Lab Finds High Lead Levels In Pet Products

[Joanne98]

Lab Finds High Lead Levels In Pet Products

Posted on Sunday, December 2nd, 2007 at 8:00 am in News for Cats, Dogs & Owners, National Dog, Cat & Pet Info, Dogs, Cats, Other Pets, Pet Food Recalls & Safety.

By Emily Huh

An Albuquerque news team tested various pet supplies and toys by first using a lead surface do-it-yourself test kit and then took those some pet products to Assaigai Analytical Environmental Labs for further testing.

The news team first tested a yellow dog ball, a green ceramic pet bowl, a white ceramic pet bowl, and a bird cage with their do-it-yourself test kit. The yellow dog ball did not show any lead levels, while the green ceramic pet bowl did test positive for lead. The white ceramic pet bowl and the bird cage yielded a higher positive lead result.

The news team took the two ceramic pet bowls and the bird cage to the lab to be tested.

John Biava, vice president and lab operations manager, tested the samples and confirmed the presence of lead in all of them.

The green bowl tested at 62 parts per million, while the white bowl tested at 990 milligrams per kilogram (milligrams per kilogram is the metric equivalent of parts per million).


The bird cage was tested at 8,200 parts per million, which Biava said is ten times the level of lead allowed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Veterinarian Michael Melloy said a bird cage with that amount of lead could be detrimental.

He said, “Birds are really profoundly affected by lead, because it accumulates in the gizzard — which is a muscular part of the stomach — stays there for a long period of time and it can be absorbed over time and can really cause serious intoxication.”

Melloy added that in regards to the ceramic dog bowls, a dog would have to break the bowl and then eat and digest the pieces to cause any harm to the pet.

The news team contacted Petsmart, who makes the bird cage, to tell them of the lead results. A company spokesperson said they are testing the bird cages. They expect their results to come back in about a week and a half.

A FDA spokesperson said the agency would look into the lead levels of ceramic pet bowls.

Source: KOAT

(Thanks menusux)
http://www.itchmo.com/lab-finds-high-lead-levels-in-pet-products-4060

[Vincardog]

1. Does anybody want to bet where the lead products were manufactured?

[Deja Q]

7. Dunno but I bet they get a lot of jobs and HUGE discounts on products that cost everyone else

a fortune. (e.g. A popular productivity office software package and operating system license for $3 when we may $600 foir the same thing here.)

[Cybergata]

2. Stainless Steel Only for . . .

. . . my pets as well as myself. . . or glass.

[williesgirl]

3. k&r to get the word out. thanks

[NV Whino]

4. If you haven't done so already,

post this in the Pets Forum.

[Blue Diadem]

5. Stainless steel is what we use.

I've been leary of using ceramic or any glazed product for a long time for the pets.

[tridim]

6. I just bought a set of dinner plates today..

There were no choices other than Made In China. Should I get them tested? They're glazed stoneware.

Shopping is so depressing these days.

[Blue Diadem]

9. Here's a link to a story from Oct. They're saying most dishes are safe.

Getting the lead out
Tests show Americans have little reason to worry about the lead levels in dishes at major retailers

By Karen Klages | Tribune staff reporter
October 21, 2007


Article here:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/home/chi-1021leadoct21,1,4301419,full.story

-------------------------
Hope this helps.

[flashl]

8. K&R n/t