ physical health isn’t the only thing you have to worry about. A study published by Harvard Medical School linked Organophosphates and carbamates—two common lawn & garden pesticides—with aggressive behavior in both cats and humans.

Depression

Pyrethroids—which includes common chemicals like Permethrin and Resmethrin—is another toxin that can mess with your cat or dog’s mental well-being. Not only are these chemicals possible carcinogens, they can also alter your pet’s mood and state of mind. Symptoms of poisoning include nervous system damage, hyperexcitability, tremors and even depression!

 

Blindness

One of the most common but also most toxic pesticides is snail bait. Unfortunately, this poison is also very attractive to mammals, like dogs and cats. Snail bait’s active ingredient, metaldehyde, causes seizures, excess salivation and perhaps most frightening of all, blindness.

 

Seizures

The above mentioned Pyrethroids, which are in the majority of household insecticides, are known to alter pets’ mental health. But, sadly, they can also cause muscle tremors, ataxia, anorexia and even seizures—which can in turn lead to death. Organochlorines, which constitute a large percentage of common pesticides, also cause loss of bodily control and seizures. In severe poisoning, these seizures are often uncontrollable, leading to respiratory failure and eventually death in both cats and dogs.

 

Malignant Lymphoma

Sadly, various forms of cancer are not uncommon in animals exposed to pesticides—which, unfortunately, includes many pets in the U.S. One study conducted by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University found that consistent exposure to chemicals commonly used by professional lawn care companies elevated the risk of fatal canine malignant lymphoma by nearly 70%.

 

Bladder Cancer

It’s not just Lymphoma you have to worry about. In a study published by the journal Science of the Total Environment it was found that dogs exposed to lawns treated with herbicides (like Roundup, for example) experience a significantly higher chance of contracting bladder cancer. Studies have found the chemicals that help cause this extremely painful type of cancer are detectable in both treated and untreated lawns. Which means even if you don’t personally treat your own yard, your pets are still likely receiving exposure blown in from other areas, like nearby parks or your neighbor’s yard.

 

Liver Cancer

A particularly nasty and quite common inorganic pesticide, Allethrin, has been linked with increased risk of liver cancer in dogs. A synthetic copy of a naturally occurring botanical insecticide derived from chrysanthemum flowers, Allerthrin is used in many yards throughout America to kill and prevent flies, mosquitoes and other flying insects.

 

Birth Defects

Your fur babies aren’t the only ones facing harm due to pesticide exposure—their babies are, too. The Environmental Working Group (or, the EWG) found that dogs commonly test positive for phthalates at levels up to 5 times that of the average human. This chemical compound found in plastics, perfumes, food containers, makeup and pesticides is believed to cause, among other issues, birth defects in newly born puppies and kittens.

 

Reproductive Problems

The same EWG report cited above, linked phthalates not just to birth defects in pets, but to all kinds of reproductive issues also—a side effect perhaps more cruel than even death.

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What Are The Poison Papers, and Why You Should Care

Something happened last week which could shake up the chemical and pesticide industries forever. Because these events concern chemical toxicity, and the pesticide industry in particular, we thought you should know a little more about them. Here’s a quick outline on what’s being called The Poison Papers.

 

What Are The Poison Papers?

The Poison Papers consist of over 200,000 pages—or three tons of documents—which outline scientific studies, communications and other interactions between chemical companies and government regulators. Going back to the 1920s, these papers were collected by impassioned activist and author Carol Van Strum via decades of litigation with Dow Chemical, the EPA, Monsanto (the makers of suspected carcinogenic weed-killer Roundup) and other private and public agencies.

Van Strum took up the charge of challenging chemical-based pesticides when in 1974 she discovered the Forest Service was spraying her rural Oregon community with the herbicide 2,3,5-T. One of two active ingredients in the now banned chemical warfare substance Agent Orange, 2,3,5-T had been linked to cancer and birth defects, and so Van Strum made it her mission to stop its use in her own backyard. After all, if it was too toxic for the U.S. Military in war efforts, it was certainly far too dangerous for use around the public (from ‘72 to ‘77, the Forest Service sprayed some 20,000 pounds of 2,4,5-T in the area directly surrounding Van Strum’s home).

Shortly after Van Strum’s neighborhood was blanketed with this toxic herbicide, the community began witnessing frightening effects: including several unexplained miscarriages, unusual illnesses, and sightings of mutated wildlife, such as ducks with backward-facing feet. Sadly, Van Strum’s very own children—who were accidentally sprayed while fishing at the local river—suffered nosebleeds, headaches and bloody diarrhea.

