Carcinogenic substances found in dog toys – experts warn
Created: 09/19/2022, 18:18
By: Lucas Maier
For many, dogs are almost a family member.
It is all the worse when the four-legged friend gets sick.
Stiftung Warentest has found dangerous substances in dog toys.
Kassel – A squeaky chicken, a treat dispenser or even an imitation meat sausage: there are all kinds of toys for “man’s best friend”.
But not all of them can be recommended, as a test by Stiftung Warentest shows.
If you want to please your dog with a new toy, it is better to choose it carefully.
Stiftung Warentest
found carcinogenic substances
in a total of four of the fifteen products tested .
Stiftung Warentest tests dog toys: Cancer is also a danger for dogs
When it comes to children's toys and other plastic products, care has long been taken to ensure that the products do not pose a risk of cancer.
Cancer is not uncommon in dogs either.
About 800 to 900 out of 100,000 dogs will develop cancer, according to the Italian journal for veterinary
research BioMed Central Veterinary Research
.
Signs that a dog may have cancer
Swelling that doesn't go away
Poorly healing wounds
Changes in the dog's mouth (e.g. pale gums)
Weight loss, weight gain, loss of appetite
Discharge or bleeding from body orifices, unpleasant odor
Discomfort when swallowing and eating, listlessness and lack of endurance
lameness, stiffness,
shortness of breath
Problems with bowel movements and urine
behavioral changes
Source:
A Heart for Animals
For comparison: In 2018, 498,000 people in Germany developed cancer, according to the
German Cancer Research Center dkfz
.
This corresponds to just over 0.5 percent of the German population.
The study, led by
BioMed Central Veterinary Research
, even came up with a percentage probability of 0.85 percent for dogs to develop cancer.
Dog toy test: Carcinogenic substances in four of the fifteen products
In the test by Stiftung Warentest, 15 "typical" products were subjected to a pollutant analysis.
According to the consumer magazine, eleven of the toys tested were rated as good or even very good.
Safety for Dogs: These toys carry the risk of cancer.
(Archive image) © Rachen Sageamsak/dpa
Four of the toys were classified as defective, as
Stiftung Warentest
writes.
In the test, the products were examined for carcinogenic substances.
The four defective toys all contained "nitrosamines or nitrosatable substances" above the limit value of the toy standard.
A high value of “naphthalene” also led to the devaluation of one of the toys.
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Substances in toys: According to Stiftung Warentest, these products should no longer be used
The substances found are questionable due to their carcinogenic properties.
“Several studies suggest a connection between environmental toxins and animal diseases.
It is also clear that cancer is one of the most common diseases in dogs,” writes
Stiftung Warentest
about the risk posed by the toys.
These toys are potentially dangerous to dogs or other animals:
Toy: | Pollutant rating: |
|---|---|
Classic by Kong, size: L, color: red | Grade 4.6 and therefore unsatisfactory, decisive factors were a too high naphthalene value and a nitrosamine value that exceeded the limit value. |
Dog Latex Figure by Nobby, Item no. 67006 | Grade 4.7 and therefore unsatisfactory, decisive factors were nitrosatable substances above the limit value. |
Karlie latex pig, item no. 504215 | Grade 4.8 and therefore unsatisfactory, decisive factors were nitrosatable substances above the limit value. |
Chicken by Zooroyal, size: 25cm Item no. 8342525 | Grade 4.8 and therefore unsatisfactory, decisive factors were nitrosatable substances above the limit value. |
Source: Stiftung Warentest |
It is also pointed out that contaminated toys should be better disposed of.
But not only cancer is a potential danger for the beloved four-legged friend, dogs are also often endangered in the car.
(Lucas Maier)