Fluoride and dogs?

[Saeleofu]

Our city will be voting on whether or not to add fluoride to the drinking water next month. My mind's pretty much made up to vote no, but I am curious what effects it can have on dogs.

I've read that it can contribute to everything from behavior changes to osteosarcoma. Does anyone have any reputable sources to back this up?

[MafiaPrincess]

We have fluoridated water. Always have. While we drink filtered tap water including the dogs, we don't remove the fluoride. Can't say I know anyone with issues from fluoride.

[Saeleofu]

My concerns are more environmental. Fluoride bio-accumulates in plants and animals. I'm more concerned of acute toxicity when levels reach a certain point. Just because it's presumed to be safe now doesn't mean it won't be harmful later. After all, DDT was once thought to be relatively safe, and it crippled many raptor populations.

[release the hounds]

why municipalities vote "yes" so industrial waste can be dumped into their water supply i'll never understand.

Beyond that why add it? Reallly why? who cares if it has never harmed anyone (I'm not saying it has or hasn't) but let's just say it's a 100% intert substance of which there could be zero detriments associated with it. Show me a single benefit of putting in a water supply other than somebody has a market to sell some industrial waste.

Does it make people smarter or something? It certainly doesn't do anything for teeth that's positive being added to a drinking supply. We've known that for decades, but yet they still try and cling to that argument and try and find more places to dump their crap.

[Greenmagick]

I would SOOOO vote no!

That being said, we have had it for a long time and I do not buy bottled water for the dogs. But just because I personally have not had issued directly linked to it does not mean I think it s safe.

[MafiaPrincess]

Originally Posted by Saeleofu

I've read that it can contribute to everything from behavior changes to osteosarcoma. Does anyone have any reputable sources to back this up?

Fluoridation was not found to be a risk factor for osteosarcoma in the study population. The trend in the data from this small sample study suggests the hypothesis that a protective effect may exist against the formation of osteosarcoma for individuals consuming fluoridated water.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2022786

Originally Posted by release the hounds

Does it make people smarter or something? It certainly doesn't do anything for teeth that's positive being added to a drinking supply. We've known that for decades, but yet they still try and cling to that argument and try and find more places to dump their crap.

There are plenty of studies backing fluoridated water and dental health..

This study demonstrates the continued community effectiveness of water fluoridation and provides support for the extension of this important oral health intervention to populations currently without access to fluoridated water.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20873281

Water fluoridation, where technically feasible and culturally acceptable, remains a relevant and valid choice as a population measure for the prevention of dental caries.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19772843

[Dekka]

For those who say its not safe.. do you have any studies to back that up? Living in the country my only exp with it as a kid where we would be given fluoride mouth rinses at school once a month.

Is it actually dangerous? Or is this more of a OMG a chemical in my water deal? Maf's links look legit to me....

[yoko]

I think there are dental benefits.

[Saeleofu]

I don't have any hard studies either way, which is why I'm asking here.

However, regardless of health/environment/whatever else, it doesn't make financial sense to me either. It's going to cost over $3,000,000 the first year and about half a million yearly after that, and that cost will of course be passed on in the water bill. The vast majority of the water that is treated is not used for drinking - it's used for baths, showers, irrigation, swimming pools, washing cars, washing dishes, toilets, washing hands, watering and bathing pets and livestock, cleaning, laundry, industrial and manufacturing uses, and so on. Only about 5% of the treated water is used as drinking water, and of that many people would use filters to then remove the fluoride. It would make better financial sense for those who want fluoride to just buy fluoridated toothpastes, mouthwash, fluoride rinses, etc.

I have (obviously) not had fluoride in my drinking water since I was 5 years old and moved to this city (the city I lived in previously did have fluoridated drinking water), and I have never had a cavity, so the cavity prevention point seems kind of dumb. Brush your teeth and you'll be fine (yup, just brushing, I rarely floss because I hate flossing).

I do buy bottled water for me dogs because the pipe leading up to my room (where I feed and water my dogs) is made of lead. I don't use the water from that sink for myself, so I don't use it for my dogs either. That said, the water I use is bottled from city water, and just is filtered. In a pinch I'll even just go downstairs and refill it in the kitchen. Thus far I don't mind our city drinking water, it's just that one lead pipe that I won't use (all the other pipes were replaced when we were switched from well water to city water several years ago, but that one was not).

[Romy]

Fluoride was linked to osteosarcoma in little boys in this 2006 Harvard Study. This link opens a PDF.

https://www.google.com/url?url=http:...0RtMuA&cad=rja

This article brings up a lot of good points about fluoride and osteosarcoma in dogs. They tested fluoride levels in foods and found that ones containing bone meal were higher than EPA recommended levels for drinking water. When you consider people are feeding foods with elevated levels, then dogs are possibly drinking fluoridated water on top of that, there is definitely potential for accumulating elevated levels in their bones. Especially large breed puppies.

http://www.ewg.org/pets/fluorideindogfood

Sadly, I've got fluorosis stains in my teeth that will never ever come out due to too much fluoride exposure. At that level it weakens tooth enamel.

Acute poisoning can occur if too much is ingested at once. One man died and the village in Hooper Bay, AK was sickened when too much was added by mistake. That doesn't address the issue of long term elevated systemic levels but it shows that it's not the safe harmless substance it's often touted as.

http://www.fluoridealert.org/articles/hooperbay/