This post may contain affiliate links which means that I will receive payment, at NO cost to you, if you make a purchase through this link. Learn more.
Let’s unravel a silent menace affecting our furry companions – heavy metals. Our loyal pets may be unwittingly consume these contaminants in their day-to-day activities, and it’s high time we shed light on heavy metals in pets.
Summary: We’ll uncover everywhere these contaminants are lurking and the health risks they can cause. Heavy metals can be in pet food, pet beds. pet toys, their favorite play area, and products you use in your home, like air fresheners.
Unveiling the Invisible Threat: How Heavy Metals Sneak into Your Pet’s World
We all want the best for our pets, and that means understanding the not-so-obvious risks they face daily.
I will dive into the topic of heavy metals in your furry friend’s life and we’ll lay the groundwork for Heavy metal exposure prevention in pets.
Health Impacts of heavy metals in pets are on the rise
As pet owners, we need to learn how to read the subtle signs that heavy metals might affect your pet.
It’s not just a matter of physical health; the mental well-being of our beloved companions is also at stake.
Heavy metals are everywhere and accumulate over time in our brains and organs like our liver predominantly.5. According to NIH, heavy metals in pets are absorbed by inhalation, in the intestinal tract and may accumulate in the liver, kidneys, bones, hair, and tissue.3
Heavy metals can contribute to Cancer, seizures, anxiety, eczema, dizziness, muscle weakness, tics or spasms, eye health problems, memory issues, kidney damage, inflammation, and more.2
Heavy Metals in dog food and cat food
Have you ever wondered what’s really in your pet’s bowl? In this section, I’ll uncover the hidden truths about heavy metals in dog food and cat food.
Heavy metal contamination in pet food can happen from processing equipment used to make the food, cans or pouches wet food is stored in, added synthetics, and random objects like screws have been found in pet food.
Copper can naturally be found in certain foods and from synthetic sources. It is an antagonist in skin conditions. It is also making pets sick since there is NO limit set for copper in pet food. I dive more into this on my low copper dog food.
In 2019, 318 samples of by-products for animal feed tested positive for high levels of arsenic in animal protein products.
Dr. Dodds tested many pet foods, and all contained levels of aluminum, cadmium, lead, and mercury.2 .
In February 2026, The Clean Label Project dog food study findings were published. In the dog food study, they conducted tests on 79 popular dog foods using over 11k data points.
In their study they found dry food (kibble) has the highest level of heavy metals, air dried & freeze dried has less and fresh & frozen dog food have the least heavy metals.
As for lead, the dog food study for heavy metals showed lead had the most alarming results.
It seems multiple agencies play a role in the high levels of lead. The FDA sets an actionable limit of 10,000 ppm for pet food, yet the maximum for kids cereal is only 20 ppb.
Shocking right? To make matters worse, they use information from the NRC but that information has not been updated in 20 years! While heavy metal contamination is monitored in water and human food…it is NOT in pet food!
We need to demand changes or this likely will go unchanged.
Until then, opting for fresh or frozen human grade dog food may help you find heavy metal free dog food or the least heavy metal contaminated dog food as the dog food study suggests.
How Heavy Metals Creep into Everyday Pet Products
In our journey towards natural pet care, let’s talk about where the silent invaders are hiding. Heavy metals in pets come from drinking water, toys, products, and accessories to name a few possibilities.
- Vaccines: “clearly need to remove thimerosal-mercury and aluminum.” These two heavy metals have been found in the brains of autistic people.1
- Fragrances: (used in your home, car, or groomer) like air fresheners, candles, laundry detergent, fabric softeners, perfume, some essential oils, and pet shampoo. For a natural way to remove odors or purify the air, I use bamboo charcoal bags in my house and car.
- Human bed and mattress: if you buy new bed frames or mattress that do NOT have any certifications such as Green Guard, then there is a good chance it will off gas chemicals in your home.
- Pet beds: Test results show pet beds with all or some materials from China contained lead, arsenic, bromine, lead, mercury, and other dangers. China pet beds are being sold in the USA! Being appalled by that, I went on a mission to find Lead Free dog beds MADE in the USA.
