We grew up with Mattel toys, and it’s almost heart-breaking to read news of this latest expanded recall of Mattel toys — millions upon millions of toys that turn out to be potentially dangerous to children, due to strong magnets that could come loose and be swallowed, and to the use of paint that contains excessive amounts of lead…

And this comes right on the heels of a similar recall by Mattel’s Fisher Price division, where lead paint was the health issue.

Play time is learning time for our young ones, and a good toy can help to stimulate a child’s growing mind, imagination, manual dexterity, physical balance, and observation and problem-solving skills —

So, instead of feeling helpless and angry, let’s look at what we can do to help protect our kids.

• Avoid products made in countries with lax environmental laws and standards.

  No country’s manufacturing sector is perfect, of course, but it helps to start out with fairly strict health and safety standards at the national level. In the case of the recent Mattel product recalls, there are reports that the Chinese authorities knew about the safety problem with magnets on toys as long as a few months ago!

• Don’t take the label at its word when it comes to small parts that could be swallowed.

  Most toys come with labels giving a suggested minimum age or age range — “not suitable for children under the age of 3,” for example — but we all know 4-year-olds with great energy who may not yet have developed the common sense and judgment of consequences to match the level of their curiosity! If your child is the type to take a toy apart to see what it’s made of, or to taste everything that comes into his hands, do take that into consideration when you’re choosing a toy for him.

• Check it yourself.

  Button eyes on a stuffed animal are easy enough to spot, but what about that lead paint? Neena uses a non-toxic home testing kit, LeadCheck Swabs, to check for lead paint on toys and costume jewelry before her children get hold of them.

• Check for product recalls.

  A good start is the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which maintains a website where you can look up information on over 4,000 product recalls and recall alerts from sports equipment to household goods, to toys and other products designed for children.

  As well as current recalls, take a few extra minutes to check on the company’s history. An unusual number of product recalls for safety reasons should be a bit of a red flag.

And maybe it’s time to take a whole different tack on children’s toys…

Instead of buying the latest “licensed character” mass-market toy imported from an off-shore factory, why not look into locally-crafted toys? Many of the traditional toys and games that have been entertaining children perfectly well for generations are available once more at craft shows and farmers’ markets — spinning tops, wooden blocks, rocking horses, and homemade stuffed animals and dolls.

Can you remember making a Wendy house or play castle from a cardboard box, or a secret fort from your mother’s sofa cushions? Musical instruments from the contents of the kitchen drawers? Paper airplanes? Kites from garbage bags and newspaper?

The possibilities for delightful homemade toys are endless…
and so is a child’s imagination!

Photo courtesy of Steve Rainer

Here’s something different — and quite intriguing — that caught my attention recently, as a caring dog-owner and a loving guardian of impulsive and animal-loving children.

Doggone Crazy is a unique dog bite prevention child safety board game — and dog bite prevention is the whole goal of the game. It promises to be good fun to play, as well as educational.

Here’s what the makers of the game have to say about it:

Doggone Crazy! is the first ever board game to empower kids with the knowledge they need to make safe choices around dogs. Kids can be doggy detectives, trying to figure out what the dogs are saying with their body language in the more than 100 photo cards. Children and families will learn about dog communication, dog behavior, dog safety for children and how to prevent a dog bite.

Through fun activities, photographs of real dogs and puppies and question cards, Doggone Crazy! promotes education and child safety. Doggone Crazy! is a highly competitive race around the board collecting dog bones. There are over 100 cards showing photographs of real dogs doing real doggie things. There are more than 60 different dogs and more than 40 different breeds represented…

Download the game’s free Parent Guide (PDF file), a great resource that explains all the concepts covered in the game and their basis.

Or, to start learning about dog communication right away, see the quick reference guide (PDF file) to see a sample of the kind of dog body language that is illustrated by the game cards.

Even dog savvy parents have said “I didn’t know that!” after learning about subtle and little-known dog communication signals from the photo cards in the game. Kids just say “We all have fun!!”

For 2-6 Players, ages 4-12 — adults too! Requires at least 1 player with 3rd grade reading skills, and a gaame with 4 players will take about 40 minutes.

Note: This article was written and published in 2005. For up-to-date information, see Greenies Dog Treat NOT Dangerous Now.  The product has been reformulated and is as safe for dogs as any other “dental chew” or chewable treat.

