Web site exposes toxic chemicals in pet toys

October 29, 4:03 PMTampa Pet Rescue ExaminerBruny Hudson

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Tampa Pet Rescue Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

The Center for Environmental Health in Oakland, Calif., recently expanded its research in product toxicity to a greater selection of goods, entrusting the Ecological Center (E.C.) in Michigan with the results’ publication. The E.C., a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental health, has opened its new Web site HealthyStuff.org to serve as a database for chemical components of everyday products, including pet supplies and pet toys.

HealthyStuff.org lists the levels of several toxic chemicals, such as lead, mercury, arsenic, chlorine, bromine and cadmium among others. It gives a rating system ranking the amount of the chemicals that poses a risk to people or pets and notes the harmful health effects resulting from the chemicals’ exposure.

Toxic chemicals in pet supplies or pet toys can cause a variety of symptoms and diseases in pets if the pets come in close contact with the offending material. Also, exposing pets to those chemicals on a regular basis will allow for a poison to accumulate in their bodies over time. Mouth ulcers, allergies and cancer are the most common dangers from any material containing toxic chemicals if pets have access to it.

While some manufacturers in the pet supply and pet toy market, which has remained unregulated as to chemical components, assert the safety of their products, some retailers heed the caution of veterinarians and environmental advocates. They conduct their own toxicity tests and apply the same standards for offering articles for pets as they would for humans.

In regard to the still lacking governmental oversight concerning pet supplies and the ensuing threats to pets, as the deadly pet poisoning by supplies coming from China in recent years has shown, HealthyStuff.org not only fills a void but also gives pet owners the tool to make an informed decision about what articles would be appropriate for their pets. Since the site lists an extensive amount of common products besides the more than 400 pet products, pet owners can also find out if the tennis ball or Frisbee, for example, their dogs like to chase and chew on creates a greater hazard than it provides pleasure.


For more information, go to:
http://www.healthystuff.org/