Can My Pet Get Radon Poisoning?
Most of us have heard about the danger of radon in your home. Its effects can be deadly. Long-term exposure to the radioactive gas can be as harmful to your lungs as smoking. But, what about pets? Is your family dog or cat at risk of radon exposure? Here’s what you need to know.
What’s harmful to humans certainly can be harmful to your family pet. They have similar respiratory systems that are vulnerable to toxic exposure.
While research around the harmful effects on pets has been minimal… toxicology experts at Yale and the University of Connecticut Medical School suggest that your dog or cat surely could be in danger. Studies confirm they are affected by food-borne illnesses and lawn chemicals. These important signals are alerting experts that toxic exposures around the home could include radon poisoning.
Meanwhile, researchers studying the effects of radon have identified respiratory tract tumors in dogs, according to the National Cancer Institute. They also report that cancer-causing carcinogens from second-hand smoke cause cancers in pets, which leads experts to believe radon carcinogens might be doing the same.
Finally, keep in mind that if you have elevated levels of radon gas in your home… your pet could actually be at a greater risk than you are, since they are typically living in the home more hours out of the day than you.
While we can’t see it, smell it or taste it… radon may be in your home. And it could be making your pet sick.