- Fish oil: one source alleges it is a source of mercury, even if a company makes claims it is mercury-free. The source says the process they use to remove heavy metals leaves behind methylmercury which enters the body faster.4. Here is a fish oil made from small fish which are supposed to carry less heavy metals.
- Toys: I have a few suggestions for nontoxic toys. Some are Oeko-Tex Certified, meaning they are tested for heavy metals.
- Metal pots and pans can be a source of heavy metals in pets if you cook food for them.
- Pet Bowls can contain metals, whether you use stainless steel or ceramic bowls. Buying these USA made Lead and cadmium-free dog water bowl and food bowls will help.
- Water can have VOCs, pesticides, lead, and Arsenic. San Diego County water testing results found 2.57 ppb of arsenic yet the acceptable amount is 0.004 ppm. Results can vary, for example, La Costa water had 700x the amount of arsenic, whereas Escondido water had 642x’s.
Pets are thought to not to be able to tolerate lead in their water, which is the perfect reason to invest in a whole house filter, or drinking water filter and shower filter system for bath time.
The outdoor play dilemma: Heavy Metals in your pet’s favorite play area
Fetch in the park is a dog’s delight, right? But have you considered the heavy metals lurking in the soil or grass?
According to NIH, heavy metals and pesticides are top of the list of environmental toxicants endangering nature. Arsenic and toxic copper are some of the metals found in pesticides and herbicides (weed killers).
To keep playtime safe and heavy metal-free for your dog, you can have play dates in your chemical-free backyard or at a friend’s arsenic free pet yard.
If you do not have a yard, you may want to learn the schedule and types of chemicals that the local park uses when spraying.
The Best natural solutions for heavy metal detox for pets
If you are one of my IG followers or Blog subscribers, you have probably seen me mention a few supplements that have been discussed as being able to detox your pet, including heavy metals. Those include dulse, which is a seaweed, barely grass juice powder, and another powder is spirulina. *NOTE; These are human supplements, so you will need to do the conversion for proper dosage as explained in my dog and cat herbal remedy blog.
A few foods that have been discussed for their detox abilities are Sweet potato, parsley, Cilantro, and celery juice.6 If you can’t find wild blueberries or they are not available in your part of the world, you can buy a wild blueberry supplement for dogs.
Join the movement to detox pets from heavy metals
It’s a ruff out there, but with a bit of awareness and lots of natural care, we can create a safer, healthier haven for our beloved pets.
Share this knowledge with fellow pet lovers, and let’s create a community dedicated to providing our pets with the healthiest, happiest lives possible!
References:
3 NIH
Disclaimer: The information shared in my content is intended for general educational purposes only. The information contained herein does not constitute veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment of any kind. No veterinarian-client-patient relationship VCPR) is created or implied by reading, accessing, or using this guide. The author of this guide is not a licensed veterinarian and is not acting in a veterinary capacity.Always consult your veterinarian before making any changes to your dog’s care, diet, or treatment plan.
How much of HMDS do you think for a 18.5kg/40lb dog daily? Was thinking of doing a batch and freezing into ice cubes to give him daily, do you think freezing would be as effective etc, I have one daily but I do put extra supplements in mine so would rather make him his own batch, thanks
Sorry to hear your dog is dealing with seizures. If it were me, I would make the batch daily vs. freezing. The reason is if you forget to defrost it, then it might get skipped. Also, I think it is important to give the powders at the appropriate dose daily to combat the seizures. If you freeze it into cubes, your dog would not get the daily amount needed for the powders if your premix it into 1 hmds.
To make it easier for yourself, you could make the Smoothie without the powders, pour a small portion for your dog, add the powder for your dog, and then add your powder to your portion. Another option is make the smoothie without the powders, pour some for your dog, let him lick it up and then later add the 2 powders to some coconut water for your dog to drink. Coconut water is another thing good for seizures and MM recommended this as a drink. I hope that helps.