Expertox Finds Lead, Other Toxins In Wal-Mart Pet Toys
Expertox, a Texas lab, has found elevated levels of lead, chromium, and cadmium in two Chinese-made pet toys sold at Wal-Mart. But two veterinarians said the levels found by the lab are not a health risk to cats and dogs.
The lab was hired by ConsumerAffairs.com to test two dog toys and two cat toys for heavy metals and other toxins.
A dog chew toy, a green monster, tested positive for what the lab categorizes as high levels of lead and chromium. The lab detected lead levels of 907.4 micrograms per kilogram (almost one part per million). Chromium was found at levels of 334.9 micrograms per kilogram. Levels of cadmium, arsenic and mercury were also found in the green monster toy.
The lab said with that kind of concentration, if a dog puts the toy in his mouth and chews or licks it, he is being exposed to a good amount of lead and runs the risk of metal toxicity that may shorten his life.
Expertox said a cloth catnip toy also tested positive for a “tremendous amount” of the toxic metal cadmium. The levels of cadmium found were 236 micrograms per kilogram.
Two other Wal-Mart pet toys were analyzed, a cloth hedgehog for dogs and a plastic dumbbell toy for cats. Expertox found cadmium in those two pet toys, but the lab toxicologist said the levels found were similar to the amount in one cigarette and not considered significant.
The director of Expertox’s lab, forensic toxicologist Dr. Ernest Lykissa, Ph.D., said the levels found in the green monster and catnip toys are potentially toxic. He said Wal-Mart should take these products off of the shelves or put a warning label on the toys saying that they are poisonous.
He added that lead goes to the brain and causes learning disorders in children, and chromium is a cancer producing agent.
Lykissa is worried about the high levels of metals and toxins the lab found in the pet toys.
“These (toxic) materials came off the toys freely, like with the lick of the tongue from a dog or cat,†he said. “They were readily liberated from these toys. We didn’t take a sledge hammer and pound on them. I just did what a dog or cat would do by licking it. That’s why this is so serious.â€
Lykissa added that they didn’t dissolve the toys, but instead the metals and toxins were coming off of the toys. He stated: “Somebody’s saliva or the sweat in their hands would freely pick up these materials. And that’s absorbing it. If you ate the materials, like a dog might, it would be worse.â€
But two veterinarians who saw the lab’s test results disagree. They said the levels of lead and other toxins found in the pet toys should not raise a toxicity concern for dogs and cats.
Dr. Mike Murphy of the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine, who holds a Ph.D. in toxicology, said: “Latex paint can contain one-half to one percent of lead, which is 10,000 parts per million. What he (Dr. Lykissa) is saying is that one part per million is a risk. But latex paint is 10,000 times higher than that and we don’t recognize latex paint as a toxicity risk to dogs and cats. I consider these to be extremely low numbers and they are not a toxicological concern for pet owners.â€
Dr. Fred Oehme from Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine said the toxicity risks to pets from the toys depend on how much is absorbed in their bodies. He said most animals require 30 parts per million of their total daily diet before it results into a problem with lead.
He added: “I think they’re a potential hazard – just like a car can be a potential hazard. The hazard in this case implies how the compound is being used and its availability. I’m more concerned about the lead than the other two (heavy metals). Lead accumulates and if it gets into the body, it builds up.â€
Wal-Mart did not respond to ConsumerAffairs.com when they contacted the company about Expertox’s findings.
Source: ConsumerAffairs.com
(Thanks Jonathan, The Writing On The Wal)
September 17th, 2007 at 7:02 am
Why they paint these toys with anything is just beyond me. The dogs can’t tell what the toy is, it could be a round squeaky ball and they wouldn’t care. All that shape and color stuff is for the humans who buy the danged things.
USA made Kong and rope toys are the only things my dogs play with. Ever since the recall of dog food, ANYTHING Chinese is out of my house food or toy wise. I just refuse to purchase that stuff. If they have no qualms about putting lead in to kids’ toys, they sure as heck are not above putting it in animal toys.