Dog forums, pet blogs and and pet-related list-serves continue to be a-buzz with stories of dogs who have required serious and expensive surgery after being given a Greenie dog treat. There seem to be two main issues, as I noted in yesterday‘s post on this topic:

1. Do Greenies pose a choking hazard to dogs who gulp or fail to chew properly, or who have been given a Greenie that is too small for the size of the dog?
2. Can dogs digest Greenies properly, or is there is a significant risk of undigested material from some ingredient that may cause an intestinal blockage?

My growing sense, the more I read, is that the two issues may very well be related.

Can Dogs Choke on Greenies?

Dogs can choke on anything they chew, the same way that a person can choke on chewing gum or a hastily-gobbled breakfast bagel. Eat too fast and a piece can get caught in the throat, blocking the passage of air. The choking hazard for dogs is not restricted to Greenies but extends to any “chewy” that can break into small pieces. Supervision is important. It wouldn’t hurt to brush up on doggie first aid techniques, too.

Can Greenies be Digested Properly by Dogs?

Here’s what S&M NuTec (manufacturers of Greenies®) says about Greenies on its product information page:

Some chew products contain other inert materials which are not digestible. All ingredients in Greenies® the original green smart-treat® are highly digestible, are human food grade prior to being processed in pet food plants.

Here’s a link to actual photographs of the green material removed from a dog’s blocked intestine during emergency surgery, as well as the section of bowel removed. (These are real photographs, so be forewarned if you are squeamish about medical things.)

And in case anyone goes getting unduly alarmed, because these are quite alarming pictures, do please remember that anything that is ingested by a dog can cause the occasional problem. That includes socks, stuffed toys, real bones, dead mice, tuna casserole… anything can “go down the wrong way”.

It may be useful to check the Greenies.com FAQ, newly expanded, which has answers to about any question imaginable.

And here’s a letter posted on Boxer Rescue, dated 9 November 2005, from Jody Hanson “on behalf of the manufacturers of Greenies®“:

Millions of Greenies® are sold each month. On rare occurrences, we are troubled by an incident where a pet owner has said that his/her dog has had a problem with Greenies®. When we do hear of these reports, we always conduct a thorough investigation. Typically, the results of our investigations have revealed that the pet has been given the wrong size Greenies® by its owner or the pet has swallowed an abnormally large piece of Greenies® without chewing it. As such, we strongly recommend purchasing the correct size Greenies® according to the size and weight of your pet. Additionally, we recommend all pet owners supervise their pet’s eating and chewing habits. And not just with Greenies®, but when given dog bones, treats, rawhides, and even while eating meals.The digestibility testing that we have with Greenies® show them to be about 85% digestible when adequately chewed. If a dog swallows a large piece or a whole treat the digestion process will probably take longer because of the decrease of treat surface area to digestive liquids and stomach action. This would be similar if a dog swallowed a large piece of meat, vegetable, or fruit. The length of time it would take to digest would depend on the size of treat compared to the size of dog. The primary ingredient in Greenies® is wheat gluten, which is very digestible.

For what it’s worth, the bottom line conclusion that I reached yesterday — to return to what we did before they invented Greenies — has not changed as a result of what I have learned here today.

UPDATE: Canine GREENIES® dental chews for dogs have been reformulated to be more safe and easily digestible, in 2006, in response to customer concerns about their safety for dogs.  As the company’s FAQ for veterinarians explains:

“Reformulated GREENIES® dental chews are 96 percent digestible, which is more digestible than the average dry dog food. Since the product was reformulated in 2006, there have been no reports of blockages or obstructions.”

So, no worries — it’s all good now!

For archival purposes only, and for the information of pet owners who may wonder what the story is/was, here’s my original article about the Greenies® safety issue, posted 17 Nov 2005:

Greenies Dog Treat may be Dangerous

Our dogs love Greenies® treats and would eat them every day if they had a chance, but serious questions are being raised about the safety of the product.

Those green “dental chews” certainly freshen the dogs’ breath, as advertised — but we’re beginning to think that these treats may be dangerous to the dog. A lot of reports have been coming to light recently about hazards related to Greenies ®, such as KIRO-tv’s investigative report (“Dog Treat May Carry Danger,” 15 November 2005), as well as numerous disturbing personal stories about dogs who have become very ill or even died from eating Greenies®.

Most of the reported health problems seem to be related to the Greenie creating a blockage in the dog’s intestine because it is not properly digested. That means great discomfort for the ill dog, at the very least, a trip to the veterinarian, and quite often some serious surgery — it can even mean death.

Bereaved dog owners and their veterinarians have described finding a solid mass of foam-rubber-like green substance in the dog’s digestive tract.