Combatting these chemicals and their promoters became a lifelong project for Van Strum, and the Poison Papers are the result of her valiant efforts. With the help of the Bioscience Resource Project, watchdog group The Center for Media and Democracy, and journalist Peter von Stackelberg, these documents have now been digitized and made public for the first time.

 

What Do They Reveal

Peter von Stackelberg, the journalist who helped make the documents public, says The Poison Papers “lay out a 40-year history of deceit and collusion involving the chemical industry and the regulatory agencies that were supposed to be protecting human health and the environment.” Among its countless revelations, The Poison Papers show how industry figures and regulators collaborated to conceal evidence that many chemicals deemed safe were in fact dangerous, and that many of the studies used to show their safety were known to be faulty. Additional revelations include:

• EPA collusion with the paper industry to “suppress, modify, or delay” the results of studies meant to test the toxicity of chemicals used in baby diapers, coffee filters and other paper products
• EPA concealment of studies which found dangerous levels of toxins in human breast milk due to use of 2,4,5-T by the Forest Service (the same pesticide sprayed on Carol Van Strum’s community)
• Testimony in which Monsanto’s chief medical officer, George Roush, admits under oath that Monsanto’s studies into the effects of its chemicals on workers were falsified to conceal their toxicity

The most disturbing aspect of The Poison Papers is not the damning evidence it provides against chemical companies (many have long suspected they’re corrupt), but rather the extent to which government agencies—the very entities meant to protect us—colluded with these companies to deceive the general public. We now know children, families and the environment have been exposed to harmful, potentially fatal toxins for decades on account of these deceptions. According to Dr. Jonathan Latham, Executive Director of the Bioscience Resource Project, “these secret activities extended and increased human exposure to chemicals they knew to be toxic.”

Worst of all, almost every chemical highlighted in The Poison Papers is still being manufactured, sold and used today!

“In total, the stark truth revealed by these 50 years of documents is that the entire pesticide industry could not exist without lies, coverups, rampant fraud, and government enablers,” Van Strum, who spent decades of her life compiling these papers, concludes.

 

HOW YOU CAN SEE THEM

Want to have a look for yourself? Now that they’ve been made public, The Poison Papers are accessible and searchable by the public. To learn more about The Poison Papers and to view all 20,000 documents, visit poisonpapers.org.

The post What Are The Poison Papers, and Why You Should Care appeared first on CedarCide.

How to Recycle Cedarcide Bottles

Recycling is important to us here at Cedarcide. Animals, the environment, and future generations depend on the conservation efforts that we as a planet make today—and that means the world to us! Because so many of you share our values, we wanted to create a short guide on how to recycle the different kinds of bottles we use for our natural, eco-friendly formulas. Below is a list of our different bottles, followed by a short set of instructions on how to correctly recycle each of them (we’ve also included what type of plastic each container is made from by listing its Resin Identification Code). Thank you for taking the health of our planet seriously!

You can find your local recycling center by clicking here. Additional recycling instructions for plastic bottles can be found here. For tips on recycling everything else, click here.

 

1 oz. Clear Plastic Spritzer (Plastic #1: Polyethylene Terephthalate)

(Cedarcide Original, Tickshield)

(1): Remove and separate the spray top and lid. Note: The lid is recyclable, the spray top contains metal and therefore can only be recycled with mixed materials plastics (check your local recycling center to see if they accept mixed materials plastics)

(2): Thoroughly rinse the bottle with water until no residues remain

(3): Remove labels (not all recycling centers require this step—check with your local center to be sure)

(4): #1 plastics can normally be recycled with curbside pickup—check with your local center to be sure

 

1 oz. and 2 oz. Glass Bottles

(Cedarwood Essential Oils)

(1): Remove and separate the lid. Note: The lid is can only be recycled with mixed materials plastics (check your local recycling center to see if they accept mixed materials plastics)

(2): Thoroughly rinse the bottle with water until no residues remain

(3): Remove labels (not all recycling centers require this step—check with your local center to be sure)

(4): Glass bottles can normally be recycled with curbside pickup—check with your local center to be sure

 

4 oz. White Plastic Bottle (Plastic #1: Polyethylene Terephthalate)

(Vet’s Choice, PCO Choice, Cedarsuds)

(1): Remove the lid. Note: The lid is also recyclable (Plastic #1)

(2): Thoroughly rinse the bottle with water until no residues remain

(3): Remove labels (not all recycling centers require this step—check with your local center to be sure)

(4): #1 plastics can normally be recycled with curbside pickup—check with your local center to be sure

 

