Supporting Pets after Wildfires

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The recent wildfires in Los Angeles were an unprecedented event, leaving us with concerns about the impact on both our health as well as the health of our pets. While the full extent of the toxicity won’t be known for a while, I’ve received some inquiries from clients seeking guidance on how to navigate the aftermath.

In response, I’ve put together some resources and practical information on how to navigate these next few months as well as future wildfire events.

I have divided this information into 3 separate posts:

General information about air quality, water quality and bathing pets after exposure
Supporting lung health and organs of detoxification
Flower Essences for grief, trauma and life changes

Here is the first article in this series:

General Information about Air Quality, water quality and bathing pets after exposure

Outdoor Air Quality

In the aftermath of the wildfires, there has been a discussion that the AQI (or the Air Quality Index), which is a good reflexion of air quality in normal times, might not be as accurate after an urban wildfire. Since buildings, cars and other materials have more chemicals and toxins compared to trees and brush, the toxic air and ash may be more dangerous compared to a normal wildfire.

While I am not an air quality expert, I thought that both of these resources were helpful:

Here is an article that explains how to understand air quality after the wildfires: https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/article/ash-below-blue-sky-above-is-the-air-safe/

The Coalition for Air quality recorded two webinars interviewing experts on this topic: https://www.ccair.org/wildfire-and-smoke-safety-resources/. I have not been able to find transcripts or summaries of these videos, but if someone is able to share those in the comments, I am happy to update and link to them here.

The general rule, for both people and pets, is to stay indoors as much as possible during and after a wildfire. If the AQI looks good but you are seeing floating ash or smell smoke outside, it is still better to limit time outdoors. Animals are susceptible to the same pollutants and toxins as humans.

While not all dogs will tolerate wearing a mask, they are available for pets. Here’s one option:

K9 Mask Extreme Breathe Filter Shop here
See how Dr. Lindsay Wendt trained her dog to wear one.

If your dog has respiratory or cardiac issues, consider training them to wear a mask ahead of time to prepare for future emergencies.

Indoor Air Quality

For indoor air quality, there are two filter systems to pay attention to. Given that LA doesn’t have great air in general, this is probably a good practice regardless.

If you have a central heating or air, check that your air filters are MERV 13 or higher.

Central Air Systems

Replace air filters with ones rated MERV 13 or higher to capture finer particles.
Change your filters regularly and more frequently after a wildfire.

Here is a short video recording of how to find the MERV rating on an air filter:

(I was surprised at how many of the air filters at the local hardware store were lower than MERV 13 rating.)

Some older AC/Heat units may not be able to function well with a MERV 13 filter. Make sure to ask a specialist about this before you change your filters.

Here is more information on this topic:

https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/fact-sheets/air-cleaning-devices-home

Free-Standing Air Purifiers

There are many great options available for free standing HEPA filters. If you are having trouble deciding or don’t have time to research, based on Wirecutter’s recommendations , the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty is a good choice for wildfire smoke.

I also recommend looking at wirecutter’s other articles where they tested masks, wet mops and other essentials for home cleanup post-wildfires: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/air-purifier-wildfire-smoke/.

Protecting Paws from Toxic Ash

Ash from wildfires can contain harmful chemicals. As some experts have pointed out, rain will help dilute and minimize the exposure to the ash. However, as things dry out and the air moves again, it may reexpose us and our pets to the toxic chemicals.

I found this study that looked at best practices for cleaning human skin after exposure to asbestos. This study found that running water was the best way to decontaminate skin after exposure to asbestos.

It also found that wiping the skin after asbestos exposure was not recommended because you risk pushing asbestos into the skin.

Many pet owners use baby wipes or a damp towel to wash their pet’s paws. Based on the study mentioned above, it may be better to set up a washing station near the door and use running water rather than using towel or wipe.

Limitations of this study: This study was done in people. Dogs have thicker paws and also hair protecting their skin, so the risk of pushing contaminants in is likely lower. However, given the information about asbestos, washing might be better than wiping for these type of contaminants.

This study also only looked only at asbestos. There are other toxins in the wildfire ash besides just asbestos. This study found that washing with soap/shampoo didn’t make a difference. However, adding some shampoo or soap is still recommended since we don’t know the extent of the other contaminants present in the ash.

Here is a mild, natural shampoo that you can consider: 4-legger.com.

Collapsable tubs are available on amazon and other places. Here is one that we use in the clinic: https://amzn.to/40P16D3

We made a short video of how to set up a wash station and wash paws after coming back from walks.

Increase Bathing Frequency:

Normally I don’t recommend weekly bathing for pets, as you risk stripping beneficial oils off the skin and making your pet’s skin too dry. However, given this unusual circumstance and the potential risks associated with this toxic ash, it might be beneficial to wash your pets more often frequently in the coming months. Once a week is probably sufficient depending on your pet’s exposure and how close you live to the burn areas.

Water Quality

There is concern that our water quality might also be affected. I know that this is not a perfect solution, but I have purchased these testing water strips and test my water quality once a week: https://amzn.to/4gqkEnj. There are other similar products available with some that focus more on heavy metals. I am mainly looking at the lead amounts with this method. If lead or other contaminants are suddenly showing high on the strips, it would alert me to be more cautious with the water.

The coalition for air quality also tackled this topic in their webinars linked to above.

Drinking water for pets: I would not recommend giving pets tap water at this time (or ever on a regular basis). Only give water that has been filtered. This is a longer topic, but one that I will return to in a later post.

Final Thoughts

While much remains unknown about the long-term effects of the wildfires’ pollution, hopefully some of these small tips can help offer some guidance.

If you have further questions or need specific advice, feel free to leave a comment.

In the meantime, here is a link to the next post in this series: Supporting lung health and organs of detoxification after wildfires