September 17th, 2007 at 7:24 am
Heavy metals in CLOTH toys???
September 17th, 2007 at 7:41 am
Walmart = China = poisoning AGAIN! How do we get the word out to the uniformed millions who continue to shop there without knowing what they truly are buying? Poison is not a bargain at any cost!
September 17th, 2007 at 8:22 am
If folks want to hold Walmart and it’s suppliers’ feet to the fire about these products (and many others), another lab needs to be involved for back-up verification. It’s reached the point where a good lawyer, let alone a brigade of good lawyers as I’m certain Walmart employs, will jump all over the fact that ExperTox is the one and only lab that reports these findings. It may be because a lot of people are using ExperTox now, but this is about perception by the courts and media.
By all means, use ExperTox for testing, but get a second (and third) opinion from other independent labs or this will not go anywhere. If you doubt that, ask yourself when was the last time you saw lab findings about dog food or toys anywhere in the mass media. If multiple labs are used, the story has a much better chance of being picked up by the media and a much better chance of justice being served.
September 17th, 2007 at 10:42 am
Quote: Phoebe, “If you doubt that, ask yourself when was the last time you saw lab findings about dog food or toys anywhere in the mass media.”
Agreed that the confirmation tests are important. With the reports in the media about several labs testing food for pet owners, there surely must be more than one issue impacting publication.
Possibilities:
1.)Some laboratories withhold permission to publish the reports.
2.)There are other valid reasons for test results not being published by anyone other than the pet food companies(no matter the laboratory).
None of which mean the person (pet owner) is involved in a questionable act or that the lab is not credible.
One such reason most likely is that those pet owners having adverse lab test results are consulting an attorney before publishing them and discussing topics such as the implications of:
a.) Public Domain
b.) Litigation (Active, Pending, Future)
c.) Material Witness
September 17th, 2007 at 10:50 am
STOP BUYING THE CRAP. EVERYONE.
September 17th, 2007 at 10:52 am
One of my fears, when they said millions of children’s toys would be recalled due to lead toxins, was that they would be “recycled” for pet toys (or sent to other less particular countries). Aside from using more natural toys like bones, ropes etc. I don’t think any country is getting too worked up over toxins in pet toys, there is very little protection for pets out there.
September 17th, 2007 at 11:03 am
Chemicals ARE used in the manufacturing of cloth.
The dyes (used to color fabric) and sizings (used to stiffen fabric) contain chemicals, some of which may be toxic.
Quilt makers are warned repeatedly to wash all newly purchased fabric in the washing machine before using it.
September 17th, 2007 at 11:16 am
Every time I think it couldn’t get worse, it does. Lethal food, toxic treats, and now poisoned toys. All of my cats’ cloth catnip mice are going into the garbage–purchased at PetSmart, yes, but manufactured in China. They haven’t eaten out of their old pet food bowls for two months now–those of course having also been made in China. I’m using small Corelle bowls for their food, the same ones I’d eat from. Will be searching for cat toys not made in China, but I would imagine that’s going to be difficult since it seems 90% of pet products come from there–not just in WalMart stores, but also PetSmart, Petco, etc. And the media continues to ignore these latest developments–in their minds, the whole thing was resolved months ago. Scary.
September 17th, 2007 at 11:23 am
my wife makes catnip socks for the cats. it’s easy and cheap - get tiny baby socks, organic cat nip, and a bag of pillow stuffing.
put the stuffing and some catnip in the socks, and sew it shut. they’re cute and cost next to nothing to make. and you know where the materials came from.
September 17th, 2007 at 11:31 am
Thanks, Asocial Ape, for the tip on homemade catnip toys. Very easy for even someone who can only sew on a button (which would be me) to make, and baby socks are just the right size. Just have to buy some catnip, which hopefully is one thing not manufactured in China.
September 17th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Asocial Ape,
Thanks. I was about to post the same thing.
