Step Away From RoundUp If You Love Your Pets
- Paige Rudolph
- Feb 27
- 5 min read
Coming into Springtime/Summertime Reminder...
Step Away From RoundUp
If You Love Your Pets
Sounds Harsh, Right? But Is It?
Working dogs and sport dogs live at higher intensity than the average pet. We’re asking for power, speed, endurance, and clear-headed focus. Adding chronic low‑level toxin exposure on top of that workload is like asking an elite athlete to train and compete while breathing in smog every day.
That's why, at HHWD, you will NEVER find chemicals or pesticides being used on any part of our 21 acre property. Here are a few reasons we choose organic solutions for everything on site...
Why “Just A Little” Roundup Isn’t Harmless
Roundup and many similar weed killers contain #glyphosate plus a cocktail of “inert” ingredients that help it stick, spread, and penetrate plants. These extra ingredients can actually make the product more toxic to animals than glyphosate alone.
Studies in Animals Link Glyphosate‑Based Herbicides To:
- Damage to the gut lining and microbiome, which plays a role in immune health and inflammation.
- Oxidative stress and inflammatory changes that impact organs, including the heart.
- Increased risk of certain cancers, especially lymphomas and other blood‑related cancers.
Dogs and Cats are Especially Vulnerable Because They:
- Walk, lie, and roll directly on treated grass.
- Lick their paws and fur after being on the lawn.
- Inhale mist or aerosol from recent applications.
That “quick spray” on the driveway or fence line doesn’t just disappear.
It ends up on paws, in lungs, and over time, in tissues.
Cardiovascular and #Cancer Risks in Pets
- Long‑term exposure to glyphosate‑based herbicides is associated with:
- Vascular inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which are bad news for a healthy cardiovascular system.
- Changes to heart tissue in animal models, suggesting chronic exposure may contribute to heart disease over time.
- Higher rates of cancers like non‑Hodgkin lymphoma in species studied, which is particularly concerning given how common lymphoma already is in dogs.
Why Small Dogs and Working #Dogs are at Extra Risk
Roundup isn’t good for any dog, but two groups are especially vulnerable:
Small Dogs
- They’re closer to the ground, so they inhale more of what’s at nose level.
- Higher exposure per pound of body weight – the same treated yard is a heavier dose for a 12‑lb dog than a 70‑lb Malinois.
- Many small dogs live primarily in one yard, so they’re walking the same treated ground daily for years.
Working and Sport Dogs
- They sprint, jump, bite, track, and train on those surfaces, kicking up dust and aerosol into their lungs and mouth.
- Their cardiovascular systems are already working hard; adding chemical stress increases wear and tear.
- We invest time, love, and money into their conditioning, recovery, and long careers – limiting toxin exposure is one of the easiest “wins” we can give them.
If you’re conditioning a dog for a long, healthy career – PSA, detection, SAR, agility, dock, or just all‑day hiking partner – protecting their heart, lungs, and immune system matters as much as reps on the field.
Safer, Pet‑Friendly Ways To Tackle Weeds
You don’t have to choose between “nice yard” and “healthy dog.”
Here are 3 more natural options that, when used correctly, can help you manage weeds with far less risk to you, your animals and family:
1. Vinegar + Salt + Soap Spot-Spray
A classic homemade contact weed killer for driveways, cracks, and fence lines.
- Mix strong household vinegar (or horticultural vinegar if you want more punch), a small amount of salt, and a few drops of dish soap.
- The vinegar and salt dehydrate the plant; the soap helps it stick and penetrate the leaves.
- Best for spot‑treating weeds, not for broadcasting across your entire lawn.
- DO NOT USE ON SOIL OR IN AREAS WHERE YOU WISH TO REGROW PLANTS, FLOWERS, FOOD, ETC.
- Continue to keep pets off the treated area until it dries, as the solution can irritate paws and can be harmful if ingested in quantity—but it breaks down much more quickly than synthetic herbicides.
2. Corn Gluten Meal (Pre-Emergent)
- Corn gluten meal is a natural pre‑emergent that can help prevent many weed seeds from sprouting.
- Apply in early spring and again in late summer according to product directions.
- It won’t kill established weeds, but it helps reduce new ones.
- Also adds organic matter and nitrogen to the soil, which can improve turf health over time.
- Because it’s a food‑based product, it’s generally considered much safer around pets than chemical herbicides when used as directed.
3. Manual + Mechanical Control
- Not glamorous, but effective and dog‑safe.
- Hand‑pulling weeds after rain or a deep watering (easier root removal).
- Using weeding tools, flame weeders on gravel/driveways, or boiling water for stubborn cracks.
- Overseeding, mowing high, and improving soil health so your grass out‑competes the weeds.
- A dense, healthy lawn is one of the best long‑term “weed controls,” and it’s also a softer, safer surface for joints and pads.
Your Dog’s Body Is Your Real Backyard
We spend a lot of time talking about biomechanics, conditioning, and recovery tools to keep dogs working strong for years. Chemicals like Roundup pull in the opposite direction of those goals. If you’re putting in the work to build strong hearts, healthy joints, and powerful muscles, it makes sense to protect the whole system from unnecessary toxin load – especially for small dogs and high‑output working dogs.
This Summer, When You Reach For Something To Spray:
- Read the label.
- Think about paws, lungs, and long‑term health, not just weeds.
- Choose an option that supports the career and lifespan you want for your dog.
SOURCES
Roundup /
Glyphosate and Cardiovascular Effects
Review of glyphosate-based herbicides and the cardiovascular system in mammals, summarizing arrhythmias, conduction blocks, and cardiac electrophysiologic changes in animals and people exposed to glyphosate formulations.
Rat study showing that subchronic oral and inhalation exposure to glyphosate herbicide produced atherosclerotic‑type fatty streaks in aortas, supporting atherogenic and cardiovascular damage potential.
Zebrafish model demonstrating that glyphosate exposure during development decreases heart rate and causes structural abnormalities of the heart and vasculature.
Research article reviewing sub‑lethal doses of glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA, noting cardiovascular and neuronal damage with glyphosate intoxication and concerns about chronic exposure in mammals.
Article summarizing newer work on glyphosate‑induced cardiotoxicity, including direct toxic effects on cardiomyocytes and vascular injury.
Recent overview of glyphosate exposure and cardiovascular risk, noting experimental evidence for cardiac malformations and impaired angiogenesis.
Cancer and Lymphoma Risk in Dogs Exposed to Lawn Chemicals
Humane Society–affiliated summary of multiple studies, including a 1991 and 2012 study, showing increased lymphoma risk in dogs whose owners used lawn herbicides (2,4‑D and similar products) and greatly increased cancer risk in Scottish terriers on treated lawns.
Veterinary overview of herbicides, pesticides, and canine cancer (transitional cell carcinoma and lymphoma), discussing studies that associate lawn chemical use with higher lymphoma risk in dogs.
Golden Retriever Lifetime Study–based research demonstrating that both 2,4‑D and glyphosate are lymphoid genotoxins to canine blood cells in vitro at low micromolar concentrations, supporting mechanistic links between these herbicides and lymphoma in dogs.
Consumer‑oriented legal/medical review summarizing data that dogs living in homes with regular pesticide use are up to 70% more likely to develop malignant lymphoma, and noting Roundup’s active ingredient glyphosate as a possible carcinogen.
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