Volunteer Vets Test Pups For Lead Poisoning In Flint

Humans in Flint, Michigan, are not the only ones who have had it rough. Dogs in Flint were also exposed to significant levels of lead during the city’s infamous water crisis. But many of Flint’s pups can now pant easy thanks to a team of volunteer veterinarians, technicians and students from Michigan State University who have volunteered their time to screen dogs for traces of lead. And the results will make your tail wag as well. The Associated Press reports that out of the 266 dogs that have been tested so far, there have only been seven documented cases of lead toxicity. "The major focus so far has been on human health, and rightfully so," Daniel Langlois, Michigan State assistant professor, told The AP. "But at the same time, there are a lot of pets that live in the city of Flint, and we just wanted to make sure their health wasn't ignored." Though the actions of this volunteer team -- which CNN reports used "gifted research funds" for supplies rather than taxpayers’ money -- could make one’s heart all warm and fuzzy, they do have another motive for their screening events: furthering their education. "Lead intoxication is extremely rare in dogs and cats. It's a really unique situation for veterinarians as well," Langlois told CNN. The problem with Flint’s drinking water occurred in 2014 when the Michigan city switched its water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River and failed to use corrosion controls. The result was lead in the drinkin...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news