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Contaminants, Poor Diet May Cause Cancer In Pets
Dear Nanny Fran,
Why are so many animals getting cancer?
Why does cancer exist at all? Poisons in the environment, in diet, and improper care of pet food and water.
I truly wish many veterinarians could visit homes and see the water bowl that is rarely emptied, washed and refilled with fresh water. Maybe then they would understand what is creating a chronic condition in the pet they are observing.
Many owners will dump a glass of water into a dish now and again and rarely pick it up and wash it. A zillion times in 12 years I have visited homes and found a slimy scum (usually pink) lining the water dish and or self-filling water reservoir put in place for the pets. The pet’s saliva and food particles from the pet’s mouth drop into the container and bacteria flourish in the room temperature water and multiply unmercifully. The poor pet has no choice but to drink this water from this container. Then you have the people who leave the toilet seat up for the animals to drink from. Yes, this is cold; however the bacteria in there are harmful as well.
Now, let us talk about dry kibble. Again, a zillion times I have seen open bags and boxes of dry kibble left in the pantry or garage (even worse) and the operative word here is open. There are containers that the kibble can be transferred to that maintain an airtight seal. However, most people do not think of the free radicals that are created when food becomes rancid. I can instantly tell by smell if dry kibble is “rancid.” Rancid fats create free radicals and free radicals cause cancer. The heat in the garage speeds up this process a hundredfold. Fats go rancid in heat much faster than in an air-conditioned or refrigerated environment. Not only is it imperative to purchase quality kibble but it is imperative that it have proper storage. Your sweetheart depends on you!
Now for the daily walks we all adore. We all seem to adore as well a perfectly green and lush lawn. We spray Round Up to kill weeds and I have been told that another name for Round Up is Agent Orange. We also spray fertilizers and weed killers. We have been told to keep our pets off the grass until the chemicals have been watered into the ground. According to an extremely reputable veterinarian in this county, even if you wash your dog’s feet off after a walk, it is too late. The chemicals have already been absorbed into the skin.
I believe other cancers are caused from the ingestion of grass. All dogs eat grass and many times kitties do as well. People do not think where the chemicals go that are sprayed onto the grass. What is not absorbed through the blade of grass is absorbed through the root system and then it is delivered up into the plant, i.e., inside the blade of grass. So, when the animal eats grass it is ingesting the cancer-causing chemicals.
People buy organic lettuce, spinach and other greens because they know that they cannot wash pesticides away when they are inside the leaf. You can eliminate 90% of the pesticides from your diet by buying organic; however, your dog does not have that choice. As for me and my dear ones, I would not present water or food to them that I would not consider a wise choice for me to ingest in order to maintain excellent health. Yes, I do mean excellent health!
© 2006 Francene Mattucci. All Rights Reserved.
Francene Mattucci founded Never Say Good Bye Pet Sitting Service in 1994 and is a member of Professional Petsitters International. She is recommended by the Humane Society of North Pinellas. Call 727-512-3206 or email
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