Toxic Dog Toys

By Teri Salvador
The list seems to be expanding of products allowed into North America that are have been laboratory tested to be extremely toxic, therefore dangerous to children and pets.
Someone said a month ago that the pet food announcements of March, 2007 were just the tip of the iceberg and I would say that person was aware of the lack of safety protocols in China. Expert analysis conducted by Expertox a company in Texas established in 1996 that have over fifty years of environmental assessments tested pet toys sold in Walmart.
Expertox claims the results show these pet toy products contain elevated levels of deadly toxins. You have to wonder why Mattel recalled millions of its toys for children that contained lead paint made in China and still we are selling toxic toys for pets. One can assume that the levels of lead are not safe for children but are safe for our family pets. Of course, two Veterinarians dispute the findings from the Texas lab claiming these levels pose no real threat to cats and dogs. I wonder whether the veterinarians had fifty years of environmental safety assessments and where they received this education. Veterinarians really should stick to what they do best, and that is to try to help pets live a longer healthy life not a quick death.
Just as children put toys in their mouths, dogs and cats also play in this manner and that is how the chemicals are ingested into the bloodstream through their saliva. In doing this, the pet is exposed to heavy metal toxins that can cause death and is harmful to dog health.
The tests also revealed high levels of arsenic, mercury, cadmium as well as lead, so it is a combo platter of lethal chemicals.
CAT TOYS CONTAINING CADMIUM:
We are all familiar with those cloth cat toys that contain catnip, which they found high levels of cadmium. In addition, a plastic toy for cats that looks like a dumbbell also was found to be tainted.
DOG TOYS CONTAINING CADMIUM:
A Walmart toy made of cloth that looks like a hedgehog contained high levels of cadmium. These are sold almost everywhere today besides Walmart, and Petsmart even the Dollar Stores are filled with these products on every street corner.
If you were to import any products to Europe, you would have to do your research and prove your products meet the ROHS Directives set out by the EU legislation. These directives called "Restriction of Hazardous Substances", set very high standards for Mercury, Lead, Cadmium, Chromium and Bromine Flame Retardants. You would have to demonstrate that you have complied with these strict regulations before your products would be allowed into European countries including detailed product analysis. I doubt whether these products would have met the European Union standards, however they are welcomed into the US and Canada.
Since we cannot rely on importers, our governments should be doing the screening of products before they enter the country not after they are on the shelves. I would think we would be checking for shipments due to terrorist's attacks anyway we might as well inspect how they were manufactured in the country of origin. Companies buying these products from overseas manufacturers could have conducted their own screening, however most are in denial that there is a problem for obvious reasons.
There is a device called XRF Screening, which detects lead in any product and instead of each of us buying one of these - the government should be purchasing such products to protect its own population.
After all, we will be all using hospitals, drugs and medicine to cure our children and pets of lead poisoning and that costs a lot of money. If your dog exhibits these symptoms, please take it to the nearest vet for blood tests and a check up.
Signs of Lead Poisoning:
Vomiting, Poor Appetite, Diarrhea, Lethargy, Abnormal Behavior and eventually Seizures. How common are these symptoms these days?
Drugs are used to "chelate" chemicals like lead or mercury by binding to them and they are excreted out of your pet's system. Lead poisoning may kill your pet so check where your toys came from and then check your dog.
There are also herbs that can detox your pet from harmful chemicals. Chemicals tend to intensify in the liver and gentle herbs can help with cleansing them out of the body. What is Cadmium and why is it so dangerous? Cadmium as defined by the US Department of Agriculture is an extremely toxic chemical found in the industrial paint industry and found in batteries. Cadmium is a known cause of cancer. The lead is in the paint used to coat toys that your dog is putting in its mouth.
On September 11, 2007, China signed an agreement with the US that prohibits them from using lead paint. I do not believe other chemicals were included in this agreement. However, it appears to be a slap on the hand that feeds you. As we have allowed our manufacturing jobs to go overseas, we are paying the price in cheap, dangerous products coming back into our country and killing our kids and pets. The list of contaminated products from China continues to grow, and now includes:
Toys for children
Toys for pets
Pet foods
People foods
Fish
Jewelry
If Beijing is increasing inspections of their own products, when will the US and Canada start inspecting imported products? What is really puzzling is how this invasion of deadly products was allowed to occur because lead paint has been banned since 1978 which is over 30 years ago?
A lady from Illinois was worried about her Shelties playing with these toys she purchased so she hired a lab in Illinois to do testing on 24 dog toy products.
She has lost 3 Sheltie dogs over the past four years and that is a very high number of deaths. Her elderly mother noticed all the dog toys were made in China. The Illinois Department of Agriculture decided they were in the acceptable limits of levels of lead. What is so acceptable about levels of lead? The lab in Illinois found that a tennis ball from Petsmart tested 355 times higher than the amount found in the lab in Texas.
Dr. Ernest Lykissa, a PHD from Expertox in Texas reported that a dog playing with this tennis ball is getting a good dose of lead.
A latex green monster toy tested 907.4 micrograms of lead, that's is almost 1 part per million, a very high content. It also tested at 334.9 micrograms of chromium which is also high.
As an old railroad engineer once said after a major train wreck, " Someone was asleep at the switch".
If you continue to purchase lead tainted toys the imports will continue as well. It would depend on how much you really love your pet.Teri Salvador is a freelance writer with a site concentrating primarily on dog health issues that offers frequently updated articles on natural remedies, pet product reviews and current articles on pet foods. Also added sections on Horses, Cats and Reptiles. Visit: http://www.DogHealth1.com
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Dogs Best Deal - Wholesale Dog Toys

