By Timm Otterson, DVM and PEF President
The media is starting to sound like a broken record when it comes to toxic products from China. Veterinarians and pet owners remember well the deaths and illness caused by melamine-tainted pet food in 2007. Parents will recall the lead-tainted Mattel toy cars and Thomas the Tank Engine train toys from China that followed. Now pet owners and parents get to worry together about the recent study published by ConsumerAffairs.com demonstrating lead, chromium, arsenic, cadmium, and/or mercury in pet toys from China.
To summarize the report, ConsumerAffairs.com hired forensic toxicologist Ernest Lykissa, Ph. D., of ExperTox Analytic Laboratory in Texas to test four toys (two for cats, two for dogs) purchased off the shelf in a big-box store for toxins. He found significant levels of lead and chromium in a "green monster" dog toy along with traces of arsenic and mercury, and also found "a tremendous amount" of cadmium in a cloth catnip toy. The other two toys had negligible amounts of cadmium. In the report, the toxicologist listed the known effects of such heavy metals which include brain damage, heart disease, cancer, kidney damage, lung disease, joint damage and on and on. What should be most troubling to pet owners is they tested only the surface of these toys. Who knows what more comprehensive tests would find?
What's a pet owner (or a veterinarian for that matter) to do? How wide spread is the problem? Why on earth would chromium be in pet toys? Isn't the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) monitoring these toys for safety? When a young pet suddenly dies of an organ failure, was it caused by his "squeaky toy"?
We do not actually know how widespread the problem is because no agency in this country is actively regulating and testing these products. Since these toys do come in contact with (and get chewed on) by children, the CPSC is in charge of regulating them. Unfortunately, in the current era of deregulation, the CPSC has been essentially dismantled and can no longer inspect even a fraction of products imported. Manufacturers in China (and other countries) fabricate an enormous range of products with a wide range of safety concerns and what may be tolerable guidelines for a material in an industrial application may not be acceptable for something your pet (or child) will suck on.
In addition, as sophisticated as modern medicine has become, the myriad of factors that lead to disease is so complicated that we just do not know what the toxic threshold is for most poisons, even the common ones such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. For that matter, veterinary toxicologists disagree (as is pointed out in the article on ConsumerAffairs.com) about the actual toxicity of these metals at the concentrations they are detected in toys, food, water, etc...
In response to this recent article and public concerns, the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center (which fields thousands of toxic exposure questions from owners and veterinarians every year) has released a statement at www.apcc.org stating that many pet products have measurable quantities of toxins in them and the long term effects are simply not known.
I address this topic not to alarm pet owners but to inform you that, in an increasingly globalized world, the objects that we bring into our homes are not without risk. What should you look for as you shop for furry family members? I suggest you try to keep it simple but research what you buy. Purchase toys locally from known sources or get creative and make them yourself.
Most chew toys for dogs are safe, but given the variety chew toys on the market, I suggest you consult your veterinarian regarding the dental and dietary needs of your individual dog. Grow catnip for cats in your garden. My rabbit's favorite treat is fresh vegetables from my local farmer's market. And remember that not all products from overseas are risky, but they sure have a lousy track record lately.
Image: Mr. Pickles
I look at what I buy for my dogs. www.westpawdesign.com They have great products, some are sold at Animal Outfitters.