The Link Between Bone Cancer and Fluoridated Water

Water is an essential element to our pet's health. They require fresh clean water daily. But water can also be a source of harmful substances to us and our pets.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in soil and water. In it's natural state it is harmless. But the fluoride that is added to water is a synthesized version, a byproduct of the aluminum and nuclear industries, categorized as a class 2 environment toxin.

A study from 2009 indicates a link between fluoride in drinking water and increased rates of bone cancer in young boys and teenagers: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16596294

There is strong evidence from numerous studies showing that fluoride damages bone strength and density and contributes to increased fracture rates.

Eighty-five percent of all major bone tumors in dogs and 70 percent in cats are osteosarcoma. Highly aggressive and metastatic in nature, over 90% of all clinically significant osteosarcomas have already metastasized by the time of diagnosis.

Fluoride has also made it's way into commercial pet foods. A study at the University of Montana indicated the average level of fluoride in leading pet foods to be 11 to 193 ppm, with canned food having the highest amount. A number of lower-grade dog foods may contain up to 2,000 ppm of fluoride. Tolerance levels have been identified for domesticated animals, with the lowest values for dairy cattle at 30 mg/kg feed or 2.5 mg/liter drinking water.

Other risk factors for osteosarcoma include rapid growth in large and giant breed puppies, and a 65% higher incidence for castrated males and 34% higher for spayed females. The probability of developing bone cancer was higher both in females spayed at less than one year of age, as well as males castrated when they were less than a year old, compared with animals that were not spayed or neutered.

To reduce the risk of bone cancer in your pets provide fluoride free water and foods, aim for slow and steady growth of large breed puppies and if you choose to spay/neuter, wait until maturity to do so.