Radon gas is dangerous and hazardous for you. Along with you and your family, your pets are also affected by this radioactive gas. Ever thought about how your little dear pets can be affected by radon gas. Radon gas affects health. It is a radioactive, colorless, and odorless gas.
The figures stated by the Environmental; Protection Agency indicates that Radon gas causes more than 20000 deaths in a year. Understanding the effects of Radon gas on your pets can help you protect both your family and pets. Read further to know more about it.
Symptoms Of Radon Poisoning In Pets
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Now when you know what exactly Radon poisoning is, let’s talk about the symptoms and effects Radon has on pet animals. Other than your family, pets are the ones that are most affected due to prolonged Radon exposure.
Radon poisoning symptoms are difficult to be identified. You may not even know that your pet has radon poisoning until it starts showing cancer-related symptoms. A few of the symptoms include fever, abnormal swellings, coughing and lack of appetite, excessive throwing up, lameness, and breathing difficulties.
But the major drawback is that Radon poisoning is symptomless and the only symptoms which are shown are when cancer has increased or is in the last stage.
a) Radon Effects on Dogs
Dogs are the widely found pet animal. Most of the houses have dogs as their pet. But are you aware of the fact that among all the pet animals? Dogs are one which gets the most affected by Radon exposure. So let’s dig into the effects of Radon on dogs and the precautions which can be taken to keep them safe for such contingency.
b) Effects On The Respiratory System
Just like humans, dogs too get exposed to Radon gas by inhaling it. Inhaling the gas along with its radioactive heavy byproducts that are collected in the air such as lead, bismuth, and polonium causes respiratory disorders in dogs. Prolonged exposure leads to the development of radon-induced lung cancer in dogs.
c) Radon Effects On Cats
The animal after dogs that are kept as a pet is cats. Cats are more sensitive to changes in the environment than dogs. Studies show that cats are more affected by Radon gas than we do. You might know that Radon gas causes lung cancer in humans and it not hard to identify its effects on cats as well. Since cats are low to the ground and remain in your house more than you do, they are more likely to get affected by Radon gas.
d) Lung Cancer And Its Symptoms And Prevention
Just like humans, cats also suffer from lung cancer. In cats, lung cancer is misdiagnosed as asthma at first. It is deadly for them as well. They have a higher chance of getting affected than you do.
The major symptoms of lung cancer due to Radon poisoning in cats include:
- Weight loss
- Having problems in breathing
- Coughing consistently
- Loss of appetite and lameness
- Extreme tiredness
- Coughing up blood
You can prevent such things by taking a few precautions such as installing a radon mitigation system, proper ventilation and circulation in your house and ensuring that there are no cracks or gaps in the flooring. Do not allow radon gas to be trapped inside your house. This can increase the radon level in your house.
Other than all these safety precautions, make sure that you take your dogs and cats for a medical checkup on a regular basis. A Regular medical checkup will help you detect any early signs of cancer timely. This will enable you to take actions to prevent the disease from advancing.
Precautions And Safety Measures
Few precautions and safety measure can be taken by you such as:
- Make your house tested for Radon levels
- Install a Radon mitigation system
- Ensure proper ventilation in your house
- Repair all the cracks on the floor and fill all the gaps
What Is Radon And Radon Poisoning?
Radon is a noble gas. It is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. Radon gas is produced when radioactive elements such as radium, uranium, and thorium break down in rocks, soil, or groundwater. After the breakdown of these elements, the gas is released into the air. Radon is a tasteless, odorless, and invisible gas.
Radon gets into your home through the cracks and gaps in the floor or any unsealed ground area. You get exposed to Radon while breathing it in along with air.
Radon poisoning refers to the situation when a large amount of radon enters your body and cause harmful and dangerous physical changes. Due to its colorless and odorless nature, it is not detectable by human senses.
Radon poisoning does not have similar symptoms as other radioactive elements. Its exposure can lead to lung cancer as well. Radon poisoning does not give any indication or sign of exposure.
Final Talk
Your pets are also your dearest friends and you should take actions for their well being as well. Your animals are at more risk of getting affected by Radon gas than you do. They spend more time in the house than you. There can be instances when the radon level in your house is more than the acceptable level, which dangerous for you as well as your pets.
This article was to provide you with detailed information about radon poisoning in the pet animals. It will help you identify in case of any such situation. You will easily be able to identify the symptoms. It is recommended to take early precautions rather than waiting for the symptoms to be visible as prevention is always better than cure.
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