This family of organic compounds is often used in conjunction with phthalates or PVC plastics. About half the products had lead levels above the standards set for children’s toys. In a study conducted by The Ecology Centre between 20, 48% percent of products tested contained lead.
Long known as a neurotoxin that interferes with development and cognitive functions, lead is more of an issue in older products, but it is still used in some new imported, painted toys. Linked to forms of cancer and endocrine disruption, BPA is a controversial substance currently under review in a variety of circles. BPAĪdded to phthalates to stop them from breaking down, Bisphenol-A (BPA) comes with a list of harms all its own. The Whole Dog Journal previously identified six different types of phthalates that have been banned by the EU for use in children’s toys, but which are still present in many pet toys. Dogs most easily absorb phthalates because they bite, chew, lick, and nose whatever they play with. This ingredient is known to cause problems to the kidneys, liver, and reproductive systems. If your dog or cat toys continue to smell over time, they contain a high level of phthalates. Phthalates give vinyl its characteristic smell. If you’re ever wondering if your new dog toy contains phthalates, give it a sniff. These same ingredients have been proven to interfere with child development, so avoiding them in toys given to puppies is even more important. And this is behaviour your pet engages in regularly. The ingredients used to soften PVC can also be harmful to your pet, especially when chewed up, licked, nosed, and inhaled. Less than 1% of PVC-otherwise known simply as ‘vinyl’-is suitable for recycling. These same ingredients also prevent it from being used again.
PVC has been called the ‘poison plastic’ because so many of its ingredients are known to leach out throughout its life cycle. Here are some of the plastics and plastic additives that have been found in pet toys over the last decade.ĭangerous Plastics and Plastic Additives Found in Pet Toys PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) But while these products have been under increasing scrutiny for use in children’s toys, pet toys are still flying under the radar-even though many of the tests used to draw these conclusions were performed on animals. The result is that pet toys purchased today could contain a cocktail of chemicals, many of which you’ve likely heard about because they’ve been banned from appearing in products that come into contact with children. 8 Common Household Chemicals Harming Your Pets and Their Non-toxic Alternatives.The Hidden Cost of Shopping in Dollar Stores.Instead the government prefers to let manufacturers regulate themselves. There are some places you can look to find out if your pet’s toys have been tested for safety, but no one is watching what companies are putting into their products. is responsible for safeguarding the levels of known toxins in pet products. But despite this, no regulatory body in the U.S. If he was chewing, and possibly even ingesting, bits and pieces of his mostly plastic toys, what were those materials doing to his developing digesting system, not to mention the rest of his body? Could those less-than-natural ingredients cause him issues down the road?Īccording to insight from studies around the world, some plastics and their additives can harm our pets. But, as time went on, we began to find his appetite for flaying his toys a little worrisome.