Yet, when I look at the list of Greenies® Ingredients, no red flags are leaping out to suggest a potential problem:

Processed wheat gluten (wheat protein), glycerin, natural flavor, powdered cellulose fiber, monosodium phosphate, monoglycerides of edible fatty acid, magnesium stearate and chlorophyll.

So what’s going on here?

The Greenies® website does say “Caution: As with any edible product, monitor your dog to ensure the treat is adequately chewed. Gulping any item can be harmful or even fatal to a dog.” (It does not, however, explain how to teach a dog to chew thoroughly before swallowing its treat.)

The importance of following the company’s “feeding instructions” is reflected in a response from the manufacturer, posted in the Global Paws forum’s Greenie Bone Warning discussion:

Question:
————————
There has been quite a bit of talk going around the internet about Greenies causing intestinal blockage. I have always tried to quell internet myths and rumors when I can. I have directed concerned dog owners to the Greenie website for info about feeding and discussed the numerous things we give our dogs that can cause blockages. I see that you have revised some of your feeding guidelines due to some new info. Can you give me an estimate of the percentage of intestinal blockages related to Greenies compared to other things? My guess is that it is relatively low.Answer:
————————
Millions of Greenies® are sold each week. On rare occurrences, we are troubled by an incident where a pet owner has said that his/her dog has had a problem with Greenies®. When we do hear of these reports, we always conduct a thorough investigation. Typically, the results of our investigations have revealed that the pet has been given the wrong size Greenies® by its owner or the pet has swallowed an abnormally large piece of Greenies® without chewing it. As such, we strongly recommend purchasing the correct size Greenies® according to the size and weight of your pet. Additionally, we recommend all pet owners supervise their pet’s eating and chewing habits. And not just with Greenies®, but when given dog bones, treats, rawhides, and even while eating meals.

Several people have notified us of the report about this Maltese that is circulating the internet. I can tell you that we did get the opportunity to investigate this case. We were so sad to hear about this dog. After doing an investigation, we found that this dog received the incorrect size of Greenies recommended for his weight. Our size recommendations are as follows:

Lil’ Bits:

Dogs under 5 pounds, dogs less than 6 months old, dogs of any size or age who tend to gulp

Teenies:

Dogs between 5 and 15 pounds, over 6 months old and good chewers

Petite:

Dogs between 15 and 25 pounds, over 6 months old and good chewers

Regular:

Dogs between 25 and 50 pounds, over 6 months old and good chewers

Large:

Dogs between 50 and 100 pounds, over 6 months old and good chewers

Jumbo:

Dogs over 100 pounds, over 6 months old and good chewers.

Hopefully this information makes you feel better about our product. Any additional questions can be sent to Dr. Bradley Quest, our technical services veterinarian, at info@greenies.com. Please feel free to pass this response on.

Of course, any chewed object or food can cause a dog to choke. Greenies® are quite expensive, so a lot of people do try to save money by getting a slightly smaller size than is recommended.

From what I am reading about this story, however, it seems that the issue is not about choking on a hastily-gobbled treat but actually that the treat cannot be fully digested by the dog.

This email from Elaine Hopper of Starlaine Dobermans & Whippets tells story of her own recent personal experience:

Dog treat dangerI have a warning to pass on…

On the way back from the Dobe National this year, I was walking one of the dogs at the airport waiting for the owner to return our rental car when the dog decided to throw up…..

I was shocked to see a mass of green rubber-like material and immediately called the owner. The mass looked like something you would see in the pad under a carpet. I was assured the dog did not shred anything…and that the only thing the dog had been given to eat recently was a “Greenie”…one of those formed green dog treats that look like a toothbrush…..

I couldn’t believe one of those pressed dog treats would reconstitute into what looked like a mass of foam rubber pieces!

Well, after getting home my friend did an experiment….cut up one of those things and soaked it in water overnight….low and behold a mass of foam rubber crap! Certainly NOT digestible!

We both made a note to never feed those things again…and then last night in the Seattle area the newscast did a piece on…you guessed it GREENIES! A whole story about how dogs are DYING from blockages after eating those stupid things!

Here is a link to the article….turns out they are NOT 100% digestible….

My bottom line is this:
No more Greenies® for our dogs — not until I find out for sure what the rubbery-looking green material is that blocks the intestines of the dogs who are making the news.

So it’s back to our old regimen of (sterilized) real shank bones for the dogs’ (supervised) chewing amusement; chicken-flavoured toohpaste and a baby-sized toothbrush to clean their teeth and breath; and my own homemade dog cookies to please their greedy little doggie appetites between meals.