Worn out men’s white cotton athletic socks work well too. And you don’t have to sew them. Put the catnip in the toe of a sock and tie a knot in the sock. Then stuff the catnip sock, and two or three other socks into a “cover” sock.
Tie a knot in the “cover” sock about half way down.
My kitties grab onto these and scratch and chew like it’s a prey animal. It’s a hoot!
Forgot to add in previous post:
Watch those dog beds and purr pads, too. There are no safety standards used in their manufacture, so wash them a couple of times in your machine with hot water, 2X amount of detergent, rinse twice, and dry in your dryer.
September 17th, 2007 at 11:56 am
Here’s a link to a University of Tennessee article. It’s about food, not products, but the same principles apply.
Food ingredients can cost less if manufacturing standards are skipped -
http://apacweb.ag.utk.edu/weekpdf/354.pdf
September 17th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Love the catnip sock idea! I had to buy some socks this weekend and just checked the package - sure enough, they’re made in the USA. Hopefully, that’s a good thing. It’s certainly better than China, though.
How about a child’s glove for a catnip toy? Or any other kind of glove. I was just thinking cats might like having those five fingers stuffed with catnip to bat around. :-) I don’t even have a cat right now, but have plenty of friends who do. They’ll love this sock idea!
And Anonymous, I get your point about other reasons affecting publication of problems with pet food/toys in the media, but I’m still sceptical. The media never bothered to correct the “six dogs have died” from tainted pet food misdirection put out by the PR departments of the pet food companies, so nothing less than a barrage of evidence coming in from multiple labs and their clients would spark their interest in this story, again. When it’s just ExperTox over and over again, even the least jaded editor isn’t willing to stick his neck out and approve a follow-up.
Just to be clear: This is no criticism of ExperTox. It’s not their fault that people are choosing to use their labs for tests and then go public (online) with the findings. I just wonder why no one has used another lab and then gone public. Out of all the labs and worried clients in the country, nobody has chosen a lab other than ExperTox to test and then post the results? Not one person? Even the people who don’t come forward themselves but have others do it for them, all seem to use ExperTox. Peculiar, to say the least, and I’m not a mass media outlet with lawyers telling me to be careful what I report.
September 17th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
Catnip is very easy to grow, too, so if you want to be sure of the source, get some seeds or plants and grow it yourself! It works best to grow it outside; although it will grow in a sunny window indoors, the cats will get it before you get enough to dry and stuff into toys. (When I grew it in an apartment, I had to put a wire cage over it.) Follow instructions in any herb book for drying herbs. Farmers’ markets often sell locally-grown fresh and dry catnip too, for those of you who aren’t gardeners.
September 17th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Further from the article on consumeraffairs.com:
“But pet owners shouldn’t be the only ones alarmed by ExperTox’s findings, Doris said. Parents should be worried, too.
“There are children playing with their pets and their pets’ toys,†she said, “and sometimes small children will put their pet’s toys in their mouths.
“Somebody ought to care enough to do something about this.†”
Maybe if a child or adult gets ill from these toys someone in charge will actually take this seriously. This is SO SAD!!
““Although it’s not in the fine print, the CPSC will regulate pet toys as they assume those toys would come in contact with children,†according to a spokeswoman for the American Pet Product Manufacturers Association (APPMA). “
September 17th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
To FURMOM:
NO COUNTRY EXISTS THAT IS LESS PARTICULAR THAN THE U.S.A.! You name the product, and we’re the hazardous waste dump for it!
“One of my fears, when they said millions of children’s toys would be recalled due to lead toxins, was that they would be “recycled†for pet toys (or sent to other less particular countries).” - from Furmom above
September 17th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Phoebe said: This is no criticism of ExperTox. It’s not their fault that people are choosing to use their labs for tests and then go public (online) with the findings. I just wonder why no one has used another lab and then gone public. Out of all the labs and worried clients in the country, nobody has chosen a lab other than ExperTox to test and then post the results? Not one person? Even the people who don’t come forward themselves but have others do it for them, all seem to use ExperTox. Peculiar, to say the least, and I’m not a mass media outlet with lawyers telling me to be careful what I report.
