The toys you give your dog to chew may contain chemicals that could be deadly! Learn how to choose toys that are safe for your pooch.
A warning has been issued to dog owners by The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. This is because recent research has found that some dog toys contain harmful chemicals. Chemicals that could even be deadly.
These chemicals are found in some plastic dog toys. They are phthalates and bisphenol. They have been banned for use in the production of products for humans due to the health problems they can cause, but as yet they have not been banned in the manufacturer of dog toys.
When you think about how long your dog spends, loving their toys… with their mouth, you’ll see how worrying that is! All that chewing and licking! The problem is, you buy toys for your dog to chew, but experiments have shown that it is this chewing action that releases these potentially dangerous chemicals.
Related: How to Clean Your Dog’s Toys
So the more worn your dog’s toys are, the more dangerous they could be! Researchers have found that the type of toy most likely to contain these chemicals is the training bumper toy. The plastic stick that is often used to train puppies to fetch. It was also found that the level of chemicals found in a toy may be safe for one breed of dog, but dangerous for another.
So how can you avoid these chemical ridden toys?
When choosing your toys, smell them, you might look a bit odd, but it could keep your dog safe, so it’s worth looking a bit silly for! If the toy has a strong chemical smell then put it back and choose a different toy that doesn’t smell so strong.
If a toy is labelled as being stain resistant or fire retardant then this is also a warning sign. The chemicals used to give the toys these extra properties can also be poisonous to your pup.
Related: Top 10 Fetching Dog Toys for Holiday Giving
Signs That It’s Time to Replace Your Dog’s Toy
Are you looking at your dog’s toys after reading this, wondering if it’s time to replace your dog’s favorites? Not replacing worn-out toys can cause more harm than good! Your dog will get over the loss of their favorite toy, but they may not survive exposure to these chemicals or the choking hazard that a worn-out toy can create. Here are some tips to help you decide if it’s time for your dog’s toy to go.
Pieces Falling Off (or Already Gone)
Is your dog’s favorite toy missing pieces? If so, there’s a good chance that it’s past it’s prime and it’s time to look at replacing it. Dog toys are designed with different levels of durability, but one thing is true across the spectrum – once that surface has been compromised, they are far more likely to get more pieces off the toy moving forward.
This includes the removal of large pieces, like the leg of an animal shaped toy, smaller pieces like the nubs often found on dental toys, or any toy where your dog has carefully (or not so carefully) taken the squeaker out.
Scratches, Cracks, or Dents
You may look at your dog’s favorite rubber chew toy and see nothing but a crack down one side and think nothing of it. While he’s not physically getting pieces off the toy, that crack could still put his health and safety at risk! Cracks, scratches, and dents create new areas for grime and bacteria to hide, grow, and thrive. When your dog chews on or licks their toy, they are now exposing themselves to all the risks associated with the bacteria that has collected there.
These are also the areas on your dog’s favorite toy where there is a higher risk of the chemicals in question here being released. Why? As your dog is chewing, the fact that their teeth can make their way into cracks and dents that aren’t supposed to be there means that they can wear down the toy faster, releasing more harmful chemicals.
Sharp Points or Edges
While this point doesn’t apply to the risks of chemical exposure, it’s also a point that should be considered. If your dog has broken a piece off their favorite chew toy, it may leave a sharp point or edge exposed in its place. This is a risk that is associated mostly with hard plastic toys.
These sharp edges and points can cut the inside of your dog’s mouth. Not only is that type of injury uncomfortable or painful, but it also puts your dog at a higher risk of infection.
Consider all the potential dirt and bacteria that enters your dog’s mouth daily – chewing their toys, eating, cleaning their paws, or playing with other dogs. An open cut or puncture in their mouth is a hot spot for these bacteria to cause abscesses or infections. Hidden away inside your dog’s mouth, you are also less likely to notice that something is off until the infection progresses enough to cause noticeable pain or an unpleasant odor.
Do some research. Check out the website of toy manufacturers and read labels. It’s best to save up and buy your dog one good quality and safe toy, than a few cheap low quality ones that could be unsafe.
Replace your dog’s toys regularly. The research into this issue showed that the toys got more dangerous the older and more worn they got. So treat your dog to a new toy and get rid of the old ones on a regular basis.