By Garcia Smith
As dog owners, you buy toys to entertain this playful friend and to show your love. But dogs are like children and like all children they like to play a lot! These lovable four-legged friends always expect you and your children to play with them as well. You cannot always be there for your pets all of the time, then you can keep them amused with quality dog toys.
Your pet dog almost certainly gets bored to tears easily and needs dog toys to distract them from finding your valuables to pass the time away. As an alternative to finding your the little beloveds shred the throw pillows on the couch or gnawing on the table legs, purchase lots of dog toys instead. The wholesale dog toy market offers a multitude of dog toy options to entertain your doggie friend that vary in product line, shapes and sizes, and your dog will find them all irresistible!
A dog without any toys will without doubt turn its interest to your posh shoes, comfy slippers, favourite bags, and valuable furniture. If destruction of dog toys is your pet dog expertise, then keeping a stash of dog toys handy will save you the inconvenience of having to buy a new toy every moment you spin around.
You can make various choices from a variety of toys including hard and soft rubber balls, dental health toys, braided ropes, fetch toys, talking toys, rubber rings, puffy and furry animal toys. Toys can come be stuffed or made up of latex, vinyl, nylon, or rubber, but what is really most important is that they are safe and durable.
If your pet is very young and teething, you should seriously consider buying wholesale dog toys. One of their inescapable behaviours is chewing and nipping. You can purchase at wholesale prices and save some money at the same time that are great, top-quality and sturdy dog toys. By starting your search online you can breakdown the wholesale price of dog toys and find an affordable price.
You can equally entertain your pet while saving lot of money by buying dog toys at discounted wholesale prices that gives huge discounts and a whole lot of toys. Purchasing large volumes of discounted dog toys will not only make great gifts as well make it possible for you to share the dog toys with the pets of your friends and family. Buying dog toys in bulk and having a collection of playthings, your dog will never be idle again.Gracia is an expert on buying wholesale from 100% verified wholesale suppliers. See more on Salehoo wholesale suppliers.
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Dog Training Made Easy!

By James Falken
All dogs are different and the interaction with you the owner is very unique. Some training methods may work better than others for you and your dog. Good results in dog training require large doses of consistency, timing, patience, control and methods.
Getting your dog's attention is one of the most important aspects of dog training. There are a number of ways you can get a dog's attention, and you should be sure to praise your dog for paying attention. Reward training is recommended by many trainers. Rewards are given in association with a correct movement. Rewards are given in food and a pat.
In the beginning food may be given as a reward occasionally to encourage a faster sit movement. Food will also deter boredom in the dog which is a major problem from doing repetition work. No dog is perfect and the same is true with owners. Mistakes of the owner at various times can jeopardize a high prospective dog's behaviour. This can dampen the spirit and the prospect of the training.
Several mistakes during training where every command should be simple, recognizable and a one-word command, is done in the complete opposite manner. Most of us instruct in a harsh tone which confuses the dog This diminishes the dog's spirit and if continued your dog can become aggressive and start biting.
To hit your dog hard is also a big mistake. Physical penalization is not the best solution. Many forms of destruction can take place. Be aware.For More Information on Dog Training visit: http://masterdogtraining.blogspot.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Falken