Pint Size Clear Plastic Bottle (Plastic #1: Polyethylene Terephthalate)

 

(1): Remove the lid. Note: The lid is also recyclable (Plastic #1)

(2): Thoroughly rinse the bottle with water until no residues remain

(3): Remove labels (not all recycling centers require this step—check with your local center to be sure)

(4): #1 plastics can normally be recycled with curbside pickup—check with your local center to be sure

 

Pint Size White Plastic Bottle (Plastic #2: High Density Polyethylene)

(Cedarcide Original, Tickshield, Cedarsuds)

(1): Remove and separate the spray top and lid. Note: The lid is made of a different recyclable plastic (Plastic #5, Polypropylene), the spray top contains metal and therefore can only be recycled with mixed materials plastics (check your local recycling center to see if they accept mixed materials plastics)

(2): Thoroughly rinse the bottle with water until no residues remain

(3): Remove labels (not all recycling centers require this step—check with your local center to be sure)

(4): #2 plastics can normally be recycled with curbside pickup—check with your local center to be sure. #5 plastics are less common, consult your local center for best recycling practices

 

Quart Size White Plastic Bottle (Plastic #2: High Density Polyethylene)

(Cedarcide Original, Tickshield, Vet’s Choice, Cedarsuds, PHL, Scorpion Shield, Scorpion Defense, PCO Choice, Yardsafe)

(1): Remove and separate the spray top and lid. Note: The lid is made of a different recyclable plastic (Plastic #5, Polypropylene); the spray top contains metal and therefore can only be recycled with mixed materials plastics (check your local recycling center to see if they accept mixed materials plastics)

(2): Thoroughly rinse the bottle with water until no residues remain

(3): Remove labels (Not all recycling centers require this step—check with your local center to be sure)

(4): #2 plastics can normally be recycled with curbside pickup—check with your local center to be sure

 

Gallon Size Plastic Bottle (Plastic #2: High Density Polyethylene)

(Cedarcide Original, Tickshield, Vet’s Choice, DAS, Cedarshield, Scorpion Shield, Scorpion Defense, PCO Choice, Ridaweed)

(1): Remove the lid and foil seal. Note: The lid can only be recycled with mixed materials plastics—check your local recycling center to see if they accept mixed materials plastics

(2): Thoroughly rinse the bottle with water until no residues remain

(3): Remove labels (not all recycling centers require this step—check with your local center to be sure)

(4): #2 plastics can normally be recycled with curbside pickup—check with your local center to be sure

 

Gallon Size Clear Plastic Bottle (Plastic #1: Polyethylene Terephthalate)

(Petsafe Granules, Homesafe Granules, Campsafe Granules)

(1): Remove and separate the lid. Note: The lid can only be recycled with mixed materials plastics—check your local recycling center to see if they accept mixed materials plastics

(2): Thoroughly rinse the bottle with water until no residues remain

(3): Remove labels (not all recycling centers require this step—check with your local center to be sure)

(4): #1 plastics can normally be recycled with curbside pickup—check with your local center to be sure

 

5 Gallon White Plastic Pail (Plastic #2: High Density Polyethylene)

(Cedarcide Original, PCO Choice, Cedarshield)

(1): Carefully remove and separate the lid and metal wire handle. Note: The lid is recycable; check your local recycling center to see if they will accept the metal handle

(2): Thoroughly rinse the pail with water until no residues remain

(3): Remove labels (not all recycling centers require this step—check with your local center to be sure)

(4): #2 plastics can normally be recycled with curbside pickup—check with your local center to be sure

 

2.5 oz., 4 oz. and 8 oz. Aluminum Bottles

(Cedarcide Original, Tickshield)

(1): Remove and separate the spray top and lid. Note: The lid is recyclable, the spray top contains metal and therefore can only be recycled with mixed materials plastics (check your local recycling center to see if they accept mixed materials plastics)

(2): Thoroughly rinse the bottle with water until no residues remain

(3): Remove labels (not all recycling centers require this step—check with your local center to be sure)

(4): Check with your local recycling center to find out how your community recycles non-ferrous metals like aluminum

 

The post How to Recycle Cedarcide Bottles appeared first on CedarCide.

