Your Couch Might Be Making Your Dog Sick

When the weather gets hot many dogs prefer to spend their day curled up on the couch, and if that couch happens to be more than seven years old, it could cause health problems for your pooch.

Couches and chairs made before 2004 were treated with a flame-retardant chemical called PBDE, and according to a study in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, this chemical can enter the bloodstream of animals and cause health problems. Humans can be affected by this as well, but studies showed that PBDE levels in dogs tested were 5 to 10 times higher than in people.

PBDE has been taken off the market since 2004, but many people who have older sofas and own pets may want to consider buying newer furniture.