This terrific idea was posted today on the GH-List by Jeanni Kistler-Davis of DragonflyteCreations:

If you have a storm door that has a removable screen/window, take out the screen/window and when the kids ring the bell, you only have to open the inside door. With the storm door closed and locked you can reach right out with the candy and the dogs can’t get out!

We like this idea because of course you don’t want to leave a dog out in the yard on Halloween evening, but the constant ringing of the doorbell can be stressful for an animal.This way, the dog can help to greet visitors, calming his worries by letting him know what’s going on, without the risk of escape through an open door. And any little trick-or-treaters who are nervous of dogs will be reassured by the half-door that stays closed between them!

And, while we’re thinking about pet welfare on Halloween…

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has drawn up a list of their top Halloween safety tips for pet owners, including a reminder that many common holiday objects can be harmful to cats and dogs. Watch out in particular for:

• chocolate — as little as two snack-sized chocolate bars (or even 4 ounces of hot chocolate powder) can be poisonous to a small dog!
• candies and gum that contain large amounts of the sweetener xylitol;
• aluminum foil and cellophane candy wrappers, which can cause intestinal blockages;
• liquid potpourri;
• holiday decorations, particularly those made of glass or plastic — the animals will find decorations very interesting just because they aren’t used to seeing them around every day, and may be tempted to chew;
• electrical cords

Details are available on the ASPCA Poison Control Center website. Accidents can happen, however, no matter how careful we are — so do keep your veterinarian’s emergency telephone in a prominent place and make sure that everyone in the family knows where to find it.

A rumour has been making the rounds of pet owners lately. A widely-forwarded email message is causing alarm by claiming that Swiffer Wet Jet harms dogs because of an ingredient that is “one molecule away” from being anti-freeze.

This email is known to be a hoax — so there’s no need to worry, if you own a dog or cat and use this product at home. The manufacturer has posted a rebuttal on the Q&A section of their website. As well, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has issued the following statement in response to the Wet Jet rumour:

Veterinary toxicologists at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center have reviewed the claim described in a widely distributed email alleging a relationship between the use of Swiffer Wet Jet and liver failure in a dog. The email alleges that exposure to the ingredients in Swiffer Wet Jet caused a dog’s death.

The Swiffer Wet Jet system contains water (90-100%), propylene glycol n-propyl ether or propylene glycol n-butyl ether and isopropyl alcohol (1-4%). These ingredients are safe to use around pets when used according to label directions and would not cause liver damage at product concentrations. Propylene glycol n-butyl/propyl ether differs significantly from ethylene glycol, the potentially toxic ingredient present in most antifreeze products. Ethylene glycol is frequently implicated in causing renal failure in dogs following antifreeze ingestion. Propylene glycol n-propyl ether and propylene glycol n-butyl ether are very safe ingredients at levels used in cleaning products and do not cause kidney or liver failure.

Note that the product description for Swiffer Wet Jet Starter Kit does advise that you should “Keep out of reach of toddlers and pets to avoid accidental ingestion.” But of course, that applies to most of our household cleaning products — just good common sense!

With just a length of inexpensive plastic tubing,you can go far to protect a new puppy or curious cat from chewing on appliance cords or other electrical wires in the home.

Electricians and mechanics use plastic loom to bind wires together and protect them over a long run, and it’s just the thing to protect pets from an electrical shock that might be deadly.

In the various pet-owners groups where I hang out, a common topic of discussion is dangerous plants, and whether a favorite garden plant might be harmful to dogs, cats, horses, or other pets and domesticated animals who might wander up and start munching away.

What common wild and garden plants can harm your pets?

And what part(s) of those toxic plants would be harmful to the animals we love:

• Roots?
• Shoots?
• Leaves?
• Berries?
• Stems?
• Flowers?
• or all of the above?

Who knew that horses shouldn’t eat chives – or red maple leaves?

Horses are poisoned sporadically in the northeastern United States after they ingest red maple leaves. Signs of toxicity are similar to those seen with the Brassica anemia factor after animals ingest plants of the genus Brassica (such as canola, kale, cabbage).

Now we’ve got every hardy herbaceous plant known to eastern Canada and New England growing around this place, I think — no poison ivy, though, happily! — but I don’t spend a whole lot of time obsessing about whether our domestic dogs are going to start snacking on the Aconitum. Still, handy to have a searchable database of poisonous plants at my fingertips, courtesy of the Government of Canada, and a whole bookshelf of reliable field guides and reference books!