………………………
From what I understand, ExperTox is the only lab people have found that does private testing. Its accreditations are listed at their website:
College of American Pathologist
(CAP- Laboratory Accreditation
Program)
Dept Health & Human Services
(Clinical Lab Improvement Act)
FDEA (Federal Drug Enforcement
Agency)
Drug and Alcohol Testing
Institute of American
Better Business Bureau
Historically Underutilized
Business Certification &
Compliance Program (HUB)
Certified Woman Owned Business
Enterprise
ExperTox is a certified Federal
Small Business Contractor
Some of the university labs that do testing are awarded grant money by various companies, sometimes from the companies whose foods owners want tested — so some owners feel there may be a conflict of interest there. Other labs simply do not do testing for the “average” citizen.
September 17th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Oh my lord I have been buying cloth catnip toys for years. What have I done to my poor cat!! Guess I will be making my catnip toys from now on too. What next?
How dare China do this to us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 17th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
More importantly, Highnote,—-how dare our own Congressmen, Senators, President, and Govt. agencies charged to protect the safety of it’s citizens DO THIS TO US!!!!!!!!!
September 17th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Thank you Consumer Affairs. Everyone, hello? They’re listening AND doing something. Never mind what lab they use or results they get. Debate that all you want.
My support is going to their efforts. Anyone else want to get behind that?
September 17th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
IMHO The reason Expertox is being used for independant testing is that THEY are not willing to be bought out or silenced. They have backed their findings to the limit in the past and have not buckled under to corporation pressures.
If they say they found something then I for one tend to believe them.
September 17th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
And on the Murphy junk quote comparing to amount of lead in latex paint: pets are not (usually) licking latex walls or chewing on them. And heavy metals do accumulate.
September 17th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
“NO COUNTRY EXISTS THAT IS LESS PARTICULAR THAN THE U.S.A.! You name the product, and we’re the hazardous waste dump for it!”
Not quite. What doesn’t pass our inspections, few though they may be, is often dumped on countries that have even less inspections than we do. Money slipped to some third world importer to take a pile of poison junk off a US exporter’s hands is often the way things are done.
September 17th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Scandanavia is very fussy. Most of the countries will block something if they think that it MAY be harmful.
The whaling has to stop!
September 17th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
I urge all of you to check your plates, cups, saucers. If they are from China, I have no reason to doubt that they too are leaching an excessive amount of lead - probably far more than the FDA allows. This stuff isn’t tested either. As usual, their representatives - just like the dog food debacle, state with arrogance that their stuff is FDA approved. Same ol’ BS. We are now smart enough to know that the employees of these companies know absolutely nothing. I spoke with a lead testing insider who basically stated that everything that has been discovered is just the tip of the iceberg. I have no doubt that we all, including our pets, have been exposed to hazardous materials for a very long time…
EMSL at 1-800-220-3675 does lead tesing and you can also get a residential lead screening test at www.leadcheck.com - which can test many different types of materials including ceramics and glazed materials.
September 17th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
As it turns out, I was in the process of ordering a nickel test kit on the site listed above due to my ever worsening nickel sensitivity. so what they hey, I bought a lead test kit as well.
I wonder how many of those nice plates and bowls I have for the kitties that will test positive. I’ll let you know the results.
September 17th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
This isn’t just an issue for the safety of our pets, but also an issue with the safety of our children (that includes all children in this country who pick up the pets’ toys).
September 17th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
thank god I make my own cat toys
September 17th, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Cadmium in pet toys, yuck! Cadmium is used for : Ni-cd batteries, Some control rods and shields in nuclear reactors , black and white tv’s, stabilizers pvc, etc. according to http://www.webelements.com/web...../uses.html also www.camb.org.uk/chemicals/comp.....nUses.html I wonder what else it is put in ? Is there any chance any of these pet products are radio active?
