Is your dog drinking tap water? It’s crucial to understand the potential dangers of fluoride for your pet. Contrary to popular belief, dogs should not consume fluoride, as it can negatively affect brain development, bone strength, and hormone balance. This means that in many places, it’s best to avoid tap water and processed dog food for your dog, as fluoride won’t improve their dental health either.
Fluoride Is A Neurotoxin
In Canada, the limit for fluoride in drinking water is a Maximum Acceptable Concentration of 1.5 mg/L. The government reports that in 2005 community fluoridated drinking water was supplied to 43% of Canadians. Fluoride is also found in some groundwater sources. Municipalities can use various techniques to lower the levels of fluoride. With private water supply, they advice homeowners to use reverse osmosis or distillation systems.
This means public water authorities must notify the public if the levels exceed the secondary standard. Some private well water may even contain fluoride as it’s naturally present in most water. Bottled water is also allowed to contain fluoride, and is currently limited to 0.7 mg per liter. But there’s no requirement to disclose this on the label, so you have to contact the manufacturer to find out. Most European countries have stopped adding fluoride to drinking water because of its toxic properties. As of May 2019, 97% of the Western European population has non-fluoridated water. In some countries like China, India and parts of Africa, the water has high natural fluoride levels. In these countries, they’re removing the fluoride from the water supply. But in the US, fluoride is still added to drinking water … it’s estimated that 3 in 4 Americans are drinking fluoridated water… which probably means 3 in 4 dogs are drinking fluoride too. Not only that, but it’s absorbed through the skin as well, so every time you bathe your dog or let him swim in your pool, he’s likely being exposed to unsafe levels of neurotoxic fluoride. And there are other ways your dog is getting too much fluoride … #2 Fluoride In Dog Food Because fluoride is added to drinking water, it infiltrates everything. Plants, processed foods and feed animals all accumulate fluoride until the safe levels in the drinking water are blown away. This is especially true for kibble and processed foods. Independent studies, including those done by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), show that many processed dog foods have excessive levels of fluoride that are as much as 2.5 times higher than “safe” levels. The EWG’s report notes fluoride’s link to neurotoxicity, hormonal disruption and bone cancer. They conclude,“This high level of fluoride exposure may well be a contributing factor to osteosarcoma in dogs. Most of the fluoride in pet food comes from … Chicken byproduct meal, Poultry byproduct meal, Meat meal, Meat and bone meal, Animal digest, Chicken meal. If you feed a commercial dog food, check the labels for these ingredients and avoid them. But keep in mind fluoridated water is also added to the food during processing. If you brush your dog’s teeth, you’ll also want to check his toothpaste ingredients to make sure there’s no fluoride; it’s present in some pet toothpaste brands. Here’s some information about natural toothpaste and DIY options for dogs. (You may want to check out the warning labels on your own toothpaste too.) One of the main risks of too much fluoride is a disease called skeletal fluorosis.Skeletal fluorosis is a painful and debilitating disease caused by fluoride buildup in the body. It is often misdiagnosed as symptoms mimic those of other diseases. Fluoride’s effects are cumulative, and early symptoms like stiffness and painful joints can be mistaken for normal aging or arthritis. X-rays only show advanced stages and miss early ones. Advanced stages can also be misdiagnosed as spondylosis or renal osteodystrophy.
It’s thought skeletal fluorosis isn’t an issue in North America, but early onset may be rampant and misdiagnosed or missed. New studies link dental disease to fluoride. Fluoride can cause weakening of bones, bone loss, bone cancer (especially osteosarcoma), affect kidney and endocrine health (kidney disease, hypothyroidism), and cause gastrointestinal upset. Dogs may be more susceptible to osteosarcoma. More than 10,000 osteosarcoma cases occur in US dogs each year, compared to less than 1,000 in humans. Could it be due to dogs consuming more fluoride through food and eating the same food daily? The damage from excessive fluoride is cumulative and mostly irreversible. To avoid fluoride for dogs, don’t feed processed foods like kibble or canned foods. If you do, make sure they don’t contain ingredients like chicken byproduct meal, chicken meal, other meat meals, animal digest, and bone meal. If feeding a raw diet, buy the best ingredients. Get pastured, free-range meats and buy organic veggies and fruits. Find out if your municipal or well water contains fluoride. If it does, give your dog filtered drinking water. Make sure the filter filters out fluoride as many don’t. Most reverse osmosis filters are effective against fluoride.Fluoride is a common element in many bottled waters, but the FDA does not mandate its disclosure on labels. To determine if it’s present, contact the manufacturer.
How to Detox Fluoride From Your Dog: 1. Feed Kelp: Kelp is beneficial for detoxifying fluoride accumulation. Ensure you purchase from a reputable source that tests for purity. Kelp from Nova Scotia, Iceland, and New Zealand is preferred due to less pollution. Administer approximately ¼ tsp per 10 lbs of body weight daily. 2. Give Chlorella: Chlorella is known for binding toxins and aiding in their removal. Start with a small amount and gradually increase to 1 gram daily for small dogs and up to 3 grams for larger dogs. 3. Other herbs that may assist in fluoride removal include Turmeric/curcumin, Cayenne (used sparingly due to spiciness), Parsley, and Cilantro. Despite fluoride being almost inescapable, these foods can help detoxify your dog and protect against fluoride-related health issues. References: – Dr Philippe Grandjean MD, Philip J Landrigan MD. Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity. The Lancet (Neurology), Review Vol 13, Issue 3, March 1, 2014. – Choi AL, Sun G, Zhang Y, Grandjean P. Developmental fluoride neurotoxicity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Environ Health Perspect. 2012 Oct;120(10):1362-8. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1104912. Epub 2012 Jul 20. – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Federal Panel on Community Water Fluoridation. U.S. Public Health Service Recommendation for Fluoride Concentration in Drinking Water for the Prevention of Dental Caries. Public Health Rep. 2015;130(4):318-331. – Dharmaratne RW. Exploring the role of excess fluoride in chronic kidney disease: A review. Hum Exp Toxicol. 2019 Mar;38(3):269-279. – Marta Skórka-Majewicz, Marta Goschorska et al. Effect of fluoride on endocrine tissues and their secretory functions — review. Chemosphere, Volume 260, 2020. – Kheradpisheh Z, Mirzaei M, et al. Impact of Drinking Water Fluoride on Human Thyroid Hormones: A Case-Control Study. Sci Rep. 2018 Feb 8;8(1):2674. – Błażewicz A, Wiśniewska P, Skórzyńska-Dziduszko K. Selected Essential and Toxic Chemical Elements in Hypothyroidism-A Literature Review (2001-2021). Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Sep 20;22(18):10147.
