Yesterday I wrote how children’s toys aren’t the only thing testing positive for lead paint. So are pet products, like food and water bowls and bird cages.
Here’s some things to keep in mind if you’re worried about pet products you have in your household:
1) Check labels. Made in China instantly makes me wary anymore, but that doesn’t automatically mean lead’s in the paint. Also, some products specifically indicated paint used contains lead.
2) If labels are no help and you want to determine if your pet’s bowls or toys contain lead, buy a testing kit. (Options include the Lead Inspector or the Instant Lead Testing Kit available in the Families.com Deal section.)
3) If you detect lead, don’t panic! Lead’s not good, but it doesn’t automatically mean it’s toxic. The Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines for acceptable levels of lead exposure for humans is set at 600 parts per million (ppm). Such a standard doesn’t exist for pets, but according to Sharon Gwaltney-Brant DVM, PhD, DABVT, DABT of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, for a 22 pound dog “chronic toxicosis is induced at 3-30 mg/kg/day 3-30 mg/kg/day for a total lead dose of 2700 mg.” At this calculation “it’ll take 6000 days to get to the chronic toxic dose of 2700 mg of lead. That’s 16.4 years.”
4) However, if you’re like me, any product testing positive for lead would automatically go in the trash. I wouldn’t want to take any chances.
5) Opt for stainless steel or plastic drinking and food bowls.
6) If your dog’s a squeaky toy destroyer, make especially sure all pieces are spit out. (Unless of course you’ve verified the paint used on the squeaky is lead-free.)
Something Else to Keep in Mind about Bowls
In From Functional to Fashionable: The Best Drinking Bowl for Your Pet, I covered some pros and cons of various bowls. Among them was ceramic versus plastic versus stainless steel.
Since some ceramic bowls may now harbor the risk of lead poisoning, that leaves a choice between plastic and stainless steel.
Some people worry plastic bowls contain cancer-causing PCB’s and can affect a pet’s health in other ways, like changing nose color and contributing to feline chin acne.
If you’re concerned about plastic affecting your pet at all, the best option is stainless steel.
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