September 17th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Interesting…China is doing a better job refusing our crap than we are refusing theirs:
http://ap.google.com/article/A.....4HpcPV-jxg
September 17th, 2007 at 6:07 pm
“Cadmium in pet toys, yuck!”
i’ve been wondering about the pigments they use as some can be unhealthy. these toxins could be in fabrics and plastics along with painted and glazed items. pretty creepy if you think about it too much . . .
September 17th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
“Rice said the AQSIQ director, Wang Daning, told him last week that he mobilized every available employee to minimize delays for shippers, sending people who work at desk jobs to join the agency’s 7,000 field inspectors.”
and how many inspectors do we have?!
September 17th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
“and how many inspectors do we have?!”
not nearly enough!
September 17th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
I agree- stop buying ALL crap! Trade with China needs to stop- they demonstrate wanton disregard for safety, period. I now trust no one in the pet industry and keep toys simple/washable. I cook my own dogfood. I won’t even board anyone- I’d rather pay through the nose for a close friend to petsit!
September 17th, 2007 at 9:36 pm
5catMom you are wrong quilt makers differ on whether or not you should wash the fabric before you make your quilts . Even the programs on Public Television differ in points of view.. I have quilted for 50 years and have used washed and unwashed point is I don’t chew on the fabric and wash my hands and use a non staining hand creme.
September 17th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
To Itchmo Admin…
The link for this article in the latest pet safety alert email does not link here. It links to a very old article from April about melamine crystals.
I sent the link out with the forwarded email alert as written, then I discovered when clicking on it this new article does not appear but the April article links instead….even tho the link “appears” correctly on the email itself.
Can you fix it? Those (new) receivers will be very confused. I was, and I have been here for 6 months.
Just FYI
ITCHMO ADMIN: Martha, we checked the link on the latest pet safety alert email, and it seems to be linking to the correct article. Perhaps it was a temporary glitch when you tried the link.
September 17th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
Did you try the one at the end of the article?
ITCHMO ADMIN: We tried both links on the safety alert, and they both linked to the correct article.
September 17th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
I only tested this one at the end of the email alert. It is still connecting to the melamine article.
Sent e-mail message reads thusly…
Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.itchmo.com/expertox.....t-toys-287
September 18th, 2007 at 2:09 am
I figured this would happen with pet toys (put them all away) but never ever thought cloth catnip toys. What about our cloth toys for the dogs? My babies like playing with their toys. I guess we have to start making them too. I don’t think they will be happy till we are all sick or 6 ft. under, then where will they make their money?
Thanks for all the great ideas about the socks & gloves. I’m going out & look for catnip plants. Does any one know if you can dry it in a dehydrator & then use the washed racks for food? My books say you can dry flowers but I never have.
September 18th, 2007 at 4:02 am
[…] that they are in the process of reviewing Expertox’s lab results of elevated levels of lead, chromium and cadmium being found in two China-made pet toys sold at […]
September 18th, 2007 at 5:55 am
CHINA-MART - don’t care about it’s customers, just there bottom line.
I’v been doing my shopping at Target, Shop-Ko ect.
I don’t shop at China-Mart since the first pet food re-call,
so if you do, DEAL WITH IT. Maybe if more people would stop shopping there they would start caring about what they put on there sheves!
September 18th, 2007 at 6:21 am
Doggy Mom,
Thanks for that info, but in groups where I participate, a wash before use is recommended - especially for baby quilts and crib items.
We err on the side of caution because we make lots of raffle quilts and don’t know how they’ll be used.
However, some folks choose not to wash for various reasons.