10 All Natural Ways to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles

By Futureman1199 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27435825

 

The story goes like this: in the early 1900s Japanese beetles were accidentally introduced into the American ecosystem via shipments from Japan. Mostly isolated to the Eastern and Midwest regions of the U.S., these green and copper-colored beetles have very few natural predators in our country, which has led them to become one of the most widely spread and damaging garden pests. Most active during the warmest summer months (mid June to late August for adults, fall and late spring for larvae), these beetles and their larval grub form can wreak havoc on your lawn. The adult beetles “skeletonize” nearly all forms of plant life, while their younger grub counterparts consume grass and other roots from below the soil. Because Japanese beetles eat in groups and feed from both above and below the soil, they can devastate entire lawns & gardens in no time. If Japanese beetles are destroying your lawn, or you’re just looking for ways to keep that from happening in the first place, here’s 10 All Natural Ways to Get Rid of Japanese Beetles.

Get Your Hands Dirty

The tried and true method of hand picking Japanese beetles from your lawn & garden is still the most effective approach to controlling these pests. It can take some time, but the effect it can have on the health of your plants is well worth the effort. For best results, do this in early morning, when Japanese beetles are most active. Using gloves, pluck the beetles from grass and other plant life being careful not to squeeze or crush them (doing so could attract more beetles). Dispose of them by dropping them in a bucket of soapy water (2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap per 1 gallon of water)—this is one of the most humane ways to eliminate Japanese beetles.

Feed the Birds

Keeping guinea fowl around your lawn & garden is a proven way to limit not only Japanese beetle populations, but that of ticks and other pests as well. However, not everyone wants to keep these loud birds as pets. In that case, finding ways to attract ducks and other birds to your yard will do the trick. Spraying your entire lawn with a soapy mixture of 2 tablespoons dish soap to 1 gallon of water will help force Japanese beetle larvae to the surface, which in turn will attract hungry birds (this should be done in fall and late spring, when Japanese beetles are in the larval stage of their life cycle). Continue this process weekly until no further larvae emerge from the soil.

Take Care of Your Plants

Japanese beetles are most attracted to rotting and overripe plants, so keeping a healthy lawn & garden is key. Promptly remove diseased or otherwise dying plants, trees, fruits and vegetables before they attract additional beetles to your yard. Harvesting plants before they become appetizing to beetles is important also.

Use Row Covers

Row covers allow air, sun, water and other essential elements to reach your plants while keeping Japanese beetles out. Remember: To remain effective, the edges of the cover must be flush with the ground, or otherwise firmly sealed. If Japanese beetle grubs have already infested your soil, this method is not for you, as it will only serve trap the beetles inside the cover with your plants.

Beneficial Nematodes

One of the greener options for Japanese beetle control involves introducing parasitic roundworms into the soil. Also known as beneficial nematodes, these organisms can devastate soil-dwelling pests like Japanese beetle larvae. Once they’ve located and entered a host, these nearly microscopic worms release a bacteria that’s deadly to the young beetles. After killing their host they move on to another beetle, reproducing in the process. For best results, introduce nematodes into your soil in late August or early September to attack the next cycle of beetles for the following year (while this is the optimal approach, nematodes can be added to the soil at any time, so long as the soil is sufficiently watered). Note: the nematode species Heterorhabditis is said to be most effective against Japanese beetles; the nematode pest control method targets larvae, not adult beetles. Beneficial nematodes can typically be found at your local home & garden store.

Choose Your Plants Wisely

While Japanese beetles enjoy eating a wide array of plant life, certain types are particularly attractive to these devastating pests. Inundating your garden with Japanese Beetles’ favorite food sources is just asking for trouble. Limit installing such plants as much as is reasonably possible. For a list of Japanese beetles favorite meals, click here.

 

All Natural Pesticides

Apart from hand-picking, natural non-toxic pesticides are the easiest, most effective method for combating these pests. For best results, treat your entire lawn & garden with an eco-friendly and water-soluble outdoor pesticide and repellent; treat monthly or as needed.

 

Drop Cloth

Drop cloths can be highly effective at cutting down Japanese beetle populations. At night, cover your plants with a sufficiently large drop cloth. In the morning when beetles are most active, remove the cloth and dispose of the attached beetles using the aforementioned bucket of soapy water.

Fruit Cocktail Trap

Most Japanese beetle traps are ineffective, usually only serving to attract additional beetles to your lawn & garden. However, a can of fruit cocktail can quickly remove active beetles from your yard. First, ferment the cocktail by leaving it in the sun for a few days—this will make it more attractive to beetles. Next, place the can on top of a brick or bricks stacked inside a pail filled with water (it’s advisable to keep this trap far removed from the plants you’re trying to protect). The cocktail will attract the beetles, the water will drown them. It’s that simple.

Soap + Water Spray

Mix 4 tablespoons of dish soap with water inside a spray bottle. This simple solution makes for a great, all natural Japanese Beetle pesticide. Spray on any beetles you see on or around your lawn & garden.

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