Reining Cats and Dogs - how pet owners can reduce the environmental effects their animals have - Brief Article

Sierra, Sept, 1999 by Kim Rice

It's easy to reduce your pet's ecological pawprint

Until this century, most pets were working animals, kept outdoors to catch rodents and herd livestock. In this age of the pet superstore, small animals have become big business. Today more than 150 million pets enjoy a cherished spot in over halt of all U.S. homes. Many are pampered with personalized bowls, gourmet treats, and plush decorative beds. Even the basics--commercial pet foods, flea-control products, kitty litter--make up a $21 billion industry, creating a huge waste stream of product packaging and toxic debris. Beyond all the mainstream offerings, though, environmentally friendly alternatives are emerging to help owners minimize their pets' effects on the environment.

Each year Americans spend more $1 billion battling fleas and ticks with toxic chemicals. These poisons settle in homes and yards, eventually makingStheir way into landfills, rivers, streams, and the water table. Among the active ingredients in these insecticides are Diazinon, carbaryl, propoxur, and DDVP--all nerve poisons. An organophosphate pesticide, Diazinon is so toxic to ducks and geese that they collapse in convulsions and die if they ingest it. The EPA banned its application on golf courses and sod farms in 1988 to protect waterfowl.

"Consumers mistakenly believe that if the pesticides are available in the marketplace they are not harmful," says Jay Feldman of the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides. Studies by the National Toxics Program show that many commercial flea and tick products can cause a number of health problems, including cancer and reproductive-system damage, in pets and their owners. Reports of more than 200 pet deaths and hundreds of poisonings in 1987 forced Hartz Mountain to pull its Blockade flea-repellent from store shelves. After paying the EPA $45,000 in fines for failing to report the product's harmful effects and conducting new safety tests, Hartz reissued its existing inventory of Blockade in 1989--merely adding a new label warning consumers not to use on young animals, to apply sparingly, and to watch for adverse reactions.

Quick-fix poison flea sprays, powders, and bombs settle and linger on surfaces and floors throughout the house, exposing you and your kids for as long as four days after an application. Children are especially at risk because of their fondness for putting their hands in their mouths (often after hugging the family pet) and because their still-growing bodies are more vulnerable. And toddlers can't read the "wash hands thoroughly after touching" warning on a flea collar.

Where can a flea-bitten environmentalist turn for relief? A flea comb is a good place to start: comb your pet thoroughly and deposit the fleas caught between the tines into a jar of hot, soapy water, then flush them down the toilet. If you catch more than a handful, you're ready for the next step: "beneficial" nematodes. These microscopic worms feed on flea larvae, quickly wiping out the next generation. Mix the nematodes in a waterbasedSsolution and liberally apply with a pump sprayer or drip system to your entire yard. Some veterinarians sell nematodes, or check your local hardware store. On hot days, cover your pet's favorite areas with heavy black plastic sheets to kill fleas and larvae.

Indoors or out, try insecticidal diatomaceous earth, available at most garden stores. This powdered mixture of the fossilized shells of tiny organisms (diatoms) dries out the flea's exoskeleton on contact, causing it to die from dehydration within hours. To use, thoroughly dust carpets and pets' bedding and sleeping areas, as well as baseboards. Also rub directly into your pet's fur, but use cautiously--it's a respiratory irritant.

For indoor infestations, vacuum carpeting, upholstery, bedding--anyplace a flea might hide--daily. Make sure to seal the vacuum bag each time. And wash pet bedding at least once a week in hot, soapy water.

You can also make your own indoor flea trap: put detergent and water in a shallow dish under a gooseneck lamp, then turn off all other lights. Fleas will jump in and drown. Repeat for two weeks to kill successive generations.

If you're still losing the battle, try giving your pet Program, an oral monthly medication that sterilizes biting fleas. Advantage or Frontline chemical treatments, while preferable to chemical flea collars and dips because neither immerses the animal in a poisonous bath, are not options for the pet owner concerned about toxic effects on pets or the environment.

A healthy animal tends to be more resistant to pests, so choose your pet's food carefully. Avoid the cheap, generic commercial foods: they're often filled with nonnutritious animal by-products, sugar, chemical additives, and preservatives. While some premium foods give you more for your money, others are just more expensive.SRead the labels carefully: avoid products with chemical preservatives like BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin. And buy in bulk when possible to avoid excess packaging.