September 18th, 2007 at 6:45 am
I have to say All My toys and treats Etc from Shure Pets is made in USA , In our Color Catalogs it will tell you if Made In Usa ,If Its all Natural and also if its organic. If any one wants me to mail them a catalog,E-mail me at shurepetsrock@aol.com
www.shurepetscatalog.com
September 18th, 2007 at 9:19 am
I am very concerned as I had purchased the green monster toy a couple months ago at Walmart and a orange monster toy also here in MI for my two dogs. I still have the toys and they have chewed on them alot as far as chewing pieces off of the toys. Now I have to worry about my dogs getting cancer because I bought them these toys. I will not throw them away but put them in a bag in case I need to present them in the future if something should arise from this I am very distraught about this.
September 18th, 2007 at 10:33 am
GOOD GRIEF!!!!
china mart does it again. ( I REFUSE to capatalize either word)
This is nothing more than a confirmation of what I’ve been saying for months.
china = JUNK
china mart = JUNK
Put the two together and you come up with poisonous JUNK
RECYCLE
September 18th, 2007 at 10:37 am
GOOD GRIEF!!!!
china mart does it again. ( I REFUSE to capatalize either word)
This is nothing more than a confirmation of what I’ve been saying for months.
china = JUNK
china mart = JUNK
Put the two together and you come up with poisonous JUNK
RECYCLE the tainted products!!!!?? Hey let’s all just dump all our toxic material in the rivers, lakes etc etc and let it recycle that way. What a deal. Just think of all the $$$$$ ya could save. Grind up all those tires at the tire shops and turn em into play toys for tots.
Buy US made people. Yeah, there are some problems but NUTTIN like this.
September 18th, 2007 at 10:38 am
OOps. sorry folks. I somehow managed to send part of the message twice.
take care all.
September 18th, 2007 at 11:12 am
“Anonymous says:
September 17th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
IMHO The reason Expertox is being used for independant testing is that THEY are not willing to be bought out or silenced. They have backed their findings to the limit in the past and have not buckled under to corporation pressures.
If they say they found something then I for one tend to believe them.”
That is true. Most labs do only very specific tests for very specific customers. Try to find a private chemist to do tests for you. They need to have specific expensive equipment, facilities and disposal attangements for the (toxic) byproducts of testing so they cannot afford to lose their customer base to do a test for someone getting ready to sue a business.
Thanks for the reminder that cadmium comes from batteries. A friend told me that China is a major ‘recycler’ of batteries for the world. He saw a program showing a huge Chinese facility melting down batteries. Now, what to do with the lead and cadmium?
A few years ago there was a recall of lead filled mini blinds from China. The US recall info is still on the web
http://www.dhs.ca.gov/childlead/html/GENmini.html
which were sold in the tens of millions per year for years in the US. The dust that powdered off the blinds could poison a child if he licked just a small lick a day for a month.
Here is 1996 link
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PR.....96150.html
The official reports I read said they did not have to recall any USA made blinds because US makers never use lead to soften vinyl like the Chinese. Put 2 and 2 together.
I am sure these blinds are still in houses everywhere. Most people I meet have never heard of the recall.
This link mentions lead in the plastic on electric cords (which some pets chew). Often there is a state of California warning on the label of such items
http://www.leadcheck.com/PB-04.html
Check the source of your catnip too.
Thank you itchmo. It is obvious businesses do not care. They want to keep shoveling junk at us and do little if caught except re-group, re-label and keep dumping. I cant even buy a darn pet toy with peace of mind. Arrrrrrr
Lead does not break down. Throw the toxic toys in a landfill and the lead is there forever, leaching into the ground water At least radioactive waste breaks down in 20,000 years
September 18th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
The Chinese bowls & spoons made of plastic they have in the restaurants or sell in Chinese markets contain Melamine. Never microwave them better off don’t use them anymore. From now on if its made in China I am not buying it. I like the catnip sock idea & baby mittens too can be used. I used to sew catnip toys from scrap cloth.
I am beginning to wonder if all these toxins in things made in China.. is it them being cheap trying to save money or are they deliberately trying to poison our pets & children???? Also I wonder if any other countries are having the same problem with tainted food & toys. Have there been any recalls in other countries???