It is a fact: pollution and a climate now out of control can cause – and indeed do cause – significant harm to the human body. But their combined, damaging effects are also dangerous for our four-legged friends, who unknowingly bear the brunt of the damage humans have inflicted on the environment. With the help of expert veterinarians, then, let us try to understand what can be done to help the animals who share our lives cope as best they can with smog and the problems associated with climate change.

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Pollution: which substances are most harmful to pets

Smog, fine particulate matter, a disrupted climate that contributes, through lack of rain, to rising pollution levels. In cities all of this is felt acutely, and viruses, allergies and seasonal ailments – which are no longer seasonal at all – are unfortunately our constant companions in summer and in winter alike. But it is above all our four-legged friends who experience the greatest discomfort.

"Animals, precisely because of their size, are more exposed to the influence of heavy metals, and their shorter life cycle, compared to ours, makes them biological indicators of disease," explains Dr Anna Maria Ubbiali, veterinary surgeon. "Those living in cities are certainly more exposed to the inhalation of toxic agents that cause irritation to the respiratory tract and to the central nervous system via the olfactory channels. For this reason, it is advisable to choose, as far as possible, times and places for walks where there are few cars about. Fur, moreover, can trap smog: brushing the coat and wiping it down with a damp cloth after a walk can help prevent ingestion through licking. And let us not forget the paws, which may have come into contact with puddles into which harmful substances have seeped."

Dr Laura Cutullo, veterinary surgeon and flower therapy expert, echoes this view: "Unfortunately, dogs and cats breathe in volatile pollutants, heavy metals and microparticles that settle on the walls of the respiratory tract and on the coat. Among the most dangerous substances for animals is lead, whose environmental levels rise steeply in areas with heavy vehicular traffic. Lead is highly toxic to the body: the most sensitive system is the central nervous system, but its action also causes impairment of kidney function and of the immune system, arterial hypertension, and predisposes animals to cancerous conditions.

Other extremely toxic substances include carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, benzene and hydrocarbons. These pollutants are at the root of a large number of respiratory diseases, which are increasingly common in animals too, including asthma, chronic bronchitis, anaemia and various alterations of blood cells in both the red and white cell series." Washing and brushing our four-legged friends frequently is certainly useful, especially if they have a short coat and are therefore not protected by an undercoat, which in some way inhibits the harmful effect of pollutants.

Pollution hides indoors too

There is also an invisible form of pollution: electromagnetic waves, to which animals are highly sensitive. Wi-fi networks, now ubiquitous, create interference with the body and the nervous system. A good rule for limiting the damage is to always keep pet dogs and cats away from computers and electronic devices that are permanently switched on, perhaps by setting aside a defined area of the room for them that has direct access to a garden or balcony.

"We must always remember that cigarette smoke is harmful," warns Anna Maria Ubbiali, who adds: "The water and food we provide for our animals can also contain many pollutants. Choosing fresh food, sustainable packaging and ultra-filtered water is therefore always the best course of action."

Staying on the subject of indoor pollution, Dr Cutullo points out: "For cats that stay indoors all the time, pollutants come not only from outside but also from within the home: think of cleaning products, detergents of various kinds, air fresheners, fumes and combustion gases in the kitchen – all substances commonly used in the domestic environment – but also paints for walls or furniture and the dust that impregnates terraces and balconies." The solution? There are eco-friendly soaps and detergents available on the market that halve the impact of harmful substances on the environment and, above all, even if surfaces are licked, pose no problem for pets (and are good for us too…).

Holistic medicine: a precious ally

Living in the countryside or, in any case, in less congested urban areas with a lower environmental impact is undoubtedly an excellent way to prevent disorders caused by pollution. It remains, however, a choice that is not always possible or feasible for most of us. What to do, then? Valuable help comes from complementary medicine, which uses gentle, non-invasive remedies to restore wellbeing and health. "There are many substances capable of counteracting pollutants," explains Laura Cutullo. "For example, the Californian compound Yarrow environmental solution, a blend of yarrow, arnica and echinacea flowers combined with fresh tinctures of these same plants in a base of sea water. It is an excellent protector against electromagnetic waves and, more generally, against environmental toxic substances. Among the Bach flowers we find crab apple and walnut which, in synergy, act as immunity boosters and detoxifiers."

