I don't know that treated lumber causes cancer. Lots of dogs have been diagnosed with cancer that were never exposed to treated lumber. If anybody knew what really causes cancer, we could probably cure it, instead of just cutting it out or subjecting it to radiation and chemo that also kills healthy cells along with the cancerous ones.

I do believe that treated lumber could poison a dog, if it ingested the chemicals by licking or chewing the boards. I would also believe a dog could have an allergy to the treated lumber.

 

Treated lumber isn't good for dogs, or people, for that matter, but you would have to ingest it, most likely. If you put it down wet, it will off-gas some of the nasties (including arsenic) but unless he is in an enclosed space, it shouldn't be a big deal.

There are lots of carcinogens out there. Hard to pick just one.

 

Treated lumber used to contain arsenic, I believe it is now and has been for a while illegal to make treated lumber with arsenic. It did indeed poison some dogs, but the ones I know about ingested it, shavings from construction, tennis balls rolled in the shavings, chewing on leftover pieces of wood kind of thing. A mother Lab and her two adult offspring, suffered various maladies (none cancer), couldn't diagnose, one went blind, they all died within a couple of years, it was too late by the time they figured out the treated lumber/arsenic connection. I learned just enough working for a vet to make myself somewhat paranoid when it comes to things that might happen to my dogs.

 

Treated lumber (old style) does cause cancer. When we did heavy marine construction, every load of wood we got had a disclaimer that had to be signed before it came off the truck.

The lumber sold at Lowe's, etc was treated at .40 - ours was 2.0 and dripping with stuff that would eat the skin right off your hands.

 

My last dog, Harry, died of cancer at the age of 9. He had spent his entire life with my husband on construction jobs, (or fishing), and regularly ate shavings and such. I was always far more concerned about the digestive problems, but now I think I have just learned a much darker consequence. Maybe his death was not as random as I thought. God I miss that dog.

 

I have been using a treated plywood kennel floor for about 12 years now and one of the dogs pulled strips of wood up from the floor and yes she ate it and she is 12 years old and healthy, knock on wood (pun intended). This is the best option for me. I live on rented property and puring a slab is not an option. I have 2 dogs one 12 the other is 7 neither have any health problems. I not saying that the wood or the chemicals can not cause cancer I'm saying my dogs have had no issues, and Lord willing will never have that issue.