Dog Toys from China - The Alternatives

Posted by Clare Bristow

dog-and-chew-toy

I'd like to thank everyone who commented on my article Dog Toys from China - Why We Should be Worried. I was horrified by the number of you whose dogs have been suffering inexplicable seizures and which are now on long term medication to control them.

The common denominator appears to be dog toys purchased from a variety of stores, and all of which were manufactured in China.

In response to Theresa's question yesterday as to whether there is a list of toys that have been recalled, I've found what I can on the toys recalled, and put together a list of toys that are manufactured in the US which you may feel are safer to give your dogs to play with.
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Filed Under Dog Care, Blog

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Lead in Dog Toys - DIY Test Kits Unreliable

Posted by Clare Bristow

Given the recent toy recalls it's understandable that people are buying DIY lead testing kits to see if their dogs' toys have dangerous levels of lead in them.

I had a quick look at one web site this evening, and it boldly states: "Attn: Parents and Grandparents! Test all your kid's toys using our lead test kit. Simply dab on the surface and look for a color change!"

Before you rush out and buy one of these kits, please be aware that a recent test by US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff has found that DIY lead testing kits produce unreliable results.

In fact the CPSC has carried out intermittent tests on home lead detector kits since 1992, and the results have always been the same - these kits are not reliable.

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Keywords: dog toys, lead in dog toys, lead test kits, toys from China

Filed Under Dog Toys, Blog

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Dog Toys - the Unregulated Market

Posted by Clare Bristow

dog-with-ball The latest report by ConsumerAffairs.com has highlighted that there is no regulatory control of dog toys (or any pet products) in the United States - I don't know what the situation is in other countries.

According to a spokesperson from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the FDA does not regulate dog toys, nor are they aware of any Government agency that has such regulatory powers.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) can only regulate those pet products that are shown to put consumers at risk.

Why is lack of regulation a concern? Currently the acceptable levels of toxins for dog toys appears to be based on human data.

"If you're dealing with a teacup-size dog you can't assume that what's safe for a 20-pound child is safe for a three- to ten-pound dog" said a spokesperson for ExperTox, the laboratory that recently tested Chinese made dog products for ConsumerAffairs.com.

That's common sense isn't it? So why aren't there guidelines on the acceptable level of toxins in pet products? I think the answers are that nobody has given much thought to it before, it's too expensive to do the research, and who's going to raise the question anyway?

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Keywords: Dog Health, dog toy safety, dog toys, lead in dog toys, PetSmart dog toys

Filed Under Dog Health, Blog