Radon Effects on Animals

Can Radon Gas Harm Your Pets?

Having been in the "radon business" for the last 19 years, we at Lifetime Radon Solutions have heard our fair share of radon stories from our clientele. For example, in the summer of 2016 we had met a woman from Southeastern Wisconsin who had two cats that had passed away from lung cancer inside of 10 years. We found this to be strange, considering cats are typically known to live significantly longer than 10 years. Moreover, her veterinary had added that is probabilistically unusual for cats to die from lung cancer. Our client's veterinary advised our customer to get their home tested for radon gas. Her levels came back at levels close to eight times greater than the EPA's action level of 4.0 pCi/L.

Radon Gas Causes Cancer in Dogs and Cats

Oddly enough, we just came across an article posted on CanSAR.org (Cancer Survivors Against Radon) about the passing of a Wisconsin woman's two dogs. According to the article a Brookfield, Wisconsin, dog-lover Tammy Schultz discusses losing two dogs within five months of each other to lung cancer. The article states that radon gas and potentially contaminated water are the two possible culprits mentioned ("Radon is Possible Culprit in the Passing of Wisconsin's Woman's Two Dogs", 2016).

How to Prevent Lung Cancer in Pets

The surfacing of two similar stories coming out of our state of Wisconsin within the last year are unlikely just happenstance. Radon is an odorless and invisible gas. Unfortunately, things that are out of sight are often out of mind, too. Often pets (especially cats) tend to spend more time in basements. Additionally, our pet's lungs are smaller and their respiratory rates are higher than a human's. These two factors make dogs and cats more susceptible to the dangerous effects of radon gas. For the protection of you, your family and your pets we strongly recommend getting your Wisconsin home tested for radon gas to determine if you have high levels of radon. Depending on your radon test results you can either take action, or gain piece of mind!