养宠物对于人类健康的一个重要好处可能是作为幼年室内暴露于有毒化学物质（如全氟和聚氟烷物质（PFAS））的预警系统。PFAS的防污特性和环境稳定性使它们成为保护涂层和润滑剂的首选，多年来在全球各种制造和工业过程中被广泛使用。尽管PFAS的使用可以说改善了许多商业产品，但与不良健康结果（如发育迟缓、肝损伤、免疫抑制、内分泌和生殖系统紊乱以及某些癌症）有关。目前的研究表明，猫狗血清PFAS水平类比于人类同类群体，并且家庭宠物的血液化学标志物经历相似改变。幼儿和家庭宠物接近PFAS处理的地毯和地板，加上他们喜欢将东西放进嘴里的习惯，使得宠物有可能作为家庭PFAS暴露的哨兵。为了评估宠物作为暴露指标的适用性，研究人员需要了解家庭宠物暴露于PFAS的最可能来源，并确定这些动物的生物效应生物标志物。了解这些参数可以警告兽医临床医生在家庭中的潜在污染源，并最终保护那里居住的儿童和动物的生命。

One of the important human health benefits of keeping pets may be to serve as an early warning system for indoor childhood exposure to toxic chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The stain-resistant properties and environmental stability of PFAS make them a preferred choice for protective coatings and lubricants, and they have been used for years in various manufacturing and industrial processes around the world. Although the use of PFAS has arguably improved many commercial products, they have been linked to adverse health outcomes such as developmental delays, liver damage, immune suppression, disruption of endocrine and reproductive systems, and some cancers. The current body of literature suggests that serum PFAS levels in dogs and cats are analogous to their human counterparts and that household pets experience similar changes in blood chemistry markers. The proximity of small children and household pets to PFAS-treated carpets and floors, in addition to their tendency to put things into their mouths, potentially allows pets to serve as sentinels for household PFAS exposure. To assess the suitability of pets as indicators for exposure, researchers need to understand the most likely sources of PFAS exposure for household pets and identify the biomarkers of biological effects in those animals. Understanding these parameters may alert veterinary clinicians to potential sources of contamination in the home and ultimately protect the lives of the children and animals who live there.