Warning about Products Containing Triclosan
By Franny Syufy, About.com
The news is slowly going around that antibacterial soaps and
"waterless" hand cleaners containing Triclosan may be harmful to cats
if ingested. A friend had received a newsletter from an animal shelter
in Ohio, which said in part: "Warning: Cats Sensitive to Antibacterial
Soaps!" My correspondent went on to say, "They cited 'a
nationally-known shelter consultant' as the source of the
information; apparently, most antibacterial soaps contain a chemical
called Triclosan, which studies have shown to be harmful to cats and
some other animals. As a consequence and at the suggestion of this
consultant, the shelter is no longer using antibacterial soaps (since
they don't know how much could be harmful)."
It has been suggested in medical circles for quite some time that a
thorough washing of hands with regular soap and water is as effective
in removing bacteria as using an antibacterial soap or hand cleaner.
It has furthermore been recently suggested that triclosan, which is the
active ingredient in most of these antibacterial products may actually
be harmful. I have been quite familiar with hospital rooms in recent
years, and have adopted the use of a waterless hand sanitizer, as well
as a liquid antibacterial soap routinely at home. My cat, Jenny, often
tries to lick my hands when I join her in bed at night. It was
therefore of great interest when I read my friend's email about
triclosan.
What is Triclosan?
The definition depends on who you ask.
- Wikipedia describes triclosan as a "a potent wide spectrum antibacterial and antifungal agent."
- Beyond Pesticides (which is trying ban triclosan) calls it a "broad spectrum pesticide found is [sic] a wide range of consumer products, including soaps and toys." (Emphasis mine.)
- A.D.A.M., an About.com property, classifies it as a poison, if ingested in large quantities, as in swallowing toothpaste.
- The ASPCA has apparently not yet included triclosan in its poison database.
How Could Products Containing Triclosan Harm Cats?
To my knowledge, there have not been any studies proving that triclosan
can harm humans nor cats, if used as directed. However, one study,
published by the Toxicological Sciences Journal, concluded that "triclosan exposure significantly impacts thyroid hormone concentrations in the male juvenile rat."
Products such as toothpaste, mentioned above, are not meant to be
swallowed. On the other hand, neither are antibacterial hand cleaners,
but a cat might swallow enough to become ill when licking the
hand of an owner who has recently used these products. My initial
concern was more that the ingestion of such a powerful antibacterial
product might kill off the "friendly bacteria" in a cat's bowels, which
might have a deleterious effect on an immunocompromised cat.
Along
those same lines, there has been a study conducted to test the theory
that antibacterial soaps may lead to bacterial resistance to the
penicillin class of antibiotics, according to Kristina Duda, R.N., About.com Guide to Cold and Flu.
It would appear that the jury is still out, as Kristina's bottom line
was "More research is needed to come to any definite conclusions about
the risks or benefits of antibacterial products."
Since the practice of "safe rather than sorry" has served me well in
the past, I will personally discontinue the use of products containing
triclosan, which my cats might ingest. On the other hand, I will try to
use common sense with regard to the numerous other products which
contain this chemical. As an example, I can't imagine how my wearing
Fruit of the Loom socks could possibly harm my cats. This partial list is astonishing though, to say the least.
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The "partial list" mentioned above was pulled from BeyondPesticides.org and includes products like microban kitchenware, toothpaste and mouthwash, deodorant, lip gloss and makeup, and even Petmate LeBistro feeders and waterers (which my cats use).
Not sure what position to take other than to avoid these products where possible in the future. I'm uncomfortable with this chemical around me or my pets.
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