Dangerous Cat Napping
A chemical used to manufacture furniture and home electronics, favored resting places for felines, could explain an increase in thyroid disease in cats
By Sharon L. Peters
CTW Features
A fire-retardant chemical used in furniture, carpets and other household items may be contributing to the huge spike in thyroid disease in cats that has been noted in the last couple of decades.
Scientists from the Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., have reported a possible connection between hyperthyroidism in house cats and brominated flame retardants used in such products as furniture cushions, mattresses, carpet padding and even some electronics.
The chemicals, knows as polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs, apparently mimic thyroid hormones and, it is believed, can cause overactive thyroids in cats that spend a great deal of time lounging around on rugs, sofas or chairs treated with them. Because cats spend a great deal of time licking their own coats to groom themselves, the scientists speculate they ingest large amounts of dust that contain particles of the chemical.
The study also found high levels of contamination in cats that eat fish-flavored canned food.
The symptoms of hyperthyroidism in cats include weight loss despite increased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid heart rate and increased thirst and urination, according to Dr. Louise Murray, director of medicine for the ASPCA’s Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital, New York.
Murray noted the use of PBDEs has been under scrutiny for years as a potential health risk to humans, particularly to the nervous and reproductive systems, and calls the EPA’s finding of high levels of PBDEs in cats “concerning.”
Still, she says, hyperthyroidism has long been “one of the most common diseases found in older cats” and “due to the benefits of living inside the home, cats are living longer and as a result, the increase in thyroid disease is not unexpected,” she says.
Further, feline hyperthyroidism, when treated early with proper therapy, is not fatal. “This is generally an extremely treatable disease and with certain treatment methods can even be cured,” she says.
The disease is fatal chiefly in “cats that have not received timely care, resulting in heart disease and eventually heart failure,” Murray says.
Experts say cats in early-stage thyroid disease will probably exhibit only one or two of the symptoms, not the entire constellation, so it is important to seek veterinarian care for the cat as soon as any symptom emerges.
Some wonder if the high PBDE levels in house cats and possibly related thyroid issues could signal similar problems in humans. Investigations are continuing, but at this time there is no established link between PBDE and human endocrine disorders.
But might those chemicals cause thyroid disease in other pets? “Hyperthyroidism can occur in other species, but it is considered most commonly associated with cats, especially older cats,” says Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, veterinarian at the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center, Urbana, Ill.
Whether or not PCBDs might contribute to those small numbers of cases in other species isn’t known. “We just don’t have the data,” Gwaltney-Brant says. “Ditto with other house pets.”
In the EPA study, blood samples were taken from 23 cats, 11 of which had thyroid disease. The cats with that ailment all had PBDE levels three times higher than the cats without the condition.
Because the chemicals appear in heavy concentrations in household dust, Murray suggests taking the following precautions to minimize feline exposure to PBDEs:
• Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter and change the filter often
• Use an air conditioner with a HEPA filter and change that filter regularly
• Cover up tears in upholstery that expose polyurethane foam (which has probably been treated with the flame retardant). That is especially important if the foam is crumbling.
• Cover mattresses with tightly woven allergen barrier to reduce dusty that could carry PBDEs
What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, training and loving your pet. E-mail Sharon@Pets2008.com.
Copyright © CTW Features
