Air Fresheners are a great way to make the house smell better and kills bad odor like your pets dander smell. Unfortunately using chemical air fresheners are toxic to our pets and can be harmful.
The ingredients that makes Air Fresheners so dangerous.
According to Dr. Mahaney holistic veterinarian from California. The Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in air fresheners can create harm. VOC are organic molecules that every air freshener has. These molecules have a low boiling point and evaporate very easily into the air, which gives a nice fragrance.
VOC molecules are not just in air fresheners. They are in varnishes, paints, fossil fuels and any other benzene product. These chemicals can cause problems such as asthma, cancer, and affect the blood, brain, and liver.
Through a study from Livescience.com, a test was done on the top selling air fresheners, to see what chemicals release into the air. Every brand released a litaney of chemicals, and every one had at least one toxic chemical for humans and pets.
Signs of Toxic reaction to air fresheners
According to Dr. Mahaney, the reaction your pet may have to air fresheners is a withdraw from the room. They may start to sneeze, cough or produce a nasal discharge. Severe toxicity is when your pet starts to vomit, diarrhea, become sluggish, or have a lack of appetite.
Just like any poisons you need to remove your pet from the area and into fresh air. If the symptoms continue then, you need to call your pet poison control at 1-800-548-2423. They are staffed 24 hours a day and can help you with advise on how to counter the toxic chemicals.
What are some Alternatives to Air Fresheners.
The best alternative is not to have chemical air fresheners in the house. Keeping the house clean, will defeat most odors. If you need to have air fresheners, then the best alternative is a holistic approach. Having scented flowers is better than any chemical oils. When companies say they have Essential oils, they still release toxic chemicals into the air.
It is important to keep your pets environment safe. Some things we have little control of but having air fresheners, we can control that for our pets. If you have a pet that is reacting to a scent, you should have the ASPCA poison control number available 1-800-548-2423 just in case you need it.