Phytotherapy also offers another precious source of help. The expert, in this case, suggests a series of natural remedies to protect the liver and kidneys of our animal friends. Among the liver- and kidney-draining phytotherapeutics is nettle, which can be prepared by placing a few leaves, gathered away from roads, in half a litre of water and boiling them for ten minutes. The liquid should be cooled and added to the daily food, allowing a tablespoon for every three kilograms of body weight. Dandelion is also excellent: the dry extract or chopped roots are used, mixed into food. "Bear in mind that it stimulates bile production, with a consequent increase in defecation. Adjust the dose taking this intestinal effect into account as well," advises Dr Cutullo.

The dry extract of milk thistle, another key plant for liver health, is obtained from the flowering tops and seeds. The main components are isolated in the form of a mixture of condensation products known as Silymarin, which exerts a hepatoprotective action. The daily dose can easily be added to food and should be divided between two meals, five days a week. Also useful, finally, is couch grass root which, thanks to its diuretic action, promotes drainage of bodily fluids by increasing urine output and preventing the formation of kidney and bladder stones. It is used as a decoction added to food or administered with a needleless syringe directly into the mouth, at approximately two ml/kg per day. "All these detoxifying remedies should be administered for two weeks, preferably during the waning moon phase; a break of another two weeks follows, after which the cycle begins again," concludes Laura Cutullo.

Nature offers other useful remedies in this regard. "Herbal medicine comes to our aid with propolis and eleutherococcus, which can activate and strengthen the immune system and therefore resistance to environmental stressors," adds Anna Maria Ubbiali. "Many plants are used to treat inflammatory conditions affecting the respiratory system (agrimony, plantain, thyme, eucalyptus, etc.), the urinary system (horsetail, bearberry, cranberry, etc.), the skin (viola, blackcurrant, etc.) and the gastrointestinal tract (cinchona, baobab, ficus carica, gentian, etc.). A further therapeutic option is provided by mycotherapy, which uses medicinal mushrooms preventively or as a complementary treatment for various conditions (reishi, shiitake, cordyceps, etc.)". A tip well worth bearing in mind, then, for anyone wishing to treat and prevent illness in a gentle, natural way.

When smog is compounded by a disrupted climate

Temperature swings, prolonged drought, torrential rains turning into full-blown storms: this is how the climate is changing, causing no shortage of hardship for both humans and animals. Sunny days combined with smog can be harmful to short-haired dogs and cats. "A precaution that is useful for everyone, but especially for animals with little fur (the Devon Rex cat or the Mexican hairless dog, for example), a short coat or white colouring, is to avoid exposure during the hours of the day when solar rays are at their strongest and most damaging," explains Anna Maria Ubbiali. "Where necessary, specially formulated sun creams can be applied to prevent actinic dermatitis, which can subsequently lead to full-blown skin tumours."

Against climate-related problems, homoeopathy also comes to our aid, both for acute conditions and in cases of chronic illness. The choice of the most suitable homoeopathic remedy is always made on the basis of a clinical examination, a diagnosis of the condition in question and a thorough individual assessment. Once what needs to be treated has been established, selecting the remedy best suited to the patient allows them to be brought back close to their natural equilibrium. "With regard to climate variability, which affects the proper functioning of the joints, Rhus tox is administered in cases of lameness in the cold that improves with walking; Symphytum when the pain occurs on weight-bearing of a limb; and Ruta graveolens, finally, when faced with extreme weakness in a paw," explains Mauro Dodesini, veterinary surgeon specialising in homoeopathy.

The "disrupted" climate also causes respiratory illnesses with persistent coughs, tracheitis that refuses to heal, and sore throats. In her book Cure naturali e alimentazione, Laura Cutullo recommends, for coughs and laryngitis, the glyceric macerate of rosehip (ten to forty drops depending on the animal's size, added to food for several days); a teaspoon of honey with a small amount of purified propolis for internal use dissolved in it (three drops per teaspoon); or polygala syrup (half to two teaspoons, three times a day). To neutralise free radicals, which damage cell membranes, administering antioxidant substances is also highly beneficial, such as vitamin A (beta-carotene), zinc, selenium and the all-important vitamin C. Fish oil will also be an important aid for our four-legged friend. Every treatment, however, must be undertaken on the basis of the vet's recommendations who, drawing on a thorough case history of the individual animal, will prescribe, within the field of supplementation, those products and substances best suited to ensuring the wellbeing of our beloved companion.