Glyphosate hasn’t been classified as a carcinogen – but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Take a look at how this toxic herbicide is negatively affecting dogs and cats.

You’ve probably heard of glyphosate – commonly known as RoundUp™. This herbicide has been identified as a potential cause of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and has been linked to several other health concerns in humans.

In the spring of 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared that glyphosate is not a carcinogen or an endocrine disruptor. However, they did find that this chemical poses potential risks to both land and water plants; birds from acute or short-term exposure; and mammals from chronic or long-term exposure. In other words, not even the EPA knows the extent to which glyphosate is harming us – or our animals.

How dogs and cats are affected

Often, dogs and cats are exposed to glyphosate from eating or rolling in sprayed grass. Poison control centers in Europe found acute glyphosate poisoning in companion animals that led to fatal outcomes in some instances. In 2016, researchers in New York tested 30 dogs and 30 cats for glyphosate levels and found widespread presence. Another group of researchers at Cornell University looked at the amount of glyphosate in 18 commercially available companion pet foods. They detected glyphosate in every product.

Currently a more comprehensive research project is in the works at the Health Research Institute Laboratories (HRI). They are measuring the levels of glyphosate in pet urine and working to determine if there is an acceptable daily level of this chemical for companion animals. Here are some of the results:

• Cats are averaging 8 ppb which is 16 times more than that found in the average of human urine.
• Dogs are averaging 15.8 ppb which is 32 times the human average.
• Dogs that eat raw food have virtually no detectable glyphosate.
• Those that eat canned food have more.
• Those that eat dry kibble have higher levels.
• Those that eat grain-free kibble have the highest levels. It is believed that the movement to grain-free diets using ingredients such as oats, pea protein, chick peas and lentils may be a cause.
• The researchers have tested crops like oats and legumes and they deliver the highest glyphosate levels to human consumers.

Visit hrilabs.org/animalstudy/ to participate in the study and find out how much glyphosate is in your pet’s urine. You will not only be helping your pet, but also pets around the world.